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4.13 AVERAGE
4.13 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
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:
Yes
1.5-2 stars ⭐️ ✨ This was very disappointing from start to finish. I am almost convinced Kristin Cashore didn’t even write this, it’s so far away from what her previous four novels sound like. The original trilogy was amazing, Winterkeep was OK, and this was the most uneventful and boring book I’ve read in months. Part 1 of this book (which is 200 pages!) is a very long winded description of life on a ship. That’s it. Part 2 there’s some plot but it drags on the whole time and the only enjoyable part to read was in Part 3, the last 40 pages. It was a chore to get there.
Hava was an interesting and complicated character in the first few books and this one, written complete in her POV, destroyed any interest I had in her. She thinks and acts like a child, she’s extremely mean and not in an endearing way that makes you like the MC for being snarky. I definitely do not recommend this one for any fans of Cashore. Leave the series at Bitterblue or Winterkeep and pretend this one doesn’t exist.
Hava was an interesting and complicated character in the first few books and this one, written complete in her POV, destroyed any interest I had in her. She thinks and acts like a child, she’s extremely mean and not in an endearing way that makes you like the MC for being snarky. I definitely do not recommend this one for any fans of Cashore. Leave the series at Bitterblue or Winterkeep and pretend this one doesn’t exist.
More than any other Graceling Realm novel, this book was three distinct parts. I liked them all separately, but together it got a tad long. Hava as a narrator also wasn’t the easiest read. She complained constantly and I felt that her narrations went in circles.
Soooo wonderful. Excellent foxes, fun sea adventure. Fantastic characters, as always.
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings are mentioned within the first few pages, but I will list some that aren’t noted: Mentions of Sexual Assault/Rape within past memories, Animal Abuse, Attempted Murder, Blood, Death, minor details of characters losing limbs due to frost bite, starvation, grief, slight sexual content with very minor details
This book was ok. I think I might’ve liked it better if it was a side story that was written around the same time as the original trilogy. But otherwise I don’t think Winterkeep or Seasparrow were really needed for the series.
I enjoyed reading from Hava’s view and getting to know more about her. I read this as a buddy read and I’m glad that I did because my friend pointed out that Hava could be neurodivergent. That changed a lot of my views while reading the story and it was very obvious as well. Hava focuses a lot on her past and doesn’t fully know or understand how to process her emotions for what has happened. She can’t comprehend the reasons for other people’s decisions and is always asking why. She also needs certain things to be stated to her as fact even if they’re obvious. Overall I felt like she needed a good therapist or just someone she could finally open up to. Thankfully there were a couple of characters that showed patience with her, unfortunately one of them was not her half sister Bitterblue which was upsetting.
As for the overall story, it was interesting but kinda like the first book Graceling, it was anticlimactic at the end. You read about the ship life, then the shipwreck and the survival journey, but all of the sudden when they finally reach civilization everything becomes rushed and crammed together. A lot of the story was very predictable and the ending conflict fell flat. I was left with more questions than answers. (There was also a major editing error in the story where 2 characters are at a specific event, but suddenly they weren’t there at all. Like a couple chapters later, it said the event would be kept secret from them. Yet they were there?! So confusing)
I just felt like this book was meant to be longer or should’ve been split into 2 books. If there is another book released in the series, I honestly don’t know if I will read it. The original trilogy was really good, but these 2 new additions have changed things so much that the characters and the world just aren’t the same at all. It’s kinda disappointing.
This book was ok. I think I might’ve liked it better if it was a side story that was written around the same time as the original trilogy. But otherwise I don’t think Winterkeep or Seasparrow were really needed for the series.
I enjoyed reading from Hava’s view and getting to know more about her. I read this as a buddy read and I’m glad that I did because my friend pointed out that Hava could be neurodivergent. That changed a lot of my views while reading the story and it was very obvious as well. Hava focuses a lot on her past and doesn’t fully know or understand how to process her emotions for what has happened. She can’t comprehend the reasons for other people’s decisions and is always asking why. She also needs certain things to be stated to her as fact even if they’re obvious. Overall I felt like she needed a good therapist or just someone she could finally open up to. Thankfully there were a couple of characters that showed patience with her, unfortunately one of them was not her half sister Bitterblue which was upsetting.
As for the overall story, it was interesting but kinda like the first book Graceling, it was anticlimactic at the end. You read about the ship life, then the shipwreck and the survival journey, but all of the sudden when they finally reach civilization everything becomes rushed and crammed together. A lot of the story was very predictable and the ending conflict fell flat. I was left with more questions than answers. (There was also a major editing error in the story where 2 characters are at a specific event, but suddenly they weren’t there at all. Like a couple chapters later, it said the event would be kept secret from them. Yet they were there?! So confusing)
I just felt like this book was meant to be longer or should’ve been split into 2 books. If there is another book released in the series, I honestly don’t know if I will read it. The original trilogy was really good, but these 2 new additions have changed things so much that the characters and the world just aren’t the same at all. It’s kinda disappointing.
adventurous
adventurous
emotional
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:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Grief
Moderate: Animal death, Death, Death of parent
Minor: Rape
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated