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A review by ivegotyourpaperback
The Sea King by C.L. Wilson
adventurous
emotional
slow-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? It's complicated
4.25
Woah! That was an intense ride.
In the beginning I wasn’t enjoying the story because I was finding it hard to follow. The first couple of chapters felt like a lot of info dumping and I struggled to keep up. Perhaps because I stupidly didn’t realise that this was the second book in a series - it’s possible that having read the first book would have prepared me for the rich world created by C.L. Wilson.
I’m saying all that, once I got into the story, it was fantastic (however, don’t ever ask me to explain Calbernan succession because all of that went completely over my head). The world building was incredibly distinct and beautifully crafted. I particularly loved the focus on the importance of women in the Calbernan culture, and the fierce protection high regard displayed by the male Calbernans.
The romance was equally well done. It’s absolutely a slow-burn though, so if that’s not your jam, I’d hazard a guess you may not find this as enjoyable as I did. There was a lot of back and forth during the courtship between our two main characters, which occasionally became grating, but I understood the purpose for it.
While I saw the twists coming, I was along for the ride the whole time, and felt a sense of accomplishment upon the reveals.
The narrator, Heather Wilds, did a wonderful job. Her clear diction made for excellent storytelling and her distinctions between characters was well done.
Tropes:
💘Fated Mates
⚔️Possessive hero
Content warnings:
⚠️mention of murder & torture
⚠️violence
⚠️drugging
⚠️kidnapping
⚠️sexual assault
In the beginning I wasn’t enjoying the story because I was finding it hard to follow. The first couple of chapters felt like a lot of info dumping and I struggled to keep up. Perhaps because I stupidly didn’t realise that this was the second book in a series - it’s possible that having read the first book would have prepared me for the rich world created by C.L. Wilson.
I’m saying all that, once I got into the story, it was fantastic (however, don’t ever ask me to explain Calbernan succession because all of that went completely over my head). The world building was incredibly distinct and beautifully crafted. I particularly loved the focus on the importance of women in the Calbernan culture, and the fierce protection high regard displayed by the male Calbernans.
The romance was equally well done. It’s absolutely a slow-burn though, so if that’s not your jam, I’d hazard a guess you may not find this as enjoyable as I did. There was a lot of back and forth during the courtship between our two main characters, which occasionally became grating, but I understood the purpose for it.
While I saw the twists coming, I was along for the ride the whole time, and felt a sense of accomplishment upon the reveals.
The narrator, Heather Wilds, did a wonderful job. Her clear diction made for excellent storytelling and her distinctions between characters was well done.
Tropes:
💘Fated Mates
⚔️Possessive hero
Content warnings:
⚠️mention of murder & torture
⚠️violence
⚠️drugging
⚠️kidnapping
⚠️sexual assault
Content Warnings
Moderate: Kidnapping, Sexual assault, and Violence
Minor: Torture and Murder