Written by Jakob Andreasen
Fans of the critically acclaimed television show Avatar: The Last Airbender will fall head over heels with The Rise of Kyoshi by F.C. Yee. Weaving the story of a much loved character, Avatar Kyoshi, Yee has conjured a unique perspective on an already well established world and takes what we know and love, from the source material, and adds new elements of interest.
I should preface this review by saying that I am a fan of the source material myself and went into this story with high expectations. While these expectations were met in some aspects of the story, overall I felt it may have hindered my experience and enjoyment. Nonetheless, this story is a beautiful depiction of the origins of Avatar Kyoshi.
Kyoshi has always been a compelling character for me. Her storyline in the show—being a more stern and deductive Avatar, and extremely powerful and unyielding—really captured my attention, so this was a treat to read. The ‘humble origins’ that are referenced in the blurb really are the most humble an Avatar could be as a servant to the incorrectly chosen Avatar. The dynamic of that really intrigued me as both a reader and a fan of the show because, as fans, we know her true destiny. Plus to see her in a position where her true identity was being overshadowed by an incorrectly chosen Avatar was quite interesting and it really commented on how people, mostly men, place boundaries on powerful women to put themselves in a position of power. It felt similar to the narrative of Captain Marvel as we watch her grow and accept her destiny. We see her become the Avatar we know, seeing her take on the position and responsibility of the Avatar, and seeing her trust and love others around her really hooked me into rooting for her character.
The thing that has always interested me about the Avatar world is the impact, whether positive of negative, that each Avatar has on the next. For example, Avatar Yangchen created an era of peace and subsequently Kuruk brought about an era of chaos. As Kyoshi grows into her destiny, she develops a contrasting temperament to Kuruk—much like the element of Earth, she becomes stern and unyielding. Her character development throughout the novel really does stand out as a highlight.
As mentioned earlier, the world is in chaos since Avatar Kuruk has died at a young age—younger than anyone could’ve expected. The rush to find the next Avatar really adds to the atmosphere of the story and to the complexity of the antagonist, which I found quite gripping because the world was without an Avatar for a longer period of time than the norm. This opened up new opportunities for there to be a more innovative sense of world building including the introduction of outlaws, the introduction of new groups that used an Avatarless world to plague on the weak, and the introduction of powerful people to take advantage of their positions. But, while this gave more opportunity for this dynamic, it saturated the story. I think the author tried to create a three part narrative, to almost structure the story in a way, but it felt overwhelming to the point that it did hinder the development, and sometimes even the relevance of aspects within the novel.
It does take an incredible amount of creativity to dive deeper in the workings of a world, and Yee has done so by enveloping the story with nuances of political corruption and the seductive nature of power. While this conversation was evident throughout the story, the execution could have been stronger and more streamlined. I think that the intentions were there, and that there were several successful attempts at this, but it did become muddled as the story developed. This would also come down to the pacing of the story. I don’t want to compare this novel with Avatar: The Last Airbender, but the show naturally gave plenty of room for a natural progression of the themes and topics being discussed – friendship, war, power, etc. Also, the fact that this story takes a character from an already established and loved world, means that the story will flock lovers of that world. I feel that perhaps outsiders may find it a tad difficult at first, but as everything progresses, it becomes much easier to grasp.
On another note, when an author gives the perspective of the antagonist to their readers, it should give a deeper insight into the motivations of the antagonist as a way for us readers to empathise with them. While I enjoyed reading the antagonist’s chapters for the dialogue and action it gave, they could’ve been omitted or merged with chapters that involved Kyoshi, even being added the final dialogue at the climax of the story.
Overall, I quite enjoyed this story. Getting to know the origins of such an iconic character was quite a journey. Diving into the past of Avatar Kyoshi has definitely allowed my love of her to grow. Also, getting to understand her need to be the strong figure we know in the show was no doubt a treat. I believe, knowing now the secret of her character and the real origins of her story, has given me the opportunity to grow as a fan.
The Rise of Kyoshi is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers.
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Synopsis | Goodreads
F. C. Yee’s The Rise of Kyoshi delves into the story of Kyoshi, the Earth Kingdom–born Avatar. The longest-living Avatar in this beloved world’s history, Kyoshi established the brave and respected Kyoshi Warriors, but also founded the secretive Dai Li, which led to the corruption, decline, and fall of her own nation. The first of two novels based on Kyoshi, The Rise of Kyoshi maps her journey from a girl of humble origins to the merciless pursuer of justice who is still feared and admired centuries after she became the Avatar.
