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catgv's review against another edition
4.0
*I was given an ARC in exchange for an honest review*
Let’s start with the positive sides! The writing is engaging and the author uses the five senses, which adds to the reader’s experience. She also writes detailed descriptions of the settings and events, and uses a good vocabulary (mostly linked to sailing, which makes it even more interesting). This story is intriguing, full of magic, adventure, and a realistic caste system! It is exotic with all the names, the caste system, the food, and the description of objects and titles. Moreover, the plot is interesting. There is drama, much conflict, and a sense of urgency. It is not a boring read due to its being action-packed! I felt as though I were in the story with Kinneret and her crew. Speaking of Kinneret, she is a strong main character – she makes decisions and gives her all to accomplish her goals, and her motives are clear. It was quite enjoyable. As for the characters in general, they are interesting; we care for Kinneret and Avi, and the rest are pleasant to read.
I find Kinneret headstrong and inspiring. Plus, she has a good dream: becoming a ship kaptan instead of the usual dream of piracy! The forbidden romance between Kinneret and Calev, her high-caste childhood friend, is bittersweet and well-done. It was quite fun to read. The story’s introduction was good and I’d just like to point out a thing that I liked: the author mentioned a woman’s bleed, which is rarely done in novels. Klapheke’s world-building is fantastic and exotic! It feels real because the people inhabiting her world live by their traditions, conventions, and social classes (mostly represented by the caste system). It feels both out-of-this-world and familiar. I greatly enjoyed her world-building skills!
Now, let’s talk about the negative sides. The dialogue is a bit too revealing and unrealistic. The characters disclose too much information and/or the sentences are too long. It could definitely be stronger and have more subtext. The action could use more description to make it even more engaging. The emotions could be more detailed. I could not identify them easily except for shame, anger, and love. Otherwise, it’s more telling than showing. The other characters (other than Kinneret) lack goals and motives or they’re not clear enough or too weak. Most of them just seem to fall in line behind Kinneret and whatever she does.
For all these reasons, I give this book a rating of 4 out of 5. I enjoyed spending time with Kinneret and her crew, living all those adventures at sea to rescue her sister, Avigail. Klapheke’s world is brilliant and exotic – a pleasure to read and travel to. However, the lack of showing the emotions instead of telling and the fact that nearly everyone goes Kinneret’s way are tiresome and unbelievable. This being said, I still recommend this book to those who love adventure-packed novels! One doesn’t grow bored with this novel! I will read the rest of Klapheke’s upcoming and past books about Kinneret and her crew and the Uncommon World.
Let’s start with the positive sides! The writing is engaging and the author uses the five senses, which adds to the reader’s experience. She also writes detailed descriptions of the settings and events, and uses a good vocabulary (mostly linked to sailing, which makes it even more interesting). This story is intriguing, full of magic, adventure, and a realistic caste system! It is exotic with all the names, the caste system, the food, and the description of objects and titles. Moreover, the plot is interesting. There is drama, much conflict, and a sense of urgency. It is not a boring read due to its being action-packed! I felt as though I were in the story with Kinneret and her crew. Speaking of Kinneret, she is a strong main character – she makes decisions and gives her all to accomplish her goals, and her motives are clear. It was quite enjoyable. As for the characters in general, they are interesting; we care for Kinneret and Avi, and the rest are pleasant to read.
I find Kinneret headstrong and inspiring. Plus, she has a good dream: becoming a ship kaptan instead of the usual dream of piracy! The forbidden romance between Kinneret and Calev, her high-caste childhood friend, is bittersweet and well-done. It was quite fun to read. The story’s introduction was good and I’d just like to point out a thing that I liked: the author mentioned a woman’s bleed, which is rarely done in novels. Klapheke’s world-building is fantastic and exotic! It feels real because the people inhabiting her world live by their traditions, conventions, and social classes (mostly represented by the caste system). It feels both out-of-this-world and familiar. I greatly enjoyed her world-building skills!
Now, let’s talk about the negative sides. The dialogue is a bit too revealing and unrealistic. The characters disclose too much information and/or the sentences are too long. It could definitely be stronger and have more subtext. The action could use more description to make it even more engaging. The emotions could be more detailed. I could not identify them easily except for shame, anger, and love. Otherwise, it’s more telling than showing. The other characters (other than Kinneret) lack goals and motives or they’re not clear enough or too weak. Most of them just seem to fall in line behind Kinneret and whatever she does.
For all these reasons, I give this book a rating of 4 out of 5. I enjoyed spending time with Kinneret and her crew, living all those adventures at sea to rescue her sister, Avigail. Klapheke’s world is brilliant and exotic – a pleasure to read and travel to. However, the lack of showing the emotions instead of telling and the fact that nearly everyone goes Kinneret’s way are tiresome and unbelievable. This being said, I still recommend this book to those who love adventure-packed novels! One doesn’t grow bored with this novel! I will read the rest of Klapheke’s upcoming and past books about Kinneret and her crew and the Uncommon World.
amybraunauthor's review against another edition
5.0
Actual rating 4.5! This is a great book for fans of rich world building, high seas adventure, and daring heroes. It’s exciting, inventive, and full of imagination.
Kinneret is a strong lead character who will do anything to save her sister when she is kidnapped. She makes deals with dangerous people and risks her secrets, as well as her love. She is headstrong and bold, and I really liked her.
The world is so rich and well imagined, and I truly felt immersed while reading. Every aspect was thought out and unique from many seafaring stories I’ve read.
The writing is solid throughout, and the frequent action scenes make certain readers will not be bored. The story could be a little tropey and predictable at times, but there were other truly shocking and intense moments that balanced it out.
I think this is great for anyone who loves unique fantasy worlds, high stakes adventure and a dash of romance. Definitely check it out!
Kinneret is a strong lead character who will do anything to save her sister when she is kidnapped. She makes deals with dangerous people and risks her secrets, as well as her love. She is headstrong and bold, and I really liked her.
The world is so rich and well imagined, and I truly felt immersed while reading. Every aspect was thought out and unique from many seafaring stories I’ve read.
The writing is solid throughout, and the frequent action scenes make certain readers will not be bored. The story could be a little tropey and predictable at times, but there were other truly shocking and intense moments that balanced it out.
I think this is great for anyone who loves unique fantasy worlds, high stakes adventure and a dash of romance. Definitely check it out!
curls's review against another edition
5.0
A five star freebie!
I've not had much luck with freebies on my kindle lately but this one was awesome! It's an unique world with well developed characters. It also has a good balance of action and romance, where the romance doesn't take up the whole plot. I'd recommend it to fantasy fans.
I've not had much luck with freebies on my kindle lately but this one was awesome! It's an unique world with well developed characters. It also has a good balance of action and romance, where the romance doesn't take up the whole plot. I'd recommend it to fantasy fans.
emmar's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
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? Yes
4.5
secre's review against another edition
4.0
Waters of Salt and Sin is an easy to read fantasy with romance undercurrents that don't detract from the main narrative. It's got an interesting caste system underlying the main world, a strong female lead and a strong supporting cast of characters. Where it fell down slightly was in establishing the backdrop to the world building; things just are as they are without much explanation of why and some inconsistencies in the narrative. These are relatively small niggles in the grand scheme of things though as the narrative is very much one of a personal quest with the added romance subplot.
Kinneret is a sea-faring Salt Witch and one of the low caste. When she's given hints to the location of a fabled island full of silver, she sets her sights on it with the hopes of buying her way to a higher status. Without it, she has no chance of marrying Calev, whose status as Old Farm puts him very much in the high-caste realm. And time is running out. It's less than a year til their eighteenth birthdays and the transition from 'child' to 'adult' means they'll be Outcast if they spend time together. But Kinneret soon finds she may have bitten off more than she can chew and her decisions result in her younger sister being taken and enslaved. Time is even shorter if she wants to save her sister.
The story drew me in. It starts off being a teenagers wish fulfilment and then - as is so often the case with snap decisions for teenagers - everything goes wrong. But Kinneret doesn't have many trusted adults to fall back on. Her status in society puts her at risk of imprisonment for the slightest of offences, her parents are long since dead and so she's left to flounder alone. Or not quite alone. It's fairly fast paced, one misadventure leading to disaster leading to near catastrophe leading to what could be fatal errors.
There were some moments that didn't quite make sense though, hence my point about the inconsistencies. There's a moment fairly late on in the novel for example where Kinneret and Calev come up with a half decent lie to explain things. Then a chapter or so later, they do an abrupt U-Turn and use a completely different lie that makes absolutely no sense. A five year old child could pick apart the holes in the story and yet apparently intelligent - and senior - adults fall for it hook, line and sinker. There's a few other occasions where the inconsistency detracts from the story, but without spoilers I'd end up writing a full length essay to try and explain them!
The characters were very strong as a whole. I really felt for Kinneret, whose status was determined well before she was a even a twinkle in her parent's eyes. She's got the grit and determination to try to make something of herself, but it's beyond difficult when so much of her time is spent simply trying to ensure that her and her sister survive. Klapheke touches on poverty and the fear of not knowing where your next meal will come from, but doesn't dwell on it. This sometimes makes Kinneret seem too naïve and optimistic for her circumstances, but as the book is aimed at the Young Adult market I can see why some of the sharper edges were softened.
I would have liked to see more exploration of the magic system; there's a clear differentiation made between Salt Magic and Fire Magic, but why? We see Kinneret practice Salt Magic despite society's condemnation, but we never actually see any of the sanctioned Fire Magic. There are very slight hints from Calev about one being a request and one being a demand, but nothing else. I'd have also liked to see more of the world building; the entire tale takes place on small islands and the sea, why? What led to the caste system? Why is the slave island allowed to take such liberties? I enjoyed the novel despite these unanswered questions, but I can't help but feel it would be stronger with a little more world-building.
So, all in all, this is a strong and easy to read first entry in the series. It's well written and has strong, fairly relatable characters. It could have been a five star read with more world building and fewer inconsistencies, but I still very much enjoyed it. The romance is quite a sweet sub-plot that is directly relevant to main events, but doesn't take over the story. I'm intrigued to see where this goes... but I also have the box set of the authors Dragon series which I may have to read first.
Kinneret is a sea-faring Salt Witch and one of the low caste. When she's given hints to the location of a fabled island full of silver, she sets her sights on it with the hopes of buying her way to a higher status. Without it, she has no chance of marrying Calev, whose status as Old Farm puts him very much in the high-caste realm. And time is running out. It's less than a year til their eighteenth birthdays and the transition from 'child' to 'adult' means they'll be Outcast if they spend time together. But Kinneret soon finds she may have bitten off more than she can chew and her decisions result in her younger sister being taken and enslaved. Time is even shorter if she wants to save her sister.
The story drew me in. It starts off being a teenagers wish fulfilment and then - as is so often the case with snap decisions for teenagers - everything goes wrong. But Kinneret doesn't have many trusted adults to fall back on. Her status in society puts her at risk of imprisonment for the slightest of offences, her parents are long since dead and so she's left to flounder alone. Or not quite alone. It's fairly fast paced, one misadventure leading to disaster leading to near catastrophe leading to what could be fatal errors.
There were some moments that didn't quite make sense though, hence my point about the inconsistencies. There's a moment fairly late on in the novel for example where Kinneret and Calev come up with a half decent lie to explain things. Then a chapter or so later, they do an abrupt U-Turn and use a completely different lie that makes absolutely no sense. A five year old child could pick apart the holes in the story and yet apparently intelligent - and senior - adults fall for it hook, line and sinker. There's a few other occasions where the inconsistency detracts from the story, but without spoilers I'd end up writing a full length essay to try and explain them!
The characters were very strong as a whole. I really felt for Kinneret, whose status was determined well before she was a even a twinkle in her parent's eyes. She's got the grit and determination to try to make something of herself, but it's beyond difficult when so much of her time is spent simply trying to ensure that her and her sister survive. Klapheke touches on poverty and the fear of not knowing where your next meal will come from, but doesn't dwell on it. This sometimes makes Kinneret seem too naïve and optimistic for her circumstances, but as the book is aimed at the Young Adult market I can see why some of the sharper edges were softened.
I would have liked to see more exploration of the magic system; there's a clear differentiation made between Salt Magic and Fire Magic, but why? We see Kinneret practice Salt Magic despite society's condemnation, but we never actually see any of the sanctioned Fire Magic. There are very slight hints from Calev about one being a request and one being a demand, but nothing else. I'd have also liked to see more of the world building; the entire tale takes place on small islands and the sea, why? What led to the caste system? Why is the slave island allowed to take such liberties? I enjoyed the novel despite these unanswered questions, but I can't help but feel it would be stronger with a little more world-building.
So, all in all, this is a strong and easy to read first entry in the series. It's well written and has strong, fairly relatable characters. It could have been a five star read with more world building and fewer inconsistencies, but I still very much enjoyed it. The romance is quite a sweet sub-plot that is directly relevant to main events, but doesn't take over the story. I'm intrigued to see where this goes... but I also have the box set of the authors Dragon series which I may have to read first.
faerietears's review
4.0
Full review on The Blog
www.carolineandrus.com/blog
Fans of YA fantasy will gobble up this adventure. Great characters, an interesting plot and world, and pretty much non-stop action.
anatomydetective's review
3.0
Not a bad first novel, interesting world building, but way too much tropey romance for me to continue the series.
emilythesmelly's review
3.0
This is the book that made me realize I don't like Forbidden Romance. It is apparently not my thing. I didn't enjoy Kinnaret and Calev's back and forth, the "I love him but I can't have him," the "eventually I'll have him," the "he called me 'friend' and now I want to die," the "he kissed me but he won't run away with me." I just felt like there came a time when we turned a corner, but then we turned right back, and I didn't like it.
The story itself is solid. The characters were mostly likable, except the aforementioned wishy washy romance bits. I had a hard time placing myself in the space, except for at the aunt's house.
It was fine, but if you actually enjoy forbidden romance you might like it better.
The story itself is solid. The characters were mostly likable, except the aforementioned wishy washy romance bits. I had a hard time placing myself in the space, except for at the aunt's house.
It was fine, but if you actually enjoy forbidden romance you might like it better.
jckang's review
5.0
The author writes beautifully, without having to use SAT words. Spectacular world building!