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3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
inspiring
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
This book was amazing! It made me cry at the end and was just so beautifully crafted. It is also the perfect beach read.
I picked this book up second hand and found out it's an uncorrected proof - so I am uncertain as to how much has changed in this vs the final version, so apologies if I don't make sense.
I loved Flora and Evelyn and Rake, and all their complexities and hopes. I think Flora's storyline, and the exploration of their identity, was particularly interesting.
The world-building and magic system was also so interesting. I loved the ideas of magic being based on stories, and the sharing of stories. I also loved the idea of the sea being a goddess and the mermaids her children.
The whole plot around the empire and colonialism was also so interesting and really important and well explored.
I'm not usually the biggest fan of mermaids, but in this story I really enjoyed them, and was glad to see Evelyn become one of them (and to have a mum who loved her!!)
The middle of the book, the bit with the witch, is the bit I found the slowest and most frustrating to read. Even though I really valued and admired the magic system and going into that, I found the short stories annoying since I just really wanted to know what was going to happen next in the wider novel. I also thought it was a bit abrupt having Florian be a witch as it wasn't really hinted at before at all that they have magic.
The bit that made me cry was actually Rake recognising that he is Flora's father figure and telling them he is there for them. I also loved ofc the reunion between Flora and Evelyn.
I wasn't sure about the slavery aspects to this novel or if they were necessary. Although I guess it shows that the pirates aren't sugarcoated at all -- they do very bad things. But yeah, not sure about that bit.
I felt sad for Evelyn that her parents were so cruel. I thought the book was interesting as it explores privilege and themes if fate (and making your own fate).
Overall this book is a really great read. I would love to see more of Flora and Evelyn. I just found out there is a sequal, and I think it will revisit some of these characters, so I look forward to reading it. :)
I picked this book up second hand and found out it's an uncorrected proof - so I am uncertain as to how much has changed in this vs the final version, so apologies if I don't make sense.
I loved Flora and Evelyn and Rake, and all their complexities and hopes. I think Flora's storyline, and the exploration of their identity, was particularly interesting.
The world-building and magic system was also so interesting. I loved the ideas of magic being based on stories, and the sharing of stories. I also loved the idea of the sea being a goddess and the mermaids her children.
The whole plot around the empire and colonialism was also so interesting and really important and well explored.
The middle of the book, the bit with the witch, is the bit I found the slowest and most frustrating to read. Even though I really valued and admired the magic system and going into that, I found the short stories annoying since I just really wanted to know what was going to happen next in the wider novel. I also thought it was a bit abrupt having Florian be a witch as it wasn't really hinted at before at all that they have magic.
The bit that made me cry was actually Rake recognising that he is Flora's father figure and telling them he is there for them. I also loved ofc the reunion between Flora and Evelyn.
I wasn't sure about the slavery aspects to this novel or if they were necessary. Although I guess it shows that the pirates aren't sugarcoated at all -- they do very bad things. But yeah, not sure about that bit.
I felt sad for Evelyn that her parents were so cruel. I thought the book was interesting as it explores privilege and themes if fate (and making your own fate).
Overall this book is a really great read. I would love to see more of Flora and Evelyn. I just found out there is a sequal, and I think it will revisit some of these characters, so I look forward to reading it. :)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Confinement, Death, Homophobia, Racism, Slavery, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Blood, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Drug abuse, Rape, Sexism, Slavery, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Sexual harassment
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was an enjoyable read with good representation. I didn’t feel the romance as much as I think I should have. Also the witch storyline felt like it ended without a good conclusion. But overall not a bad read.
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Just didn't really click with this one. I enjoyed certain parts of it—its critiques of imperialism, and the beautiful, unique, and imaginative descriptions of this fantasy world—but the plot felt like it was all over the place, with lots of threads left dangling and other things just poorly explained overall. I wasn't a huge fan of how quickly the relationship between the two characters progressed, and the writing style itself was just really not for me. I can definitely see how these quibbles wouldn't be a dealbreaker for someone else, but it wasn't my personal cup of tea.
um. i have NO words for how amazing this book is OH MY GOD. the way it so deftly handles queerness, colonialism, and the desperate search for identity??? BREATHTAKING! the ending??? the LORE???? the CHARACTER GROWTH???? THE LOVE STORY????? I am completely and utterly entranced, in love, and bamboozled by the utter creativity and research put into a book of this caliber. wonderfully written and well deserving of 5 stars.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated