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overbooked207's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
π In Deeper Waters by F.T. Lukens Book Review π
7th book of January 2022 and 7th of the year:
I loved the adorable relationship, the familial love and bonds, the magic and adventure, the themes of being yourself and helping those around you the way they need you to, the inclusion of mermaids and travel, and the queerness in this book! The cover is also gorgeous! However, I did want to bring up the fact that I saw this advertised as a completely light-hearted queer pirate adventure, and unfortunately, I think that I would have enjoyed it more had I gone into it without that expectation. The main characters are not pirates, and, while it is still fun and has light-hearted moments, it was a bit darker/brought up a few heavier things/themes than I expected from said advertisements. The fact that it did deal with less light-hearted things is not at all bad, though! I just, unfortunately, went into it excited about one thing and was confused when I didn't get it instead of just going into it and enjoying the book that it is, which is also very good! I recommend picking it up and am excited to read other books by the author, but I just wanted to bring it up so people who want to pick it up know! TW for kidnapping, vomiting, blood, death, discrimination, fire/fire injury, injury description, dehydration, starvation, being put in a claustrophobic cage/confinement, cutting/self-harm, alcohol, implied suicide, torture/imprisonment, homophobia, and traumaπβοΈπ§π³οΈβπ
7th book of January 2022 and 7th of the year:
I loved the adorable relationship, the familial love and bonds, the magic and adventure, the themes of being yourself and helping those around you the way they need you to, the inclusion of mermaids and travel, and the queerness in this book! The cover is also gorgeous! However, I did want to bring up the fact that I saw this advertised as a completely light-hearted queer pirate adventure, and unfortunately, I think that I would have enjoyed it more had I gone into it without that expectation. The main characters are not pirates, and, while it is still fun and has light-hearted moments, it was a bit darker/brought up a few heavier things/themes than I expected from said advertisements. The fact that it did deal with less light-hearted things is not at all bad, though! I just, unfortunately, went into it excited about one thing and was confused when I didn't get it instead of just going into it and enjoying the book that it is, which is also very good! I recommend picking it up and am excited to read other books by the author, but I just wanted to bring it up so people who want to pick it up know! TW for kidnapping, vomiting, blood, death, discrimination, fire/fire injury, injury description, dehydration, starvation, being put in a claustrophobic cage/confinement, cutting/self-harm, alcohol, implied suicide, torture/imprisonment, homophobia, and traumaπβοΈπ§π³οΈβπ
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Murder, Self harm, Violence, Blood, Death, Medical trauma, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, Torture, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Confinement, Homophobia, Alcohol, Excrement, Gore, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, and Vomit
emily_mh's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
The characters really carried this book for me. There was such great characterisation of the side characters, especially Tal's siblings. I basically lived for their sibling interactions as they felt so realistic. I really liked Tal himself because he was so complex, in that he was navigating so many burdens: the kingdom's expectations, finding his own identity, and dealing with his great-grandfather's violent legacy.
In terms of romance, I definitely think that it improves as the book goes on. Initially I was actually enjoying the plot more than the romance, as I had no idea where the plot was going (in a good way) and it mostly had a sea setting. The romance at the start was a little too insta-lovey, although it was very sweet and had first-love vibes. It didn't take too long for me to be fully on board with the romance, however, as the angst in the middle felt satisfying and lent realism to the relationship. By the end I was feeling pretty emotional about Tal and Athlen's love!
There were a few things that I didn't like. The first is that the world-building could have been better and less generic, especially as the first part of the book definitely relies on the plot to be good. The second is that sometimes a problem was made out to be high stakes, but in actuality was solved pretty easily.Also, one thing that didn't make sense to me was Tal's rapid improvement in magical skill. In the beginning of the book he makes it clear that he is only good at fire magic, but by the end (with no practice) he can summon winds and move objects with ease.
However, like I said, I just got super attached to all of the characters and loved their interactions and the love between Tal and Athlen, which made this book worth its while to read!
In terms of romance, I definitely think that it improves as the book goes on. Initially I was actually enjoying the plot more than the romance, as I had no idea where the plot was going (in a good way) and it mostly had a sea setting. The romance at the start was a little too insta-lovey, although it was very sweet and had first-love vibes. It didn't take too long for me to be fully on board with the romance, however, as the angst in the middle felt satisfying and lent realism to the relationship. By the end I was feeling pretty emotional about Tal and Athlen's love!
There were a few things that I didn't like. The first is that the world-building could have been better and less generic, especially as the first part of the book definitely relies on the plot to be good. The second is that sometimes a problem was made out to be high stakes, but in actuality was solved pretty easily.
However, like I said, I just got super attached to all of the characters and loved their interactions and the love between Tal and Athlen, which made this book worth its while to read!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Confinement, and Violence
Minor: Child death, Cursing, Death of parent, Excrement, Grief, Mental illness, Murder, Sexual content, Torture, and Vomit
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