ARC Review: These Rebel Waves by Sara Raasch

Title: These Rebel Waves Series: Stream Riders #1 Written by: Sara Raasch Published: August 7, 2018 by Balzar + Bray (HarperCollins) (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: Adeluna is a soldier. Five years ago, she helped the magic-rich island of Grace Loray overthrow its oppressor, Argrid, a country ruled by religion. But adjusting to postwar life has not been easy. When an Argridian delegate vanishes during peace talks with Grace Loray’s new Council, Argrid demands brutal justice—but Lu suspects something more dangerous is at work.  Devereux is a pirate. As one of the outlaws called stream raiders who run rampant on Grace Loray, he pirates the island’s magic plants and sells them on the black market. But after Argrid accuses raiders of the diplomat’s abduction, Vex becomes a target. An expert navigator, he agrees to help Lu find the Argridian—but the truth they uncover could be deadlier than any war.  Benat is a heretic. The crown prince of Argrid, he harbors a secret obsession with Grace Loray’s forbidden magic. When Ben’s father, the king, gives him the shocking task of reversing Argrid’s fear of magic, Ben has to decide if one prince can change a devout country—or if he’s building his own pyre.  As conspiracies arise, Lu, Vex, and Ben will have to decide who they really are . . . and what they are willing to become for peace.

I really like Sara Raasch's debut series, even though I never finished it. It was a good YA fantasy with an interesting world and magical system. So when I heard she had a new series coming out that was inspired by historical pirates I was very excited to read it. And this book was another good YA fantasy with a cool world and magical system.

One thing that Sara does so well is world building. She really knows how to create a unique world that engages the reader and that is exactly what happens in this book. Probably my favorite thing about These Rebel Waves was the world. It's a world full of magic, political intrigue, and lush settings. There was a lot involved in the world which I seriously enjoy in my fantasy. For one thing there is a nation who is trying to maintain it's independence after a revolution and that made for some interesting relationships. For another there is a lot of oppression by a world power who uses religion and scare tactics to maintain control. Those two combined always make for a really compelling setting for me and Sara did a great job in establishing all of that.

Then you have the magical system. It was an interesting magical system in that it didn't really feel like magic. The basis for the powers here were in these plants that gave those who ingested or breathed them specific abilities. Some more benign like the ability to stay alert (basically we're talking caffeine) and some more detailed like knocking you out or allowing you to hear from long-distances. I found it really interesting especially because it walked a fine line between real magic and historical witches who were basically just apothecaries.

My biggest problem however in These Rebel Waves was with the plot development. I went into this book expecting a story about pirates and privateers so I was ready for a story of adventure on the high seas. Sadly that was not what this book was about. It was much more focused on the political plotting and story of a country who survived a revolution and is trying to prevent another one. That is definitely an interesting story but when you are expecting one thing and get another you can't help but feel disappointed. I don't know why myself, and frankly a lot f other people, were fixated on that point about the story but we were. I want to make this really clear because if you want to read this book I feel like you need to know it is not about pirates. It's about politics and religion while one of the characters is a pirate.

One thing that also made the plot development a little problematic for me was the characters. This is a book with multiple perspectives which can be really great or really unnecessary in my opinion. This book leaned more towards the latter. Having two of the perspectives was definitely good. They spent most of the book in different places, doing different things which offered a lot of interest and contrast to the story. The other one however I didn't feel added much of anything except to needlessly complicate. And it's not that I didn't like the characters, because I did. Lu was a good heroine. She's tough, resourceful, cares a lot for those she loves including her home. She also had the perfect combination of reckless and cunning. Vex was easy to root for as the resident lovable rogue with a backstory that you just know is going to be full of vulnerabilities to make him more complex. And Ben is super complex. He's probably the character who has the most to overcome as he decides who he wants to be and what he can do with his position. They were likable and complex for sure. I just thing we could have done without Vex;s perspective and had a little more from Ben.

On the whole, this book was okay. It didn't blow me away, but was a YA fantasy that had a cool world, a mildly interesting plot, and likable characters. I think it just didn't quite deliver when it comes to the plot development and made things too confusing with multiple character perspectives.

I give These Rebel Waves by Sara Raasch 7.5 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Borrow. If you like YA fantasy and enjoyed Sara's first series then I would say pick this up the next time you are at the library.

Have you read These Rebel Waves? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

These Rebel Waves Blog Tour: Guest Post with Sara Raasch

About the Book:

Title: These Rebel Waves
Series: Stream Riders #1
Author: Sara Raasch
Amazon / Goodreads

Synopsis:Adeluna is a soldier. Five years ago, she helped the magic-rich island of Grace Loray overthrow its oppressor, Argrid, a country ruled by religion. But adjusting to postwar life has not been easy. When an Argridian delegate vanishes during peace talks with Grace Loray’s new Council, Argrid demands brutal justice—but Lu suspects something more dangerous is at work.

Devereux is a pirate. As one of the outlaws called stream raiders who run rampant on Grace Loray, he pirates the island’s magic plants and sells them on the black market. But after Argrid accuses raiders of the diplomat’s abduction, Vex becomes a target. An expert navigator, he agrees to help Lu find the Argridian—but the truth they uncover could be deadlier than any war.

Benat is a heretic. The crown prince of Argrid, he harbors a secret obsession with Grace Loray’s forbidden magic. When Ben’s father, the king, gives him the shocking task of reversing Argrid’s fear of magic, Ben has to decide if one prince can change a devout country—or if he’s building his own pyre.

As conspiracies arise, Lu, Vex, and Ben will have to decide who they really are . . . and what they are willing to become for peace.

Guest Post:

I asked Sara how real life pirates inspired These Rebel Waves. Here are her answers.

One book in particular ignited the pirate-inspired raiders that wreak havoc in THESE REBEL WAVES: Colin Woodard’s THE REPUBLIC OF PIRATES. It details the Golden Age of Piracy in the Caribbean and the various players that made it such a sordid time—namely, one deliciously enticing pirate named Samuel “Black Sam” Bellamy.

His career as a pirate captain lasted less than a year (and he died at the age of 28), but in that time, he captured/raided more than 50 ships. He was way nicer than most of his fellows and deigned to show *gasp* mercy to the crews of ships he captured. His own crew loved him; he earned a reputation for being the Robin Hood of the Sea. There’s way more to his life and death, of course, but reading about Black Sam stuck him firmly in my brain. What sort of person must he have been, to be successful and merciful in an industry that required ruthlessness?

Black Sam stayed in the back of my head as I worked out the characters in THESE REBEL WAVES, particularly with my pirate POV character, Devereux “Vex” Bell. His name is even a homage to Black Sam Bellamy, a tribute to the real life pirate who was such an appetizingly enticing figure.

About the Author

Sara Raasch has known she was destined for bookish things since the age of five, when her friends had a lemonade stand and she tagged along to sell her hand-drawn picture books too. Not much has changed since then — her friends still cock concerned eyebrows when she attempts to draw things and her enthusiasm for the written word still drives her to extreme measures. Her NYTimes bestselling SNOW LIKE ASHES trilogy is available now and her upcoming pirate fantasy, THESE REBEL WAVES, releases August 7, 2018. None of those feature her hand-drawn pictures.

Buy the SNOW LIKE ASHES trilogy now and preorder THESE REBEL WAVES! http://sararaasch.tumblr.com/books

Website: http://sararaasch.tumblr.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/seesarawrite
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Snow-Like-Ashes/463392000376989
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/seesarawrite/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6947727.Sara_Raasch
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/sararaasch

Alright everyone, I hope you enjoyed that little peak into some of the inspiration for These Rebel Waves. Definitely check out the book. I've been reading it all week and I'm really enjoying it. Come back on Monday for more of my thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Book Review: Ice Like Fire by Sara Raasch

Title: Ice Like Fire Series: Snow LikeAshes #2 Author: Sara Raasch Published: October 13, 2015 by Balthazar + Bray (Harper Collins) (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: It’s been three months since the Winterians were freed and Spring’s king, Angra, disappeared—thanks largely to the help of Cordell.  Meira just wants her people to be safe. When Cordellan debt forces the Winterians to dig their mines for payment, they unearth something powerful and possibly dangerous: Primoria’s lost chasm of magic. Theron sees this find as an opportunity—with this much magic, the world can finally stand against threats like Angra. But Meira fears the danger the chasm poses—the last time the world had access to so much magic, it spawned the Decay. So when the king of Cordell orders the two on a mission across the kingdoms of Primoria to discover the chasm’s secrets, Meira plans to use the trip to garner support to keep the chasm shut and Winter safe—even if it means clashing with Theron. But can she do so without endangering the people she loves?  Mather just wants to be free. The horrors inflicted on the Winterians hang fresh and raw in Januari—leaving Winter vulnerable to Cordell’s growing oppression. When Meira leaves to search for allies, he decides to take Winter’s security into his own hands. Can he rebuild his broken kingdom and protect them from new threats?  As the web of power and deception weaves tighter, Theron fights for magic, Mather fights for freedom—and Meira starts to wonder if she should be fighting not just for Winter, but for the world.

*** This is the second book in a series and there may be spoilers in this post. If you haven't read Snow Like Ashes then do that and come back. ***

Despite wanting to read it before the book was released, it took me nearly six months to get around to reading Snow Like Ashes. When I finally did read it, I found it a good YA fantasy and I was interested to see how the series would develop. So when I saw a great deal on a preorder of Ice Like Fire I snagged it. Ice Like Fire was a good sequel. It let us explore the world more, furter developed the characters, and had complex plot development.

For me, the best thing about the series is the world. What the author has created here is something so interesting and engaging. Each kingdom is so diverse with specific traits, ideals, and even climates. It reminds me so much of the societies in Avatar: The Last Airbender which I love but here it felt more like if Hogwarts houses were countries. In the first book we got to explore a few kingdoms and here we got to visit three more places in Primoria in addition to exploring Winter even more. Each kingdoms is more interesting than the one before. I really liked Yakim. It's the knowledge kingdom and has this steampunk-like technology. It's probably the kingdom I would want to live in. Although like all places, it has it's downfall. We also got to visit Ventralli and Summer which were both really interesting places and were both pretty cool too. What I liked most is that they were all so dubious.

The only problem with that is that exploring new kingdoms meant more exposition. And because there was more exposition and world-building it meant that it took longer to get to the real plot of the book. The beginning felt like it was just going to be one big travel monologue and you probably know I hate that (although I haven't whined about it much lately). There was a lot of political intrigue and big picture stuff along the way which was pretty cool but I felt like I was mostly playing a waiting game. Some things advanced quicker than I would have expected while others took longer. On the whole it is a pretty slow paced book. I think that to me was the biggest change here. The first book had nonstop action and this one was more slow and methodical. And while I appreciated the political intrigue and the fact that it all built to a thrilling conclusion I missed some of the action. It was a bit too much of a waiting game for me and when the action did finally kick in, it was over a little too quickly.

But this book did feel a little bit more character focused. A lot of the book was spent developing the three main characters we met in the first book, Meira, Mather, and Theron. Most of them, okay all three if I'm being entirely honest, are not coping well with the revelations in book one and they felt a little whiny at times. I can usually handle whiny characters but it did make me hold them at arms length and it was harder to connect this time around. However I am enjoying Meira's development. She's struggling with her new role and I enjoyed seeing her try and walk that line between Meira from book one and who everyone wants her to be now. She felt a little more well-rounded in this book. And there were also some great new characters including the royals. My personal favorite was probably Ceridwen from Sunmer. She's so sassy and really complex. Her and Meira get along really well and it is so nice to see Meira have a female friend. But Giselle from Yakim was pretty interesting and so was Raelyn and Jesse from Ventralli. Each of the new characters were so complex and interesting, and just like their kingdoms they were pretty dubious. There are definitely some interesting characters here in this series.

On the whole, Ice Like Fire was a good sequel that was on par with the first book in the series. I liked being able to explore the world more, see the big picture plot development, and meet some complex new characters with development from the characters from the previous series. I'm interested to see where how the series will end. There are some potential clues as to what might happen in the third book and I'm majorly intrigued.

I give Ice Like Fire by Sara Raasch 8.5 out of 10

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Buy/Borrow. If you liked the first book in this series then grab yourself a copy of this one and explore more of Primoria with Meira and the others. It's definitely shaping up to be an interesting YA fantasy, despite a few things I didn't love. If you like fantasy then you will probably enjoy this series as well. I'm guessing it will probably be a good series to marathon when the final book comes out next year.

Have you read Ice Like Fire? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Book Review: Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch

Title: Snow Like Ashes Series: Snow Like Ashes #1 Author: Sara Raasch Published: September 2014 by HarperCollins (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: A heartbroken girl. A fierce warrior. A hero in the making. Sixteen years ago the Kingdom of Winter was conquered and its citizens enslaved, leaving them without magic or a monarch. Now, the Winterians’ only hope for freedom is the eight survivors who managed to escape, and who have been waiting for the opportunity to steal back Winter’s magic and rebuild the kingdom ever since. Orphaned as an infant during Winter’s defeat, Meira has lived her whole life as a refugee, raised by the Winterians’ general, Sir. Training to be a warrior—and desperately in love with her best friend, and future king, Mather — she would do anything to help her kingdom rise to power again. So when scouts discover the location of the ancient locket that can restore Winter’s magic, Meira decides to go after it herself. Finally, she’s scaling towers, fighting enemy soldiers, and serving her kingdom just as she’s always dreamed she would. But the mission doesn’t go as planned, and Meira soon finds herself thrust into a world of evil magic and dangerous politics – and ultimately comes to realize that her destiny is not, never has been, her own.

Snow Like Ashes has been on my TBR for a long time now. I wanted to read it last fall when it was released but for some reason I never got the chance. So after finishing The Storyspinner I was whining about what I wanted to read next on Twitter and Eileen from BookCatPin gave me a book on my shelf to read and it ended up being this one. And seeing as it was one I needed to read, I took her up on that suggestion and roped her into buddy reading it with me (how's it going there friend?). After finishing the book I was really glad I took the time to read it. It's a total me be. It was a great YA fantasy read with a complex world, a thrilling plot full of political intrigue, and likable characters.

One of the cool things about Snow Like Ashes was the world that Sara Raasch created. I have followed Sara on Twitter for a long time now and I know she is a huge fan of Avatar: The Last Airbender. I am too. That series to me does fantasy totally right. From the setting, to the world building, to the magical system it is all fantastic. And I can definitely feel the influence in Sara's work but it still felt creative and interesting. I was enthralled by the world of Primoria, it's history, it's people, it's magic. Everything was so imaginative and full-bodied. Each of the kingdoms were so different. From their culture and climate to the way people looked.  And yes, there was some info-dumping but I feel like Sara did the tell style of world-building really well and that's hard to do. It definitely added to the story instead of taking away from it.

But maybe because the world-building was so tied to the plot of the story. Political intrigue in a high fantasy novel is nothing new but it is one of the reasons I love the genre. With Snow Like Ashes the different cultures and kingdoms really bread this otherness that led to all kinds of prejudices and fighting. But that also led to alliances, strategic marriages, and scheming that I love in my fantasy. The great thing about Snow Like Ashes too is that while it's the start of a new series it also had it's own unique plot with a clear resolution. There are definitely some interesting places that the next book can go but I really liked that it wrapped things up.

But that being said the fact that the plot wrapped up, led to some problematic issues with the pacing. I was prepared to say that I felt like the book reached it's climax a little too soon, but that's not entirely true. In fact I would say that there was not one large climax but a bunch of smaller ones that moved the plot along. It was a really plot-driven story but at times I felt like it moved a little too fast and had a little too much action. Snow Like Ashes is definitely a thrilling read but I would have appreciated if it had maybe slowed down a little bit. I think if it had slowed down there could have been a little more focus on the mystery and twists. Instead it just felt like it periodically dropped a bomb and then moved in to the next action sequence.

I think my favorite thing about this book was the characters. Our narrator and protagonist is Meira, she's a little bit like the heroines you see a lot in YA these days. She's tough, sassy, and often acts before she thinks. But I loved that about her. I was able to instantly connect with her and her struggle to prove herself. I also instantly like Mather, the deposed king of Winter. He was similar to Meira in that he had this great desire to prove himself. I could completely sympathize with his desire to win back his kingdom and prove to his people that he's a strong leader. And then of course there is Theron, the prince of Cordell.  I wanted him to be more of a lovable rogue and a foil for Mather but that wasn't the case. He was charming and likable but his real appeal didn't happen until later in the book. He had some great development. And of you haven't figured it out already, there is a love triangle here. And while I have a clear favorite, it seemed logical and Meira's inability to make a choice made sense (although if you ask me she totally made her choice already). But those three were just the start of the great characters. There were some tough and likable Winterians, some dubious and complex characters like Noam the King of Cordell, and sinister villains in Herod and Angra from Spring. The characters were a fantastic part of this story.

Snow Like Ashes was a great start to a fantasy series that I am excited to see develop. I'm not sure what took me so long but I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. The characters were great, the world was interesting, and the plot was full of action and some complex themes.

I give Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch 9 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Buy/Borrow. If you are a fan of YA fantasies then definitely pick this one up. It's got a great world with complex characters and tons of traditional fantasy themes like including a lot of political intrigue. Despite some pacing issues I'm excited to see where things go.

Have you read Snow Like Ashes? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Waiting on Wednesday: Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch

A weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine

Title: Snow Like Ashes Series: Snow Like Ashes #1 Author: Sara Raasch Published: October 14, 2014 by Balthazar and Bray (HarperCollins) Amazon Goodreads Synopsis: Game of Thrones meets Graceling in this striking fantasy tale of dark magic, dangerous politics, and discovering your true self.  Sara Raasch’s debut fantasy is a lightning-fast story of loyalty, love, and controlling one’s destiny. Sixteen years ago the Kingdom of Winter was conquered and its citizens enslaved, leaving them without magic or a monarch. The Winterians’ only hope for freedom is the eight survivors who managed to escape, and who have been searching for the opportunity to steal back Winter’s magic and rebuild their kingdom ever since. Orphaned as an infant during Winter’s defeat, Meira has lived her whole life as a refugee. Training to be a warrior—and desperately in love with her best friend, Winter’s future king—she would do anything to help Winter rise to power again. So when scouts discover the location of half of the ancient locket that can restore their magic, Meira decides to go after it herself—only to find herself thrust into a world of evil magic and dangerous politics, and to realize that her destiny is not, never has been, her own.

Why I'm Waiting

As you may know I am pretty much in for any Young Adult Fantasy. It's basically my kryptonite. I heard about this book a few months ago and I'm not really sure where. It could have been from the YA Vals (a group of amazing YA authors) or it could have been from a Tea Time. But either way I knew one thing for sure, I needed this book in my life!

The first thing that caught my eye is the comparison to Game of Thrones (should be A Song of Ice and Fire but I'm a book hipster). I love that series for it's combination of political intrigue, mystery, and magic. A young adult book that combines that basically has me drooling. The other thing that caught my eye is the bad ass female heroine. While that can sometimes feel like a trope, it's one that I can get on board with and the character of Meira sounds like a reluctant hero and I pretty much always love those characters.

Then I found Sara Raasch's tumblr. Okay so right now it's mostly Avatar: The Last Airbender Zutara ship stuff but she also has had some amazing giveaways and sneak peeks into the world and characters of Snow Like Ashes. Every teaser I see just makes me more and more excited to read this book. The world sounds interesting, the magical system sounds unique (like so unique I'm slightly confused by this idea of conduits), and the characters sound complex and mysterious! I'm so excited to read it and the shiny copy to my ever growing YA Fantasy shelf!

What are you waiting for this Wedsnesday? Leave me a comment with your thoughts! Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!