nerdalie98's review
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
gillianc's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
keziareads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-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? No
5.0
The world-building and political intrigue in this book was so so well done! And the magic system was really unique and cool too (though I would have loved to see more of it, but I do always say that about any book). I also adored the writing style. There were so many beautiful quotes and the way the author wrote about the sea and her point of view was just stunning and magical. The plot was well developed and I loved how at the end, the different parts of the story connected well. There were also plenty of plot twists too which were done really well.
The characters in this book were also written so well and whilst the romance was a little rushed, it was adorable and I loved the two of them together. I also really liked the way gender identity was explored in this book. Flora’s journey towards discovering who they are was heartwarming to read and written so well.
There are definitely some difficult topics in this book so do bare that in mind and check trigger warnings before reading with the mains ones being sexual assault, slavery, homophobia, torture, violence, alcoholism, child abuse, death and trafficking
The characters in this book were also written so well and whilst the romance was a little rushed, it was adorable and I loved the two of them together. I also really liked the way gender identity was explored in this book. Flora’s journey towards discovering who they are was heartwarming to read and written so well.
There are definitely some difficult topics in this book so do bare that in mind and check trigger warnings before reading with the mains ones being sexual assault, slavery, homophobia, torture, violence, alcoholism, child abuse, death and trafficking
bookwrm526's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
amythepaintedlady's review
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
elinaisreading's review
3.0
2.5 it was kinda cute but it just did not work for me. i didnt love it, it didnt super pull me in, i didnt feel very attached to any of the characters, it felt like a lot of things happened in a short amount of time and it would have been better as a longer book or a series so those things could have been more fleshed out instead of a whole new subplot that ends in a chapter. like the witch stuff was cool and all of a sudden it was like nope! done with that! the pacing was just. strange. i had to make myself keep reading also. also i didnt really buy the romance. it didnt feel developed at all? like we barely saw flora and evelyn interact. the one thing i enjoyed was the Sea that was super cool. the ending was also weird to me. like bro you’re gonna give up your life, abandon your brother, and become a mermaid just so you can be with this girl you just met?? idk.
reidyhn's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
naiu_cs's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Blood, Injury/injury detail, and Violence
Moderate: Torture and Alcohol
Minor: Lesbophobia, Trafficking, Death of parent, Homophobia, War, Colonisation, and Death
marig's review
adventurous
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
ellismorten's review
3.0
loved the premise and the story and the themes, but it felt rushed. ESPECIALLY the romance. would have loved this as a duology so everything had more space to breathe and the worldbuilding could feel more integral to the story