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drymming's review
1.0
I want to thank the author for providing me with an ARC!
I DNFed this at 14%.
I stopped pushing through things after 15% if i wasn’t feeling them. This book put me in a slump. I haven’t picked up a book in more than a week.
This wasn’t my cup of tea. It’s not that it was bad, but the writing seemed a bit clunky and not very smooth.
I’m sure the story takes a good turn ultimately but it isn’t for me simply.
This comes off as very disappointing because i was looking forward to this read for MerMay :(
I DNFed this at 14%.
I stopped pushing through things after 15% if i wasn’t feeling them. This book put me in a slump. I haven’t picked up a book in more than a week.
This wasn’t my cup of tea. It’s not that it was bad, but the writing seemed a bit clunky and not very smooth.
I’m sure the story takes a good turn ultimately but it isn’t for me simply.
This comes off as very disappointing because i was looking forward to this read for MerMay :(
nicolelynn_'s review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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
4.0
readingmy_library1's review
5.0
beautiful!
I lived this book! What an amazing retelling of the little mermaid. The characters were wonderful to get to know and watch them fall in love
I lived this book! What an amazing retelling of the little mermaid. The characters were wonderful to get to know and watch them fall in love
thebookworm_gram's review
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
A Sea of Blood and Sapphire by Florence Gray 🌊💙
⭐️ (out of 5): ⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️ (out of 5): 🌶️
#Review
If you like romantasy retellings that are really light on the spice this one is a must read!
I enjoyed this book because it made one of my favourite fairytales from childhood accessible again! Written for adults, it's a nice way to revamp the stories from our childhood! Very nostalgic, I love it!
A Sea of Blood and Sapphire has come under a lot of heat from readers because of the way it's written. To me, it does read as a fan fic in all honesty. However, this was Florence Gray's first book! Cut the girl some slack! The storyline is IMMACULATE but the writing style just needs a bit of a tweak! I went and had a look on her insta and it turns out that she's in the process of rewriting as she's grown a lot as a writer and acknowledges that there needs to be changes made. I'd definitely advise reading it after the changes have been made if you're not a seasoned fantasy lover.
My main gripes with the book is that it felt rushed. The main battle scene felt like it was over before it began and the book jumps around without realllllly explaining what's actually happening so you can end up sat there feeling like eh? How did that happen? What does that mean? I hope these bits get ironed out in the rewrite because, like I said, the basis for this book is solid and it's got a lot of potential!
Love and light,
Freya (The Self Proclaimed Book Worm) 📖🐛 xo
readwithchloev's review
2.0
Thank you to the author for sending me an e-arc of this book.
It’s super easy to read and a really interesting premise. If you love a darker retelling story then I think you’d absolutely love this. Unfortunately it just wasn’t for me. I felt there were too many things going on and I was getting confused. It felt like there were about 6 different storylines and I didn’t actually know where the book was going. Unfortunately I didn’t make it to the end. The insta love/lust didn’t grab me and I didn’t believe in the relationship.
It reminded me a lot of to kill a kingdom, so if you liked that then you’d definitely be a fan.
That being said I absolutely look forward to what this author has to come. The story is creative and her writing is good, I would definitely be interested in picking up her future works, this one just didn’t work out for me personally.
It’s super easy to read and a really interesting premise. If you love a darker retelling story then I think you’d absolutely love this. Unfortunately it just wasn’t for me. I felt there were too many things going on and I was getting confused. It felt like there were about 6 different storylines and I didn’t actually know where the book was going. Unfortunately I didn’t make it to the end. The insta love/lust didn’t grab me and I didn’t believe in the relationship.
It reminded me a lot of to kill a kingdom, so if you liked that then you’d definitely be a fan.
That being said I absolutely look forward to what this author has to come. The story is creative and her writing is good, I would definitely be interested in picking up her future works, this one just didn’t work out for me personally.
marisoulreads's review
2.0
If a book could be called disappointment, this would be the one.
From the cringe worthy wordings and nickname (little fish? Really?) To the feeling of instalove and barely any time to get to know each other apart from the sharing trauma backstory, i really cannot pointout what disappointed me the most. TO BE FAIR not a whole lot can be expected from a book this small with so much but so little going on.
For good points
Because I'm not about only negative reviews
I enjoyed the easy banter both characters had going on for them
The writing was simple enough that the fantasy aspect wasn't a problem to read.
The last few pages were engaging enough to keep me reading.
As for a retailing of little mermaid, i would say it hits the mark ( hence why the 2 starts rating).
Not so good points
I might not be in the mood to enjoy this kind of story, maybe i was seeking more but got less and that's on my high expectations.
The plot was very convoluted but not a lot of worldbuilding was properly flashed out. We get to know some countries outside both the seas and Erison but not a lot that was enough to deem it super important. Even if it ties in with the ending.
Maybe it was the way it was written but if felt lacking to me , like something was missing and more work should have been put in discussing other counties, war implications, more political driven plot ( This also comes from personal preference, i prefer a more political driven fantasy plot if war is introduced as a plot point)
Some of the wording really took me out
"He plummeted with such perfection, I couldn’t help but admire his graceful form"
"The mermaid's cove" ( not a very original name i would say)
And so many more.
I'm not a fan of
From the cringe worthy wordings and nickname (little fish? Really?) To the feeling of instalove and barely any time to get to know each other apart from the sharing trauma backstory, i really cannot pointout what disappointed me the most. TO BE FAIR not a whole lot can be expected from a book this small with so much but so little going on.
For good points
Because I'm not about only negative reviews
I enjoyed the easy banter both characters had going on for them
The writing was simple enough that the fantasy aspect wasn't a problem to read.
The last few pages were engaging enough to keep me reading.
As for a retailing of little mermaid, i would say it hits the mark ( hence why the 2 starts rating).
Not so good points
I might not be in the mood to enjoy this kind of story, maybe i was seeking more but got less and that's on my high expectations.
The plot was very convoluted but not a lot of worldbuilding was properly flashed out. We get to know some countries outside both the seas and Erison but not a lot that was enough to deem it super important. Even if it ties in with the ending.
Maybe it was the way it was written but if felt lacking to me , like something was missing and more work should have been put in discussing other counties, war implications, more political driven plot ( This also comes from personal preference, i prefer a more political driven fantasy plot if war is introduced as a plot point)
Some of the wording really took me out
"He plummeted with such perfection, I couldn’t help but admire his graceful form"
"The mermaid's cove" ( not a very original name i would say)
And so many more.
I'm not a fan of
taylorfagan's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
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
5.0
e_law19's review
4.0
ARC review
I was so excited for and absolutely enjoyed this retelling of The Little Mermaid!
I was so excited for and absolutely enjoyed this retelling of The Little Mermaid!