Scan barcode
pukeko's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
That this a debut novel is apparent. The perspective never shifts from that of the protagonist, Kindred, and as such she it always being pulled back into memories during action scenes to give required context, always idly thinking of this or that, and displaying an unendearing incompetence when it suits the plot, and great ability when that is needed to move the story forward.
However, the almost all female cast are competent, powerful, emotive characters thus giving young girls such inspirational characters as young boys have long been spoiled with an abundance of.
The environmental themes and endless ocean of grass kept me hooked. Would be beautifully represented by Miyazaki.
A more stringet editor and a bit more experience will bring Joshua's incredible imagination to light.
However, the almost all female cast are competent, powerful, emotive characters thus giving young girls such inspirational characters as young boys have long been spoiled with an abundance of.
The environmental themes and endless ocean of grass kept me hooked. Would be beautifully represented by Miyazaki.
A more stringet editor and a bit more experience will bring Joshua's incredible imagination to light.
garbitchdisposal's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.25
jephapha's review against another edition
5.0
I don't like fantasy books. I'm a slow reader who gets easily distracted, and I often find it hard to follow characters and plot lines. I picked up this book and couldn't put it down.
"The Forever Sea" is amazing. Johnson's beautiful prose fills your head and swims around as you grapple with the idea of sailing on prairie grasses. While many of the ideas (going underneath a prairie sea, for example) are abstract and take time to come to terms with, you feel okay and content with it. The story demands complexity and critical thinking, and yet at the heart of it there are pirates and a war between water stores and love and adventure. It is simplicity and complexity wrapped up in a book as vast and complex as the Sea it takes place on.
I've seen reviews that criticize the main character, Kindred, for her hasty and shallow decision-making, and while I recognize that Kindred can be a frustrating character to like from time to time, she is also noble and you still find yourself cheering for her and her success. She struggles with good and evil just as we all do, and Johnson uses her as a tool to help us grapple with the complexity of an all too divided and hasty, shallow decision-making world.
I absolutely love the imagery, I love the environmental themes and the messages throughout. The magic is INCREDIBLE. If nothing else, read this book for the magic; fire and magic are powered with bardic songs and characters gather inspiration and strength as they sing in hand-to-hand combat. Fire and water are both absolutely necessary in this book, for both life and death, and they compliment and juxtapose each other in fascinating ways. A brilliant book with beautiful writing. I highly recommend.
"The Forever Sea" is amazing. Johnson's beautiful prose fills your head and swims around as you grapple with the idea of sailing on prairie grasses. While many of the ideas (going underneath a prairie sea, for example) are abstract and take time to come to terms with, you feel okay and content with it. The story demands complexity and critical thinking, and yet at the heart of it there are pirates and a war between water stores and love and adventure. It is simplicity and complexity wrapped up in a book as vast and complex as the Sea it takes place on.
I've seen reviews that criticize the main character, Kindred, for her hasty and shallow decision-making, and while I recognize that Kindred can be a frustrating character to like from time to time, she is also noble and you still find yourself cheering for her and her success. She struggles with good and evil just as we all do, and Johnson uses her as a tool to help us grapple with the complexity of an all too divided and hasty, shallow decision-making world.
I absolutely love the imagery, I love the environmental themes and the messages throughout. The magic is INCREDIBLE. If nothing else, read this book for the magic; fire and magic are powered with bardic songs and characters gather inspiration and strength as they sing in hand-to-hand combat. Fire and water are both absolutely necessary in this book, for both life and death, and they compliment and juxtapose each other in fascinating ways. A brilliant book with beautiful writing. I highly recommend.
eletricjb's review against another edition
3.0
I really like the world he's created, but the writing style made it hard for me to stay engaged... World is intriguing enough that I'll probably pick up book 2 when it comes out, though.
ribread's review against another edition
5.0
Poetic and lyrical.
A 456 page love poem to the prairie filled with adventure, wonder, and unapologetic love.
A 456 page love poem to the prairie filled with adventure, wonder, and unapologetic love.
troetschel's review against another edition
5.0
What a glorious, breathtakingly wild book. If I'm being brutally honest, I'd rate it four stars; but I'm adding another star for the sheer joy I got out of reading it. The prose here is beautiful and compliments the worldbuilding quite well. I'm enchanted and looking forward to reading the sequel.
Kindred is an interesting and flawed character, I liked that she was complicated and rash. I liked that the secondary characters were also complicated and had depth that made them feel real and independent. The magic system - if you could call it that - is given no real explanation, so if you prefer Sanderson-style structured magic, you'll likely not enjoy this as much. But if the idea of magic that feels like Studio Ghibli ✨vibes✨ is appealing to you, definitely give this a shot.
Kindred is an interesting and flawed character, I liked that she was complicated and rash. I liked that the secondary characters were also complicated and had depth that made them feel real and independent. The magic system - if you could call it that - is given no real explanation, so if you prefer Sanderson-style structured magic, you'll likely not enjoy this as much. But if the idea of magic that feels like Studio Ghibli ✨vibes✨ is appealing to you, definitely give this a shot.
finini's review
adventurous
inspiring
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
4.25
The Forever Sea, it is a very peculiar book about a sea made of grasses which IS AMAZING! I loved the book but I only like the ending. I think they could have done something more with it or (I hope) they make a sequel.
I really liked the characters and the way they interacted with each other, I would have loved the see more of Captain Caraway, but who knows what comes next.
The writer is very good at setting the scene and letting you discover the whole world along side Kindred, I had the same wonder and curiosity.
Yeah, overall I really liked the world building, characters and storyline. So a well deserved 4 starts!
I really liked the characters and the way they interacted with each other, I would have loved the see more of Captain Caraway, but who knows what comes next.
The writer is very good at setting the scene and letting you discover the whole world along side Kindred, I had the same wonder and curiosity.
Yeah, overall I really liked the world building, characters and storyline. So a well deserved 4 starts!
lilbuzzball's review against another edition
Too repetitive, some of the pirate names just make me shake my head, i really wanted to like it but couldn’t get into it
cerys_isabel's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 rounded up, loved Kindreds story and ending but not sure about the storytellers ending or how that all fits in - didn’t really feel as if the storyteller added anything overall but overall a great book