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bethanybook's review against another edition
3.0
Beneath the Starlit Sea is a lovely fantasy-romance book which is perfect for getting out of those pesky book slumps.
Illyse wears her heart on her sleeve, is extremely impulsive emotionally and tends to make the odd mistake… but that’s what makes her real and relatable.
Garit on the other hand was quite hard to like, I found him standoffish and the typical brute and then all of a sudden he’s all poetic and has bard worthy love? But I think that was down to the book be so short and it having a quick pace.
The story overall is amazing and the plot is super interesting but personally I prefer fantasies to be a bit longer. At best a series! I just love world building and intense plot lines which unfortunately this one didn’t have as much.
All in all it’s a sweet romantasy book perfect for someone who wants a quick and easy read with a loveable main character.
*thank you Netgalley for sending me an ebook of this in exchange for an honest review*
Illyse wears her heart on her sleeve, is extremely impulsive emotionally and tends to make the odd mistake… but that’s what makes her real and relatable.
Garit on the other hand was quite hard to like, I found him standoffish and the typical brute and then all of a sudden he’s all poetic and has bard worthy love? But I think that was down to the book be so short and it having a quick pace.
The story overall is amazing and the plot is super interesting but personally I prefer fantasies to be a bit longer. At best a series! I just love world building and intense plot lines which unfortunately this one didn’t have as much.
All in all it’s a sweet romantasy book perfect for someone who wants a quick and easy read with a loveable main character.
*thank you Netgalley for sending me an ebook of this in exchange for an honest review*
libtechgoddess's review against another edition
3.0
(Thank you NetGalley for the ARC)
3.5/5 Stars
This book had a very good premise and a decent story. However I could not quite get into the lovey-dovey, slow romance of the story. The mystery portion of the story felt too quickly solved, and the forced miscommunication was a trope I could have lived without. However, if you do not mind these kinds of story additions, then they made for a pretty decent story overall.
3.5/5 Stars
This book had a very good premise and a decent story. However I could not quite get into the lovey-dovey, slow romance of the story. The mystery portion of the story felt too quickly solved, and the forced miscommunication was a trope I could have lived without. However, if you do not mind these kinds of story additions, then they made for a pretty decent story overall.
mackenziedyll's review against another edition
2.0
Thanks to NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.
Beneath the Starlit Sea follows a powerful sorceress, Illyse. Captured by the king and bound by iron to dampen her powers, Illyse is forced to find the source of the strange murders occurring throughout the kingdom. With the help of a human doctor, the two spark a forbidden romance as they uncover secrets and face grisly creatures.
The synopsis of the book really caught my attention and all the elements of a great fantasy romance are there. However, this book unfortunately reads like a first draft. It's missing key emotional building, tone and character development that helps makes a story complete. The main characters are very 2 dimensional and the romance is so insta lovey that it just left me bored. And much of the dialogue and narration is repetitive.
I'm trying not be a negative Nancy, but the story just simply feels unfinished. The premise has real potential and I can see what the author was trying to accomplish. If this story ever gets a rewrite I'll definitely give it another go. However, as it is, I can only give this book 2 stars.
Beneath the Starlit Sea follows a powerful sorceress, Illyse. Captured by the king and bound by iron to dampen her powers, Illyse is forced to find the source of the strange murders occurring throughout the kingdom. With the help of a human doctor, the two spark a forbidden romance as they uncover secrets and face grisly creatures.
The synopsis of the book really caught my attention and all the elements of a great fantasy romance are there. However, this book unfortunately reads like a first draft. It's missing key emotional building, tone and character development that helps makes a story complete. The main characters are very 2 dimensional and the romance is so insta lovey that it just left me bored. And much of the dialogue and narration is repetitive.
I'm trying not be a negative Nancy, but the story just simply feels unfinished. The premise has real potential and I can see what the author was trying to accomplish. If this story ever gets a rewrite I'll definitely give it another go. However, as it is, I can only give this book 2 stars.
brianamaewrites's review against another edition
4.0
Bound by the chains of law and threatened by the murders of the Kincajd, Illyse and Garit’s was a love contested from the very first spell of attraction.
Nicole Bea writes with an artful balance of prose and poetry, some of the details and imagery utilised rich and captivating as the court of Castle Rose - and all its “monsters” - was brought to life in a believable fashion. I just wish there had been a bit more history built into the world building to take things to that next level.
While the bones of Illyse and Garit’s illicit affair held a sea of promise, I personally felt the romance arc moved too quickly and the thrill of something forbidden brewing was a missed opportunity. As it happened, their love occurred relatively quickly for these two and I missed seeing the initial push and pull between law and attraction before love claimed them.
This was a light and relatively fast-paced fantasy read with a fresh perspective for those looking to dip their toes into something new. I enjoyed the role played by the Nixies and the added twist to their deception - the union of fantasy and folklore beautifully portrayed - and this is a world I would love a second shot at losing myself in. Bad-ass females fighting for their place and a man who can wax poetry in a single breath are their own form of magic, and if this echo of witchcraft appeals to you, then perhaps Bea will too!
Thank you to NetGalley and Sword and Silk Books for the advanced copy of this book.
Nicole Bea writes with an artful balance of prose and poetry, some of the details and imagery utilised rich and captivating as the court of Castle Rose - and all its “monsters” - was brought to life in a believable fashion. I just wish there had been a bit more history built into the world building to take things to that next level.
While the bones of Illyse and Garit’s illicit affair held a sea of promise, I personally felt the romance arc moved too quickly and the thrill of something forbidden brewing was a missed opportunity. As it happened, their love occurred relatively quickly for these two and I missed seeing the initial push and pull between law and attraction before love claimed them.
This was a light and relatively fast-paced fantasy read with a fresh perspective for those looking to dip their toes into something new. I enjoyed the role played by the Nixies and the added twist to their deception - the union of fantasy and folklore beautifully portrayed - and this is a world I would love a second shot at losing myself in. Bad-ass females fighting for their place and a man who can wax poetry in a single breath are their own form of magic, and if this echo of witchcraft appeals to you, then perhaps Bea will too!
Thank you to NetGalley and Sword and Silk Books for the advanced copy of this book.
itsabookthing2021's review against another edition
3.0
Thank you to Netgalley and publishers for this eARC
Beneath The Starlit Sea is a fantasy romance between Illyse, a sorceress and Garit. It follows a Illyse who basically has no choice to help the king solve the murders of men in the area. The tropes that include enemies to friends to lovers, forbidden romance, forced proximity set for the precedent for the novel.
The relationship between Illyse and Garit is toxic to say the lest, her actions a very questionable and one does question her actions against Garit.
The story overall is interesting and the plot and world building is built and created really well.
Beneath The Starlit Sea is a fantasy romance between Illyse, a sorceress and Garit. It follows a Illyse who basically has no choice to help the king solve the murders of men in the area. The tropes that include enemies to friends to lovers, forbidden romance, forced proximity set for the precedent for the novel.
The relationship between Illyse and Garit is toxic to say the lest, her actions a very questionable and one does question her actions against Garit.
The story overall is interesting and the plot and world building is built and created really well.
mklinkenborg's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
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? It's complicated
4.0
This fantasy had it all: a supernatural mystery to solve, forbidden romance, and sorcery in abundance. My only criticism would be the pacing. It felt like we took a long time to build up, and then the last quarter of the book was jam packed with all the action.
brianamaewrites's review
4.0
Bound by the chains of law and threatened by the murders of the Kincajd, Illyse and Garit’s was a love contested from the very first spell of attraction.
Nicole Bea writes with an artful balance of prose and poetry, some of the details and imagery utilised rich and captivating as the court of Castle Rose - and all its “monsters” - was brought to life in a believable fashion. I just wish there had been a bit more history built into the world building to take things to that next level.
While the bones of Illyse and Garit’s illicit affair held a sea of promise, I personally felt the romance arc moved too quickly and the thrill of something forbidden brewing was a missed opportunity. As it happened, their love occurred relatively quickly for these two and I missed seeing the initial push and pull between law and attraction before love claimed them.
This was a light and relatively fast-paced fantasy read with a fresh perspective for those looking to dip their toes into something new. I enjoyed the role played by the Nixies and the added twist to their deception - the union of fantasy and folklore beautifully portrayed - and this is a world I would love a second shot at losing myself in. Bad-ass females fighting for their place and a man who can wax poetry in a single breath are their own form of magic, and if this echo of witchcraft appeals to you, then perhaps Bea will too!
Thank you to NetGalley and Sword and Silk Books for the advanced copy of this book.
Nicole Bea writes with an artful balance of prose and poetry, some of the details and imagery utilised rich and captivating as the court of Castle Rose - and all its “monsters” - was brought to life in a believable fashion. I just wish there had been a bit more history built into the world building to take things to that next level.
While the bones of Illyse and Garit’s illicit affair held a sea of promise, I personally felt the romance arc moved too quickly and the thrill of something forbidden brewing was a missed opportunity. As it happened, their love occurred relatively quickly for these two and I missed seeing the initial push and pull between law and attraction before love claimed them.
This was a light and relatively fast-paced fantasy read with a fresh perspective for those looking to dip their toes into something new. I enjoyed the role played by the Nixies and the added twist to their deception - the union of fantasy and folklore beautifully portrayed - and this is a world I would love a second shot at losing myself in. Bad-ass females fighting for their place and a man who can wax poetry in a single breath are their own form of magic, and if this echo of witchcraft appeals to you, then perhaps Bea will too!
Thank you to NetGalley and Sword and Silk Books for the advanced copy of this book.
yellowmoonreads's review against another edition
4.0
Pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. The story was told well and was interesting. The writing flowed and was paced well, I could've probably finished this in 1 to 2 days if I really wanted to. It was pretty predictable with like one exception, but still managed to be enjoyable. There were a lot of cute and beautiful moments. Sometimes it did feel like the author was trying too hard to make Garit (the Male MC) seem extremely poetic and I just wasn't getting that vibe. Garit was still an amazing character. I kind of wish Illyse had a bit more character growth by the end. She learned to love but she still seemed a bit too selfish and unforgiving. I understand it's meant to be a work in progress thing for her, but it just didn't feel like she learned much. I like that the main focus of the book was on love and romance not so much the conflict that was happening. I really liked that the magic felt natural and fit into the story well. I especially liked the little details of ingredients that were used for spells and the how/why of it. I'd love to read more from the author and think there's even room for a sequel to this book which would be awesome! Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
cadybuckle's review
3.0
I ~liked~ this book but didn’t love it. I liked the idea of this book and enjoyed reading about a sorceress but something about this book just fell flat for me. The MC’s power is “contained” for basically the entire story. There is practically no character development or world building. The chapters sometimes jumped ahead months at a time which left the romance feeling extremely “insta-love” and was probably my least favorite part of the story. However, I did like that this book was fast paced, easy to read, and the plot was interesting.
torieslibrary's review
3.0
(Thank you NetGalley for the ARC)
3.5/5 Stars
This book had a very good premise and a decent story. However I could not quite get into the lovey-dovey, slow romance of the story. The mystery portion of the story felt too quickly solved, and the forced miscommunication was a trope I could have lived without. However, if you do not mind these kinds of story additions, then they made for a pretty decent story overall.
3.5/5 Stars
This book had a very good premise and a decent story. However I could not quite get into the lovey-dovey, slow romance of the story. The mystery portion of the story felt too quickly solved, and the forced miscommunication was a trope I could have lived without. However, if you do not mind these kinds of story additions, then they made for a pretty decent story overall.