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A review by plsnotanotherdamselindistress
On These Black Sands by Vanessa Rasanen
adventurous
emotional
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
My review in note form:
Summary
Solid worldbuilding but weak characters making the story flat and thus the minor issues with the plot more pronounced.
But maybe this is one of the book series that improves with each book because the story definitely could have potential.
++ love pirates especially pirate romantasy (the changes of scenery, time on the ship, battle on the sea, camaraderie)
++ worldbuilding (the view of the island from different perspectives with the first we got introduced to being the indoctrinated one)
+ the idea of the matriarchal and cultlike culture
+- slow-burn was a good choice and I like how at the end of book one they are not already in a relationship but him immediately after meeting her having to supress how much he cares for her...
- somehow the plot got a little bit lost with all the side quests suddenly happening which made this book feel like a sequel as in the actual quest I assumed this book would be about they only start on at the end of the book
-- I feel like the fMC had potential with escaping after starting to get the idea everything she believed had been a lie and slowly coming to terms with that but of course not suddenly being able to change that she is still a naive and awkward young women only learning about real life...BUT I felt like her spectrum of emotions was very narrow...e.g. being betrayed again and again and still the one time she gets angry the fire she burns with in that moment may be comparable to that of a match...and most importantly I would have loved to read about her character development especially her starting to become a little bit independent and just her getting to know herself after now not having to fit into the role she had been groomed for her entire life
-- this was not the found family it could have been with the fMC really only having contact with the mMC and maybe his best friend but as the rest of the crew is not really trusted by the mMC and immediately dislike the fMC because of their sexist believes there really are no budding relationships of any kind happening
Summary
Solid worldbuilding but weak characters making the story flat and thus the minor issues with the plot more pronounced.
But maybe this is one of the book series that improves with each book because the story definitely could have potential.
++ love pirates especially pirate romantasy (the changes of scenery, time on the ship, battle on the sea, camaraderie)
++ worldbuilding (the view of the island from different perspectives with the first we got introduced to being the indoctrinated one)
+ the idea of the matriarchal and cultlike culture
+- slow-burn was a good choice and I like how at the end of book one they are not already in a relationship but him immediately after meeting her having to supress how much he cares for her...
- somehow the plot got a little bit lost with all the side quests suddenly happening which made this book feel like a sequel as in the actual quest I assumed this book would be about they only start on at the end of the book
-- I feel like the fMC had potential with escaping after starting to get the idea everything she believed had been a lie and slowly coming to terms with that but of course not suddenly being able to change that she is still a naive and awkward young women only learning about real life...BUT I felt like her spectrum of emotions was very narrow...e.g. being betrayed again and again and still the one time she gets angry the fire she burns with in that moment may be comparable to that of a match...and most importantly I would have loved to read about her character development especially her starting to become a little bit independent and just her getting to know herself after now not having to fit into the role she had been groomed for her entire life
-- this was not the found family it could have been with the fMC really only having contact with the mMC and maybe his best friend but as the rest of the crew is not really trusted by the mMC and immediately dislike the fMC because of their sexist believes there really are no budding relationships of any kind happening
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Murder, and Sexism
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Death of parent and Alcohol