The Reckoning of Roku Review: Flameo, Hotman!

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The Reckoning of Roku is the newest Avatar: The Last Airbender novel, and this time, we follow the journey Fire Avatar Roku, the reincarnation of the Avatar right before Aang. Compared to the other Avatar novels, I have to say that I enjoyed this one more than the Yangchen ones, but the Kyoshi ones are still my favourite. Another quick tidbit, the author of the Roku novel is different than the Kyoshi and Yangchen ones. Although I could tell in some parts the differences in their two style, Randy Ribay does a great job in keeping a consistent style to F. C. Yee. Even though the author changed, it was still enjoyable to read all the way through.

Before getting into the specific details of this novel, I think the most interesting part as a reader is the dramatic irony of the situation. Throughout the whole novel, we follow the story of a young Roku who is learning to let go of his attachment to the Fire Nation in order to embrace the spirit of the Avatar, a being who belongs to all four nations. The main attachment Roku has to the Fire Nation is through his friend Sozin, and for those who knows what happens in the show, this situation should be raising concerns. I think what I enjoyed most about Roku’s development is seeing his relationship with Sozin change.

Beyond this point, spoilers will be shared about the novel, The Reckoning of Roku, and some slight spoilers for the show, Avatar: The Last Airbender. Reader’s discretion is advised.

With that out of the way, let’s discuss some of the interesting seeds that were planted throughout this novel that pays off in the show.

So, for those familiar with this series, and especially the show, it should come as no surprise that the relationship between Roku and Sozin would change. From the show, we knew that the two were quite close, and it was due to this bond that the 100 Year War happens, and the Airbenders are almost all wiped out. With this context in mind, it was interesting seeing the small details that would lead to the disaster in the next Avatar cycle.

Since this novel goes between Roku and Sozin’s perspectives, it was interesting reading their thoughts. I think I preferred reading Sozin’s point of view, since it showed me glimpses of who he would become in the future. Seeing how he was reacting to situations and developing was quite entertaining. When it comes to Roku’s point of view, it made me cringe at his naivety. I knew what was going to happen in the future, and I could see the signs, but Roku’s belief in his friend outweighed everything. It made for both an interesting and frustrating read at times.

Besides these two characters, we also get introduced to Gyatso, Aang’s future airbending teacher. From the show, we know that Gyatso was a strong airbender, but he also had a playful and cheeky side. What I appreciated about this novel is that Gyatso in The Reckoning of Roku still possessed that cheeky side, and if anything, that side was amplified, as he was still a teen. Comparing this mischievous Gyatso to the wise master he becomes in the future was also quite entertaining to read.

For a bender that will become the next Avatar’s airbending master, this novel gave more depth to the character of Gyatso. Spoilers for the show, but the feats Gyatso performs in The Reckoning of Roku supports Gyatso’s power as shown in his final stand with the firebenders. I think what hurts even more is that Gyatso was quite close to a firebender in this novel, so him having to mow down firebenders in self defense must have been heartwrenching. As I mentioned before, the greatest strength of this novel is the dramatic irony, as we know the outcome of all the events unfolding, but we still hold on to that faint hope that something could be different.

Now, besides our three main characters, the plot of this story was quite a fun read as well. Where the Yangchen novels were more based like a spy thriller, and the Kyoshi novels is all about combat, I think the Roku novels lives between these two extremes. The later half of the novel has plenty of action and suspense, but the first part is more focused on Roku and his character. I enjoyed this balance, and it kept me entertained the whole way through. A benefit of these Avatar novels is that it expands the existing Avatar world.

Besides the dramatic irony, I think another aspect that I appreciate about these novels is the world building. The more I read these stories, the more everything gets fleshed out. In the show, some of the darker topics are filtered through a child’s point of view. There was never any direct killing. There was never any blood. Nothing that wouldn’t be suitable for children. I think that’s the aspect that drew me to these novels. I’ll get into this more in my Kyoshi reviews, as I think that duology was the more violent of the three Avatars right now, but Roku had his fair share of bloody violence.

One aspect of the Avatar universe I’ve always been curious about after watching Avatar: The Last Airbender was the more destructive uses of bending. Once again, The Reckoning of Roku has some of the more destructive displays of bending shown between the novels. The most prominent of these situations is when Roku is in the cave that amplified his bending due to the presence of spirits. Reading about that destructive power was a more interesting part of the novel.

Besides Roku, another interesting part of the novel was following Sozin and his adventure in Wan Shi Tong’s Library. I remember this library from the show, but seeing it mentioned again in the books was quite a delight. Besides Easter egg purposes, I think it was also an interesting choice for how Sozin learns about advanced firebending abilities and the arrival of the comet, which will start the Fire Nation’s conquest of the world.

This whole portion of the novel had the greatest amount of dramatic irony. On one hand, it was interesting seeing the library again, and to get more details on this place. On the other hand, it filled me with dread knowing what was coming. Personally, I was surprised that Sozin chose his friend over more knowledge, since I knew Sozin was about to set the world ablaze. But in the context of the novel, it makes sense that Sozin still values Roku’s life.

Overall, The Reckoning of Roku is another amazing add to the Chronicles of The Avatar. Not only did this novel have an intriguing plot, but the characters were arguably more interesting. Compared to the other novels, besides the Avatar, most of the supporting cast are unique characters to the story. In the case of Roku, these characters are people we know from the show, which added that extra layer of tension and suspense.

Not to mention, we know the fates of all these characters, which made reading their adventures even more interesting. If you’ve read the other novels in the Chronicles of The Avatar, then it should be a no-brainer to read The Reckoning of Roku. If this is somehow your first novel from this series, then you can still enjoy this novel to the fullest, as it is standalone from the other Avatar novels.