A review by lizanneyoung
A Tale of Seashells & Shenanigans by Alex Nonymous

4.0

 

⭐⭐⭐⭐

TROPES

🃏 Found Family

This is a cozy fantasy that has such a fun premise. From the first page, I was hooked. The main character works at a thrift store and then gets challenged to a duel that ends up taking them across seas and into unknown places, and the reader gets to be along for the ride.

Nico is a great character to follow. At times, you really question who they are as a person and why they are acting out at times, but as time goes along and we get more insight, Nico’s reactions to situations make sense. You can’t help but empathize with them and what they’ve been through. And while you initially might agree with their reactions to Tillie, their traveling partner, that changes too. 

While a cozy fantasy, there are times when things get incredibly real for the pair and you wonder if they’ll complete their quest or even make it back home. Watching Nico and Tillie try to work through their differences while achieving the same end goal is wonderful to watch, mostly because of how much they both change and open up to each other by the end. Even when their plans fail, they somehow manage to find the better side of the coin, and it’s nice to see how they do it.