rukistarsailor's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
zeldasayre's review against another edition
5.0
BUT WHY DID IT HAVE TO END!? Amazing and beautiful book. A top favorite this year!
krwriter8's review against another edition
5.0
I didn't know what to expect picking up When the Sea is Rising Red, but I was pleasantly surprised by this book. Hellisen's dark fantasy is all at once compelling and haunting, and I couldn't tear my eyes away from the page.
I read A LOT of YA, but I've never read anything quite like this. Hellisen's debut stands out in the genre as a refreshing concept. Her world building is detailed, her characters complex, and her magic system very unique. I'd recommend this book for older teens or those with the maturity level to handle the content, because there is a bit of sex and drug use.
Bravo, Cat, for telling me a story I've never heard before!
I read A LOT of YA, but I've never read anything quite like this. Hellisen's debut stands out in the genre as a refreshing concept. Her world building is detailed, her characters complex, and her magic system very unique. I'd recommend this book for older teens or those with the maturity level to handle the content, because there is a bit of sex and drug use.
Bravo, Cat, for telling me a story I've never heard before!
squishies's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars
A little darker than I expected, though thoroughly interesting world.
Felicita is aloof and a little hard to like - especially the whole Dash and Jannik situation - but she's a tough nugget, which makes it easier to root for her.
A little darker than I expected, though thoroughly interesting world.
Felicita is aloof and a little hard to like - especially the whole Dash and Jannik situation - but she's a tough nugget, which makes it easier to root for her.
miranduh_'s review against another edition
3.0
I really enjoyed this book towards the beginning. It had a really good (even if it was an overused) storyline, an amazing main character and a lot of potential. The author built up the awesome story but towards the end it felt really rushed. All of this information was being thrown at us and it was a lot to process. Another thing is once we reached the climax of the book it basically ended. We didn't get a lot of falling action/ closure. But all in all it was a pretty good book with a prettying interesting magic system.
tiffanyg's review against another edition
4.0
Vampires, witches, and selkies, oh my! This book has so many types of fantasy creatures you'd think it would seem cluttered. But instead that is one of the storylines, how do a group as diverse as magical creatures peacefully coexist? Overall one of the most keep-you-reading, keep-you-interested magical YA adventures I have read in a while. I hope there are more books written in this universe!
speakinglatin's review against another edition
3.0
Originally posted at Beneath the Jacket
I was looking forward to this book like whoa, so when I got it, I put what I was going to read next aside and picked up When the Sea is Rising Red. And...I was a little disappointed.
Hellisen's writing is great. She is very descriptive and I enjoyed the world that she built, along with the mythology that comes with it. I love the fact that each of the noble families have different magical talents. I also think the idea of having to use a powder called "scriv" to use the magic is brilliant. It's all very thought-out, but here's also where it fell apart for me: the environment/world of the book comes across as a bit of a hodgepodge of myths. Example, the book has things like unicorns and vampires and sea witches. Hellisen pulls some from here and some from there and some more from over there, then puts it all in a pot. But instead of it mixing together to make something complete, it feels more like pieces of different stories. Yes, there's a fascinating reason within the story that explains the unicorns, but a unicorn is still a unicorn. I wanted her magical world to work for me, but sometimes it didn't. It all came across as too complicated. I feel dumb, but for the majority of the last half of the book, I was confused. Then the climax happens and I have almost no idea what's going on. It all happens too fast and it's like the author is trying to explain everything that she's been building up to in the last third of the book. I wish it could have been longer.
Characters: Felicita has her moments, but none of the characters, expect Jannik, held much interest for me. I really like Jannik and found him to be the most intriguing character in the story.
All in all, it was an okay read. My main complaint is the fact that I felt stupid for not knowing what was happening there at the end, but I mostly figured it out and all is well. If you're looking for something different, then check this one out! This is a book with a lot to digest, so don't read it too quickly. Just take your time and is should be okay.
I was looking forward to this book like whoa, so when I got it, I put what I was going to read next aside and picked up When the Sea is Rising Red. And...I was a little disappointed.
Hellisen's writing is great. She is very descriptive and I enjoyed the world that she built, along with the mythology that comes with it. I love the fact that each of the noble families have different magical talents. I also think the idea of having to use a powder called "scriv" to use the magic is brilliant. It's all very thought-out, but here's also where it fell apart for me: the environment/world of the book comes across as a bit of a hodgepodge of myths. Example, the book has things like unicorns and vampires and sea witches. Hellisen pulls some from here and some from there and some more from over there, then puts it all in a pot. But instead of it mixing together to make something complete, it feels more like pieces of different stories. Yes, there's a fascinating reason within the story that explains the unicorns, but a unicorn is still a unicorn. I wanted her magical world to work for me, but sometimes it didn't. It all came across as too complicated. I feel dumb, but for the majority of the last half of the book, I was confused. Then the climax happens and I have almost no idea what's going on. It all happens too fast and it's like the author is trying to explain everything that she's been building up to in the last third of the book. I wish it could have been longer.
Characters: Felicita has her moments, but none of the characters, expect Jannik, held much interest for me. I really like Jannik and found him to be the most intriguing character in the story.
All in all, it was an okay read. My main complaint is the fact that I felt stupid for not knowing what was happening there at the end, but I mostly figured it out and all is well. If you're looking for something different, then check this one out! This is a book with a lot to digest, so don't read it too quickly. Just take your time and is should be okay.
wordnerdy's review against another edition
2.0
http://wordnerdy.blogspot.com/2012/03/2012-book-78.html
kerrikins's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed this book, though I found myself confused on where it was going, at times. The author sets up a world where it seems very Victorian, where women are controlled by their families and married off - but the heroine displays attitudes that seem very at odds with this. Not that I have anything against heroines who speak up for themselves, I just would have liked to feel like there was a bit more of a background and progression.
I didn't connect quite as well with the characters as I would have liked - and again, that's because its direction confused me, at times. I felt as though the author was leaning towards a love triangle, but then didn't, and the ending of the book was not at all what I had expected.
Still, I enjoyed the world and a lot of elements of the story, and if there are other books to come, hopefully the author will have worked through the unevenness.
I didn't connect quite as well with the characters as I would have liked - and again, that's because its direction confused me, at times. I felt as though the author was leaning towards a love triangle, but then didn't, and the ending of the book was not at all what I had expected.
Still, I enjoyed the world and a lot of elements of the story, and if there are other books to come, hopefully the author will have worked through the unevenness.