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murpholk's review
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Interesting premise and a cautionary tale about unchecked climate change. Jackson and Elle are both competent and complex characters. Their pairing (military butch/scientist femme) is reminiscent of the leads of one of Vaun's other books.
lezreadalot's review against another edition
4.0
Conflict was much more about love than hate. In the moment of reckoning, you harnessed everything you ever loved, everything you ever cared about—those were the things that propelled you forward, those were the things you fought for. Not the entire world, just one little part of it.
This was a pretty fun, action-packed romance! I think it did a mostly good job of balancing the science fiction and the romance. I was really interested in the premise, since it's so deeply rooted in reality. The situation that's laid out in the plot here (rising seas, polluted air, wise-spread disease, millions displaced or dead, the world on a timer) is depressingly easy to imagine. I think the author did a great job of painting that picture (almost too good; I honestly got a little freaked out sometimes). And I really like how the time travel aspect was handled, and all the scientific bits. I don't know if the science was sound, but it all seemed really really well-researched, and most importantly, easy to parse for a layperson who just wanted some action, time-travel, and a sweet butch/femme romance.
I really liked our main characters! They were kinda archetypal: the tough butch soldier and the nerdy but gorgeous scientist, but I do like those character tropes, so this was easy for me to enjoy. They each got a bit of development, though not as much as I'd have liked. Jackson was a little too cocky for me at first, but I grew to like her more when she allowed herself to be a little more vulnerable with Elle. The romance was sweet, and had some really great moments, but unfortunately a lot of the time I was left wanting more. Mild spoiler:
I liked Vaun's writing style for the most part. Again, I think she did a good job of creating a story and plot was that realistic and well-researched, but not so detailed that it weighed everything else down. There were some great action scenes, and some lovely tender scenes. I feel like, however, almost all of the chapters ended either abruptly or unnaturally, which isn't a big deal, just slightly jarring. I really disliked the POV-switching; it's my least favourite thing in writing, it takes me out of a story so so much. I hate situations where, for example, character A wonders what B thinks about something, and then we immediately switch to B's perspective and we're told what B thinks. It removes any suspense there might have been, and just undermines the writing. This, and a couple other little things, prevented me from enjoying the writing wholeheartedly.
Still, this was a great science-fiction/action romp with a couple of twists that I definitely recommend. My first read from Vaun; it won't be my last! 3.5 stars.
☆ Review copy provided via NetGalley.
This was a pretty fun, action-packed romance! I think it did a mostly good job of balancing the science fiction and the romance. I was really interested in the premise, since it's so deeply rooted in reality. The situation that's laid out in the plot here (rising seas, polluted air, wise-spread disease, millions displaced or dead, the world on a timer) is depressingly easy to imagine. I think the author did a great job of painting that picture (almost too good; I honestly got a little freaked out sometimes). And I really like how the time travel aspect was handled, and all the scientific bits. I don't know if the science was sound, but it all seemed really really well-researched, and most importantly, easy to parse for a layperson who just wanted some action, time-travel, and a sweet butch/femme romance.
I really liked our main characters! They were kinda archetypal: the tough butch soldier and the nerdy but gorgeous scientist, but I do like those character tropes, so this was easy for me to enjoy. They each got a bit of development, though not as much as I'd have liked. Jackson was a little too cocky for me at first, but I grew to like her more when she allowed herself to be a little more vulnerable with Elle. The romance was sweet, and had some really great moments, but unfortunately a lot of the time I was left wanting more. Mild spoiler:
Spoiler
I really don't think they needed to say 'I love you's. Not only did it seem really premature, it wasn't believable to me, and I think ending on a hope for the future, with the knowledge that these two people are compatible, and they can and WILL fall in love in the future, would have been more appropriate and effective.I liked Vaun's writing style for the most part. Again, I think she did a good job of creating a story and plot was that realistic and well-researched, but not so detailed that it weighed everything else down. There were some great action scenes, and some lovely tender scenes. I feel like, however, almost all of the chapters ended either abruptly or unnaturally, which isn't a big deal, just slightly jarring. I really disliked the POV-switching; it's my least favourite thing in writing, it takes me out of a story so so much. I hate situations where, for example, character A wonders what B thinks about something, and then we immediately switch to B's perspective and we're told what B thinks. It removes any suspense there might have been, and just undermines the writing. This, and a couple other little things, prevented me from enjoying the writing wholeheartedly.
Still, this was a great science-fiction/action romp with a couple of twists that I definitely recommend. My first read from Vaun; it won't be my last! 3.5 stars.
☆ Review copy provided via NetGalley.
althea's review against another edition
4.0
4.5/5 Stars
This book was a really pleasant surprise - I'd read great reviews about it before picking it up, but I wasn't prepared for how much I enjoyed it! The sci-fi/dystopian setting that is looking all too realistic was brilliantly developed and the tension throughout the book was palpable. I really enjoyed the romance and at no point in the book did it feel contrived. My only wish is that it had been longer so that the characters would have been a tad more fleshed out, particularly the side characters, alongside the ending. However, this was a real hit and I'll definitely be checking out more by Missouri Vaun in the future! (Also this would make an amazing tv series!)
Thanks to Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books for an e-ARC copy in return for an honest review
This book was a really pleasant surprise - I'd read great reviews about it before picking it up, but I wasn't prepared for how much I enjoyed it! The sci-fi/dystopian setting that is looking all too realistic was brilliantly developed and the tension throughout the book was palpable. I really enjoyed the romance and at no point in the book did it feel contrived. My only wish is that it had been longer so that the characters would have been a tad more fleshed out, particularly the side characters, alongside the ending. However, this was a real hit and I'll definitely be checking out more by Missouri Vaun in the future! (Also this would make an amazing tv series!)
Thanks to Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books for an e-ARC copy in return for an honest review
claire60's review against another edition
3.0
Set in the not to distant future when the environment has been ruined by rich men looking to profit from nation's and people's desperation. Science has found a way to return to the past in order to get what is needed to repopulate the eco system. This book focuses on the oceans (the earth's lungs) and the scientist Elle who knows what is needed to reseed them. She has already met the mission commander Jackson, in a sex club which are preferred to online dating; thus the scene is set for a fast paced thriller. Its reassuring to know that in the future lesbians will be having sex and saving the planet.
With thanks to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
With thanks to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
judeinthestars's review
3.0
3.5* – It’s 2089 and the world is on its last legs. Besides humans, not much life is left, and what is left is not exactly enjoyable. Eliza ‘Elle’ Graham is a paleobotanist looking for a cure in the planet’s past. Jackson Drake’s wife died trying to save others, and the last thing Jackson wants is to fall for another woman willing to sacrifice herself to save the world. So when Jackson’s new mission is to take Elle back to primeval Earth to retrieve, she vows to keep things professional.
Missouri Vaun has a way of setting the scene in a couple of sentences that I’m in awe of. In just a few words, she conveys the way the air smells, what the atmosphere feels like, the sounds, the colours… Vaun is a very visual writer, which shouldn’t come as a surprise since she’s also a comic book artist.
While Vaun obviously did her research into what lives and dies in the oceans, climate change, etc., she manages to give just the right amount of nerdy details without info-dumping and slowing the narrative down. This book is fast-paced and action-packed and would make a really good movie. Another thing I enjoyed a lot was the plot twists. You think you know where the author is taking you and bam! the story takes another turn.
The romance, however, didn’t work as well for me, despite good chemistry between the Jackson and Elle. While I quite liked the characters, I have to admit they are a bit flat and the romance is too fast. I’m more than okay with instalust (especially since the first time Elle and Jackson meet is at a sex club) and I get that near-death experiences can bring people closer faster but I still need a deeper connection before love gets officially involved. There’s also a bad guys plot which feels somewhat cliché, but it also makes sense at the same time.
The Sea Within is a quick and entertaining read that tackles very real problems. If you like butch/femme romances, time travel or cli-fi, you’ll find them all here.
ARC provided to Les Rêveur for an honest review.
Missouri Vaun has a way of setting the scene in a couple of sentences that I’m in awe of. In just a few words, she conveys the way the air smells, what the atmosphere feels like, the sounds, the colours… Vaun is a very visual writer, which shouldn’t come as a surprise since she’s also a comic book artist.
While Vaun obviously did her research into what lives and dies in the oceans, climate change, etc., she manages to give just the right amount of nerdy details without info-dumping and slowing the narrative down. This book is fast-paced and action-packed and would make a really good movie. Another thing I enjoyed a lot was the plot twists. You think you know where the author is taking you and bam! the story takes another turn.
The romance, however, didn’t work as well for me, despite good chemistry between the Jackson and Elle. While I quite liked the characters, I have to admit they are a bit flat and the romance is too fast. I’m more than okay with instalust (especially since the first time Elle and Jackson meet is at a sex club) and I get that near-death experiences can bring people closer faster but I still need a deeper connection before love gets officially involved. There’s also a bad guys plot which feels somewhat cliché, but it also makes sense at the same time.
The Sea Within is a quick and entertaining read that tackles very real problems. If you like butch/femme romances, time travel or cli-fi, you’ll find them all here.
ARC provided to Les Rêveur for an honest review.
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