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A review by haveyoureadreviews
The Wild Rose and the Sea Raven by Jennifer Ivy Walker
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
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
5.0
I am writing this review, having just finished the story, sitting in pleasant shock.
When I started this book, I was told it had a "Snow White" and "Game Of Thrones" feel to it, with a light amount of smut. That was all true. What I hadn't been told was that there would be fae creatures, and herbalism in it as well! Which was a welcome and interesting surprise.
I immediately liked that the story was a medium sized book. Which allowed Walker to add detail to the characters and places that a smaller book would not have had. While also allowing her to leave openings for us to discover other things, and paint our own picture. She never gives us too much detail, just enough to get us going.
The story is actually a telling of two different storylines. Normally I do find the two storylines difficult to read. But Walker has shown us her ability to blend them together well, while also keeping the two stories apart. Making this an easy yet fun read.
I really bonded with The Emerald Princess. The amount of loss, growth, and strength this character shows, made me interested to see what she would face next. Even “The Knight” , who was the MC in the other story, faced many great challenges. The thing I liked most about him was that even when he felt anger, hate, sorrow, ect. He didn’t lose control. He grew, and got where he needed to be. Even if that wasn’t always where he wanted to be.
Now onto the fun part, the villains!! Of course we have the Evil Queen. Who honestly even though she didn’t really do much. I think wins the “Most Evil, Evil Queen” award. Her choices and actions in this story had me reading with an open mouth at some points. I had to double back wondering if I had read some of the things right. At first I liked her, that is until I read the third paragraph.
She doesn’t just stop at trying to kill “The Emerald Princess”. This “Evil Queen” takes it MANY step farther than that. Honestly she is part of the reason the book was so interesting. This character went past just a queen. She brought people and things together. She also had gone through love and loss. Walker’s “Evil Queen” was a character you loved to hate. And weirdly I think I may have bonded with that character?
Another side of the story is the fighting and training. This is set in old Ireland and as such, there are small villages, war, etc. Walker took the story a level up, by adding what these people would have done in their normal everyday lives. Or fighting for their country and families. This is where a lot of the side characters came in. Just doing normal things. Which was nice, this gave us more of the story instead of taking away from it.
By the time I was finished with “The Wild Rose and The Sea Raven”, I had to sit for a moment and breathe. It was so difficult not to have book two in my hands immediately. The cliffhanger was enough that I have to know what happens next. I definitely had mixed feelings about ending this book. But they were all good feelings. Something I look forward to feeling again in Walker’s next book “The Lady Of The Mirrored Lake”.
#haveyoureadreviews
When I started this book, I was told it had a "Snow White" and "Game Of Thrones" feel to it, with a light amount of smut. That was all true. What I hadn't been told was that there would be fae creatures, and herbalism in it as well! Which was a welcome and interesting surprise.
I immediately liked that the story was a medium sized book. Which allowed Walker to add detail to the characters and places that a smaller book would not have had. While also allowing her to leave openings for us to discover other things, and paint our own picture. She never gives us too much detail, just enough to get us going.
The story is actually a telling of two different storylines. Normally I do find the two storylines difficult to read. But Walker has shown us her ability to blend them together well, while also keeping the two stories apart. Making this an easy yet fun read.
I really bonded with The Emerald Princess. The amount of loss, growth, and strength this character shows, made me interested to see what she would face next. Even “The Knight” , who was the MC in the other story, faced many great challenges. The thing I liked most about him was that even when he felt anger, hate, sorrow, ect. He didn’t lose control. He grew, and got where he needed to be. Even if that wasn’t always where he wanted to be.
Now onto the fun part, the villains!! Of course we have the Evil Queen. Who honestly even though she didn’t really do much. I think wins the “Most Evil, Evil Queen” award. Her choices and actions in this story had me reading with an open mouth at some points. I had to double back wondering if I had read some of the things right. At first I liked her, that is until I read the third paragraph.
She doesn’t just stop at trying to kill “The Emerald Princess”. This “Evil Queen” takes it MANY step farther than that. Honestly she is part of the reason the book was so interesting. This character went past just a queen. She brought people and things together. She also had gone through love and loss. Walker’s “Evil Queen” was a character you loved to hate. And weirdly I think I may have bonded with that character?
Another side of the story is the fighting and training. This is set in old Ireland and as such, there are small villages, war, etc. Walker took the story a level up, by adding what these people would have done in their normal everyday lives. Or fighting for their country and families. This is where a lot of the side characters came in. Just doing normal things. Which was nice, this gave us more of the story instead of taking away from it.
By the time I was finished with “The Wild Rose and The Sea Raven”, I had to sit for a moment and breathe. It was so difficult not to have book two in my hands immediately. The cliffhanger was enough that I have to know what happens next. I definitely had mixed feelings about ending this book. But they were all good feelings. Something I look forward to feeling again in Walker’s next book “The Lady Of The Mirrored Lake”.
#haveyoureadreviews