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sarahhlux 's review for:
Mysterious Fathoms Below
by J.A. Good
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I totally loved this book when I started it, but ended up liking it a bit less the more I read.
The good: As a twin and someone who’s been in a very bad relationship like Rose and James’ was, those dynamics were literally spot on. The good, the bad, the ugly, it was all there. The twin dynamics were very similar to me and my twin brother (especially with me not loving his chosen partner for a while like Rose and Oscar lol) and as a twin feeling like you’ve been replaced when they leave or someone else becomes important to them. Not sure if the author is a twin or not, but this was the best description of twins and their dynamics I’ve ever read as someone who is actually a twin, so the highest of praises for that!!!
Also good: I looooove Dilly!!!!! She was my favorite character (more than Rose and Sebastian, sorry), and I also loved the fantasy element of the book with the different sea creatures. There’s a lot of promise there and I’m excited for what else we see in the next book! I’m also convinced that Dilly is the author of the book we get excerpts from at the start of each chapter, so excited to see if I’m right. I also liked the general plot and liked that Rose was different as a main character in a regency-England type initial setting. But I want to see Rose and Sebastian actually going to balls and parties and living in a big estate together like the Bridgerton part it was advertised as!!!! I did love that this was a pirate novel that wasn’t crazy violent though! I love pirate books but hate violence, so it’s nice to have books like this that focus more on the swashbuckling adventure aspects than the pirates killing people aspect. We’ll see if the next book(s) deliver(s).
The okay: The plot was good! Definitely some convoluted pieces to it, but I think at least a good chunk of that was due to the book not having a good editor. There were lots of word mistakes and some spelling mistakes, but there were more than a few sections that really needed a better content/clarity editor. Some scenes it was just really hard to figure out what was going on because they were not written well and were convoluted and jumped/skipped around weirdly. I definitely think more/a better editor would have been a big help for this book.
I have mixed feelings on my opinions of Sebastian as a pirate captain character. Some moments I really saw it, others not so much. Maybe it’s because the trope is that they’re super brutal and unforgiving but he was kind of a sweet cinnamon roll, lol! I did like his character though.
Also didn’t love the major cliffhanger for the book!!!! But the second one is supposed to come out this year, so hopefully it comes quickly.
The bad: Okay so back to my good part saying Rose’s horrible relationship with James was really well-written… I mean, yes, still that, but it’s also really triggering/hard to read and re-remember those experiences for yourself as a reader when you’ve had similar experiences. I understand that was where a lot of Rose’s growth and character building came from, but at times it got to be waaaaaayyyyy too much and exhausting to read. There was a portion of the book I felt like I was slogging through because Rose was in such a swirl of self-loathing and pity. Yes it’s real to feel that way but it was hard to read! So if you’re looking for super realistic, yes this book has that for emotions!!!
I also was expecting more spicy/romance elements in this book. I know the trope category for it is slow burn, which I love, but for me this might have been a bit too slow. The romance aspect was very good when it got going though! The spice was meh. Scenes could have been written a lot better in my opinion and I have a personal issue with any mention of hands around necks even if there’s no pressure, but that’s a me thing.
Additionally, I didn’t love how it always seemed like Oscar was taking verbal shots at Rose and she just like… didn’t do anything about it. Just because he’s your twin brother doesn’t mean he’s allowed to be a jerk to you all the time, Rose! Stand up for yourself! Like yes as a twin you always know the exact spot to hit ‘em where it hurts, but it was sucky brother behavior that he was constantly doing it to Rose. I was low-key wondering if he was being set up for a villain arc… like bro you can hear your sister out and validate her feelings and concerns AND ACTUALLY EXPLAIN YOURSELF INSTEAD OF TURNING EVERYTHING ON HER CONSTANTLY without kneecapping her every time, chill out.
TLDR: It’s a fun, exciting pirate book if that’s what you’re looking for and the plot and characters will definitely suck you in, but there are some really emotionally heavy moments throughout the book.
The good: As a twin and someone who’s been in a very bad relationship like Rose and James’ was, those dynamics were literally spot on. The good, the bad, the ugly, it was all there. The twin dynamics were very similar to me and my twin brother (especially with me not loving his chosen partner for a while like Rose and Oscar lol) and as a twin feeling like you’ve been replaced when they leave or someone else becomes important to them. Not sure if the author is a twin or not, but this was the best description of twins and their dynamics I’ve ever read as someone who is actually a twin, so the highest of praises for that!!!
Also good: I looooove Dilly!!!!! She was my favorite character (more than Rose and Sebastian, sorry), and I also loved the fantasy element of the book with the different sea creatures. There’s a lot of promise there and I’m excited for what else we see in the next book! I’m also convinced that Dilly is the author of the book we get excerpts from at the start of each chapter, so excited to see if I’m right. I also liked the general plot and liked that Rose was different as a main character in a regency-England type initial setting. But I want to see Rose and Sebastian actually going to balls and parties and living in a big estate together like the Bridgerton part it was advertised as!!!! I did love that this was a pirate novel that wasn’t crazy violent though! I love pirate books but hate violence, so it’s nice to have books like this that focus more on the swashbuckling adventure aspects than the pirates killing people aspect. We’ll see if the next book(s) deliver(s).
The okay: The plot was good! Definitely some convoluted pieces to it, but I think at least a good chunk of that was due to the book not having a good editor. There were lots of word mistakes and some spelling mistakes, but there were more than a few sections that really needed a better content/clarity editor. Some scenes it was just really hard to figure out what was going on because they were not written well and were convoluted and jumped/skipped around weirdly. I definitely think more/a better editor would have been a big help for this book.
I have mixed feelings on my opinions of Sebastian as a pirate captain character. Some moments I really saw it, others not so much. Maybe it’s because the trope is that they’re super brutal and unforgiving but he was kind of a sweet cinnamon roll, lol! I did like his character though.
Also didn’t love the major cliffhanger for the book!!!! But the second one is supposed to come out this year, so hopefully it comes quickly.
The bad: Okay so back to my good part saying Rose’s horrible relationship with James was really well-written… I mean, yes, still that, but it’s also really triggering/hard to read and re-remember those experiences for yourself as a reader when you’ve had similar experiences. I understand that was where a lot of Rose’s growth and character building came from, but at times it got to be waaaaaayyyyy too much and exhausting to read. There was a portion of the book I felt like I was slogging through because Rose was in such a swirl of self-loathing and pity. Yes it’s real to feel that way but it was hard to read! So if you’re looking for super realistic, yes this book has that for emotions!!!
I also was expecting more spicy/romance elements in this book. I know the trope category for it is slow burn, which I love, but for me this might have been a bit too slow. The romance aspect was very good when it got going though! The spice was meh. Scenes could have been written a lot better in my opinion and I have a personal issue with any mention of hands around necks even if there’s no pressure, but that’s a me thing.
Additionally, I didn’t love how it always seemed like Oscar was taking verbal shots at Rose and she just like… didn’t do anything about it. Just because he’s your twin brother doesn’t mean he’s allowed to be a jerk to you all the time, Rose! Stand up for yourself! Like yes as a twin you always know the exact spot to hit ‘em where it hurts, but it was sucky brother behavior that he was constantly doing it to Rose. I was low-key wondering if he was being set up for a villain arc… like bro you can hear your sister out and validate her feelings and concerns AND ACTUALLY EXPLAIN YOURSELF INSTEAD OF TURNING EVERYTHING ON HER CONSTANTLY without kneecapping her every time, chill out.
TLDR: It’s a fun, exciting pirate book if that’s what you’re looking for and the plot and characters will definitely suck you in, but there are some really emotionally heavy moments throughout the book.