drewsbooklist's review
5.0
The premise of this novella is SUCH a cool idea! Tegwen is basically a protector of people’s dream realms so that they stay separate from reality, but when something goes wrong she has to deal with totally unexpected situations. It gets kind of scary at points, and super adorable at other points. Absolutely love how the story incorporates some native stories and ideas!
My main issue is that this story would definitely have benefitted from being longer. It was well-written considering the length of the story, but I just wish we could have delved deeper into it at various points. Honestly, if this was twice as long I would have been super happy! But of course the story was super enjoyable as-is and I highly recommend this to anyone interested in the idea of other realms, dreams, myths/lore, or sapphic romance. Loved it!!!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
My main issue is that this story would definitely have benefitted from being longer. It was well-written considering the length of the story, but I just wish we could have delved deeper into it at various points. Honestly, if this was twice as long I would have been super happy! But of course the story was super enjoyable as-is and I highly recommend this to anyone interested in the idea of other realms, dreams, myths/lore, or sapphic romance. Loved it!!!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
srivalli's review
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
4.0
4 Stars
One Liner: Enjoyable read
Tegwen is a guardian of the dream realm. Her job is to keep the seals safe and prevent the nightmares from entering the waking plane. Making a mistake could mean demotion if she gets caught.
Namid has more nightmares than dreams. The Windigo doesn’t seem to leave her alone. Tegwen tries to repair the seal in her first solo shift but creates a mess. However, she decides to fix it on her own. Turns out that her decision puts more people in danger. Tegwen is still trying to find a way out when she has her first dream.
Can she prevent further harm, or will her decisions lead to more chaos and terror?
The story comes from Tegwen’s first-person POV.
My Thoughts:
This is a short novella that reads at a steady pace. It’s neither slow nor fast and has the right amount of pacing to understand the setting and feel the terror.
There aren’t too many details about the sealkeepers and their roles. It’s more enjoyable to go with the flow and take things in stride. A few things get revealed towards the end, but the setting is very much a work in progress.
Tegwen is our narrator, and while she is brave, capable, and talented, she isn’t super easy to like (for an adult who dislikes characters making stupid decisions). She grows a little, but she’ll be my third favorite in the book.
Namid is an Ojibwe girl with spunk, attitude, and vulnerabilities. TBH, I loved Namid more than Tegwen. She is more grounded despite the things in her life. Her character arc is really good. She’s my first favorite (if you haven’t figured it out).
Ravi is Tegwen’s trainer and superior. He has a limited role in the story but shines whenever he makes an appearance (my second favorite).
The book deals with themes of how things in real life reflect in our nightmares. I like the presentation of the concept and how it blends with the treatment of indigenous people.
I first marked the book as MG fiction but realized it would be closer to YA. There isn’t information about their ages, so we have to guess it based on their voices and actions.
To summarize, Sealkeeper is a lovely fantasy with interesting characters and an intriguing plotline. The ending is perfect for a sequel. I sure would love to read it.
Thank you, Book Sirens and author Ria Rees, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
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