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asahome's review
4.25
TL;DR: A young woman must come to terms with the consequences of her past actions and those of people she loves. She learns their truths and must decide how to proceed when everything is threatened.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, and Sexual content
rsb12's review
adventurous
dark
tense
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: Death and Violence
Moderate: Child abuse and Child death
Minor: Death of parent
theteamsreader's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
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? It's complicated
4.0
Even better than the debut! This book was surprising in many ways. More characters are introduced yet the author still manages to let you love them, the world building has suddenly been ramped up to the maximum, and the action, adventure and plot of the book itself is exciting and engaging and has you in a permanent stranglehold as you cheer on for Caledonia to succeed. Recommend for anyone looking for a pirate book filled with strong female characters, sisterly love and friendship, and a further dive into this steampunk/dystopian world.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Slavery, Violence, Grief, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Body horror, Gun violence, Blood, Death of parent, and Alcohol
Minor: War
queer_bookwyrm's review
adventurous
inspiring
mysterious
tense
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? No
4.0
4 ⭐ CW: violence, torture, substance use/coercion, descriptions of blood and gore, child soldiers, child death
"Victory without regret is tyranny. When we fight for each other, we win, no matter what."
Steel Tide by Natalie C. Parker is the second book in the Seafire trilogy. I liked this one better than the first one! The first one is like dipping your toe in the water and this one just jumps in! We get a lot of great themes and representation. We have gay, lesbian, and bi rep alone with a character who uses sign language. Not to mention all the badass women all over the place.
We pick up with Caledonia Styx after she has failed at her attempt to kill Fiveson Lir. After throwing herself overboard she is rescued by a group of ex-Bullets (known as Blades) who decided to save her, because she was crazy enough to try. Somehow, Caledonia manages to become the unwitting leader of this group, and they embark on a mission to save the crew of the Mors Navis. *Cue jailbreak by ship*.
I loved the character growth we got out of Caledonia along with the complex relationships she has with members of the Blades and her original crew and Oran. Though there is an element of romance, it is not prominent, as Caledonia always puts her ship and crew first. We also got more world building this book, and learned more about why people are living the way they do and why Aric has been able to seize power.
One of the themes I loved in this book was the idea that sometimes our enemies are victims too, and deserve a chance to choose and to be given the opportunity to change. Consent is another big theme in this, but not about sex. This consent applies to everything. "Consent is our most sacred possession." As always, I'm a sucker for a found family trope.
I'm excited to see how this trilogy wraps up and if Caledonia and her crew can come out from the other side and end tyranny. I can say I would follow Caledonia anywhere.
"Victory without regret is tyranny. When we fight for each other, we win, no matter what."
Steel Tide by Natalie C. Parker is the second book in the Seafire trilogy. I liked this one better than the first one! The first one is like dipping your toe in the water and this one just jumps in! We get a lot of great themes and representation. We have gay, lesbian, and bi rep alone with a character who uses sign language. Not to mention all the badass women all over the place.
We pick up with Caledonia Styx after she has failed at her attempt to kill Fiveson Lir. After throwing herself overboard she is rescued by a group of ex-Bullets (known as Blades) who decided to save her, because she was crazy enough to try. Somehow, Caledonia manages to become the unwitting leader of this group, and they embark on a mission to save the crew of the Mors Navis. *Cue jailbreak by ship*.
I loved the character growth we got out of Caledonia along with the complex relationships she has with members of the Blades and her original crew and Oran. Though there is an element of romance, it is not prominent, as Caledonia always puts her ship and crew first. We also got more world building this book, and learned more about why people are living the way they do and why Aric has been able to seize power.
One of the themes I loved in this book was the idea that sometimes our enemies are victims too, and deserve a chance to choose and to be given the opportunity to change. Consent is another big theme in this, but not about sex. This consent applies to everything. "Consent is our most sacred possession." As always, I'm a sucker for a found family trope.
I'm excited to see how this trilogy wraps up and if Caledonia and her crew can come out from the other side and end tyranny. I can say I would follow Caledonia anywhere.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use and Torture
Moderate: Child death, Violence, and Blood
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