Scan barcode
A review by kmkasiner
Our Bloody Pearl by D.N. Bryn
4.0
Our Bloody Pearl is told from the perspective of Perle, a siren. At the beginning of the story, Perle is held captive on a pirate ship, where they have been abused for months. The book starts right into the action and I immediately felt for everything Perle had suffered. I really enjoyed the Siren's point of view, with a different thought process from a human. I wish fantasy had more of this--we can do anything in a fictional world, so why not make your character something else entirely? I especially loved how Sirens' concept of language is different from humans, requiring a mix of words and signing to communicate.
Perle is rescued by Dejean, the first human to show them any kindness. The first half of the story is primarily about Perle and Dejean's growing relationship and journey towards trusting each other. I enjoyed the focus on character and learning the quirks of both siren and human. I liked the second half of the book less. It's all action and I had trouble following some of the scenes. At times it was a little repetitive with all of the near-drowning, fighting, and injury. But that's just me--I greatly prefer character study and romance/friendship to action.
This book does deal with some heavy topics, such as abuse and trauma, and there are some violent scenes. More than I was expecting going in. But at its heart, it is a story about learning to accept differences and find acceptance with a community. The writing is engaging and the worldbuilding was intriguing. I hope to see more of the world in the rest of the series, because I want to know about the technology hinted at and how sirens continue to work with humans.
Perle is rescued by Dejean, the first human to show them any kindness. The first half of the story is primarily about Perle and Dejean's growing relationship and journey towards trusting each other. I enjoyed the focus on character and learning the quirks of both siren and human. I liked the second half of the book less. It's all action and I had trouble following some of the scenes. At times it was a little repetitive with all of the near-drowning, fighting, and injury. But that's just me--I greatly prefer character study and romance/friendship to action.
This book does deal with some heavy topics, such as abuse and trauma, and there are some violent scenes. More than I was expecting going in. But at its heart, it is a story about learning to accept differences and find acceptance with a community. The writing is engaging and the worldbuilding was intriguing. I hope to see more of the world in the rest of the series, because I want to know about the technology hinted at and how sirens continue to work with humans.