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careinthelibrary's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Drug use, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Kidnapping, and Pregnancy
Minor: Homophobia
Nonconsensual drugging, animal trafficking, post-partum depression, food insecurityheartbrekker's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
"I want you to know why I'm angry... I want you to know why I'm mean. The anger inside me is too big. If I look at it too close, I feel too much grief to survive."
When I reviewed Winterkeep, I compared it to Bitterblue, but now the true comp titles to one another within the Graceling Realm are Bitterblue and Seasparrow. Seasparrow, much like Bitterblue, is a story of a woman finally beginning her journey to healing her childhood traumas and coming to terms with her own identity amidst political turmoil and strife.
"If you could eavesdrop without anyone knowing— if you could turn yourself into a barrel, or a coil of lines, or a clump of canvas on deck where two people are standing, whispering secrets to one another— are you sure you wouldn't?"
Hava has always been one of my favorite side characters throughout the series, and it was incredible to have her as the sole POV of this installment. She's gritty and sarcastic, blunt and curious, empathetic and angry. Hava is the epitome of my favorite type of protagonist because she's so far from perfect yet that makes her so imperfectly human. Moreover, it was interesting to watch her different interactions with people like Bitterblue, Gideon, Linny, or Annet. Hava changes her attitude within her relationships to fit her emotions, and I think it was very realistic that she had so many issues with Bitterblue because their relationship is so secretive and flawed. Sibling relationships are still to this day one of my favorite parts to books, especially because they're so rarely used, so it was great to have Bitterblue's POV in mind when reading Hava's POV. You can't start to heal those relationships with loved ones until everything is put onto the table, and with the chaos of returning home, Bitterblue and Hava take some time to attend to that. I'm very excited for people to meet Hava's friend Linny in particular because he adds so much to her growth and vulnerability— something I don't think Hava has really ever done before on page or off.
Also one more side note— I’m curious to see how people view Hava and her sexuality, possibly demisexuality. This is probably the first Graceling book that doesn’t focus on romance really at all as a main side plot. It’s definitely there in undertones throughout the book, but again, this is Hava’s journey towards her identity so romance is the last of her immediate worries. The romance is like a bud blooming into spring right at the end of the book, so it’s more a promise of what’s to come rather than what’s on the page.
"... languages are like a blanket you can crawl into and be warm. And words are like pebbles you can throw."
Also, because this book was in first person POV, we got a much deeper version of Hava as an individual than Winterkeep, for example, which had multiple POVs. Did I miss Bitterblue's perspective— Adventure's even? Yes! But I think they would have detracted from Hava's story because they're such fan favorites. Readers are forced to give Hava all of their attention, which is something she's lacked her entire life due to her camouflage abilities.
"When someone wraps you in a towel, you can feel your own edges. You can begin to learn who you are."
Arguably, Seasparrow is definitely a character driven story rather than plot, in my opinion. Yes, the zilfium mines and bombs coming to the Seven Kingdoms are imperative to the plot, but Seasparrow is about Hava's journey overall. We always come back to her struggles, her isolation, and her pain. She monologues frequently to the point that I forgot about the zilfium (unless she was ranting about chemistry haha). I was a bit stunned by this throughout the beginning of the book because Bitterblue and Winterkeep were an even mix of character and plot, but ultimately, character fits the story best here. Sadly, I do think the plot dragged at times, and I think 50ish pages could’ve been taken out, which wouldn’t have affected the story at all. I had to push myself to keep going because it felt repetitive then, but once I got through, it was better.
"I want to live in a world where the simplest way to be safe from explosive weapons is not to build explosive weapons in the first place."
Something I've been drawn to since Winterkeep is Kristin Cashore's constant attention to environmental harm and atomic weaponry. It's a conversation that I think hardly any YA books, let alone fantasy books, choose to actively bring up. Cashore has always been ahead of the game when it comes to important, current event conversations, but Seasparrow felt so personal, especially because another year has gone by where I learn further and further information about our earth and how it suffers. The stormy seas in this book were just another example of how these bombs are affecting this realm physically, which doesn't even begin to bring up the human emotions these weapons invoke of greed, fear, and impending death. It mirrors our world, and Cashore is simply a genius.
"Because my wish to be a person you can trust is bigger than my fear of your temper."
I don't think I can say anymore without giving away spoilers. I'm hoping Cashore has another book in mind to write because I simply can't get enough of the Graceling Realm! Coming back to these books through Winterkeep and now Seasparrow was a beautiful dream. Seasparrow does not seem like the end, and I'd love to see Hava's journey more after the events at the end. I'll update this review when I can scream about spoilers.
"Love is hope for other people."
Thank you to Penguin Teen for allowing me to review an eARC of one of my anticipated releases!
When I reviewed Winterkeep, I compared it to Bitterblue, but now the true comp titles to one another within the Graceling Realm are Bitterblue and Seasparrow. Seasparrow, much like Bitterblue, is a story of a woman finally beginning her journey to healing her childhood traumas and coming to terms with her own identity amidst political turmoil and strife.
"If you could eavesdrop without anyone knowing— if you could turn yourself into a barrel, or a coil of lines, or a clump of canvas on deck where two people are standing, whispering secrets to one another— are you sure you wouldn't?"
Hava has always been one of my favorite side characters throughout the series, and it was incredible to have her as the sole POV of this installment. She's gritty and sarcastic, blunt and curious, empathetic and angry. Hava is the epitome of my favorite type of protagonist because she's so far from perfect yet that makes her so imperfectly human. Moreover, it was interesting to watch her different interactions with people like Bitterblue, Gideon, Linny, or Annet. Hava changes her attitude within her relationships to fit her emotions, and I think it was very realistic that she had so many issues with Bitterblue because their relationship is so secretive and flawed. Sibling relationships are still to this day one of my favorite parts to books, especially because they're so rarely used, so it was great to have Bitterblue's POV in mind when reading Hava's POV. You can't start to heal those relationships with loved ones until everything is put onto the table, and with the chaos of returning home, Bitterblue and Hava take some time to attend to that. I'm very excited for people to meet Hava's friend Linny in particular because he adds so much to her growth and vulnerability— something I don't think Hava has really ever done before on page or off.
Also one more side note— I’m curious to see how people view Hava and her sexuality, possibly demisexuality. This is probably the first Graceling book that doesn’t focus on romance really at all as a main side plot. It’s definitely there in undertones throughout the book, but again, this is Hava’s journey towards her identity so romance is the last of her immediate worries. The romance is like a bud blooming into spring right at the end of the book, so it’s more a promise of what’s to come rather than what’s on the page.
"... languages are like a blanket you can crawl into and be warm. And words are like pebbles you can throw."
Also, because this book was in first person POV, we got a much deeper version of Hava as an individual than Winterkeep, for example, which had multiple POVs. Did I miss Bitterblue's perspective— Adventure's even? Yes! But I think they would have detracted from Hava's story because they're such fan favorites. Readers are forced to give Hava all of their attention, which is something she's lacked her entire life due to her camouflage abilities.
"When someone wraps you in a towel, you can feel your own edges. You can begin to learn who you are."
Arguably, Seasparrow is definitely a character driven story rather than plot, in my opinion. Yes, the zilfium mines and bombs coming to the Seven Kingdoms are imperative to the plot, but Seasparrow is about Hava's journey overall. We always come back to her struggles, her isolation, and her pain. She monologues frequently to the point that I forgot about the zilfium (unless she was ranting about chemistry haha). I was a bit stunned by this throughout the beginning of the book because Bitterblue and Winterkeep were an even mix of character and plot, but ultimately, character fits the story best here. Sadly, I do think the plot dragged at times, and I think 50ish pages could’ve been taken out, which wouldn’t have affected the story at all. I had to push myself to keep going because it felt repetitive then, but once I got through, it was better.
"I want to live in a world where the simplest way to be safe from explosive weapons is not to build explosive weapons in the first place."
Something I've been drawn to since Winterkeep is Kristin Cashore's constant attention to environmental harm and atomic weaponry. It's a conversation that I think hardly any YA books, let alone fantasy books, choose to actively bring up. Cashore has always been ahead of the game when it comes to important, current event conversations, but Seasparrow felt so personal, especially because another year has gone by where I learn further and further information about our earth and how it suffers. The stormy seas in this book were just another example of how these bombs are affecting this realm physically, which doesn't even begin to bring up the human emotions these weapons invoke of greed, fear, and impending death. It mirrors our world, and Cashore is simply a genius.
"Because my wish to be a person you can trust is bigger than my fear of your temper."
I don't think I can say anymore without giving away spoilers. I'm hoping Cashore has another book in mind to write because I simply can't get enough of the Graceling Realm! Coming back to these books through Winterkeep and now Seasparrow was a beautiful dream. Seasparrow does not seem like the end, and I'd love to see Hava's journey more after the events at the end. I'll update this review when I can scream about spoilers.
"Love is hope for other people."
Thank you to Penguin Teen for allowing me to review an eARC of one of my anticipated releases!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, and Violence
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Vomit, and Kidnapping
More details on TWs: Rape (not of the MC but she sees it), attempted rape (not of the MC), death of a loved one (detailed), PTSD, attempted murder, hallucinations (mushrooms), amputation, extreme weather conditions (cold), drowning (near drowning of MC too), threat of atomic warfare, and postpartum detachment