Scan barcode
beebeewin's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
What can I say, other than I was surprised by this book! I feel like at first, I was not truly getting into the story. It was quite slow at the beginning and that wasn't helped by the fact that Hava is a hard to character to like. But in the end, Hava's characterization is probably one of the best parts of this book. Hava as a character is neither good nor bad. She is someone who's been scarred by trauma and can't express her emotions or feelings because of that. This book is about her coming to terms with the trauma and working to be better. By the end you can see her growyh and how she is working on, but not yet perfected, her ability to process her emotions. As someone who's experienced a lot of childhood trauma this book felt so fucking personal. Kristin Cashore once again did a great job of writing the processing of trauma. I think I talked about this in the first three books of this series, Cashore does not hide from the trauma and the truly deep scars it leaves on people. I think the fourth book lost this thread, but it is back here. Due to the setting of the story Cashore was able to do a great job of slowly having Hava unpack the trauma she experienced and learning how to live in the world that comes afterwards. It was interesting, the survival aspect of this novel really tied in with how Hava had to survive as a child and was so well written and I assume researched.
I definitely found myself really getting into it once it got into the second act. The third act was a lot more reflective, but that made sense for the novel narratively. But I think the lowness at the beginning is why I'm not giving it a higher rating. It did take a while to get into and I felt like at least 100-150 pages could have been trimmed. I think Cashore was trying to build Hava's perspective but i think the rest of the novel did that well ao much could have been removed. I do appreciate Hava's perspective, it's someone who was on the outskirts, which made me way more interested in her perspective.
I also really appreciated the romance. It wasn't over the top like some other books I've been reading recently. Instead it was really the slow build, as these two people are healing themselves and want to be together as they heal with one another. It felt so honest to the story and truly lovely.
I would definitely recommend this last book in the series (so far)!
I definitely found myself really getting into it once it got into the second act. The third act was a lot more reflective, but that made sense for the novel narratively. But I think the lowness at the beginning is why I'm not giving it a higher rating. It did take a while to get into and I felt like at least 100-150 pages could have been trimmed. I think Cashore was trying to build Hava's perspective but i think the rest of the novel did that well ao much could have been removed. I do appreciate Hava's perspective, it's someone who was on the outskirts, which made me way more interested in her perspective.
I also really appreciated the romance. It wasn't over the top like some other books I've been reading recently. Instead it was really the slow build, as these two people are healing themselves and want to be together as they heal with one another. It felt so honest to the story and truly lovely.
I would definitely recommend this last book in the series (so far)!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Grief, Vomit, Animal cruelty, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Rape, Child abuse, and Death
imds's review
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Classism, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Violence, Abandonment, Vomit, Child abuse, Grief, Sexual violence, Death, Death of parent, Kidnapping, Child death, Trafficking, Bullying, Suicide attempt, Pedophilia, Drug use, Pregnancy, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, and Panic attacks/disorders
erimore's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I’ve been in love with the Graceling books since I first read them in high school. Always so happy to go back into this world and this book doesn’t disappoint. I hadn’t thought much about Hava before this book and now I can’t stop thinking about her. Hava takes us through the struggles of grief and anger that comes from trauma (and piled on trauma) and that understanding it isn’t linear. Such cute and lovely moments among the struggles.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Grief
Moderate: Vomit, Animal cruelty, War, Sexual assault, and Rape
merenguita's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book is TENSE. Especially during the middle... everytime I stopped reading I found myself more anxious than when I started.
I honestly struggled to decide what rating to give this book, the beggining was really slow, but I think it was necesarry to build up everything that happens later, it also fits with the way Hava sees and interacts with the world. I think the way it's narrated really differs from the other books of the saga, which is really refreshing, I find that in a lot of books that go through different narrators, they all kind of sound the same, where as this one felt absolutley different. That was a reason why I didn't like it at first but then I got used to it and even got to love the way Hava feels and reads as a character. I highlighted when another character says to her "You're really articulate about how confused you are" because that's a pretty good summary of how I felt.
By the end this book felt just as good as the others in the series, and I really hope Kristin Cashore keeps expanding on this world because I'm not sure if I want to let it go yet.
There's some really dense and hard to read topics throughout the story, so I would recomend to read the CW beforehand and to take your time if you have to.
I honestly struggled to decide what rating to give this book, the beggining was really slow, but I think it was necesarry to build up everything that happens later, it also fits with the way Hava sees and interacts with the world. I think the way it's narrated really differs from the other books of the saga, which is really refreshing, I find that in a lot of books that go through different narrators, they all kind of sound the same, where as this one felt absolutley different. That was a reason why I didn't like it at first but then I got used to it and even got to love the way Hava feels and reads as a character. I highlighted when another character says to her "You're really articulate about how confused you are" because that's a pretty good summary of how I felt.
By the end this book felt just as good as the others in the series, and I really hope Kristin Cashore keeps expanding on this world because I'm not sure if I want to let it go yet.
There's some really dense and hard to read topics throughout the story, so I would recomend to read the CW beforehand and to take your time if you have to.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Grief, Blood, Vomit, Violence, Physical abuse, and Death of parent
Minor: Sexual violence and Torture
TW for hypothermia and general trauma response/trauma aftermath kind of thingtalonsontypewriters's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Grief, and Violence
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Drug use, Murder, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Animal cruelty, Pregnancy, Death, Medical content, Confinement, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Addiction, Pedophilia, Child death, Rape, Torture, War, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Excrement, Sexism, Homophobia, and Vomit
Needles, nonconsensual drugging. Near-drowning, distress at sea. Urination. Frostbite, amputation.heartbrekker's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
"I want you to know why I'm angry... I want you to know why I'm mean. The anger inside me is too big. If I look at it too close, I feel too much grief to survive."
When I reviewed Winterkeep, I compared it to Bitterblue, but now the true comp titles to one another within the Graceling Realm are Bitterblue and Seasparrow. Seasparrow, much like Bitterblue, is a story of a woman finally beginning her journey to healing her childhood traumas and coming to terms with her own identity amidst political turmoil and strife.
"If you could eavesdrop without anyone knowing— if you could turn yourself into a barrel, or a coil of lines, or a clump of canvas on deck where two people are standing, whispering secrets to one another— are you sure you wouldn't?"
Hava has always been one of my favorite side characters throughout the series, and it was incredible to have her as the sole POV of this installment. She's gritty and sarcastic, blunt and curious, empathetic and angry. Hava is the epitome of my favorite type of protagonist because she's so far from perfect yet that makes her so imperfectly human. Moreover, it was interesting to watch her different interactions with people like Bitterblue, Gideon, Linny, or Annet. Hava changes her attitude within her relationships to fit her emotions, and I think it was very realistic that she had so many issues with Bitterblue because their relationship is so secretive and flawed. Sibling relationships are still to this day one of my favorite parts to books, especially because they're so rarely used, so it was great to have Bitterblue's POV in mind when reading Hava's POV. You can't start to heal those relationships with loved ones until everything is put onto the table, and with the chaos of returning home, Bitterblue and Hava take some time to attend to that. I'm very excited for people to meet Hava's friend Linny in particular because he adds so much to her growth and vulnerability— something I don't think Hava has really ever done before on page or off.
Also one more side note— I’m curious to see how people view Hava and her sexuality, possibly demisexuality. This is probably the first Graceling book that doesn’t focus on romance really at all as a main side plot. It’s definitely there in undertones throughout the book, but again, this is Hava’s journey towards her identity so romance is the last of her immediate worries. The romance is like a bud blooming into spring right at the end of the book, so it’s more a promise of what’s to come rather than what’s on the page.
"... languages are like a blanket you can crawl into and be warm. And words are like pebbles you can throw."
Also, because this book was in first person POV, we got a much deeper version of Hava as an individual than Winterkeep, for example, which had multiple POVs. Did I miss Bitterblue's perspective— Adventure's even? Yes! But I think they would have detracted from Hava's story because they're such fan favorites. Readers are forced to give Hava all of their attention, which is something she's lacked her entire life due to her camouflage abilities.
"When someone wraps you in a towel, you can feel your own edges. You can begin to learn who you are."
Arguably, Seasparrow is definitely a character driven story rather than plot, in my opinion. Yes, the zilfium mines and bombs coming to the Seven Kingdoms are imperative to the plot, but Seasparrow is about Hava's journey overall. We always come back to her struggles, her isolation, and her pain. She monologues frequently to the point that I forgot about the zilfium (unless she was ranting about chemistry haha). I was a bit stunned by this throughout the beginning of the book because Bitterblue and Winterkeep were an even mix of character and plot, but ultimately, character fits the story best here. Sadly, I do think the plot dragged at times, and I think 50ish pages could’ve been taken out, which wouldn’t have affected the story at all. I had to push myself to keep going because it felt repetitive then, but once I got through, it was better.
"I want to live in a world where the simplest way to be safe from explosive weapons is not to build explosive weapons in the first place."
Something I've been drawn to since Winterkeep is Kristin Cashore's constant attention to environmental harm and atomic weaponry. It's a conversation that I think hardly any YA books, let alone fantasy books, choose to actively bring up. Cashore has always been ahead of the game when it comes to important, current event conversations, but Seasparrow felt so personal, especially because another year has gone by where I learn further and further information about our earth and how it suffers. The stormy seas in this book were just another example of how these bombs are affecting this realm physically, which doesn't even begin to bring up the human emotions these weapons invoke of greed, fear, and impending death. It mirrors our world, and Cashore is simply a genius.
"Because my wish to be a person you can trust is bigger than my fear of your temper."
I don't think I can say anymore without giving away spoilers. I'm hoping Cashore has another book in mind to write because I simply can't get enough of the Graceling Realm! Coming back to these books through Winterkeep and now Seasparrow was a beautiful dream. Seasparrow does not seem like the end, and I'd love to see Hava's journey more after the events at the end. I'll update this review when I can scream about spoilers.
"Love is hope for other people."
Thank you to Penguin Teen for allowing me to review an eARC of one of my anticipated releases!
When I reviewed Winterkeep, I compared it to Bitterblue, but now the true comp titles to one another within the Graceling Realm are Bitterblue and Seasparrow. Seasparrow, much like Bitterblue, is a story of a woman finally beginning her journey to healing her childhood traumas and coming to terms with her own identity amidst political turmoil and strife.
"If you could eavesdrop without anyone knowing— if you could turn yourself into a barrel, or a coil of lines, or a clump of canvas on deck where two people are standing, whispering secrets to one another— are you sure you wouldn't?"
Hava has always been one of my favorite side characters throughout the series, and it was incredible to have her as the sole POV of this installment. She's gritty and sarcastic, blunt and curious, empathetic and angry. Hava is the epitome of my favorite type of protagonist because she's so far from perfect yet that makes her so imperfectly human. Moreover, it was interesting to watch her different interactions with people like Bitterblue, Gideon, Linny, or Annet. Hava changes her attitude within her relationships to fit her emotions, and I think it was very realistic that she had so many issues with Bitterblue because their relationship is so secretive and flawed. Sibling relationships are still to this day one of my favorite parts to books, especially because they're so rarely used, so it was great to have Bitterblue's POV in mind when reading Hava's POV. You can't start to heal those relationships with loved ones until everything is put onto the table, and with the chaos of returning home, Bitterblue and Hava take some time to attend to that. I'm very excited for people to meet Hava's friend Linny in particular because he adds so much to her growth and vulnerability— something I don't think Hava has really ever done before on page or off.
Also one more side note— I’m curious to see how people view Hava and her sexuality, possibly demisexuality. This is probably the first Graceling book that doesn’t focus on romance really at all as a main side plot. It’s definitely there in undertones throughout the book, but again, this is Hava’s journey towards her identity so romance is the last of her immediate worries. The romance is like a bud blooming into spring right at the end of the book, so it’s more a promise of what’s to come rather than what’s on the page.
"... languages are like a blanket you can crawl into and be warm. And words are like pebbles you can throw."
Also, because this book was in first person POV, we got a much deeper version of Hava as an individual than Winterkeep, for example, which had multiple POVs. Did I miss Bitterblue's perspective— Adventure's even? Yes! But I think they would have detracted from Hava's story because they're such fan favorites. Readers are forced to give Hava all of their attention, which is something she's lacked her entire life due to her camouflage abilities.
"When someone wraps you in a towel, you can feel your own edges. You can begin to learn who you are."
Arguably, Seasparrow is definitely a character driven story rather than plot, in my opinion. Yes, the zilfium mines and bombs coming to the Seven Kingdoms are imperative to the plot, but Seasparrow is about Hava's journey overall. We always come back to her struggles, her isolation, and her pain. She monologues frequently to the point that I forgot about the zilfium (unless she was ranting about chemistry haha). I was a bit stunned by this throughout the beginning of the book because Bitterblue and Winterkeep were an even mix of character and plot, but ultimately, character fits the story best here. Sadly, I do think the plot dragged at times, and I think 50ish pages could’ve been taken out, which wouldn’t have affected the story at all. I had to push myself to keep going because it felt repetitive then, but once I got through, it was better.
"I want to live in a world where the simplest way to be safe from explosive weapons is not to build explosive weapons in the first place."
Something I've been drawn to since Winterkeep is Kristin Cashore's constant attention to environmental harm and atomic weaponry. It's a conversation that I think hardly any YA books, let alone fantasy books, choose to actively bring up. Cashore has always been ahead of the game when it comes to important, current event conversations, but Seasparrow felt so personal, especially because another year has gone by where I learn further and further information about our earth and how it suffers. The stormy seas in this book were just another example of how these bombs are affecting this realm physically, which doesn't even begin to bring up the human emotions these weapons invoke of greed, fear, and impending death. It mirrors our world, and Cashore is simply a genius.
"Because my wish to be a person you can trust is bigger than my fear of your temper."
I don't think I can say anymore without giving away spoilers. I'm hoping Cashore has another book in mind to write because I simply can't get enough of the Graceling Realm! Coming back to these books through Winterkeep and now Seasparrow was a beautiful dream. Seasparrow does not seem like the end, and I'd love to see Hava's journey more after the events at the end. I'll update this review when I can scream about spoilers.
"Love is hope for other people."
Thank you to Penguin Teen for allowing me to review an eARC of one of my anticipated releases!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, and Gore
Moderate: Drug use, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Drug abuse, Vomit, and Kidnapping
More details on TWs: Rape (not of the MC but she sees it), attempted rape (not of the MC), death of a loved one (detailed), PTSD, attempted murder, hallucinations (mushrooms), amputation, extreme weather conditions (cold), drowning (near drowning of MC too), threat of atomic warfare, and postpartum detachment
More...