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jasmyn9's review against another edition
4.0
This is the start of a binge-worthy series. There isn't just one world, there are several. And the reflections in the mirror, ice, and water connect them all. Within each world, there are a few people able to pass through the reflection to the others. Leah is one of these people, and her ability to connect with her Otherselves in the mirror worlds makes her a powerful force.
I loved how the mirror worlds interacted with each other, with small overlaps and similarities, but also huge differences. I got to really experience Fire and Water, and catch glimpses of Air and Stone, and they all seem fascinating.
But, of course, the worlds are in danger as someone is out to destroy them all, throw off the balance, and I'm not sure what happens after that. I can't wait to find out though. With rich characters, several incredibly detailed worlds, and a plot line that is super crazy awesome, this seems to be a binge-read-worthy series. I can't wait to see what is going to happen next.
*I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of this book*
I loved how the mirror worlds interacted with each other, with small overlaps and similarities, but also huge differences. I got to really experience Fire and Water, and catch glimpses of Air and Stone, and they all seem fascinating.
But, of course, the worlds are in danger as someone is out to destroy them all, throw off the balance, and I'm not sure what happens after that. I can't wait to find out though. With rich characters, several incredibly detailed worlds, and a plot line that is super crazy awesome, this seems to be a binge-read-worthy series. I can't wait to see what is going to happen next.
*I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of this book*
my_booklove's review against another edition
5.0
NOTE: I was given this book as an ARC by Entangled publishing
4.5 STARS
This was my first of Luiken's books, although on finishing I discovered that she has previously written other books which I'm sure I'll be exploring soon enough ;)
This book was AWESOME! It mixes high and low fantasy with two stories which could almost exist as totally separate from one another. I found myself entwined in both books so much that I didn't even care which main character I was reading about, I was just happy to be there! The plot, the complexity of the story, the interwoven tales and the writing was what really grasped me and enticed me, creating a great novel! Some parts of the plot fell short and a lot of the characters were missing depth and complexity, but the narrative spoke for itself in this manner.
The premise and overarching idea was very well thought out; complex from any side you looked at it! I commend Luiken tremendously for this whole idea - it's incredible! Brava!
Overall, this was a great book when I was in the thick of it! The stories kept me engaged and the language was sophisticated enough that I did't feel like I was reading a picture book but not too complex that I needed my dictionary by my side! After the post-novel haze faded, the book overall seemed less incredible, but either way it was a fun read!
Definitely worth a try, and probably worth a re-read if you're ever in the mood!
4.5 STARS
This was my first of Luiken's books, although on finishing I discovered that she has previously written other books which I'm sure I'll be exploring soon enough ;)
This book was AWESOME! It mixes high and low fantasy with two stories which could almost exist as totally separate from one another. I found myself entwined in both books so much that I didn't even care which main character I was reading about, I was just happy to be there! The plot, the complexity of the story, the interwoven tales and the writing was what really grasped me and enticed me, creating a great novel! Some parts of the plot fell short and a lot of the characters were missing depth and complexity, but the narrative spoke for itself in this manner.
The premise and overarching idea was very well thought out; complex from any side you looked at it! I commend Luiken tremendously for this whole idea - it's incredible! Brava!
Overall, this was a great book when I was in the thick of it! The stories kept me engaged and the language was sophisticated enough that I did't feel like I was reading a picture book but not too complex that I needed my dictionary by my side! After the post-novel haze faded, the book overall seemed less incredible, but either way it was a fun read!
Definitely worth a try, and probably worth a re-read if you're ever in the mood!
foreveryoungadult's review against another edition
Graded By: Savannah
Cover Story: Inaccurate Big Face
BFF Charm: Yay x 2
Swoonworthy Scale: 3
Talky Talk: She Said/She Said
Bonus Factor: Canada
Anti-Bonus Factor: Patty Chase Award for Awful Parenting
Relationship Status: Pleasantly Surprised
Read the full book report here.
Cover Story: Inaccurate Big Face
BFF Charm: Yay x 2
Swoonworthy Scale: 3
Talky Talk: She Said/She Said
Bonus Factor: Canada
Anti-Bonus Factor: Patty Chase Award for Awful Parenting
Relationship Status: Pleasantly Surprised
Read the full book report here.
hereisbridget's review against another edition
5.0
Guys. guys. GUYS. I’ve discovered that I’m more than just a contemporary girl. After reading Through Fire & Sea and Amid Wind & Stone by Nicole Luiken, I now consider myself a fantasy reader, too (as long as it has some romance in it because a leopard can’t completely change its spots)! I honestly didn’t know what to expect with this series. I requested Amid Wind & Stone on Netgalley before I even read the first book, so that made me a wee bit nervous. What if I didn’t like Through Fire & Sea? I already committed to review Amid Wind & Stone so that would be really unfortunate. But lucky for me, I loved both!
Through Fire & Sea primarily focuses on Leah, an inhabitant of Fire world and a magical Caller. But Holly, Leah’s otherself and an inhabitant of Water world, also becomes a major part of this story. The idea of a Leah and a Holly–the idea of mirror worlds and otherselves–is an idea that I find very intriguing. Especially because Water world is described to be much the same as earth, and the idea that earth, the planet we live on, is simply a mirror world is quite mind-blowing. Nicole Luiken did a fabulous job in creating two distinctively different worlds–worlds that appear to not only represent different elements, but also different eras. Leah’s father is a duke where Holly’s father is a famous Hollywood director. I think that the combination of fantasy and contemporary is why I liked Through Fire & Sea so much. The fact that two completely contrasting heroines are working together to defeat a common enemy–Qeturah–is great.
Qeturah is an extremely horrid individual and the perfect enemy for Leah and Holly to take on. She’s power hungry and uses her magical ability as a Caller to disrupt and disturb the mirror worlds in an effort to destroy them so that the True world–the world that the mirror worlds are mere reflections of–is the only world left standing. You see, Qeturah was exiled from the True world, and her exile was the biggest instigator in terms of her wanting to shatter the mirror worlds. No matter that to do so she has to kill her innocent otherselves and their sons. She’s truly wicked and doesn’t hesitate to reek havoc.
Anyways, enough about Qeturah for now. I must discuss Leah and Gideon and Holly and Ryan. The idea behind these two pairings is that Leah and Gideon are soulmates, which in turn means that Leah’s otherselves and Gideon’s otherselves are soulmates, too. So, the rules of these worlds are very clear. In this book, I favored Gideon and Leah over Ryan and Holly because I felt so in tune with the characters feelings, which means that when Holly was mad at Ryan, I was mad at Ryan. I could empathize with her insecurity over Ryan’s career choice as a hot shot actor. Because of the whole “soulmate” factor, fate, destiny–all that jazz–I could forgive how fast these couples came to be in love. Also, Gideon and Ryan aren’t entirely human and their uniqueness and the situation surrounding it contribute to the whole insta-love thing because trust in another wasn’t something they had before.
I realize I’m being super vague while also being wordy, but I don’t want to give any of the surprises away! Like the somewhat cliffhanger ending of Through Fire & Sea. I definitely don’t want to give that away, but just know, that last sentence made me crazy–but in an excited way.
Overall, Through Fire & Sea and Amid Wind & Stone are truly thrilling and magical reads. The complexity of the characters and the world building is fantastic. The adventure is exciting, and I would really love to visit these fascinating worlds again. Definitely recommend for YA Fantasy readers.
Review originally posted @ Bridget's Book Bungalow: http://bit.ly/1QDYEF3
Through Fire & Sea primarily focuses on Leah, an inhabitant of Fire world and a magical Caller. But Holly, Leah’s otherself and an inhabitant of Water world, also becomes a major part of this story. The idea of a Leah and a Holly–the idea of mirror worlds and otherselves–is an idea that I find very intriguing. Especially because Water world is described to be much the same as earth, and the idea that earth, the planet we live on, is simply a mirror world is quite mind-blowing. Nicole Luiken did a fabulous job in creating two distinctively different worlds–worlds that appear to not only represent different elements, but also different eras. Leah’s father is a duke where Holly’s father is a famous Hollywood director. I think that the combination of fantasy and contemporary is why I liked Through Fire & Sea so much. The fact that two completely contrasting heroines are working together to defeat a common enemy–Qeturah–is great.
Qeturah is an extremely horrid individual and the perfect enemy for Leah and Holly to take on. She’s power hungry and uses her magical ability as a Caller to disrupt and disturb the mirror worlds in an effort to destroy them so that the True world–the world that the mirror worlds are mere reflections of–is the only world left standing. You see, Qeturah was exiled from the True world, and her exile was the biggest instigator in terms of her wanting to shatter the mirror worlds. No matter that to do so she has to kill her innocent otherselves and their sons. She’s truly wicked and doesn’t hesitate to reek havoc.
Anyways, enough about Qeturah for now. I must discuss Leah and Gideon and Holly and Ryan. The idea behind these two pairings is that Leah and Gideon are soulmates, which in turn means that Leah’s otherselves and Gideon’s otherselves are soulmates, too. So, the rules of these worlds are very clear. In this book, I favored Gideon and Leah over Ryan and Holly because I felt so in tune with the characters feelings, which means that when Holly was mad at Ryan, I was mad at Ryan. I could empathize with her insecurity over Ryan’s career choice as a hot shot actor. Because of the whole “soulmate” factor, fate, destiny–all that jazz–I could forgive how fast these couples came to be in love. Also, Gideon and Ryan aren’t entirely human and their uniqueness and the situation surrounding it contribute to the whole insta-love thing because trust in another wasn’t something they had before.
I realize I’m being super vague while also being wordy, but I don’t want to give any of the surprises away! Like the somewhat cliffhanger ending of Through Fire & Sea. I definitely don’t want to give that away, but just know, that last sentence made me crazy–but in an excited way.
Overall, Through Fire & Sea and Amid Wind & Stone are truly thrilling and magical reads. The complexity of the characters and the world building is fantastic. The adventure is exciting, and I would really love to visit these fascinating worlds again. Definitely recommend for YA Fantasy readers.
Review originally posted @ Bridget's Book Bungalow: http://bit.ly/1QDYEF3
kirstieellen's review
3.0
3.5/5 stars
Initial Thoughts on Finishing
This was a really promising start to what I hope will be an epic adventure. I'm definitely going to continue the series with book two because I just need to know what's going to happen!
Through Fire and Sea by Nicole Luiken
This was a very interesting book with some cool concepts and an awful lot going on. The idea of the book definitely drew me in, but I feel that the book lost some of its momentum towards the end which knocked off a few stars for me. It’s an exciting adventure and a weird blend of fantasy and contemporary young adult - for the most part I really think it works, and I’m excited to continue the series because I have a feeling that things are going to improve as the ideas solidify a bit more.
Fire and Sea, You Say?
This book follows two main character, Leah and Holly. In this universe there are several ‘worlds’. Leah lives in the Fire world and Holly lives in Water. Fire is very fantastical, there is a dragon threatening the life of the kingdom, horrible kings, and a distinctly medieval feel. Water is pretty much our world, which I thought was an interesting choice (but more of that later). Most people are either unaware of the existence of these other worlds and do not have access to them. But here’s the theory:
1. There are 5 worlds altogether, Fire, Water, Wind, Stone, and the True world.
2. It’s possible for people to have ‘otherselves’ in these other worlds, but you might have none, you might have all five, or you might be the only one.
3. Travel between the worlds is forbidden (but doable via special mirrors).
Leah is the illegitimate daughter of one of the kings in the fire world. A woman who is effectively a master Caller (someone who has otherselves an access to them) is taking the daughters of the kings to teach them this art. Of course, she has malevolent intentions as ‘for the protection of the kingdom’ is most definitely not her motivation for doing so. Now, Leah’s half-sister (the legitimate daughter of the king) doesn’t get taken because the king is greedy and sends Leah under her sister’s name to take her place. But as it turns out Leah is a very gifted Caller and gets sucked in to a nefarious plot. Which actually annoyed me a bit, like, Leah honey, YOU'RE DOING THE WRONG THING. Use your silly little brain. Gah.
Holly is a teenage girl living in the water world. She’s quite ordinary, studying at school and getting by. But thanks to the activities in the fire world she falls overboard a boat one day and is saved by a merman. Yup. This sends her life off in a spiral as she fights against the Fire people who constantly call her to look into a mirror. Why is she fighting this? Because once she looks into a mirror her otherself (Leah) can take over her body.
It’s somewhat complicated and takes a while to set all this up but I did very much so enjoy the concept of the book and thought it had a pretty good storyline going for it. However.
The Water World
From what we know, the Water world is basically identical to our world. Yet every other world is fantastical and very different. I was a little disappointed with this because I would have thought that Water would be an underwater world or something really cool like that. It does make the story stick out a little from everything else that’s going on which was a little frustrating. On top of this, everyone is pretty clued up about things in Fire as to there being otherworlds (if you’re told, anyway) and we know that the True world knows about everything. So why is it that Water has absolutely no idea? Why go to so much effort to create four other magical worlds and then throw in our one? It seems strange to have this out of sync world in the mix and I think sticking to pure fantasy could have been a great benefit for this book. Perhaps it’s to toy with the idea that our world is not the only world. Either way for me this seemed . . . odd.
Multiple Perspectives
I wasn’t the biggest fan of how this was split between the two stories. I felt like either of the narrators could have told the story or had their own entire story within one book. It felt a lot like two books accidentally bumped into each other, got their hair tangled together, and just went with it. Which is cool and not as painful as it sounds, but I didn’t quite work. It starts off really strong but I feel like everything gets bogged down with when to switch back and forth and we sort of forget why it's so important. Also the coming together of the two worlds didn't feel like as big of a thing as I'd hoped it would. It was sort of like, yeah, that happened.
I think it would’ve been better to stick to Leah’s perspective and let her tell the whole story. And to add to that, I think it would’ve been really cool if the people from all the different worlds were educated about each other and weren't so like, what’s a bowl? How do I turn on a tap? It should’ve gone one way or the other: either no-one has any idea about there being other worlds and it’s like OH JIMMINY CRICKET, LOOK THROUGH THIS MIRROR EUSTACE. Or like, ooomf, looks like Fire and Water are at odds again. I think the problems I had with this book was that it was too long, there were too many chefs and not enough cooks, and it felt a little like a jigsaw piece that didn’t fit but was smushed together anyway.
And Then There Was a Dragon
So hi, I’m Kirstie and if you don’t know I love dragons. Okay? Okay. THERE WAS A DRAGON. Albeit not for very long. But there was a dragon and that made me happy. This fantasy element of bringing in a fire-breathing dragon of ROAR into the book made me very excited and I loved it. Every book should spontaneously throw a dragon in it - even if it’s like a toy, or a dream. Dragons make everything all right.
That being said, I think it would have been amazing to see even more of the dragon wreaking havoc on Fire. And this is where I think having so many things happening in the one book detracted from its overall WOW factor. There was not enough action for the length of this book and spicing things up with more dragon activity, more adventures into volcanoes, a discovery of an underwater kingdom where a king called Triton rules the-…okay. I like The Littlemaid, alright? But d’you see my point? Too much umming and errring and drama productions and not enough smashing of buildings with fire and brimstone.
Relationships
Well. Relationships were interesting in this book. Of course, there is a love interest for both of our ladies and they’re quite . . . nice. But (because you knew there was going to be a but) the weight of the relationship between Holly and her man stole the story and flipped the Fire world almost out of the picture for a good long while. A lot of things in this book could’ve done with a handyshove push to get things rolling nicely.
Holly and Mr. Merman
This relationship really reminded me of a slightly less flustery version of the one in [b:Of Poseidon|12425532|Of Poseidon (The Syrena Legacy, #1)|Anna Banks|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327879889s/12425532.jpg|17375535]. And it just took forever. He saves her when she initially falls overboard and she’s not supposed to remember him but she does and he’s all like, what do you mean? And then 998768 pages later we can start calling it a relationship. Eurgh. There was a lot of potential for this one and I think things definitely did get better towards the end but there was too much not happening for too long.
Leah and Mr. Is This Going to be a Thing?
I’m not going to say too much about this one because I’ll start spoiling things for you, but I thought this was great but that there was not enough of it. I was shocked by some of the events that happened involving these two but I would’ve loved to seen their relationship really develop into something that lasted. Luiken, you ruin my soul!! I loved how they met, I loved that Leah hid her identity, and I loved that they made a great couple. If we’d’ve had less of the other two and more of these two I think it could’ve been reasonably (definitely) spectacular.
Why 3.5?
I considered this long and hard. Aside from being a reasonably positive reviewer most of the time, I think that this genuinely deserves that extra half a star. It was tempting to give it a flat three but at the end of the day I found myself really enjoying the story, I came to really care for the characters, and I loved how unique all the ideas were in this book. I won't hesitate to pick up another of Luiken's books in the future.
Summary
Anyway. Enough rambling. I did really enjoy this book but I would say that it’s a bit of a rocky start to the series. There were quite a few things that I flagged up but I always wanted to keep reading and find out what would happen to the characters. I would recommend giving this a go if you enjoy fantasy and are looking for something new. I’m definitely going to read book two because I have high hopes that things are just going to get better - I feel like the book and story really started coming into itself towards the end of this book. And let’s not bring up how much I love the cover, *drools*. Let’s hope I enjoy book two!
Happy reading!
Initial Thoughts on Finishing
This was a really promising start to what I hope will be an epic adventure. I'm definitely going to continue the series with book two because I just need to know what's going to happen!
Through Fire and Sea by Nicole Luiken
This was a very interesting book with some cool concepts and an awful lot going on. The idea of the book definitely drew me in, but I feel that the book lost some of its momentum towards the end which knocked off a few stars for me. It’s an exciting adventure and a weird blend of fantasy and contemporary young adult - for the most part I really think it works, and I’m excited to continue the series because I have a feeling that things are going to improve as the ideas solidify a bit more.
Fire and Sea, You Say?
This book follows two main character, Leah and Holly. In this universe there are several ‘worlds’. Leah lives in the Fire world and Holly lives in Water. Fire is very fantastical, there is a dragon threatening the life of the kingdom, horrible kings, and a distinctly medieval feel. Water is pretty much our world, which I thought was an interesting choice (but more of that later). Most people are either unaware of the existence of these other worlds and do not have access to them. But here’s the theory:
1. There are 5 worlds altogether, Fire, Water, Wind, Stone, and the True world.
2. It’s possible for people to have ‘otherselves’ in these other worlds, but you might have none, you might have all five, or you might be the only one.
3. Travel between the worlds is forbidden (but doable via special mirrors).
Leah is the illegitimate daughter of one of the kings in the fire world. A woman who is effectively a master Caller (someone who has otherselves an access to them) is taking the daughters of the kings to teach them this art. Of course, she has malevolent intentions as ‘for the protection of the kingdom’ is most definitely not her motivation for doing so. Now, Leah’s half-sister (the legitimate daughter of the king) doesn’t get taken because the king is greedy and sends Leah under her sister’s name to take her place. But as it turns out Leah is a very gifted Caller and gets sucked in to a nefarious plot. Which actually annoyed me a bit, like, Leah honey, YOU'RE DOING THE WRONG THING. Use your silly little brain. Gah.
Holly is a teenage girl living in the water world. She’s quite ordinary, studying at school and getting by. But thanks to the activities in the fire world she falls overboard a boat one day and is saved by a merman. Yup. This sends her life off in a spiral as she fights against the Fire people who constantly call her to look into a mirror. Why is she fighting this? Because once she looks into a mirror her otherself (Leah) can take over her body.
It’s somewhat complicated and takes a while to set all this up but I did very much so enjoy the concept of the book and thought it had a pretty good storyline going for it. However.
The Water World
From what we know, the Water world is basically identical to our world. Yet every other world is fantastical and very different. I was a little disappointed with this because I would have thought that Water would be an underwater world or something really cool like that. It does make the story stick out a little from everything else that’s going on which was a little frustrating. On top of this, everyone is pretty clued up about things in Fire as to there being otherworlds (if you’re told, anyway) and we know that the True world knows about everything. So why is it that Water has absolutely no idea? Why go to so much effort to create four other magical worlds and then throw in our one? It seems strange to have this out of sync world in the mix and I think sticking to pure fantasy could have been a great benefit for this book. Perhaps it’s to toy with the idea that our world is not the only world. Either way for me this seemed . . . odd.
Multiple Perspectives
I wasn’t the biggest fan of how this was split between the two stories. I felt like either of the narrators could have told the story or had their own entire story within one book. It felt a lot like two books accidentally bumped into each other, got their hair tangled together, and just went with it. Which is cool and not as painful as it sounds, but I didn’t quite work. It starts off really strong but I feel like everything gets bogged down with when to switch back and forth and we sort of forget why it's so important. Also the coming together of the two worlds didn't feel like as big of a thing as I'd hoped it would. It was sort of like, yeah, that happened.
I think it would’ve been better to stick to Leah’s perspective and let her tell the whole story. And to add to that, I think it would’ve been really cool if the people from all the different worlds were educated about each other and weren't so like, what’s a bowl? How do I turn on a tap? It should’ve gone one way or the other: either no-one has any idea about there being other worlds and it’s like OH JIMMINY CRICKET, LOOK THROUGH THIS MIRROR EUSTACE. Or like, ooomf, looks like Fire and Water are at odds again. I think the problems I had with this book was that it was too long, there were too many chefs and not enough cooks, and it felt a little like a jigsaw piece that didn’t fit but was smushed together anyway.
And Then There Was a Dragon
So hi, I’m Kirstie and if you don’t know I love dragons. Okay? Okay. THERE WAS A DRAGON. Albeit not for very long. But there was a dragon and that made me happy. This fantasy element of bringing in a fire-breathing dragon of ROAR into the book made me very excited and I loved it. Every book should spontaneously throw a dragon in it - even if it’s like a toy, or a dream. Dragons make everything all right.
That being said, I think it would have been amazing to see even more of the dragon wreaking havoc on Fire. And this is where I think having so many things happening in the one book detracted from its overall WOW factor. There was not enough action for the length of this book and spicing things up with more dragon activity, more adventures into volcanoes, a discovery of an underwater kingdom where a king called Triton rules the-…okay. I like The Littlemaid, alright? But d’you see my point? Too much umming and errring and drama productions and not enough smashing of buildings with fire and brimstone.
Relationships
Well. Relationships were interesting in this book. Of course, there is a love interest for both of our ladies and they’re quite . . . nice. But (because you knew there was going to be a but) the weight of the relationship between Holly and her man stole the story and flipped the Fire world almost out of the picture for a good long while. A lot of things in this book could’ve done with a handy
Holly and Mr. Merman
This relationship really reminded me of a slightly less flustery version of the one in [b:Of Poseidon|12425532|Of Poseidon (The Syrena Legacy, #1)|Anna Banks|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327879889s/12425532.jpg|17375535]. And it just took forever. He saves her when she initially falls overboard and she’s not supposed to remember him but she does and he’s all like, what do you mean? And then 998768 pages later we can start calling it a relationship. Eurgh. There was a lot of potential for this one and I think things definitely did get better towards the end but there was too much not happening for too long.
Leah and Mr. Is This Going to be a Thing?
I’m not going to say too much about this one because I’ll start spoiling things for you, but I thought this was great but that there was not enough of it. I was shocked by some of the events that happened involving these two but I would’ve loved to seen their relationship really develop into something that lasted. Luiken, you ruin my soul!! I loved how they met, I loved that Leah hid her identity, and I loved that they made a great couple. If we’d’ve had less of the other two and more of these two I think it could’ve been reasonably (definitely) spectacular.
Why 3.5?
I considered this long and hard. Aside from being a reasonably positive reviewer most of the time, I think that this genuinely deserves that extra half a star. It was tempting to give it a flat three but at the end of the day I found myself really enjoying the story, I came to really care for the characters, and I loved how unique all the ideas were in this book. I won't hesitate to pick up another of Luiken's books in the future.
Summary
Anyway. Enough rambling. I did really enjoy this book but I would say that it’s a bit of a rocky start to the series. There were quite a few things that I flagged up but I always wanted to keep reading and find out what would happen to the characters. I would recommend giving this a go if you enjoy fantasy and are looking for something new. I’m definitely going to read book two because I have high hopes that things are just going to get better - I feel like the book and story really started coming into itself towards the end of this book. And let’s not bring up how much I love the cover, *drools*. Let’s hope I enjoy book two!
Happy reading!
emarleene's review against another edition
4.0
In this book we begin by following a girl named Leah and her life in a world full of volcanoes and dukes who can talk to them. Leah is the illegitimate child of one of these dukes and is forced by her father to impersonate his “real” daughter and leave to be an apprentice with a woman called Qeturah. Here Leah finds out about the true world and the four mirror worlds – fire, water, stone and air.
With Qeturah’s guidance Leah learns to call her otherself, Holly, on water world.
When Leah finds her soul mate in the son of a volcano lord, she does what she can to help Qeturah save him from a dangerous curse. But as Leah learns of Qeturah’s true objective she has to work with her otherself Holly to prevent the mirror worlds from shattering.
When beginning to read this book I was instantly drawn to Leah and the world she lived in. It was interesting and written beautifully and I couldn’t put the book down. I loved learning about Leah’s life and her struggle with her father, whom she had been looking at from a distance for so many years, wondering if he even knew about her. I could feel the pain she had and the eagerness to please him despite how he treated her.
I was so into Leah and her life that I really struggled when Holly came along. Her world (which is also the world we live in) was so different from Leah’s and in comparison Holly’s problems seemed so futile and it was hard to care for her. However, a bit into Holly’s POV I slowly began connecting with her too and she grew on me to the point that I loved reading her side just as much as Leah’s.
Nicole has written a story different from anything else I have ever read before and she built this world in such a great way that I was intrigued from the very start. I love the fact that our world is simply one of the Mirror Worlds, Water, rather than the True World. It would have been so easy to put us as “the true ones”, but Nicole didn’t and I love that.
The book is easy to read and the pacing is steady and not even once did I feel like the plot was stalling. Things happened all the time and there was always something that kept me wanting to keep reading. In the beginning I did feel like the writing was a bit too simple, too sparse in a way. I wanted more details about the world, the characters feelings etc, but as I went along I forgot about all that and found it to be more than sufficient.
This is a book I highly recommend reading, especially if you like YA and Fantasy.
I received this book in exchange for an honest review.
With Qeturah’s guidance Leah learns to call her otherself, Holly, on water world.
When Leah finds her soul mate in the son of a volcano lord, she does what she can to help Qeturah save him from a dangerous curse. But as Leah learns of Qeturah’s true objective she has to work with her otherself Holly to prevent the mirror worlds from shattering.
When beginning to read this book I was instantly drawn to Leah and the world she lived in. It was interesting and written beautifully and I couldn’t put the book down. I loved learning about Leah’s life and her struggle with her father, whom she had been looking at from a distance for so many years, wondering if he even knew about her. I could feel the pain she had and the eagerness to please him despite how he treated her.
I was so into Leah and her life that I really struggled when Holly came along. Her world (which is also the world we live in) was so different from Leah’s and in comparison Holly’s problems seemed so futile and it was hard to care for her. However, a bit into Holly’s POV I slowly began connecting with her too and she grew on me to the point that I loved reading her side just as much as Leah’s.
Nicole has written a story different from anything else I have ever read before and she built this world in such a great way that I was intrigued from the very start. I love the fact that our world is simply one of the Mirror Worlds, Water, rather than the True World. It would have been so easy to put us as “the true ones”, but Nicole didn’t and I love that.
The book is easy to read and the pacing is steady and not even once did I feel like the plot was stalling. Things happened all the time and there was always something that kept me wanting to keep reading. In the beginning I did feel like the writing was a bit too simple, too sparse in a way. I wanted more details about the world, the characters feelings etc, but as I went along I forgot about all that and found it to be more than sufficient.
This is a book I highly recommend reading, especially if you like YA and Fantasy.
I received this book in exchange for an honest review.
ideallyportia's review against another edition
4.0
I received this ARC from Entangled Teen in exchange for an honest review.
This was so much more fun than I expected it to be! I'm going to try to describe things without using any spoilers!
In this book, there is the True World, and 4 other worlds. The two worlds present here are Fire, which is ruled by volcanoes, and Water, which is our world. Everyone has an otherself in each world. But most people aren't aware of that. It requires magic and mirrors, and knowledge of the other worlds, of course.
This story has 2 perspectives, Leah from Fire world and Holly from the Water world. (The back and forth could have been annoying, but I really enjoyed it.) Through a series of events, Leah becomes aware of the other worlds, and learns that she is a Caller, someone who can communicate with the other worlds. But there is someone trying to use Leah's gift for her own evil deeds.
In these two worlds, we also have the 2 love interests. They are SPECIAL. And totally lovable. But someone is trying to kill them and destroy the worlds they live in, and the girls must learn to communicate and work together to save the ones they love and the place they call home.
Even though they were the same person, they were completely different kinds of people. The author was able to create heroines that I actually really like, and the boys too. I especially loved Holly and Ryan, but felt so much for Leah also. The world that Luiken created was so interesting. The system for using the mirrors and accessing the world was interesting and fun. I absolutely LOVED the fantasy elements used in the book. Everything moved at a great pace, and the end was really exciting.
I knew going into this that it would be a series, as everything is now. I didn't know whether to expect a huge cliffhanger or not. But I was so pleased with how it ended. It wrapped up a lot of things, while still leaving an opening for the next book. I mean, there are still 3 worlds that we haven't even been to yet! While I know that Leah will be a large part of the next book, I hope that we still get some Holly and Ryan time.
I will definitely be looking out for the sequel! Thanks, Entangled!!
**EDIT: I forgot to mention, this book needs some serious editing. But I accepted that as a flaw of an ARC. Hopefully its fixed before it releases!!**
This was so much more fun than I expected it to be! I'm going to try to describe things without using any spoilers!
In this book, there is the True World, and 4 other worlds. The two worlds present here are Fire, which is ruled by volcanoes, and Water, which is our world. Everyone has an otherself in each world. But most people aren't aware of that. It requires magic and mirrors, and knowledge of the other worlds, of course.
This story has 2 perspectives, Leah from Fire world and Holly from the Water world. (The back and forth could have been annoying, but I really enjoyed it.) Through a series of events, Leah becomes aware of the other worlds, and learns that she is a Caller, someone who can communicate with the other worlds. But there is someone trying to use Leah's gift for her own evil deeds.
In these two worlds, we also have the 2 love interests. They are SPECIAL. And totally lovable. But someone is trying to kill them and destroy the worlds they live in, and the girls must learn to communicate and work together to save the ones they love and the place they call home.
Even though they were the same person, they were completely different kinds of people. The author was able to create heroines that I actually really like, and the boys too. I especially loved Holly and Ryan, but felt so much for Leah also. The world that Luiken created was so interesting. The system for using the mirrors and accessing the world was interesting and fun. I absolutely LOVED the fantasy elements used in the book. Everything moved at a great pace, and the end was really exciting.
I knew going into this that it would be a series, as everything is now. I didn't know whether to expect a huge cliffhanger or not. But I was so pleased with how it ended. It wrapped up a lot of things, while still leaving an opening for the next book. I mean, there are still 3 worlds that we haven't even been to yet! While I know that Leah will be a large part of the next book, I hope that we still get some Holly and Ryan time.
I will definitely be looking out for the sequel! Thanks, Entangled!!
**EDIT: I forgot to mention, this book needs some serious editing. But I accepted that as a flaw of an ARC. Hopefully its fixed before it releases!!**
dinibharadwaj's review
5.0
Actual rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Characters:
I'm still undecided as to who I liked better, Leah or Holly. They're both smart, resourceful and practical, which I instantly loved because I'm tired of the 'badass-but-not-really' kind of female leads. The Otherselves each have their own distinct voices, desires and thinking patterns. They felt well-rounded and most importantly, real. I understood what drove each one of them to act the way they did. The love interests of the girls also were complex in their own distinct ways and I adored them both. However, Leah's romance was a case of insta-love, which is the first of the two reasons why I docked half a star.
Plot and Setting:
The plot starts off at a flat-out sprint, pulling the reader along for a ride that was unexpectedly brilliant. I started forming a few theories in the initial chapters, but I was so glad I was wrong. The world-building is detailed, compelling and wonderfully imaginative. The story explores so many themes and the different threads weave together really well. I was pleasantly surprised at the turn of events and I was blown away by the end. I must mention that I devoured this in one sitting, which speaks volumes about the quality. Two initial chapters stood out because I felt like it mimicked Twilight, which is the second reason for the 4.5 stars, but I couldn't find any fault in the narrative after that.
Writing Style:
The author's style took a couple of chapters to get used to. However, I understood why she decided to start from Leah's 'point-of-no-return' and skipped the background. There were no unnecessary filler scenes or any kind of boring info-dumping sessions, so I became a huge fan of the author's writing prowess.
Conclusion:
I bought the book for a very low price (lowered because of the recent release of book #3 in the series), but it gave me so much more than I was expecting. The average rating needs to be higher for this book and also I wish more people would read it. I'm definitely looking forward to the next book, especially after that last sentence.
Characters:
I'm still undecided as to who I liked better, Leah or Holly. They're both smart, resourceful and practical, which I instantly loved because I'm tired of the 'badass-but-not-really' kind of female leads. The Otherselves each have their own distinct voices, desires and thinking patterns. They felt well-rounded and most importantly, real. I understood what drove each one of them to act the way they did. The love interests of the girls also were complex in their own distinct ways and I adored them both. However, Leah's romance was a case of insta-love, which is the first of the two reasons why I docked half a star.
Plot and Setting:
The plot starts off at a flat-out sprint, pulling the reader along for a ride that was unexpectedly brilliant. I started forming a few theories in the initial chapters, but I was so glad I was wrong. The world-building is detailed, compelling and wonderfully imaginative. The story explores so many themes and the different threads weave together really well. I was pleasantly surprised at the turn of events and I was blown away by the end. I must mention that I devoured this in one sitting, which speaks volumes about the quality. Two initial chapters stood out because I felt like it mimicked Twilight, which is the second reason for the 4.5 stars, but I couldn't find any fault in the narrative after that.
Writing Style:
The author's style took a couple of chapters to get used to. However, I understood why she decided to start from Leah's 'point-of-no-return' and skipped the background. There were no unnecessary filler scenes or any kind of boring info-dumping sessions, so I became a huge fan of the author's writing prowess.
Conclusion:
I bought the book for a very low price (lowered because of the recent release of book #3 in the series), but it gave me so much more than I was expecting. The average rating needs to be higher for this book and also I wish more people would read it. I'm definitely looking forward to the next book, especially after that last sentence.
marie_thereadingotter's review
DNF'd at 35%
I received this book from NetGalley for review
Blagh. I can't handle this book any longer. It is so boring. The concept is really interesting but in my opinion, it was done rather sloppy. The other worlds, viewing them through special mirrors is really different. Them being copies of this "True World" is also a fantastic idea. The worlds are supposed to be kind of the same, but when we meet Leah, the girl from the world of Fire, she's in a world with Dukes and it's kind of set in medieval times, and when we meet Holly the girl from the world of Water, it's kind of modern times but with some myths and magic being real. It just felt weird, like two stories sloppily mashed together to try and make it one story. The events that were happening in one world didn't really affect the other and at almost half way through I expect them to be more connected. 10 or so chapters in and I don't see how or why these worlds are connected in any way other than the main characters having a doppelganger.
Maybe further into the book, it explains this, but as I've said, 10 chapters is one hell of a setup and it's taking too long to reveal what the plot is supposed to be. I had hopes for this book, not really high ones, but the synopsis sounded really interesting. It just was taking too long for the book to pick up.
I received this book from NetGalley for review
Blagh. I can't handle this book any longer. It is so boring. The concept is really interesting but in my opinion, it was done rather sloppy. The other worlds, viewing them through special mirrors is really different. Them being copies of this "True World" is also a fantastic idea. The worlds are supposed to be kind of the same, but when we meet Leah, the girl from the world of Fire, she's in a world with Dukes and it's kind of set in medieval times, and when we meet Holly the girl from the world of Water, it's kind of modern times but with some myths and magic being real. It just felt weird, like two stories sloppily mashed together to try and make it one story. The events that were happening in one world didn't really affect the other and at almost half way through I expect them to be more connected. 10 or so chapters in and I don't see how or why these worlds are connected in any way other than the main characters having a doppelganger.
Maybe further into the book, it explains this, but as I've said, 10 chapters is one hell of a setup and it's taking too long to reveal what the plot is supposed to be. I had hopes for this book, not really high ones, but the synopsis sounded really interesting. It just was taking too long for the book to pick up.
melissayabookshelf's review
4.0
I really loved Through Fire & Sea. The worlds depicted are complex, including a Water world that very much resembles our current world except with the addition of real, siren magic, and a smaller, but equally complex Fire world, which resembles what the Medieval period have been like had it been ruled by volcanic eruptions, fire wasps, fire-breathing dragons that kill people at will.
I particularly love the idea that each of the parallel worlds are similar, but different with some people having comparable relationships and abilities. It's also interesting how Leah, who is the illegitimate daughter of one of Fire world's dukes, has otherselves on each of the four mirror worlds and the True World. The mythology of how each of the world's began is simple, which makes me wonder if fantasy readers would find it not clear enough or lacking in some way, but personally, I think that we get enough in this book to allow it to make sense and to understand the terrible possibilities of someone, like Qeturah, toying with the worlds for her own gain.
I also loved the similarities and differences between Leah and Holly. They both have fathers who haven't been there for them, but meeting and seeing the world from their otherselves' perspective demonstrates just how much force one was than the other. I also loved how ill equipped they were to deal with the realities of their otherself's world, even when they had access to all of their otherself's memories. It made for some hilarious moments as they struggled for power and control. Finally, I loved how both Leah and Holly were both forced to grow up, and in the case of Leah, try to do something selfless in the memory of someone she cared about and to protect Holly's world from Qeturah's machinations.
I love the romances that developed between Leah and Gideon and Holly and Ryan, and I think it's funny that the movie Holly's father directs, starring Ryan is one of Nicole Luiken's other, older books, which was originally published in 2001.
I can't wait to see how the story continues in Amid Wind & Stone, what Holly and Leah's otherselves on the Air and Stone world are like, to see if our two fave heroines are able to make an appearance and interact in these other worlds, and to see what becomes of the Phoenix and what that reveal means for each of the otherworlds.
I particularly love the idea that each of the parallel worlds are similar, but different with some people having comparable relationships and abilities. It's also interesting how Leah, who is the illegitimate daughter of one of Fire world's dukes, has otherselves on each of the four mirror worlds and the True World. The mythology of how each of the world's began is simple, which makes me wonder if fantasy readers would find it not clear enough or lacking in some way, but personally, I think that we get enough in this book to allow it to make sense and to understand the terrible possibilities of someone, like Qeturah, toying with the worlds for her own gain.
I also loved the similarities and differences between Leah and Holly. They both have fathers who haven't been there for them, but meeting and seeing the world from their otherselves' perspective demonstrates just how much force one was than the other. I also loved how ill equipped they were to deal with the realities of their otherself's world, even when they had access to all of their otherself's memories. It made for some hilarious moments as they struggled for power and control. Finally, I loved how both Leah and Holly were both forced to grow up, and in the case of Leah, try to do something selfless in the memory of someone she cared about and to protect Holly's world from Qeturah's machinations.
I love the romances that developed between Leah and Gideon and Holly and Ryan, and I think it's funny that the movie Holly's father directs, starring Ryan is one of Nicole Luiken's other, older books, which was originally published in 2001.
I can't wait to see how the story continues in Amid Wind & Stone, what Holly and Leah's otherselves on the Air and Stone world are like, to see if our two fave heroines are able to make an appearance and interact in these other worlds, and to see what becomes of the Phoenix and what that reveal means for each of the otherworlds.