I wasn't sure what to expect for the Kyoshi Novels. Because of the TV show, I regarded Avatar Kyoshi as this kick-butt, taking names Avatar (also because of the bathe in his blood memes). And this is the story of how she became that Avatar.

I really enjoyed The Rise of Kyoshi. First of all, it is always great to be back in the world of bending the elements. F.C. Yee did a great job of writing the world of Avatar down on paper - something I assume can be hard since it has always been this visual medium. The Easter eggs and little bits of extra information about the world were great.

As for Kyoshi's story, it is one of found family. The cast of characters really grew on me and I am very interested to see more of them, hopefully, in the second book The Shadow of Kyoshi. Moreover, The Rise of Kyoshi was surprisingly dark sometimes, much darker than Avatar: The Last Airbender I would say. However, this fits Avatar Kyoshi very well and it is perfect for the more grown-up Avatar audience.

At some points, I did feel as if the story was really trying to explain why this or that happened. However, that did not always feel as organically.

Spoiler

Especially why Kyoshi lived to 230 years old.

But that might be resolved in the sequel, which I will be picking up next!

I really recommend The Rise of Kyoshi to anyone who loves the Avatar world, loves Avatar Kyoshi but also to those who enjoy found family and heist stories.