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A review by cupiscent
The Forever Sea by Joshua Phillip Johnson
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
There were so many things that I really liked about this. The world is absolutely wondrous, full of interlocking big damn ideas--tall ships sailing prairie-grass seas, buoyed up by musically and magically manipulated fires burning bone, and the dark deeps beneath. And the characters are big and bold, and our main viewpoint character has a magnificent arc of self-awareness and (very relatable) despair with the state of the world.
However, in so many niggly little ways, I didn't quite vibe with it. The pace was measured, with lots of description that sometimes dragged for me, and the plot was demanding, with every single thing Kindred did seeming to turn things worse - it got rather draining at times. The story moved ever onwards through the world, not lingering to dig deeper, though it did circle back into some interesting closure in the last gasp. But it never really built a sense of momentum, just plodding along until it ended. That ending was satisfying, but still not quite enough in ways I can't quite grasp - possibly it's that it feels more like the big twist midpoint than an ending, which given that this is the first of at least two, may be so.
Anyway, WOW ideas, complex characters, perfectly charming in the telling, definitely worth a try!
However, in so many niggly little ways, I didn't quite vibe with it. The pace was measured, with lots of description that sometimes dragged for me, and the plot was demanding, with every single thing Kindred did seeming to turn things worse - it got rather draining at times. The story moved ever onwards through the world, not lingering to dig deeper, though it did circle back into some interesting closure in the last gasp. But it never really built a sense of momentum, just plodding along until it ended. That ending was satisfying, but still not quite enough in ways I can't quite grasp - possibly it's that it feels more like the big twist midpoint than an ending, which given that this is the first of at least two, may be so.
Anyway, WOW ideas, complex characters, perfectly charming in the telling, definitely worth a try!