malglories's review against another edition
4.0
Magic of Blood and Sea combines two books, The Assassin's Curse and The Pirate's Wish, which came out separately a few years ago. I never read them before, and I can't imagine them separated; the arcs of each book just aren't enough to justify it.
However! This was a cool ass book. It's about Ananna, the daughter of pirates, who flees a marriage to another pirate clan and in doing so, incurs their wrath, which they show by sending an assassin after her. During her encounter with the assassin, she inadvertently saves his life and triggers a curse which binds them together. Off they go, then, to try to break this curse, encountering sea-witches and creepy floating islands and loving if savage manticores, lesbian female pirate captains and underwater cities and blood magic.
The world itself was so rich. Most of it seemed to be in a setting much like the Caribbean, and most characters are people of color. The story had little to do with the grand politic schemes of the world, but they were still included - the Mists, the Empire, the Free Islands, the pirate Confederation. So much was conveyed in so little, and it really wove the tapestry well.
I loved Ananna, the main character. Her voice is so original - difficult for some to get used to, I think, since it's in a dialect - but it was as if she were sitting next to me, telling me the story over a cup of steaming coffee. I loved her fierceness, her impulsiveness, her prickliness: she is never a perfect person, which was fantastic. But she loves with her whole heart while guarding her independence (!!!), she wants to be a pirate captain (!!!!!), and she's just a general badass (!!!!!!!!).
The story moved too quickly in some places, especially the beginning, and I think so many aspects could have been explored in more depth. At times it seemed Ananna was pulled into the plot just because of Naji, and many things were too easy and formulaic. Their love story as well seemed a bit unexplored and rushed, as much as I love Naji and the ending they both have (an important one, I think). I would have appreciated a bit of a different handling on the situation, a bit more nuance.
But all in all, Magic of Blood and Sea is an exhilarating and original sea-stained book, perfect for hot summer days.
However! This was a cool ass book. It's about Ananna, the daughter of pirates, who flees a marriage to another pirate clan and in doing so, incurs their wrath, which they show by sending an assassin after her. During her encounter with the assassin, she inadvertently saves his life and triggers a curse which binds them together. Off they go, then, to try to break this curse, encountering sea-witches and creepy floating islands and loving if savage manticores, lesbian female pirate captains and underwater cities and blood magic.
The world itself was so rich. Most of it seemed to be in a setting much like the Caribbean, and most characters are people of color. The story had little to do with the grand politic schemes of the world, but they were still included - the Mists, the Empire, the Free Islands, the pirate Confederation. So much was conveyed in so little, and it really wove the tapestry well.
I loved Ananna, the main character. Her voice is so original - difficult for some to get used to, I think, since it's in a dialect - but it was as if she were sitting next to me, telling me the story over a cup of steaming coffee. I loved her fierceness, her impulsiveness, her prickliness: she is never a perfect person, which was fantastic. But she loves with her whole heart while guarding her independence (!!!), she wants to be a pirate captain (!!!!!), and she's just a general badass (!!!!!!!!).
The story moved too quickly in some places, especially the beginning, and I think so many aspects could have been explored in more depth. At times it seemed Ananna was pulled into the plot just because of Naji, and many things were too easy and formulaic. Their love story as well seemed a bit unexplored and rushed, as much as I love Naji and the ending they both have (an important one, I think). I would have appreciated a bit of a different handling on the situation, a bit more nuance.
But all in all, Magic of Blood and Sea is an exhilarating and original sea-stained book, perfect for hot summer days.
zenalth's review against another edition
DNF @ 21%
This book had way too many "really?" moments. It's super fast-paced, but there's a reason they say slow and steady wins the race.
Then she saves the life of the assassin trying to kill her, and immediately sticks around to have a good ol' convo about why he's no longer going to finish her off. Girl, what are you doing. He just tried to kill you. He could still tie you up like a hog and haul you back to the Hariris. He could maim you. Stop fantasising about his handsome looks and run.
Instead, she saves his life again and then demurely follows him into the unknown. Just 'cause. She's under the false impression that he's under some oath to protect her--yay bodyguard--but then she herself states that oaths can be broken. So what the hell is the benefit of doing your would-be murderer's bidding? Moreover, why is she just blindly trusting what people say? Especially after the catastrophe with the Random Lady?
Not to mention the blasé way she ran away in the novel's opening scene. It felt very sudden. No buildup or foreshadowing. She was sassing Tarrin one minute and stealing camels the next. The abruptness of her decision threw me off; it would have been more digestible if her decision to run away from her entire life wasn't made between one blink and the next.
The fight scenes felt rather ridiculous to me too. Somehow, while being outnumbered and stuck in magical black fog, Ananna avoids being shot and better yet, manages to fire off a shot of her own. Of course she doesn't miss. And after, the ease with which she accessed water magic robbed the scene of any urgency. There was never a sense of real danger or struggle.
Lastly, why doesn't Naji tell her anything? She's not a hostage and the curse obviously needs to be broken. I'm assuming it'd be easier if they, oh y'know, communicated. But nooooo, he has to be the sexy, stoic badass even if it detracts from the story. Because reasons.
Yeah, no. This was definitely not for me. I enjoy fast-paced novels, but this was a bit too fast. It came at the cost of characterisation and worldbuilding. The snappy dialogue was a distraction from the poor plot and illogical decisions. I wish I could look past the flaws for a quick and light read, but alas.
This book had way too many "really?" moments. It's super fast-paced, but there's a reason they say slow and steady wins the race.
Spoiler
For a pirate whose first words to the reader are about how she doesn't trust people, Ananna does the exact opposite at almost every turn. She listens to this Random Lady who suspiciously knows her name, threatens her with magic and refuses to tell her anything about why she's so keen on helping a complete stranger. Right.Then she saves the life of the assassin trying to kill her, and immediately sticks around to have a good ol' convo about why he's no longer going to finish her off. Girl, what are you doing. He just tried to kill you. He could still tie you up like a hog and haul you back to the Hariris. He could maim you. Stop fantasising about his handsome looks and run.
Instead, she saves his life again and then demurely follows him into the unknown. Just 'cause. She's under the false impression that he's under some oath to protect her--yay bodyguard--but then she herself states that oaths can be broken. So what the hell is the benefit of doing your would-be murderer's bidding? Moreover, why is she just blindly trusting what people say? Especially after the catastrophe with the Random Lady?
Not to mention the blasé way she ran away in the novel's opening scene. It felt very sudden. No buildup or foreshadowing. She was sassing Tarrin one minute and stealing camels the next. The abruptness of her decision threw me off; it would have been more digestible if her decision to run away from her entire life wasn't made between one blink and the next.
The fight scenes felt rather ridiculous to me too. Somehow, while being outnumbered and stuck in magical black fog, Ananna avoids being shot and better yet, manages to fire off a shot of her own. Of course she doesn't miss. And after, the ease with which she accessed water magic robbed the scene of any urgency. There was never a sense of real danger or struggle.
Lastly, why doesn't Naji tell her anything? She's not a hostage and the curse obviously needs to be broken. I'm assuming it'd be easier if they, oh y'know, communicated. But nooooo, he has to be the sexy, stoic badass even if it detracts from the story. Because reasons.
Yeah, no. This was definitely not for me. I enjoy fast-paced novels, but this was a bit too fast. It came at the cost of characterisation and worldbuilding. The snappy dialogue was a distraction from the poor plot and illogical decisions. I wish I could look past the flaws for a quick and light read, but alas.
theroamingleo's review against another edition
Couldn’t get into the story & not a fan of the writing, or the main character. Maybe I didn’t give it long enough, but I didn’t want to go any further.
danielle_olivia's review against another edition
4.0
3,5 - 4☆ Was it good? Not particularly (especially the "create life from violence" part was pretty cringe). Was it enjoyable? Yes. Why wasn't this just one book in the first place though?
itnotmackenzie's review against another edition
5.0
Ahhh I loved this a lot. I guess I truly am a sucker for that good ol' enemies to lovers trope. There were many parts of this book that reminded me of stuff in my life and made me kinda emotional while reading it, which doesn't happen very often. The magic system is really cool - blood magic! And other types but that's the main type that's described. I love pirate stories so I really liked the setting of a lot of this being at sea on a ship. It's late and I'm tired and I can't really pinpoint why but this one really got to me you guys. My heart
jocyavega's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
relaxing
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? Yes
4.0
It's quite a good book, I enjoyed the characters and how we're slowly realizing the curse that has been placed upon the assassin and what it's going to take to lift it. I love the three tasks adventure and how it brings back memories of the old school fantasy books and how they all had a three part adventure the heroes had to go throughout the book.
The settings throughout are amazing, and fit well within the world. All the places we encounter have their own special things about them that make them unique and interesting to the plot. The magic as well! The magic feels natural and unnatural as well but in the good way.
All the characters you meet along the way add greatly to the story itself, and I'm glad that there's a good amount of characters coming and going cause it makes the book interesting!
The main characters are a fun duo. While there are moment where it feel too much in how they can't seem to understand each other because of their stubbornness, overall it works great and watching them grow close was lovely.
Overall it's a great fantasy read about pirates, magic, and adventuring.
The settings throughout are amazing, and fit well within the world. All the places we encounter have their own special things about them that make them unique and interesting to the plot. The magic as well! The magic feels natural and unnatural as well but in the good way.
All the characters you meet along the way add greatly to the story itself, and I'm glad that there's a good amount of characters coming and going cause it makes the book interesting!
The main characters are a fun duo. While there are moment where it feel too much in how they can't seem to understand each other because of their stubbornness, overall it works great and watching them grow close was lovely.
Overall it's a great fantasy read about pirates, magic, and adventuring.
ivorypalaceprincess's review against another edition
5.0
What to even say about this lovely little volume?
It's imperfect, I won't pretend it's not. It's not a deep book or profound or life changing. But it's also exactly what my messy, imperfect heart needs. It's quirky and character driven, just a touch funny, a little wistful, and full of heart and warmth.
I didn't think I was going to like Ananna at first but the more I got to know her, the more I saw myself in her- a girl who just wants to be loved for who she is, but doesn't think she's anything special worth loving. I'd sail anywhere with her and it was a pleasure to go along with her for her adventures. The book is told from her perspective, in her own unique voice, and it's charming and heartwarming and perfect
Naji is a pure, grumpy bean. I had no idea what to make of him at first, but he holds my heart. And I can see why he holds Ananna's
I personally liked the romance. I thought the "unrequited love" angle was done especially well. But I can also see others who might not like it. So if you're not in the mood for a hint of drama, maybe skip this one. But Naji and Ananna make a great couple- I love how their relationship is enemies to unlikely allies to friends to partners to lovers. It's so natural and beautiful
The plot is fun and well paced. I wasn't really able to guess where the story was going but never felt jarred by anything. It all made sense and flowed naturally
And the end? It made me laugh and cry and was *so perfect* I can't imagine it ending any other way
There is some strong language (each of the two parts has one use of the f-word along with Ananna using the s-word every few chapters and d--- nearly every chapter). There's also some sexual content (two sex scenes that are very low-key and easy to skim, one that got steamy but was cut off, and some talk about sex). There's also a same-sex relationship between two side characters and some very heavy magic :3
Overall, I adored this book. So. Much. I'm sad it's over :/ But I'll definitely be revisiting it again because I'm not ready to say goodbye ❤️
It's imperfect, I won't pretend it's not. It's not a deep book or profound or life changing. But it's also exactly what my messy, imperfect heart needs. It's quirky and character driven, just a touch funny, a little wistful, and full of heart and warmth.
I didn't think I was going to like Ananna at first but the more I got to know her, the more I saw myself in her- a girl who just wants to be loved for who she is, but doesn't think she's anything special worth loving. I'd sail anywhere with her and it was a pleasure to go along with her for her adventures. The book is told from her perspective, in her own unique voice, and it's charming and heartwarming and perfect
Naji is a pure, grumpy bean. I had no idea what to make of him at first, but he holds my heart. And I can see why he holds Ananna's
I personally liked the romance. I thought the "unrequited love" angle was done especially well. But I can also see others who might not like it. So if you're not in the mood for a hint of drama, maybe skip this one. But Naji and Ananna make a great couple- I love how their relationship is enemies to unlikely allies to friends to partners to lovers. It's so natural and beautiful
The plot is fun and well paced. I wasn't really able to guess where the story was going but never felt jarred by anything. It all made sense and flowed naturally
And the end? It made me laugh and cry and was *so perfect* I can't imagine it ending any other way
There is some strong language (each of the two parts has one use of the f-word along with Ananna using the s-word every few chapters and d--- nearly every chapter). There's also some sexual content (two sex scenes that are very low-key and easy to skim, one that got steamy but was cut off, and some talk about sex). There's also a same-sex relationship between two side characters and some very heavy magic :3
Overall, I adored this book. So. Much. I'm sad it's over :/ But I'll definitely be revisiting it again because I'm not ready to say goodbye ❤️
abookishbginning's review against another edition
adventurous
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
4.5
isabelgrace's review against another edition
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? No
4.0