Scan barcode
allbettesareoff's review
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
2.5
Heart of the Sea is a heartfelt pirate adventure story with themes of family, forgiveness, and never giving up. Follow Nerissa across the ocean as she races to rescue her sister Lucia from a terrible fate while exploring her connection to the heart of the sea, and the journey Cyrus Crow takes with her, fighting against the betrayal he must carry out. Action-packed and swashbuckling, this novel’s plot is just as a pirate fantasy should be.
However memorable the overall story, the execution of this book leaves something to be desired. As Chavis’ debut novel, Heart of the Sea falls into a few amateur traps that make it less enjoyable than it could be. The biggest detractor is the way Chavis lays out the mini-mysteries along the journey; the overarching mysteries are wonderful and compelling, but as Nerissa goes from destination to destination, Chavis leaves the purpose of each stop unknown until the task is finished. Not only is there no foreshadowing for the objects Nerissa must collect (making the reveals nearly meaningless), but the lack of a clear goal for each stop works against the agency Nerissa has.
Nerissa’s motivation is clear from the start: save her sister. But each objective along the way to Lucia’s salvation is as muddy as the waters of a swamp. The reader knows the end goal, but these steps Nerissa must take make no sense until they’re completed, making the reader feel like less of a companion on the journey and more of a seasickness-addled stowaway. It is clearly intentional that Nerissa doesn’t know what she’s after until she finds it at each of these places, but these small mysteries do more harm than good to the story.
Yet there is a compelling mystery here. Chavis’ nonlinear depiction of time is an intriguing one, weaving flashbacks within flashbacks and revealing the past slowly as the present progresses. The reader knows from page one that Lucia is missing, but we don’t know what happened to her. The events that led up to her disappearance unfold parallel to the events leading to her rescue. This uncommon storytelling technique is reminiscent of Leigh Bardugo’s Ninth House and is executed well.
The final third of the book is by far the most enjoyable section, ramping up the stakes, discarding the confusing mini-mysteries, and getting to the heart of the worldbuilding that has been a weak spot up until this point. Akin to a Brandon Sanderson’s “Sanderlanches,” the last several chapters of Heart of the Sea are wickedly engrossing and wildly satisfying. Highlighting the importance of forgiveness as well as punishment and a person’s ability to change, the resolution is sad but heartwarming.
Overall, the story is good, but the reading of it, not so much. I wish I could have gotten my hands on this manuscript before its publication because it would have been a truly great novel if not for the minor problems. On their own these could be overlooked, but there were just one too many. Most of this is not the fault of the author, but a set of beta readers and editors who didn’t have the heart to rip off all the Band-Aids so the story’s scars could begin to heal.
Since Chavis is a new author with a small audience, it may be likely she reads this review, so I am going to take the time to say this: Moriah, you have massive potential as a fantasy writer, and I will certainly continue to read your work. If you ever need a beta reader who will tell it to you straight, I’ll be here. Keep writing, and keep fighting the good fight. I may be a critic, but I’m also a friend.
Heart of the Sea is at its heart about salvation and kindness. This is the book for the next time you long to feel salt on your cheeks and wind in your hair, and the story is worth the read if you’re willing to overlook a few missed opportunities.
arjayebrewerforestfern's review
4.0
This was such a great book!!! It was packed with action from the start of the book that grows as the book goes on. I hadn’t expected it to be so full of action in a good way though.
A story about love, family, forgiveness, hope, trust adventures and friendships.
The ending just wow, hadn’t expected it to end this way.
A story about love, family, forgiveness, hope, trust adventures and friendships.
The ending just wow, hadn’t expected it to end this way.
sonshinelibrarian's review
3.5
I received an eARC of this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review.
I read this several months ago, but felt so conflicted in my response to the book and unsure exactly how to articulate my thoughts. I set it aside and, realizing that the book had officially launched, reread it to get my review down as I agreed to when requesting the advance copy.
I definitely enjoyed the book more on the second read. I like the characters and thought the magic was interesting, though I wish there was just a little bit more explanation around it. There is a good connection between the two main characters and some solid secondary characters. The one betrayal is handled particularly well.
However, I did feel like this needed one more strong edit. The first time I read it, I really struggled with the first half of the book. The sense I got was that the author wanted to hold back certain information from the reader, but the characters obviously know their own backstories. This meant that some of their inner dialogue and even conversations felt oddly restrained as they talked around things they knew so the reader wouldn't learn it too soon. On my second read, knowing everything, I found this less noticeable. There are also several places where, even on the reread, I found myself going over a passage several times because I felt like I had missed something. For example, a character getting up after I thought they were already standing.
I really liked the flashbacks that filled in the information around Nerissa and her sister, and I really wish they had started much earlier in the book. I think it would have helped with the sense of frustration I had with information being "withheld."
There is great adventure, interesting characters and magic, and an interesting world. It just needed a touch more refining.
I read this several months ago, but felt so conflicted in my response to the book and unsure exactly how to articulate my thoughts. I set it aside and, realizing that the book had officially launched, reread it to get my review down as I agreed to when requesting the advance copy.
I definitely enjoyed the book more on the second read. I like the characters and thought the magic was interesting, though I wish there was just a little bit more explanation around it. There is a good connection between the two main characters and some solid secondary characters. The one betrayal is handled particularly well.
However, I did feel like this needed one more strong edit. The first time I read it, I really struggled with the first half of the book. The sense I got was that the author wanted to hold back certain information from the reader, but the characters obviously know their own backstories. This meant that some of their inner dialogue and even conversations felt oddly restrained as they talked around things they knew so the reader wouldn't learn it too soon. On my second read, knowing everything, I found this less noticeable. There are also several places where, even on the reread, I found myself going over a passage several times because I felt like I had missed something. For example, a character getting up after I thought they were already standing.
I really liked the flashbacks that filled in the information around Nerissa and her sister, and I really wish they had started much earlier in the book. I think it would have helped with the sense of frustration I had with information being "withheld."
There is great adventure, interesting characters and magic, and an interesting world. It just needed a touch more refining.
lindsey_reads_books's review
4.0
“There’s nothing wrong with having a heart, even if it does break,”
Heart of the Sea is a great high stake sea adventure. Thank you for the ARC, I enjoyed it. Nerissa and Cyrus's banter and connection were so enjoyable to read. The side characters' dialogue was very entertaining. I was chuckling and smiling. (Duncan and Brecci
Heart of the Sea is a great high stake sea adventure. Thank you for the ARC, I enjoyed it. Nerissa and Cyrus's banter and connection were so enjoyable to read. The side characters' dialogue was very entertaining. I was chuckling and smiling. (Duncan and Brecci
stephalee4's review
adventurous
fast-paced
4.0
Another great action-packed pirate story! If you like a lot of action, found family, sisterly bonds, and fated lovers this one is for you. It kind of reminded me of an epic in some ways what with the hunt for the map and sword, Issa's uncontrollable powers, and all the creatures they have to battle! I'm a sucker for dual POV's so I really enjoyed that, plus there were some flashback scenes along the way that helped readers better understand Issa and her quest. I liked the inclusion of the flashbacks so we could gradually learn more about Issa, rather than just having an info dump explained to us. Also, and no spoilers, I did enjoy the ending and how things were neatly tied up but that it still leaves us the possibility of a sequel.
Thanks to the author for the early e-ARC!
Thanks to the author for the early e-ARC!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Violence
thekissballad's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
4.5
Heart of the Sea is a wonderfully adventurous pirate fantasy full of prophecy, romance, found family, and betrayal. I easily give it 4.5 stars.
Thank you Moriah for the eARC.
There is a religious element to HotS - light vs dark and how that plays into the prophecy - and while it's thankfully not shoved down one's throat, it is present. I think it's handled beautifully, but I wanted to make it known so there are no unwanted surprises for others.
The only real issue for me was the pacing. I like dual POV stories, however, it wasn't always easy to know whose POV I was reading until halfway down the page. Throw in the flashback chapters and the POV switches not being evenly distributed (1:1) between Nerissa & Crow, I found myself at times out of the story trying to get my bearings.
Thank you Moriah for the eARC.
There is a religious element to HotS - light vs dark and how that plays into the prophecy - and while it's thankfully not shoved down one's throat, it is present. I think it's handled beautifully, but I wanted to make it known so there are no unwanted surprises for others.
The only real issue for me was the pacing. I like dual POV stories, however, it wasn't always easy to know whose POV I was reading until halfway down the page. Throw in the flashback chapters and the POV switches not being evenly distributed (1:1) between Nerissa & Crow, I found myself at times out of the story trying to get my bearings.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Death of parent