offmyredcarpet's reviews
791 reviews

4.5 // This was a fun read. If you enjoyed A Heart of Blood and Ashes by Milla Vane, this is in a similar vein. It is not a one to one comparison mind you, but I do see why it was recommend to me as a fan of AHoBaA. 

We have a young woman fleeing a tyrant uncle hellbent on killing her seeking a barbarian of prophecy to wed and help her win back her kingdom before her looming death thus freeing her people. He agrees having seen an artifact she has in her possession that was stolen from his country and he aims to get it back. Betrayed and underestimated by everyone around her, she finds her way and her strength. 

There’s great banter, humor, heartbreak, and a cast of interesting side characters, at least one of which gets his own story. Highly recommend if you’re looking for a standalone fantasy romance that’s a tightly written easy read with a quick pace. 

This series has quickly become a favorite. Davies gives me everything I want consistently: interesting world building, found family, excellent character and relationship development, and a mature, emotionally intimate romance. And for those who love lots of spice, you won’t be disappointed. 

Last book ended with me seriously not liking Drift so the author had her work cut out for her but she did it. I fell in love with him pretty quickly. His longing and desire for Kimba is acute and so respectful. There was no way I wasn’t going to come to adore him once that side was revealed. And we get a nice dig at his expense from Richter in reference to book one which he feels rightly chastised for. 

And Kimba, like most of the characters in the book, I don’t know if I want to be her or be with her. She is incredibly competent with a deadly charming mix of qualities, most notably being her ability to quickly assess people for who they are. I appreciated that Davies has this character as a widow caught between her feelings for her previous bond mate and for Drift. There’s cultural tension around bond mates who survive the breaking of their bond and we get to see her struggle through it with the people around her. 

There’s considerable pacing issues and the relationship development is choppy. I found myself being really perplexed by the progression of the story telling. I was really looking forward to this installment and wanted to like it but I don’t. Overall, this series has proven to be hit or miss for me and I think I’ve decided I’m done. Books 1 and 3 were fine but I mostly disliked books 2 and 4. I can see book 5 going the way of 2 and 4 so I’m stopping here.

Amateur writing and too much inner monologue vs dialogue.

I was absolutely delighted reading this and having the best time up until about halfway in when it starts to lose steam. The writing in the second half isn’t as tight and the editing isn’t as good. I started getting bored with parts of the story. Very disappointing considering how it began. I just wanted, and expected, more based on the first half. But it’s still enjoyable and extremely inventive. I do like the world the author created. There’s definitely talent here and I hope she writes more about this underwater world.