A review by she_who_reads_ya_books
Lies We Sing to the Sea by Sarah Underwood

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

“We are more than our actions, we are the way we love others, and the way they love us back.” 

 

Each spring, Ithaca condemns twelve maidens to the noose. This is the price vengeful Poseidon demands for the lives of Queen Penelope’s twelve maids, hanged and cast into the depths centuries ago. But when that fate comes for Leto, death is not what she thought it would be. Instead, she wakes on a mysterious island and meets a girl with green eyes and the power to command the sea. A girl named Melantho, who says one more death can stop a thousand. The prince of Ithaca must die—or the tides of fate will drown them all. 

 

This story was gorgeous. Everything about it — whether it be the characters, the plot, or the writing — I couldn’t have asked for anything more. 

 

I was unsure before reading this. Sometimes books based off of mythology can be slow, but the pacing was perfect. Everything was done perfectly, I honestly can’t believe this is Underwood’s debut. I’m really excited to see what else Underwood writes! 

 

The mythology was mixed in perfectly. The story felt like it was from the same time period, and for those not familiar, it was explained in great detail without feeling like it was too much. 

 

The characters were all complex, and all had their own distinct personalities. All of them had their flaws, and their flaws were what made them human. This made reading about the characters enjoyable. 

 

The ending was what sold me. It was one of the best endings I’ve ever read. I never considered it a possibility, and on top of that, it was just a beautiful end with no strings left behind, almost like letting the story rest in peace. 

 

Thank you to the publisher for sending this ARC to me. This review was in no way influenced by this.