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folkofthebook's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Every wish demands a price.
this is a beautiful story about family, greed, and sacrifice. i NEED more tropical-set fantasy; the descriptions are so lush and vivid, with an exciting seafaring islander adventure undertone. hanalei is clever, brave, and compassionate as a protagonist, and her sympathy and understanding for the seadragons is admirable. her budding romance with sam was organic and sweet, it was a very well-done childhood friends to lovers.
i loved the idea of dragon eggs being dragonfruit, and the theme of greed and sacrifice was played out well w the wishes and their costs. how far are people willing to go for glory? for their dreams? one pays for their wish, whether it was made out of selfishness or selflessness alike.
also so cool to see a matriarchal society and how it works.
as someone who's been pushing for writers to stop needlessly extending their books, this is a rare exception that i'd say i wish this were longer! a follow-up novella to learn more about the seadragons would be fun, too.
tw for some violence/blood/injury/death, animal cruelty/death.
We are defined by our hardships, and how we face them. We are made stronger or weaker by those we hold closest to us.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Animal cruelty
Minor: Child abuse, Child death, Death of parent, Grief, Vomit, and Dementia
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