Great idea, flat execution

filled star filled star filled star star unfilled star unfilled
onereadingnurse Avatar

By

You guys know that I will do anything for a good pirate story. Now that I’m aware that this is supposed to be the first in a trilogy, I’m much more confident in my 🌟🌟🌟 rating

If it’s going to kick off a trilogy, I would expect much more in-depth world and character building, more lore, more everything. The characters don’t need to rush from thing to thing and the author can take time to build relationships and such

The characters are a good lot but they don’t make great pirates. They do say time and time again that they are meant to protect their homeland more than be ruthless brigands, but they seem more like YA cinnamon rolls than pirates.

Yes they have their ruthless streaks but they came together fairly easily in an alliance. Are we just going to drop all of the terrible things that Kane has done? What about Rove? I want details!

There was a good foundation to the world building, but I want more on the entire Incendia vs Cerulia conflict. More lore too, the gods and goddesses are an interesting basis but it all just wasn’t quite enough for me.

The trials seemed a bit anticlimactic too, plus for all of the times that it was said there were only 4 map pieces and each captain would get a piece – there were 5 captains.

There were definitely positive aspects like the magic, I love when innate magic is attached to bloodlines or kingdoms. I just felt like the whole book was skimming over the surface when, again for the start of a trilogy, there should be more depth.

The Scilla vs Rhoda thing was the most real relationship in the whole book for me, what a terrible betrayal by her sister. The other relationships seemed fluffed together quickly.

I don’t know how to describe it either, but I just didn’t think the characters… Felt like pirates. Rove and Kane did at least at the start, but Flynn definitely didn’t. Neither did Scilla really, I needed more time at sea to show … pirating.

I might give it one more book but I don’t know. The ending felt more like Cinderella than pirates, and there are a ton of phenomenal pirate books out there right now

Once again thank you to Bookish First and Wattpad Books for the digital ARC!