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A review by amy_holden23
Somewhere Beyond the Sea by TJ Klune
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
I need to sit on my rating, but for now I'll put that.
I really wanted to love this, and I'd like to think it was just a matter of personal taste. I have to think I just don't enjoy cozy fantasy without high stakes, or at least I wasn't in the mood for it right now. I love all the characters from the first book (especially Talia ), but even they couldn't save this for me. I think the main issue I had was the writing style, which is quite surface-level with its themes, rather than threading them throughout with nuance. I love books with political themes, so I think it was just the style. I found the good v bad dichotomy to be very archetypal on the bad side, and the ending didn't really resolve it, just bringing in a new plot point with its own political parallel.
I did however think the discussions around trauma were really important and well-considered.
I really wanted to love this, and I'd like to think it was just a matter of personal taste. I have to think I just don't enjoy cozy fantasy without high stakes, or at least I wasn't in the mood for it right now. I love all the characters from the first book (especially Talia ), but even they couldn't save this for me. I think the main issue I had was the writing style, which is quite surface-level with its themes, rather than threading them throughout with nuance. I love books with political themes, so I think it was just the style. I found the good v bad dichotomy to be very archetypal on the bad side, and the ending didn't really resolve it, just bringing in a new plot point with its own political parallel.
I did however think the discussions around trauma were really important and well-considered.