Dark Heart

I absolutely LOVE this book! The characters are so alive here. When you read this, you can really feel Kat's feeling of being an outcast, and Raim's pain and longing for the past he once had. The story is very touching and creative; Betsy James creates a culture here, a world, all of its own, and different than any other world I've read of heard of. This village definitely has its own traditions, and Kat is alien to them, and so it is wish frustration that she tries her best to fit in. But it is by Raim, the blind weaver whom she meets, that she discovers that fitting in is not the most important thing. These two characters begin to heal as they encounter each other again and again, and their feelings vibrate from every page. Not only is there Raim and Kat, but more characters who are enjoyable to read, from the motherly Bian, to the helpful Jekka, to the ever-flirtatious and entertaining Set. This book is a fabulous book for readers of all ages - I'm 18 and I still love this book - and I think anyone with an imagination who loves an imaginative tale, and a dramatic tale, should read this book. It will pull your heartstrings and suck you in. The Seeker Chronicles as a whole is fabulous. I still love Dark Heart the best, but Long Night Dance, it's prequel, fills you in more on Kat's past, and Listening at the Gate, the third in the series (the sequel to Dark Heart), continues her adventures on entirely new levels. Do read Dark Heart - you won't regret it!

This is a terrific story. Kat, humiliated and shunned after the disaster of her first "bear", the initiation ritual, takes to wandering by herself in the ruins outside the village, where she meets Raim, the blind weaver. Blinded by an accident, the village cast him out, saying he was "cursed". Kat begins to heal internally as she becomes more and more involved with him. Observing Raim's own anguish in coming to terms with his pain and anger, she realizes that he is the real outcast - and that there are worse things than not being accepted.

I read this book when I was ten years old and I was enthralled. I felt as if I were facing the same challenges Kat was facing. Although I would recommend this book to older readers. I really enjoyed it and hope that other people have enjoyed it to