alli_andrews's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Gore, Grief, War, Trafficking, Gun violence, Rape, Slavery, Abandonment, Alcohol, Body horror, and Fire/Fire injury
xoemax's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I have seen a lot of mixed reviews for this book, but regardless I was still eager to read it as a lover of anything queer, fantasy and historical fiction. And I can say for me, this book was just what I needed.
This book covers some amazing social topics, and in my opinion has some great LGBTQIA+ representation, intersectionality, and an exploration of gender diversity/fluidity. I appreciated the nuances and consideration with how Florian/Flora was written, with varying pronouns depending on context/viewpoint. I think it's important not to get caught up expecting characters to always have everything figured out from the start, especially when they themselves are coming to terms with and discovering their own identity. So for me this felt like a very wholesome, honest and positive exploration of how it feels to explore gender and sexuality as a young person.
The book is relatively fast paced, I will say. And from that I can see where the criticism of the story and characters feeling unresolved by the end comes from. I like to think I have an active imagination, so this I'm lucky wasn't too much of a deterrent for me. Part 2 of the book in particular withXenobia felt underdeveloped, and I wished there was a more complex dive into the society of The Floating Islands, and the themes of practical witchcraft, memories, and storytelling tradition. As mentioned in the acknowledgments, the book was originally scripted during NaNoWriMo, which I feel might be where it inadvertently limited itself. The characters and storyline I feel could've benefited from more in-depth explorations to make the book feel more developed and less jumpy.
Overall: an enjoyable and fun read, with the beginnings of some great world building, emotional, and featured themes I'd definitely like to read more of.
This book covers some amazing social topics, and in my opinion has some great LGBTQIA+ representation, intersectionality, and an exploration of gender diversity/fluidity. I appreciated the nuances and consideration with how Florian/Flora was written, with varying pronouns depending on context/viewpoint. I think it's important not to get caught up expecting characters to always have everything figured out from the start, especially when they themselves are coming to terms with and discovering their own identity. So for me this felt like a very wholesome, honest and positive exploration of how it feels to explore gender and sexuality as a young person.
The book is relatively fast paced, I will say. And from that I can see where the criticism of the story and characters feeling unresolved by the end comes from. I like to think I have an active imagination, so this I'm lucky wasn't too much of a deterrent for me. Part 2 of the book in particular with
Overall: an enjoyable and fun read, with the beginnings of some great world building, emotional, and featured themes I'd definitely like to read more of.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism, Violence, Torture, Colonisation, and Murder
Moderate: Sexual assault, Trafficking, Blood, Death, Alcoholism, Lesbophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Addiction, Rape, Alcohol, and War
Minor: Confinement, Slavery, Kidnapping, Abandonment, Child death, Mass/school shootings, Gore, and Homophobia
warlocksarecool21's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
3.25
I really wanted to like this book but it fell a little flat for me. That isn’t to say there weren’t parts that I liked, but it wasn’t enough for me to ignore everything else. I thought the premise was interesting and I was kind of invested in some of the characters but everything else seemed kind of disjointed. It took a really long time for the endgame of the story to become clear (and even then it seemed kind of anticlimactic). I felt that while individual plotlines were interesting on their own they were sometimes incongruous with the rest of the story. The beginning and the end were solid but I was kind of lost in the middle.
I really liked Rake’s chapters and I thought his voice was strongest throughout the book. His character had a clear motivation and goal and it was something that I could hold on to. While I did like Flora and Evelyn, I’m hardly ever interested in quick/instant romances so I didn’t really care about that part 😂. I was more invested in Flora’s arc than Evelyn’s, although I was a little lost in the Witch section. I wish there was more explanation on why Flora was a witch and the purpose of it other than a plot device lmao. I wanted to like Evelyn but she just seemed so superficial, an imitation of other YA heroines but nothing really unique about her. I think some of the problems I had with the character voices can be attributed to the writing style. In the beginning it reminded me of reading a fairytale or old legend, and I think that style is good for setting and atmosphere but it has to be done a certain way for the characters to still pop and it didn’t really do it for me. It certainly didn’t help that povs kept getting added. The sea interludes were interesting and I liked Rake but Genevieve’s pov felt unnecessary 😂. And I think it took away from Flora and Evelyn’s development.
The worldbuilding also suffered for it too. We got just enough details to have a setting and a vague plot and that was it. I found myself with so many questions about the history of the Empire and all the different cultures in it. I’m totally down for commentary on colonialism and imperialism but again it was really surface level. The countries that were named were vaguely inspired by real places but the dynamics of everything was confusing to me.
and I also want to know what the fuck was up with the witches. like you can’t just say there’s witches and not explain them or where the magic comes from. I didn’t mind the magic of the sea being kind of mysterious because no one truly understands it anyways but I wish there was some foundational explanation of the world history and magic system bc the information we got was kind of vague.
I know it sounds like I hated this but there were some fun elements to this story but I was ultimately a little disappointed.
and I also want to know what the fuck was up with the witches. like you can’t just say there’s witches and not explain them or where the magic comes from. I didn’t mind the magic of the sea being kind of mysterious because no one truly understands it anyways but I wish there was some foundational explanation of the world history and magic system bc the information we got was kind of vague.
I know it sounds like I hated this but there were some fun elements to this story but I was ultimately a little disappointed.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Colonisation, Drug abuse, Murder, Animal cruelty, Trafficking, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Addiction, Slavery, and Violence
Minor: Grief and Abandonment
kananineko's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
There were a lot of things I liked about this book, including the short chapters, focus on pirates and mermaids, the sea as a character, and the way the worldbuilding was developed. Overall, I enjoyed reading it. But ultimately, I don’t think it was super memorable, and I didn’t really care about the characters, unfortunately. For some reason the only character I really cared about was Rake. Honestly, couldn’t really tell you why. The romance was cute, yet a bit rushed. Everything in general felt a bit simplified and not super memorable to me.
I still think a lot of people will love this book, though. If the description sounds interesting to you, go for it!
I still think a lot of people will love this book, though. If the description sounds interesting to you, go for it!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Colonisation, Gore, Violence, Murder, Blood, and Death
Moderate: Torture, Gun violence, Lesbophobia, Misogyny, Homophobia, Classism, Trafficking, Mass/school shootings, Slavery, and Abandonment
Minor: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Outing, Sexual assault, Child death, and Rape
audreyreadz's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
inspiring
fast-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? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Genocide, Death, Blood, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Slavery, Torture, Vomit, Addiction, Alcohol, Colonisation, Grief, and Trafficking
Moderate: Religious bigotry, Abandonment, Sexual violence, and Sexual assault
sundayfever's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Fantastic read, dark but with a bittersweet ending. Great plot twists along the way.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Abandonment, Kidnapping, and Rape
Minor: Homophobia
anna_stazija's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
sad
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
4.75
Amazing in addoram kak je gender predstavljen in pac kak je acepting in sweet in lovable. Tko res je dober edino mau se vece pr carovnici oz. na dele se res lahku vlece.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Alcoholism, Violence, Torture, Slavery, and Misogyny
Moderate: Abandonment
lilacs_book_bower's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Blurb: "In a world divided by colonialism and threaded with magic, a desperate orphan turned pirate and a rebellious imperial lady find a connection on the high seas." Very mixed feelings about this one. There is great LGBTQ rep, and the two leads are POC characters, and I appreciated the discussions and seeing the effects of colonization by the Empire. The Witch had some great stories. The world building left a lot to be desired, but there were some cool elements and ideas.
Other than that, I didn't like most of the characters, and didn't even care about the two leads especially. They fall in love very quickly. This book is dark, please check the CW. CW:even off-page, I don't want to read about child rape. There are a few plot holes. There are two endings and I didn't appreciate either of them. I get what the author is going for with Evelyn and Florian, it's their reward and they get to be together, but it didn't feel like Florian really has atoned enough to earn that, and "they both turn into mermaids' fits with the magic of the book, but also feels like a story a five year old would tell. . The second ending is about a character that I didn't like, so I didn't care about what happens to them, even though, again, I feel like I understand what the author is going for.
If you like fantasy, especially with good LGBTQ rep, and like stories on the darker side, I would give this one a try. In spite of the mixed bag of reactions, I would read another from this author.
Other than that, I didn't like most of the characters, and didn't even care about the two leads especially. They fall in love very quickly. This book is dark, please check the CW. CW:
If you like fantasy, especially with good LGBTQ rep, and like stories on the darker side, I would give this one a try. In spite of the mixed bag of reactions, I would read another from this author.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Animal death, Child abuse, Classism, Drug abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, Cursing, Gore, Blood, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexism, Abandonment, Addiction, Animal cruelty, Child death, Colonisation, Death, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Grief, Gun violence, Misogyny, Slavery, and Violence
Moderate: Rape
ginadapooh's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Torture, Abandonment, Alcohol, Blood, Drug use, Slavery, Fire/Fire injury, and Kidnapping
fayeferre's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Trafficking, Violence, Abandonment, Slavery, Death, and Kidnapping