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oddduck's review
adventurous
medium-paced
4.5
This is the last book in this series I for sure have memories of reading and I remember thinking, this can't be the end, what happens to Syrah?? Because this was the last book that had been published at the time. Good times!
Anyway, this was another fantastic entry to the series. We once again left the Castle, and for the majority of the book even! Loved the expanded world building. We've got foreign ports, and islands, and lighthouses, and more ships! Incredible. And of course, the magyk gets expanded too. Not much to say about that, other than Angie Sage does a super great job with giving us the information we need when we need it, while also making it not feel like something we were missing out on previously. The introduction of Possession is a great example of this.
Again, some great character development happening. Simon my guy, you're doing great, can't wait to see how you finish getting your life back on track. Wolf Boy is also doing great, so glad he's got Aunt Zelda. Nicko and Snorri are going to be fine (but I think they need to spend more time on a boat, probably). Plus the rest of the main cast of course.
And the new characters! I adore how Angie Sage introduces new characters and how she handles ensemble casts, especially of this size. It's always a delight to revisit very minor characters from previous books and see what they're up to. With that in mind, I really hope we see more of Barney Pot because I love this child. Jim Knee is also a cool character and I'm looking forward to seeing how that goes in future books, though I've got two complaints. First, I think this counts as a form of slavery, which is uncomfortable (if it's not, it's certainly got a lot of slavery-like elements, which is also uncomfortable). I hope something productive comes of this and we don't get another Harry Potter house elves situation. Second, I think he deserves a nap and he should get one. I'm also very excited about Syrah, because I adore her. I remember middle-school-me loving her, and that was totally right. Syrah is awesome and she deserves nothing but good things. If she does not get them, I will be extremely disappointed.
Once again, the plot started a little slow, and the middle dragged a bit, but wow, the sequence where they were trying to stop the warrior jinn was incredible.
Also, I've gotta bring up the covers. I love them, first of all, but this one in particular is making me feel things. I love how they're always relevant to the story, but I think the gut punch I get from realizing this cover is supposed to be Syrah's journal of the island. . . and the fact that the Syren was trying to erase her identity. . . and the title is Syren. . . There's just something about that combination that has me screaming internally (positive).
Anyway, this was another fantastic entry to the series. We once again left the Castle, and for the majority of the book even! Loved the expanded world building. We've got foreign ports, and islands, and lighthouses, and more ships! Incredible. And of course, the magyk gets expanded too. Not much to say about that, other than Angie Sage does a super great job with giving us the information we need when we need it, while also making it not feel like something we were missing out on previously. The introduction of Possession is a great example of this.
Again, some great character development happening. Simon my guy, you're doing great, can't wait to see how you finish getting your life back on track. Wolf Boy is also doing great, so glad he's got Aunt Zelda. Nicko and Snorri are going to be fine (but I think they need to spend more time on a boat, probably). Plus the rest of the main cast of course.
And the new characters! I adore how Angie Sage introduces new characters and how she handles ensemble casts, especially of this size. It's always a delight to revisit very minor characters from previous books and see what they're up to. With that in mind, I really hope we see more of Barney Pot because I love this child. Jim Knee is also a cool character and I'm looking forward to seeing how that goes in future books, though I've got two complaints. First, I think this counts as a form of slavery, which is uncomfortable (if it's not, it's certainly got a lot of slavery-like elements, which is also uncomfortable). I hope something productive comes of this and we don't get another Harry Potter house elves situation. Second, I think he deserves a nap and he should get one. I'm also very excited about Syrah, because I adore her. I remember middle-school-me loving her, and that was totally right. Syrah is awesome and she deserves nothing but good things. If she does not get them, I will be extremely disappointed.
Once again, the plot started a little slow, and the middle dragged a bit, but wow, the sequence where they were trying to stop the warrior jinn was incredible.
Also, I've gotta bring up the covers. I love them, first of all, but this one in particular is making me feel things. I love how they're always relevant to the story, but I think the gut punch I get from realizing this cover is supposed to be Syrah's journal of the island. . . and the fact that the Syren was trying to erase her identity. . . and the title is Syren. . . There's just something about that combination that has me screaming internally (positive).
Content Warnings
Minor: Murder, Sexism, Slavery, Medical content, Misogyny, and Violence
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