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mikayladlewis's review
adventurous
mysterious
fast-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
4.5
This was such a good conclusion to the duology! So glad I picked this series back up and finished it.
saltymango's review against another edition
4.25
I have to say, I enjoyed this more than the first one. This is a duology, so of course the story comes to a close in this book, and it was a satisfying ending. I think part of the easibility of reading this book is that you already have a good understanding of the foundation of the conflict, world and characters, so you don’t have to struggle through like in the first one. Worldbuilding could generally be better, just like in the first book, but I don’t hold that against it. You get enough to be satisfying, and its just not meant to be that kind of epic- so I was ok with it. She introduces some cool traditions surrounding magic so that was enjoyable. Also, be prepared for LOTS of twists! Most were surprising and interesting, one was kinda random.
Some things that could have been better:
- Ben’s romance, I felt, had good development and felt natural. It just made sense. Lu/Vex’s still suffered from the sudden/forced issue they had in the first. Unfortunate since they are 2 out of our 3 main characters. Also felt old-flame character was a bit unnecessary- literally did not do anything for the character development, nor the plot (as that role).
- I love her characters development and struggles, and overall I think she did well HOWEVER, I think she could have done better showing it gradually instead of suddenly for some parts.
Overall, I would recommend.
Some things that could have been better:
- Ben’s romance, I felt, had good development and felt natural. It just made sense. Lu/Vex’s still suffered from the sudden/forced issue they had in the first. Unfortunate since they are 2 out of our 3 main characters. Also felt old-flame character was a bit unnecessary- literally did not do anything for the character development, nor the plot (as that role).
- I love her characters development and struggles, and overall I think she did well HOWEVER, I think she could have done better showing it gradually instead of suddenly for some parts.
Overall, I would recommend.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Xenophobia, Child abuse, War, Violence, and Torture
books_tea_and_fantasy's review against another edition
3.0
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Giving this series a second chance… After having read the first book it was clear what I could expect from this sequel, which is the last book in the Stream Raiders duology.
I definitely enjoyed it more than the first. The story was fast paced and had more intrigue than its predecessor. However, I still didn’t feel connected to the characters and the world. Everything felt very surface level which made it hard for me to get attached.
Word of advice: go into this series with the right expectations and you’ll probably be able to enjoy it the way it deserves.
TW: child abuse, gun violence, massacre, suicide, torture
9/75
Giving this series a second chance… After having read the first book it was clear what I could expect from this sequel, which is the last book in the Stream Raiders duology.
I definitely enjoyed it more than the first. The story was fast paced and had more intrigue than its predecessor. However, I still didn’t feel connected to the characters and the world. Everything felt very surface level which made it hard for me to get attached.
Word of advice: go into this series with the right expectations and you’ll probably be able to enjoy it the way it deserves.
TW: child abuse, gun violence, massacre, suicide, torture
9/75
atrailofpages's review against another edition
5.0
And of course the second book did not fail me! It’s been a long time since I ripped through books as fast as I did with this duology.
I enjoyed the world and seeing how they accomplished to end the king’s rule.
I did get a bit frustrated with Lu at one point, but then again, depression does that to people and I appreciated how she was able to dig herself out of it and become the Lu I loved in the first book!
Vex seemed to really be portrayed as a coward and insignificant, but if you went through what he did, I don’t blame him for feeling the way he did. I’m just glad he was able to redeem himself in the end and show everyone he’s not a coward. He’s waiting for the opportune moment to use his skills.
I just loved this duology so much! I highly recommend it to anyone who loves books at sea, adventure, “pirates”(more like raiders), and a unique magic system.
I enjoyed the world and seeing how they accomplished to end the king’s rule.
I did get a bit frustrated with Lu at one point, but then again, depression does that to people and I appreciated how she was able to dig herself out of it and become the Lu I loved in the first book!
Vex seemed to really be portrayed as a coward and insignificant, but if you went through what he did, I don’t blame him for feeling the way he did. I’m just glad he was able to redeem himself in the end and show everyone he’s not a coward. He’s waiting for the opportune moment to use his skills.
I just loved this duology so much! I highly recommend it to anyone who loves books at sea, adventure, “pirates”(more like raiders), and a unique magic system.
amybraunauthor's review against another edition
5.0
A fitting ending to a duology that I really enjoyed with characters I will genuinely miss. I really loved this book's take on magic and it's complex characters. The story focused a little more on character drama, as everyone, no matter how relevant they were to the story, was faced with at least one difficult choice that ultimately changed them.
The action was still solid and nail-biting, thanks to Raasch's quick, in-the-moment writing. The character journeys were quite compelling, even though at times they reacted in ways that made me ask "Wait, why are you doing that?" This was most evident with Vex, who definitely spiralled into a self-deprecating spiral that I rooted for him to get out with. Of all the plot lines, while I found all of them engrossing and riveting, Ben was my favourite in this finale. His character grew and changed and morphed into a powerful presence. Lu continued to be strong and empowering, even as her world began to collapse. And though he lost some of his snarky charm due to the circumstances surrounding him, I still adored Vex.
All in all, I was very happy with this finale. It was exciting, romantic, and satisfying. I definitely recommend it to anyone looking for an epic series to read!
The action was still solid and nail-biting, thanks to Raasch's quick, in-the-moment writing. The character journeys were quite compelling, even though at times they reacted in ways that made me ask "Wait, why are you doing that?" This was most evident with Vex, who definitely spiralled into a self-deprecating spiral that I rooted for him to get out with. Of all the plot lines, while I found all of them engrossing and riveting, Ben was my favourite in this finale. His character grew and changed and morphed into a powerful presence. Lu continued to be strong and empowering, even as her world began to collapse. And though he lost some of his snarky charm due to the circumstances surrounding him, I still adored Vex.
All in all, I was very happy with this finale. It was exciting, romantic, and satisfying. I definitely recommend it to anyone looking for an epic series to read!
eggbois_gf's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
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? It's complicated
4.0
amym84's review against another edition
3.0
3.5
Originally posted at Vampire Book Club
It’s been two weeks since King Elazar of Argrid’s forces have stormed the shores of Grace Loray with the intention of controlling the island once more. His presence has caused a division between the free people and the raider syndicates. While trying to form a cohesive stand against King Elazar, Devereaux “Vex” Bell is still reeling from his cousin Ben’s capture and Lu’s death. All he can think about is to keep moving forward and the first step in his plan is to free Lu’s mother Kari the Wave from captivity. Kari was instrumental in the success of Grace Loray’s rebellion six years ago and Vex is hoping she can work the same magic this time around.
Meanwhile, Ben and a not-really-dead Lu are being held captive by Ben’s father King Elazar and forced to work on a magic that will ensure his triumph over the “evil” the permeates Grace Loray.
The stakes are high and while in the heart of the conflict, Vex, Ben, and Lu also represent different sides within said conflict. They’ll have to reconcile the parts they each have to play in order to ensure Grace Loray’s survival.
These Divided Shores was kinda tough to get through, starting out anyway. There is little to none as far as recapping goes. The story picks up two weeks after the end of These Rebel Waves and it starts running and pretty much doesn’t stop. It’s in the little bits and pieces of information thrown out that I was able to remember everything that occurred previously. If possible, I highly recommend a reread of the first book beforehand.
I think it’s in this constant state of go go go that the story loses the most momentum in terms of development and deepening the characters.
There is so much division between all the different groups who have a stake in Grace Loray’s success, or failure, and none of the groups can manage to speak to each other for the majority of the book. While I understand the bigger commentary going on here (how we all need to work together and come together to enact change even with our differing views), it creates quite the jumble.
During all this we see Lu, Vex, and Ben struggle with their place in the war and wonder what their future could possibly hold in the future. They struggle with holding fast to their convictions or if giving up a little of what they believe in, in order to win is worth it. These conflicts felt extremely relatable, but unfortunately they kind of get overshadowed by the fact that no one is speaking clearly to anyone else for the majority of the book.
Looking past all this, however, and you’ll still find a story that utilizes a wonderfully unique magic system in botanical magic. I loved Lu’s continued knowledge and experiments. Also, the so-wonderful-I-didn’t-know-I-needed-it-until-I-had-it romance between Ben and Gunnar (the Mecht fire-wielding Eye of the Sun). Their build up throughout the book was absolutely on point. In fact, I need Ben and Gunnar centered novella stat.
Overall, These Divided Shores gave a satisfying, I’d say even an excellent, ending, just getting there was a bit of a struggle, but maybe that speaks more to life than I realized.
Originally posted at Vampire Book Club
It’s been two weeks since King Elazar of Argrid’s forces have stormed the shores of Grace Loray with the intention of controlling the island once more. His presence has caused a division between the free people and the raider syndicates. While trying to form a cohesive stand against King Elazar, Devereaux “Vex” Bell is still reeling from his cousin Ben’s capture and Lu’s death. All he can think about is to keep moving forward and the first step in his plan is to free Lu’s mother Kari the Wave from captivity. Kari was instrumental in the success of Grace Loray’s rebellion six years ago and Vex is hoping she can work the same magic this time around.
Meanwhile, Ben and a not-really-dead Lu are being held captive by Ben’s father King Elazar and forced to work on a magic that will ensure his triumph over the “evil” the permeates Grace Loray.
The stakes are high and while in the heart of the conflict, Vex, Ben, and Lu also represent different sides within said conflict. They’ll have to reconcile the parts they each have to play in order to ensure Grace Loray’s survival.
These Divided Shores was kinda tough to get through, starting out anyway. There is little to none as far as recapping goes. The story picks up two weeks after the end of These Rebel Waves and it starts running and pretty much doesn’t stop. It’s in the little bits and pieces of information thrown out that I was able to remember everything that occurred previously. If possible, I highly recommend a reread of the first book beforehand.
I think it’s in this constant state of go go go that the story loses the most momentum in terms of development and deepening the characters.
There is so much division between all the different groups who have a stake in Grace Loray’s success, or failure, and none of the groups can manage to speak to each other for the majority of the book. While I understand the bigger commentary going on here (how we all need to work together and come together to enact change even with our differing views), it creates quite the jumble.
During all this we see Lu, Vex, and Ben struggle with their place in the war and wonder what their future could possibly hold in the future. They struggle with holding fast to their convictions or if giving up a little of what they believe in, in order to win is worth it. These conflicts felt extremely relatable, but unfortunately they kind of get overshadowed by the fact that no one is speaking clearly to anyone else for the majority of the book.
Looking past all this, however, and you’ll still find a story that utilizes a wonderfully unique magic system in botanical magic. I loved Lu’s continued knowledge and experiments. Also, the so-wonderful-I-didn’t-know-I-needed-it-until-I-had-it romance between Ben and Gunnar (the Mecht fire-wielding Eye of the Sun). Their build up throughout the book was absolutely on point. In fact, I need Ben and Gunnar centered novella stat.
Overall, These Divided Shores gave a satisfying, I’d say even an excellent, ending, just getting there was a bit of a struggle, but maybe that speaks more to life than I realized.
flawlessbooks's review
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
4.5
A very satisfying conclusion to the series. I appreciated seeing Adeluna and Vex’s internal worlds.
This book was definitely darker than the first and some parts took my breath away.
This book was definitely darker than the first and some parts took my breath away.
ameserole's review against another edition
4.0
These Divided Shores was such an entertaining book. I am so happy that it didn't fall to the second book syndrome! I was also really surprised by the secrets that came out in this one. Like holy crap.. Tom is a sneaky son of a bitch.
In it, we still get the lovable characters from the previous book. Even though I just read the first book yesterday, it didn't seem like time really jumped while diving into this one. Yes, there are still hints of war and betrayal. Yet, I was there for the romance as well.
I AM SO HAPPY FOR MY SHIPS GUYS! Also, Ben definitely stepped up in this book. Not even mad about his love interest either. Long story short, I definitely enjoyed this book and now I'm really sad that it's over with. No idea what I will do with my life since I wont get another book from this series.. maybe I'll have to reread it all over again next year!
booklover160's review against another edition
4.0
You know, it's weird. Patrons at work kept asking me if I liked this book and I kept going 'ehhhhhh' mostly because describing the book would take entirely too long for a library checkout.
But I liked it. I really did. I think the whole magic system was refreshing and new and fascinating. I found the whole cast of characters to be relatable in a way and real. They all have weaknesses that were thoroughly explored (and exploited) and that was what made them enjoyable to me. The plot was somewhat complicated and yet simplistic at the same time. We know they're fighting madness that will stop at nothing, but the questions of lineage was interesting.
Lu and Vex may be OTP, but Ben and Gunnar???? ABSOLUTE PERFECTION.
Overall, this is a series I can see myself rereading and learning more about the world. I'm definitely glad I bought them!
But I liked it. I really did. I think the whole magic system was refreshing and new and fascinating. I found the whole cast of characters to be relatable in a way and real. They all have weaknesses that were thoroughly explored (and exploited) and that was what made them enjoyable to me. The plot was somewhat complicated and yet simplistic at the same time. We know they're fighting madness that will stop at nothing, but the questions of lineage was interesting.
Lu and Vex may be OTP, but Ben and Gunnar???? ABSOLUTE PERFECTION.
Overall, this is a series I can see myself rereading and learning more about the world. I'm definitely glad I bought them!