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the_booknerd_dragon's review against another edition
4.0
I got the chance to host a book tour of the second book, Sea of Strangers, and I’m excited! I liked the first book and I love this second book!
The second book started with Khya and her squad sailing through the storm on their way to Ryogo.
As I’m reading the book, I try to remember all the things that were important in the book. It was a while since I read the first book and I kind of forgot some of the things in there. But I didn’t forget the story and the main characters. And some of the things I forgot were the terms in the book. I was seriously lost but it’s a good thing that there’s a glossary or dictionary with definitions of the terms used.
I was weary the whole time I was reading the book. I kept doubting every new character the squad meet. I don’t trust them that easily. Why? Because of the phrase in the cover of the book!
Who wouldn’t be very careful who to trust if you have that in the cover? Like legit!
For me, the story in this book is better than the first. I love this world and this story better. It got better. I think because in this book, Khya is challenging her power’s limit. And, bes, she is very powerful. I can feel that she’s really the main character. There is no doubt. I mean, there are books I’ve read that the main character seemed like not the main character. And even though Khya is not as powerful as Feyre or as badass as Aelin, she is still badass and powerful to me. She’s a fykina, a mage that has the ability to protect herself and others from magic and the world. But every time Khya uses her fykina magic, she’s amazing! And she’s getting more powerful! I can’t wait to see her use her full power!
And what I like about Khya too is her relationship with Tessen, her boyfriend. He is also amazing. He’s a powerful mage as well.
Like I said in my first review about this series, I like that Khya is the one in control in their relationship. I’m not saying this to promote feminism or whatever. I’m saying this because it’s nice to read something different for a change. It’s mainstream that in a relationship, the one in control are mostly men. And I kind of like Erica’s concept that between Khya and Tessen, Khya is the one who controls. She’s even the one on top during their busy time. (If you know what I mean. Haha!) So yeah. I like that.
One more thing that is different and amazing about this book is the accommodation of the third sex. They even have a term for it in Itagami, ebet. I feel like in this book they are treated equally in whatever the Itagamins do. And I sometimes wish that there is that level of equality in the real world.
The characters in the book have improved in terms of powers and in character development. And I like them better now.
The ending though, I don’t know what to feel about that. It was kind of a cliffhanger and also not a cliffhanger. While I was reading it, I wasn’t expecting that I was already near the end of the book. Then when I flip to the next page and the big letters that formed the word “EPILOGUE” greeted me, bes, I backtracked and reread and backtracked again. I thought my Kindle was just acting up but no. It was really the end. I feel like my whole energy just got sucked out of me. The last chapter felt like it was building and then the next thing I knew it’s already the Epilogue. Like, wtf?
Still, beshy, I love and hate cliffhangers. I hate cliffhangers because, duh, they ruin the end of the book. But I also love them because cliffhangers mean the book is not over yet. It’s not the end yet.
And because of that cliffhanger that doesn’t really feel like a cliffhanger but it is nonetheless, I can’t wait to read the third book! I’m so excited since that Epilogue gave me hope about the outcome of the whole story. I just hope it’s good.
To wrap this up, the second book of the Ryogan Chronicles is amazing! For me it is better than the first book. And I highly recommend this to you, bessies! You should read it. It’s great and it has it’s own world with different cultures and languages and all that and trust me, it’s really great.
The second book started with Khya and her squad sailing through the storm on their way to Ryogo.
As I’m reading the book, I try to remember all the things that were important in the book. It was a while since I read the first book and I kind of forgot some of the things in there. But I didn’t forget the story and the main characters. And some of the things I forgot were the terms in the book. I was seriously lost but it’s a good thing that there’s a glossary or dictionary with definitions of the terms used.
I was weary the whole time I was reading the book. I kept doubting every new character the squad meet. I don’t trust them that easily. Why? Because of the phrase in the cover of the book!
Who wouldn’t be very careful who to trust if you have that in the cover? Like legit!
For me, the story in this book is better than the first. I love this world and this story better. It got better. I think because in this book, Khya is challenging her power’s limit. And, bes, she is very powerful. I can feel that she’s really the main character. There is no doubt. I mean, there are books I’ve read that the main character seemed like not the main character. And even though Khya is not as powerful as Feyre or as badass as Aelin, she is still badass and powerful to me. She’s a fykina, a mage that has the ability to protect herself and others from magic and the world. But every time Khya uses her fykina magic, she’s amazing! And she’s getting more powerful! I can’t wait to see her use her full power!
And what I like about Khya too is her relationship with Tessen, her boyfriend. He is also amazing. He’s a powerful mage as well.
Like I said in my first review about this series, I like that Khya is the one in control in their relationship. I’m not saying this to promote feminism or whatever. I’m saying this because it’s nice to read something different for a change. It’s mainstream that in a relationship, the one in control are mostly men. And I kind of like Erica’s concept that between Khya and Tessen, Khya is the one who controls. She’s even the one on top during their busy time. (If you know what I mean. Haha!) So yeah. I like that.
One more thing that is different and amazing about this book is the accommodation of the third sex. They even have a term for it in Itagami, ebet. I feel like in this book they are treated equally in whatever the Itagamins do. And I sometimes wish that there is that level of equality in the real world.
The characters in the book have improved in terms of powers and in character development. And I like them better now.
The ending though, I don’t know what to feel about that. It was kind of a cliffhanger and also not a cliffhanger. While I was reading it, I wasn’t expecting that I was already near the end of the book. Then when I flip to the next page and the big letters that formed the word “EPILOGUE” greeted me, bes, I backtracked and reread and backtracked again. I thought my Kindle was just acting up but no. It was really the end. I feel like my whole energy just got sucked out of me. The last chapter felt like it was building and then the next thing I knew it’s already the Epilogue. Like, wtf?
Still, beshy, I love and hate cliffhangers. I hate cliffhangers because, duh, they ruin the end of the book. But I also love them because cliffhangers mean the book is not over yet. It’s not the end yet.
And because of that cliffhanger that doesn’t really feel like a cliffhanger but it is nonetheless, I can’t wait to read the third book! I’m so excited since that Epilogue gave me hope about the outcome of the whole story. I just hope it’s good.
To wrap this up, the second book of the Ryogan Chronicles is amazing! For me it is better than the first book. And I highly recommend this to you, bessies! You should read it. It’s great and it has it’s own world with different cultures and languages and all that and trust me, it’s really great.
swiftie1977's review against another edition
4.0
Another great book by this author.
This book just kept getting better. This is the second book to this series. And boy was this an adventure. Khya meets some helpful people along the way, whom at first doesn't know how to take the news that Varan is on his way with an army of more then thousands to destroy everything and everyone. All Khya wants to do is save her brother. But saving him is saving everyone right? Doing the right thing can cost mistakes. With Tessen there to help Khya things only get better. That ending to this book.... I was like wait, what??
This book just kept getting better. This is the second book to this series. And boy was this an adventure. Khya meets some helpful people along the way, whom at first doesn't know how to take the news that Varan is on his way with an army of more then thousands to destroy everything and everyone. All Khya wants to do is save her brother. But saving him is saving everyone right? Doing the right thing can cost mistakes. With Tessen there to help Khya things only get better. That ending to this book.... I was like wait, what??
nicolemhewitt's review against another edition
This review and many more can be found on my blog: Feed Your Fiction Addiction
The second book in this series brings Khya and her allies to a world they never imagined.
What Fed My Addiction:
Serious magic.
The magic in this book was definitely kicked up a notch and Khya’s strengths become the key to saving her world. The desosa (which could be described as the source of magic) comes to life in this book almost as a character all its own. This was easily my favorite part of the book: Khya’s exploration of magic and how it differs in the new world she faces (and how it’s the same). The stakes are raised when it comes to the magical consequences of the characters’ actions as well!
Questioning beliefs.
Khya and her friends are thrown into a situation where they discover that many of their core beliefs were lies fabricated by a power-hungry man. They are rocked to the core by this realization, of course, and watching them deal with that was fascinating.
Shades of gray.
Khya discovers that, while she has come to see the leader of Shiara as a villain in many ways (and the people of Ryogan certainly view him that way), there are many ways that the Shiaran society seems to have improved on Ryogan values. For instance, In Ryogan, society has a different take on the third gender than they do in Khya’s society, and it’s much less humane. Also, their system of punishment seems unduly harsh to Khya. She realizes that Shiara’s leader has many faults, but he did try to make Shiara a better society than the one he came from in many ways.
What Left Me Hungry for More:
Less connection to the characters than in the first book.
The reason this installment gets three stars from me instead of four is that, for some reason, I never quite connected to the characters in this second book the way I did in the first. There are several reasons that I think this might have happened: First, Khyra’s brother is mostly out of the picture in this book, so her relationship with him feels more distant somehow. The gap could have been filled with other secondary characters, but I felt like there were too many of them for me to truly feel connected to any of them. (There were some moments that should have felt tragic, but they just didn’t really reach me emotionally). The main villain of the story is also missing from this installment, so the stakes didn’t feel quite as high because there was no immediate danger. And, since the romance was pretty much resolved in the first book, we didn’t have that romantic tension to draw us into the relationships either.
While this second installment didn’t quite live up to the first for me, there were aspects like the exploration of magic that I absolutely loved. And the ending hinted at an epic finale, so I’m eager to read book three! I give this second book in the series 3/5 Stars.
***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley and Chapter by Chapter Blog Tours in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***
The second book in this series brings Khya and her allies to a world they never imagined.
What Fed My Addiction:
Serious magic.
The magic in this book was definitely kicked up a notch and Khya’s strengths become the key to saving her world. The desosa (which could be described as the source of magic) comes to life in this book almost as a character all its own. This was easily my favorite part of the book: Khya’s exploration of magic and how it differs in the new world she faces (and how it’s the same). The stakes are raised when it comes to the magical consequences of the characters’ actions as well!
Questioning beliefs.
Khya and her friends are thrown into a situation where they discover that many of their core beliefs were lies fabricated by a power-hungry man. They are rocked to the core by this realization, of course, and watching them deal with that was fascinating.
Shades of gray.
Khya discovers that, while she has come to see the leader of Shiara as a villain in many ways (and the people of Ryogan certainly view him that way), there are many ways that the Shiaran society seems to have improved on Ryogan values. For instance, In Ryogan, society has a different take on the third gender than they do in Khya’s society, and it’s much less humane. Also, their system of punishment seems unduly harsh to Khya. She realizes that Shiara’s leader has many faults, but he did try to make Shiara a better society than the one he came from in many ways.
What Left Me Hungry for More:
Less connection to the characters than in the first book.
The reason this installment gets three stars from me instead of four is that, for some reason, I never quite connected to the characters in this second book the way I did in the first. There are several reasons that I think this might have happened: First, Khyra’s brother is mostly out of the picture in this book, so her relationship with him feels more distant somehow. The gap could have been filled with other secondary characters, but I felt like there were too many of them for me to truly feel connected to any of them. (There were some moments that should have felt tragic, but they just didn’t really reach me emotionally). The main villain of the story is also missing from this installment, so the stakes didn’t feel quite as high because there was no immediate danger. And, since the romance was pretty much resolved in the first book, we didn’t have that romantic tension to draw us into the relationships either.
While this second installment didn’t quite live up to the first for me, there were aspects like the exploration of magic that I absolutely loved. And the ending hinted at an epic finale, so I’m eager to read book three! I give this second book in the series 3/5 Stars.
***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley and Chapter by Chapter Blog Tours in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***
amethystbookwyrm's review against another edition
2.0
Thanks to Netgalley and Entangled Publishing for giving me this book to review.
I struggled to connect with Sea of Strangers, despite me enjoying the first book Island of Exiles. This book is a dark fantasy world which has complex cultures and lots of diversity, however, it is very slow paced. I might not have liked this book as much is it has been a while since I have read Island of Exiles and I had trouble remembering what had happened and who everyone was.
Khya seems to have become a natural leader and I have always been a fan of Tessen, so these two were the highlight of the book.
Unfortunately, I just didn’t click with Sea of Strangers but I seem to be in the minority so if you enjoyed the first book, I would recommend you read this sequel.
This and my other reviews can be found at Amethyst Bookwyrm
I struggled to connect with Sea of Strangers, despite me enjoying the first book Island of Exiles. This book is a dark fantasy world which has complex cultures and lots of diversity, however, it is very slow paced. I might not have liked this book as much is it has been a while since I have read Island of Exiles and I had trouble remembering what had happened and who everyone was.
Khya seems to have become a natural leader and I have always been a fan of Tessen, so these two were the highlight of the book.
Unfortunately, I just didn’t click with Sea of Strangers but I seem to be in the minority so if you enjoyed the first book, I would recommend you read this sequel.
This and my other reviews can be found at Amethyst Bookwyrm
leahkarge's review against another edition
4.0
The incredible worldbuilding of the first installment continues with this novel, and the characters become ever more lovable and one can’t help but root for them and their success.
Read the full review on my blog!
Read the full review on my blog!
faerietears's review
4.0
Full Review Coming Soon To The Blog
www.carolineandrus.com/blog
Like the first book, the names/language was hard for me to keep track of, but that didn't stop me from enjoying this story. SO much happened! So good! And that ending! Whaaaaat??? When can I read book 3???
www.carolineandrus.com/blog
Like the first book, the names/language was hard for me to keep track of, but that didn't stop me from enjoying this story. SO much happened! So good! And that ending! Whaaaaat??? When can I read book 3???
roseayyy_reads's review against another edition
4.0
**I received an ARC of this book from Entangled Teen via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**
I was so excited when I was contacted by Entangled Teen to read and review Sea Of Strangers. I previously read and reviewed Island Of Exiles and loved it, so I had high hopes for this one. And it did not disappoint. Erica Cameron writes beautifully and I love that she puts a glossary in her books, as I do get confused on the language sometimes.
Full review to come December 28th, when I host the Sea Of Strangers blog tour and guest post by Erica Cameron. Head to my blog, Rose Reviews, then to check it out!
I was so excited when I was contacted by Entangled Teen to read and review Sea Of Strangers. I previously read and reviewed Island Of Exiles and loved it, so I had high hopes for this one. And it did not disappoint. Erica Cameron writes beautifully and I love that she puts a glossary in her books, as I do get confused on the language sometimes.
Full review to come December 28th, when I host the Sea Of Strangers blog tour and guest post by Erica Cameron. Head to my blog, Rose Reviews, then to check it out!
themoonlightarchive's review against another edition
5.0
The Appalachian Bookworm
** I received an Advanced Reader’s Copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Possible spoilers ahead. **
In the first installment of The Ryogan Chronicles by Erica Cameron, Island of Exiles, we follow the story of a young warrior and ward mage from the island of Shiara. When Khya’s brother Yorri is pronounced dead following a surprise attack by their enemies and then his body mysteriously vanishes, the truth comes out quicker than Khya is prepared for it. The leaders of the clan have lied and betrayed her people for endless centuries. In order to save her brother, and her home, Khya must team up with a rival, a person her brother had a secret relationship with as well as many other surprising characters.
Sea of Strangers, the second installment in the series, continues Khya’s story as she and her friends and allies leave Shiara and travel to a land they didn’t know existed. Ryogo is the home of Varan and the other immortals who rule over Itagami. Khya must find the secrets hidden in the mountains of Ryogo in order to kill Varan and bring her brother back alive; both of which are seemingly impossible tasks as Varan is immortal and has accumulated knowledge and power over his many years of existence. Finding the secret of immortality might help her defeat Varan but she fears she may lose something in the process - her brother, Shiara, Ryogo, or even herself. The journey she must take isn’t even half the battle.
There are so many things about this book, as well as the first, that I thoroughly enjoyed that I feel like I could write an essay about it. In fact, the only complaints I can find after reading is that at times the ranks within Itagami, the slang terms, and the use of non-gendered terms could be incredibly confusing. But as I read, these became easier to understand and pinpoint. Once I discovered the glossary in the back of the book, it was even easier to just enjoy the story.
Erica Cameron has created an incredibly complex, diverse, gritty and detailed world in these books. It is unlike anything I have ever had the honor of reading before. Especially since it doesn’t feel forced. Instead, it is incredibly realistic. The best example I can find is how we are introduced to the ebet characters. These people are non-gendered and they are considered completely normal and welcome in Shiara. It isn’t until Khya leaves that we see how they are treated in Ryogo - as if they are punishment from the gods - and realize how effortlessly Cameron has managed to normalize something that even in our society can be wrongfully deemed as unnatural. In fact, it seems like it could actually be a reflection on our own society.
It is also shown in how the citizens of Itagami have been kept isolated from the world, made to believe they are the last beings on the planet by the immortals who rule the clan. When Khya and her allies travel outside of the world they know, they learn about new cultures and people and you can visibly see the contract between her society and the new one because of how detailed the writing is. The real world is much like this.
Aside from the diversity, there is the world building which is incredibly breathtaking. There are endless descriptions of the beauty of the land, the rawness of the elements, the differences between the people. And the magical system in this world is incredibly complex and interesting to read as it is expanded on. There is also the character development. It is most seen in Khya and Sanii. Khya begins to see that asking for help does not make her weak, that she is not fully responsible for every single failure that comes up them. Sanii grows into the person you are able to see beneath the whole time, waiting to unfold and steal the show.
Although at times the story seemed to drag along, it was easy to push through because each thing that happened held importance for the story. The journey the characters take in order to discover the secrets they need to save Yorri, Shiara and Ryogo is such an important part of this story. Reading along as these characters face the elements and the prejudiced people of Ryogo made me feel a much deeper connection to it all.
I am so grateful to have been given the chance to read Sea of Strangers. This series is one I will highly recommend to those who enjoy the genre but also to those who enjoy incredible worldbuilding, diversity and characters who practically jump off the pages at you. I cannot wait to be absolutely ensnared by the next installment of this wonderful story.
** I received an Advanced Reader’s Copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Possible spoilers ahead. **
In the first installment of The Ryogan Chronicles by Erica Cameron, Island of Exiles, we follow the story of a young warrior and ward mage from the island of Shiara. When Khya’s brother Yorri is pronounced dead following a surprise attack by their enemies and then his body mysteriously vanishes, the truth comes out quicker than Khya is prepared for it. The leaders of the clan have lied and betrayed her people for endless centuries. In order to save her brother, and her home, Khya must team up with a rival, a person her brother had a secret relationship with as well as many other surprising characters.
Sea of Strangers, the second installment in the series, continues Khya’s story as she and her friends and allies leave Shiara and travel to a land they didn’t know existed. Ryogo is the home of Varan and the other immortals who rule over Itagami. Khya must find the secrets hidden in the mountains of Ryogo in order to kill Varan and bring her brother back alive; both of which are seemingly impossible tasks as Varan is immortal and has accumulated knowledge and power over his many years of existence. Finding the secret of immortality might help her defeat Varan but she fears she may lose something in the process - her brother, Shiara, Ryogo, or even herself. The journey she must take isn’t even half the battle.
There are so many things about this book, as well as the first, that I thoroughly enjoyed that I feel like I could write an essay about it. In fact, the only complaints I can find after reading is that at times the ranks within Itagami, the slang terms, and the use of non-gendered terms could be incredibly confusing. But as I read, these became easier to understand and pinpoint. Once I discovered the glossary in the back of the book, it was even easier to just enjoy the story.
Erica Cameron has created an incredibly complex, diverse, gritty and detailed world in these books. It is unlike anything I have ever had the honor of reading before. Especially since it doesn’t feel forced. Instead, it is incredibly realistic. The best example I can find is how we are introduced to the ebet characters. These people are non-gendered and they are considered completely normal and welcome in Shiara. It isn’t until Khya leaves that we see how they are treated in Ryogo - as if they are punishment from the gods - and realize how effortlessly Cameron has managed to normalize something that even in our society can be wrongfully deemed as unnatural. In fact, it seems like it could actually be a reflection on our own society.
It is also shown in how the citizens of Itagami have been kept isolated from the world, made to believe they are the last beings on the planet by the immortals who rule the clan. When Khya and her allies travel outside of the world they know, they learn about new cultures and people and you can visibly see the contract between her society and the new one because of how detailed the writing is. The real world is much like this.
Aside from the diversity, there is the world building which is incredibly breathtaking. There are endless descriptions of the beauty of the land, the rawness of the elements, the differences between the people. And the magical system in this world is incredibly complex and interesting to read as it is expanded on. There is also the character development. It is most seen in Khya and Sanii. Khya begins to see that asking for help does not make her weak, that she is not fully responsible for every single failure that comes up them. Sanii grows into the person you are able to see beneath the whole time, waiting to unfold and steal the show.
Although at times the story seemed to drag along, it was easy to push through because each thing that happened held importance for the story. The journey the characters take in order to discover the secrets they need to save Yorri, Shiara and Ryogo is such an important part of this story. Reading along as these characters face the elements and the prejudiced people of Ryogo made me feel a much deeper connection to it all.
I am so grateful to have been given the chance to read Sea of Strangers. This series is one I will highly recommend to those who enjoy the genre but also to those who enjoy incredible worldbuilding, diversity and characters who practically jump off the pages at you. I cannot wait to be absolutely ensnared by the next installment of this wonderful story.
coolcurrybooks's review against another edition
3.0
Sea of Strangers is the sequel to Erica Cameron’s YA, survival oriented fantasy Island of Exiles. This is a series you definitely need to read in order, so head on over to my review of Island of Exiles if you’re not familiar with it. While Sea of Strangers had a bit of middle-of-the-trilogy slump, this is still a series I plan on continuing with.
Khya and her friends and allies have fled Shiara to travel to Ryogan, the home of Varan and the other immortals who once ruled Khya’s life. To save her brother, Khya needs to kill Varan. Which is kind of difficult given that he’s, you know, immortal. But Khya hopes that the secret of his immortality lies somewhere in the mountains of Ryogan, a country unlike anything she’s known. If she can find the secrets of immortality, maybe she can find some way (or weapon) with which she can defeat Varan and save not only her brother but all of Shiara and Ryogan.
As with Island of Exiles, a big draw of Sea of Strangers is the sexual and gender diversity. Khya’s society has a third gender, ebet, and recognizes that asexual people exist. In my review of the first book, I wondered if ebet was something that was assigned at birth to certain individuals (maybe intersex people?) and there’s enough material in Sea of Strangers to suggest this is true. Back on the subject of sexual orientation, Khya’s attracted to multiple genders (so either bi or pan), and there’s actually a female love interest introduced in Sea of Strangers. It’s not a love triangle in the traditional sense — Khya’s relationship with Tessan is still the most prominent. Rather, it’s opening the way for a polyamorous relationship somewhere down the line. Also, I think Tessan’s demisexual? There’s a section where he was talking about his attraction to Khya, and it screamed “demi” to me. Given that the author’s ace, I’d guess I’m on the right track.
I continue to enjoy the world building in this series. Moving the narrative to Ryogan expands the world in a nice way, and it actually gives an even clearer picture of the society Khya grew up in, just from the contrast. Plus, Sea of Strangers gives some nice new twists to the magic of the series and how it’s treated in Ryogan. There was a visit to a prison for mages that I found a lot of fun.
Unfortunately, I think Sea of Strangers suffers from some middle-book slump. Khya and her allies are traveling around, trying to find a weapon to kill Varan, the big bad, with. I sort of felt like the narrative was trying to kill time until the big show down in the next book. Sea of Strangers exists to bridge the gap between the high-powered introduction and what’s promising to be a wonderful finale in the third book. By contrast, it looses some of its urgency and drive.
Sea of Strangers also contains some flaws I noticed with the first book. I still hate the abundant use of conlang, which at times feels unnecessary. Additionally, I think characterization could be stronger and more compelling. Khya’s the most developed character, and even she doesn’t leap off the page and into my heart. I know, that’s very vague and unspecific! It’s just that some characters have this special quality, you know? Khya doesn’t really have it, although there’s nothing specifically objectionable about her. I had more trouble with the supporting characters, who I thought could be more developed. I’d like to see more of Tessan beyond his relationship with Khya, and I could have trouble keeping track of some of the more minor characters.
For all that, I’ll probably read the conclusion. While Sea of Strangers didn’t quite live up to its predecessor, it did manage to stoke my anticipation for the third and final book.
Originally posted on The Illustrated Page.
I received an ARC in exchange for a free and honest review.
Khya and her friends and allies have fled Shiara to travel to Ryogan, the home of Varan and the other immortals who once ruled Khya’s life. To save her brother, Khya needs to kill Varan. Which is kind of difficult given that he’s, you know, immortal. But Khya hopes that the secret of his immortality lies somewhere in the mountains of Ryogan, a country unlike anything she’s known. If she can find the secrets of immortality, maybe she can find some way (or weapon) with which she can defeat Varan and save not only her brother but all of Shiara and Ryogan.
As with Island of Exiles, a big draw of Sea of Strangers is the sexual and gender diversity. Khya’s society has a third gender, ebet, and recognizes that asexual people exist. In my review of the first book, I wondered if ebet was something that was assigned at birth to certain individuals (maybe intersex people?) and there’s enough material in Sea of Strangers to suggest this is true. Back on the subject of sexual orientation, Khya’s attracted to multiple genders (so either bi or pan), and there’s actually a female love interest introduced in Sea of Strangers. It’s not a love triangle in the traditional sense — Khya’s relationship with Tessan is still the most prominent. Rather, it’s opening the way for a polyamorous relationship somewhere down the line. Also, I think Tessan’s demisexual? There’s a section where he was talking about his attraction to Khya, and it screamed “demi” to me. Given that the author’s ace, I’d guess I’m on the right track.
I continue to enjoy the world building in this series. Moving the narrative to Ryogan expands the world in a nice way, and it actually gives an even clearer picture of the society Khya grew up in, just from the contrast. Plus, Sea of Strangers gives some nice new twists to the magic of the series and how it’s treated in Ryogan. There was a visit to a prison for mages that I found a lot of fun.
Unfortunately, I think Sea of Strangers suffers from some middle-book slump. Khya and her allies are traveling around, trying to find a weapon to kill Varan, the big bad, with. I sort of felt like the narrative was trying to kill time until the big show down in the next book. Sea of Strangers exists to bridge the gap between the high-powered introduction and what’s promising to be a wonderful finale in the third book. By contrast, it looses some of its urgency and drive.
Sea of Strangers also contains some flaws I noticed with the first book. I still hate the abundant use of conlang, which at times feels unnecessary. Additionally, I think characterization could be stronger and more compelling. Khya’s the most developed character, and even she doesn’t leap off the page and into my heart. I know, that’s very vague and unspecific! It’s just that some characters have this special quality, you know? Khya doesn’t really have it, although there’s nothing specifically objectionable about her. I had more trouble with the supporting characters, who I thought could be more developed. I’d like to see more of Tessan beyond his relationship with Khya, and I could have trouble keeping track of some of the more minor characters.
For all that, I’ll probably read the conclusion. While Sea of Strangers didn’t quite live up to its predecessor, it did manage to stoke my anticipation for the third and final book.
Originally posted on The Illustrated Page.
I received an ARC in exchange for a free and honest review.
ruthsic's review
4.0
Khya's journey to get back her brother and stop the Miriseh has the squad going to Ryogo to seek out the secrets of how the Miriseh came to be. Most of this book is devoted to the journey to Ryogo, the hardships they face on sea and on land (having to hide from Ryogan military forces), and the search for the immortality that Varan had created, and finally them having to choose between the right thing and the smart thing.
The pacing of the story is slower than that of the first, even though it takes place over more terrain. They go from the sea, then a hidden port in the northern parts of Ryogo, come across a nomadic outcast clan (who also happen to be desosa wielders in a different way), brave treacherous climbs on sacred mountains, and race to stop Varan and his Itagamin army before they reach Ryogo. The middle third of the book feels too expansive and nothing of import happens for the most part, so I was kind of bored there, but towards the end it picks up. I liked the addition of Lo'a's clan, and how good it was for them to have at least one ally in this foreign land, but they do run into them too frequently to be entirely plausible. The distances and timeline don't make much sense but there wasn't a map to see, so...
On the character side, Khya feels distant in this book. I don't know whether it was the pacing that affected it, but I couldn't connect to her emotionally in this book. There are so many new things coming out - like to the extent they were betrayed by the Miriseh, the different social customs and community structure in Ryogo, but it doesn't seem like it is shown to affect the characters much, or they mostly take it in stride. Even for a warrior clan, they seem pretty chill about the newness of it all. And Varan's original quest for immortality seems so amazing, considering he did alone what an entire squad is struggling through. Like, I know he is a villain but I'm still impressed, yo!
I, however, liked the continued attention to how the gender and sexuality of this world are quite different; although, it must be noted that this difference is shown to be limited to Itagami and Lo'a's clan - Ryogo mostly favors a heteronormative structure and there is one instance of queermisia when an ebet (the third sex in this world) child tells of how ey and eir mother were persecuted by Ryogo. There is, on the other hand, canonical bisexual and asexual characters, three sexes, an established polyamorous relationship in the secondary character ensemble, as well as outright depiction of non-exclusive relationships in this book (hint: Khya gets another love interest), which I think is awesome for a fantasy genre book.
The ending leaves us on the cusp of an oncoming war, and I am obviously interested in how Khya will now match up against Varan. Like, even with all their awesomeness, Khya and her squad are still sort of underdogs when you consider the whole Itagamin army of desosa users they will have to face. That third book is going to be epic!
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review from Entangled Teen, via Netgalley.
The pacing of the story is slower than that of the first, even though it takes place over more terrain. They go from the sea, then a hidden port in the northern parts of Ryogo, come across a nomadic outcast clan (who also happen to be desosa wielders in a different way), brave treacherous climbs on sacred mountains, and race to stop Varan and his Itagamin army before they reach Ryogo. The middle third of the book feels too expansive and nothing of import happens for the most part, so I was kind of bored there, but towards the end it picks up. I liked the addition of Lo'a's clan, and how good it was for them to have at least one ally in this foreign land, but they do run into them too frequently to be entirely plausible. The distances and timeline don't make much sense but there wasn't a map to see, so...
On the character side, Khya feels distant in this book. I don't know whether it was the pacing that affected it, but I couldn't connect to her emotionally in this book. There are so many new things coming out - like to the extent they were betrayed by the Miriseh, the different social customs and community structure in Ryogo, but it doesn't seem like it is shown to affect the characters much, or they mostly take it in stride. Even for a warrior clan, they seem pretty chill about the newness of it all. And Varan's original quest for immortality seems so amazing, considering he did alone what an entire squad is struggling through. Like, I know he is a villain but I'm still impressed, yo!
I, however, liked the continued attention to how the gender and sexuality of this world are quite different; although, it must be noted that this difference is shown to be limited to Itagami and Lo'a's clan - Ryogo mostly favors a heteronormative structure and there is one instance of queermisia when an ebet (the third sex in this world) child tells of how ey and eir mother were persecuted by Ryogo. There is, on the other hand, canonical bisexual and asexual characters, three sexes, an established polyamorous relationship in the secondary character ensemble, as well as outright depiction of non-exclusive relationships in this book (hint: Khya gets another love interest), which I think is awesome for a fantasy genre book.
The ending leaves us on the cusp of an oncoming war, and I am obviously interested in how Khya will now match up against Varan. Like, even with all their awesomeness, Khya and her squad are still sort of underdogs when you consider the whole Itagamin army of desosa users they will have to face. That third book is going to be epic!
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review from Entangled Teen, via Netgalley.