tayanapier's review against another edition
DNF @ 38% July-August 2023
Unfortunately I could not get into the story. I am also going through a bit of a reading slump at the moment so that definitely doesn’t help either.
Overall this has such interesting world building and some great characters unfortunately for me I just can’t get into it right now.
I’m hoping to come back to this one on the future.
Unfortunately I could not get into the story. I am also going through a bit of a reading slump at the moment so that definitely doesn’t help either.
Overall this has such interesting world building and some great characters unfortunately for me I just can’t get into it right now.
I’m hoping to come back to this one on the future.
grimjellyfish's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
marleekait's review against another edition
5.0
I just love them all. Read this all in a day and enjoyed it so so much!
theislandalien's review
adventurous
hopeful
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
emtees's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
4.75
The only thing that kept me from rating Once Stolen a 5 is that I didn’t love it quite as much as i loved the previous book set in this world, Our Bloody Pearl. But this was still an amazing read.
With Once Stolen, D.N. Bryn expands this world, one of magic-fueled technology and water-living species who exist alongside humans. This book is set about 40 years after Our Bloody Pearl, and far from the sirens and pirates of the first book. Instead we are in the Murk, a swampy territory where the humans and the local water creatures, a snake-like species called boiuna, live a much more intertwined existence. The boiuna are a fully deaf species who communicate through sign language, and that language has become the dominant language of the region even among humans. Deep in the Murk, humans, boiuna and other species live in harmony, while outside its borders, human criminal cartels rule.
The main character of the story is Cacao (not his real name, you don’t have the right senses to understand that), a young boiuna who was exiled from his home in the Murk for repeatedly stealing ignits, the magical rocks that are the center of technology for this universe. Cacao is the first to insist that he is not a good person; he is selfish and greedy and always does what is best for him. But his situation is actually more complicated; Cacao deals with extreme sensory issues (due to being autistic; that term is not used in the book but the characterization is clear and the author has confirmed it) and the ignits are the only thing that can soothe him. Unfortunately, this has led to an addictive attachment to them that has caused Cacao to betray and endanger the people around him. Once exiled, Cacao has become convinced that he neither wants nor deserves any relationships in his life. But that falls apart when an attempt to steal ignits from Rubem, a feared cartel leader, goes wildly wrong, and Cacao ends up fleeing in the company of a human dancer, Thais.
Cacao and Thais are a great pair right from the beginning. They squabble and insult each other constantly, with the kind of tone that makes it immediately clear this is an enemies-to-lovers story. They protest loudly that they do not want to remain together, yet continually make up reasons why they have to keep traveling together. Thais is the daughter of a famed ignit hunter, who secreted away an enormous stash of the precious gems, one the cartels are now hunting. She agrees to take Cacao to it in exchange for his help escaping. Then she is injured, and the only cure is a green ignit, the rarest kind, one they can very likely only find in Thais’s mother’s stash. And while Cacao continues to insist that he is hunting the stash for his own benefit, it becomes increasingly clear that what he really wants is to save Thais.
In some ways, Once Stolen is very different from Our Bloody Pearl. There is a lot more action and plot in this one, and a lot less time for gentle relationship building. Cacao and Thais form a relationship, and a found family with some friends they make along the way, while dodging one near-death experience after another, and traveling through the complex and fascinating world of the Murk. But this book shares the tone and feel of Our Bloody Pearl, which I love. It is again a world in which, while bad things happen - there is cruelty and violence and, in this case, a lot more conflict and misunderstanding between the main pair - but there is a deep kindness built into the story. Once again, most of the characters, even some who initially seem like bad guys, are fundamentally decent. They want to help each other. Bryn doesn’t scrimp on the characters’ flaws - with Cacao, especially, we see how his addiction really does cause him to hurt those around him - but a path is laid for all of them to do the right thing and they mostly take it. Cacao and Thais have a really fun relationship, and I loved all the secondary characters. I was also pleased that, despite the time jump, we got to see a couple of the characters from Our Bloody Pearl and learn that they were all still doing well.
Once again, this is a very diverse world. Most of the human characters are POC, queerness is casually built into the world and fully accepted, and disability themes remain central. Cacao’s autism and chronic pain, and the way the people around him fail to understand it, are central to the story, and the quest to cure Thais, rather than a disability cure storyline, is actually one to allow her to live with a chronic illness. Other forms of disability appear in the background characters and are all handled well.
With Once Stolen, D.N. Bryn expands this world, one of magic-fueled technology and water-living species who exist alongside humans. This book is set about 40 years after Our Bloody Pearl, and far from the sirens and pirates of the first book. Instead we are in the Murk, a swampy territory where the humans and the local water creatures, a snake-like species called boiuna, live a much more intertwined existence. The boiuna are a fully deaf species who communicate through sign language, and that language has become the dominant language of the region even among humans. Deep in the Murk, humans, boiuna and other species live in harmony, while outside its borders, human criminal cartels rule.
The main character of the story is Cacao (not his real name, you don’t have the right senses to understand that), a young boiuna who was exiled from his home in the Murk for repeatedly stealing ignits, the magical rocks that are the center of technology for this universe. Cacao is the first to insist that he is not a good person; he is selfish and greedy and always does what is best for him. But his situation is actually more complicated; Cacao deals with extreme sensory issues (due to being autistic; that term is not used in the book but the characterization is clear and the author has confirmed it) and the ignits are the only thing that can soothe him. Unfortunately, this has led to an addictive attachment to them that has caused Cacao to betray and endanger the people around him. Once exiled, Cacao has become convinced that he neither wants nor deserves any relationships in his life. But that falls apart when an attempt to steal ignits from Rubem, a feared cartel leader, goes wildly wrong, and Cacao ends up fleeing in the company of a human dancer, Thais.
Cacao and Thais are a great pair right from the beginning. They squabble and insult each other constantly, with the kind of tone that makes it immediately clear this is an enemies-to-lovers story. They protest loudly that they do not want to remain together, yet continually make up reasons why they have to keep traveling together. Thais is the daughter of a famed ignit hunter, who secreted away an enormous stash of the precious gems, one the cartels are now hunting. She agrees to take Cacao to it in exchange for his help escaping. Then she is injured, and the only cure is a green ignit, the rarest kind, one they can very likely only find in Thais’s mother’s stash. And while Cacao continues to insist that he is hunting the stash for his own benefit, it becomes increasingly clear that what he really wants is to save Thais.
In some ways, Once Stolen is very different from Our Bloody Pearl. There is a lot more action and plot in this one, and a lot less time for gentle relationship building. Cacao and Thais form a relationship, and a found family with some friends they make along the way, while dodging one near-death experience after another, and traveling through the complex and fascinating world of the Murk. But this book shares the tone and feel of Our Bloody Pearl, which I love. It is again a world in which, while bad things happen - there is cruelty and violence and, in this case, a lot more conflict and misunderstanding between the main pair - but there is a deep kindness built into the story. Once again, most of the characters, even some who initially seem like bad guys, are fundamentally decent. They want to help each other. Bryn doesn’t scrimp on the characters’ flaws - with Cacao, especially, we see how his addiction really does cause him to hurt those around him - but a path is laid for all of them to do the right thing and they mostly take it. Cacao and Thais have a really fun relationship, and I loved all the secondary characters. I was also pleased that, despite the time jump, we got to see a couple of the characters from Our Bloody Pearl and learn that they were all still doing well.
Once again, this is a very diverse world. Most of the human characters are POC, queerness is casually built into the world and fully accepted, and disability themes remain central. Cacao’s autism and chronic pain, and the way the people around him fail to understand it, are central to the story, and the quest to cure Thais, rather than a disability cure storyline, is actually one to allow her to live with a chronic illness. Other forms of disability appear in the background characters and are all handled well.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Vomit, Addiction, and Chronic illness
Moderate: Ableism
Addiction is one of the themes of the story, presented in a few different ways but always nuanced. A main character experiences ableism from their community, though this is resolved by the end of the story. A character has an illness that causes frequent vomiting.will_o_dane0310's review against another edition
adventurous
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? Yes
4.0
sadvegan's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
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
perfektionaise's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
4.25
foxholebookcourt's review against another edition
4.0
Once Stolen by D. N. Bryn
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
I had absolutely adored Our Bloody Pearl, and the fantasy world built around it, so I was ecstatic to receive am ARC from the author of a book that’s not exactly a continuation, but is part of the same universe. Once Stolen takes us back to this world of fantastical creatures, full of diversity. I admittedly took my time with this one, and I apologise as life got in the way, but I can’t wait to also read Odder Still and review that as well.
We have what appears to be a selfish non human (boiuna) protagonist who has only one goal in mind. However, an encounter with a human alters his course, and we have this mixture of enemies to lovers with a LOT of action. Of course, one of the most notable and praiseworthy aspects of this book is the diversity, including queer, PoC, and disabled characters, all with different personalities and agendas of their own.
What had me removing a star from the book unfortunately was that the tons of action in the book sometimes got very disorienting, and the description of fight/chase scenes was not clear to me one hundred percent, but that could also be a matter of comprehension on my part.
The main form of communication between characters is signing which I find to be very cool! Also, the romance between the protagonists is very endearing, though it didn’t manage to convince me entirely. I was more invested in the characters individually, since they were so complex and interesting.
I definitely recommend you get into this world that D. N. Bryn has created! There’s more of it to come and I can’t wait to dive into the next book right away.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
I had absolutely adored Our Bloody Pearl, and the fantasy world built around it, so I was ecstatic to receive am ARC from the author of a book that’s not exactly a continuation, but is part of the same universe. Once Stolen takes us back to this world of fantastical creatures, full of diversity. I admittedly took my time with this one, and I apologise as life got in the way, but I can’t wait to also read Odder Still and review that as well.
We have what appears to be a selfish non human (boiuna) protagonist who has only one goal in mind. However, an encounter with a human alters his course, and we have this mixture of enemies to lovers with a LOT of action. Of course, one of the most notable and praiseworthy aspects of this book is the diversity, including queer, PoC, and disabled characters, all with different personalities and agendas of their own.
What had me removing a star from the book unfortunately was that the tons of action in the book sometimes got very disorienting, and the description of fight/chase scenes was not clear to me one hundred percent, but that could also be a matter of comprehension on my part.
The main form of communication between characters is signing which I find to be very cool! Also, the romance between the protagonists is very endearing, though it didn’t manage to convince me entirely. I was more invested in the characters individually, since they were so complex and interesting.
I definitely recommend you get into this world that D. N. Bryn has created! There’s more of it to come and I can’t wait to dive into the next book right away.
linked_soul's review against another edition
5.0
I received an e-ARC in exchange for a review, so here we go! I had already read and enjoyed one of Bryn's book, Our Blood Pearl, and I was NOT disappointed with Once Stolen.
My eyes have been really dry those past days and that's the only reason I didn't finish this book in two days (and I should have taken off my glasses or used some eyedrops by now but I really wanted to finish reading haha) because the plot, the pacing, the worldbuilding and the characters have kept me wanting more for the entirety of the book. There is a very good balance between character interaction and action-filled scenes, between softer moments and events that kept me at the edge of my seat. I also absolutely adored the writing style: Cacao's voice is very compelling and at the same time super fun. (I come alive whenever he says "motherfucker".)
Cacao himself is an extremely compelling character. Is he morally good? Well, according to his new partner in crime, a self-proclaimed hero, not that much. And it's true that he IS flawed: he's a little selfish and self-centered, a little greedy, and kind of unashamed about that. But a character doesn't have to be morally good to be likeable, and Cacao makes for a fun, compelling, interesting character that is very enjoyable to follow. I loved seeing him develop and grow and start realizing not only that other people are important, but also that he isn't as bad as he initially thinks. Thais' personality, which revolves around helping others and not liking to be helped, counterbalances his perfectly. I really loved their interactions and their bickering and learning to work together and learning more about each other, and the way they rubbed onto each other. I also really liked the secondary characters, the society of the Murk, and the antagonists: the cartel members, and the fishers who hunt down boiunas like Cacao and other creatures from the Murk.
I particularly loved the way I, as a reader, got attached to the Murk's ecosystem through Cacao's begrudging love for it, and the more Cacao and Thais traveled through the Murk, the more I got attached to it and viewed it as home the same way Cacao does. That made for an even wider contrast between this view of the Murk and how the fishers view it: as a hunting grounds, a means to an end. Thinking back on it, a great worldbuilding is good on its own, but making the reader CARE for it the same way the characters do? that's the cherry on the top. Once Stolen introduces not only a very interesting world with a nature-based society where everyone lives in symbiosis, but also gave me a fierce love for it and a strong desire to see it protected. The world is an inherent part of the plot, it doesn't just serve it. I honestly loved that.
One very cool particularity of the book is the fact that all of the dialogue is signed! Mersnakes are deaf (as well as other creatures and people from the Murk) and communicate through scents and signs, and signing is prevalent in and around the Murk, so all the characters sign their dialogue! I found that very original and very cool and honestly I'd love to read more fantasy books that just... remember that sign language is a thing. Once Stolen is also a story of disabilities, as Cacao is autistic and his need for ignits that prompts most of the plot is spurred by his sensory perception issues.
Overall, there is a lot to love in Once Stolen and a lot that makes it stand out from other fantasy books - be it the characters, the worldbuilding, or the themes and issues it tackles. It's an amazing book with a fun voice, a compelling story and great rep all around (did I mention that there are several non-binary characters? I'm going to mention that there are several non-binary characters) and I really recommend it!
My eyes have been really dry those past days and that's the only reason I didn't finish this book in two days (and I should have taken off my glasses or used some eyedrops by now but I really wanted to finish reading haha) because the plot, the pacing, the worldbuilding and the characters have kept me wanting more for the entirety of the book. There is a very good balance between character interaction and action-filled scenes, between softer moments and events that kept me at the edge of my seat. I also absolutely adored the writing style: Cacao's voice is very compelling and at the same time super fun. (I come alive whenever he says "motherfucker".)
Cacao himself is an extremely compelling character. Is he morally good? Well, according to his new partner in crime, a self-proclaimed hero, not that much. And it's true that he IS flawed: he's a little selfish and self-centered, a little greedy, and kind of unashamed about that. But a character doesn't have to be morally good to be likeable, and Cacao makes for a fun, compelling, interesting character that is very enjoyable to follow. I loved seeing him develop and grow and start realizing not only that other people are important, but also that he isn't as bad as he initially thinks. Thais' personality, which revolves around helping others and not liking to be helped, counterbalances his perfectly. I really loved their interactions and their bickering and learning to work together and learning more about each other, and the way they rubbed onto each other. I also really liked the secondary characters, the society of the Murk, and the antagonists: the cartel members, and the fishers who hunt down boiunas like Cacao and other creatures from the Murk.
I particularly loved the way I, as a reader, got attached to the Murk's ecosystem through Cacao's begrudging love for it, and the more Cacao and Thais traveled through the Murk, the more I got attached to it and viewed it as home the same way Cacao does. That made for an even wider contrast between this view of the Murk and how the fishers view it: as a hunting grounds, a means to an end. Thinking back on it, a great worldbuilding is good on its own, but making the reader CARE for it the same way the characters do? that's the cherry on the top. Once Stolen introduces not only a very interesting world with a nature-based society where everyone lives in symbiosis, but also gave me a fierce love for it and a strong desire to see it protected. The world is an inherent part of the plot, it doesn't just serve it. I honestly loved that.
One very cool particularity of the book is the fact that all of the dialogue is signed! Mersnakes are deaf (as well as other creatures and people from the Murk) and communicate through scents and signs, and signing is prevalent in and around the Murk, so all the characters sign their dialogue! I found that very original and very cool and honestly I'd love to read more fantasy books that just... remember that sign language is a thing. Once Stolen is also a story of disabilities, as Cacao is autistic and his need for ignits that prompts most of the plot is spurred by his sensory perception issues.
Spoiler
I really liked that Cacao has both been wronged and done wrong: he's made mistakes and let his need for ignits harm others, but he's also been harmed by the Murk's dismissal of his pain and both things are acknowledged as wrong. Cacao acknowledges he made mistakes and has a complicated relationship with the Murk. In the end, the Murk acknowledges that they also wronged him and should have done better by him. It's not a black and white situation and I loved that it wasn't framed as such.Overall, there is a lot to love in Once Stolen and a lot that makes it stand out from other fantasy books - be it the characters, the worldbuilding, or the themes and issues it tackles. It's an amazing book with a fun voice, a compelling story and great rep all around (did I mention that there are several non-binary characters? I'm going to mention that there are several non-binary characters) and I really recommend it!