"Sea" was being compared to "His Dark Materials"... those are very high expectations to live up to. Nonetheless, Sea is an entertaining story, with a unique character in Mouse and a solid new world where the tribes of the sea, land and sky connect in an interesting story. However, and perhaps this is me being overly demanding, a bit more character development (particularly on the villains) and more background would've made this a much much better book. I enjoyed, and will keep an eye out for the next in the trilogy. 4/5.

Sea by Sarah Driver
Publisher: Egmont

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This review is spoiler-free.

In the sky, the fire spirits dance and ripple. Grandma says they showed our Tribe that I’d be a captain, before I was even born.

Ever since Ma died, Mouse has looked after her little brother, Sparrow, dreaming of her destiny as captain of the Huntress. But now Da’s missing, Sparrow is in danger, and a deathly cold is creeping across Trianukka . . .

Sea-churning, beast-chattering, dream-dancing, whale-riding, terrodyl-flying, world-saving adventure. The first book in a stunning new fantasy adventure trilogy, perfect for readers aged 9+ and fans of Philip Pullman, Piers Torday, Abi Elphinstone, Katherine Rundell and Frances Hardinge. *

After a great deal of thought, I decided to DNF Sea at 32%. However, I do not think you should let this deter you if you’re interested in the book.
I really liked the world of Sea and the concept of the trading ships and tribes. The world that Driver builds is familiar, yet filled with moon sprites, shale songs, and terrordyls. The characters speak with a stlightly strange, but understandable dialect. Fortunes are told in the sweeping aurora and you practically feel the spray of the sea on your face.

What didn’t work for me were the characters. The story is told from the perspective of Mouse, a young girl who is destined to follow in her grandmother’s footsteps to become the captain of the Huntress. Mouse is a fierce character with a strong voice and a sense of self that reflects her way of life. I think she’s a character that I would have really liked as a child, but I couldn’t connect with now. I don’t think this is because I’m a boring adult, as I’ve loved many other characters in recent middle grade fiction. I think I struggled more with her attitude. She’s stubborn and does things that are incredibly dangerous simply because she wants to. This is a trait that I really don’t like in any character, adult or child. She felt much younger than her thirteen years. I have to say that I was a big fan of her grandmother, who is a force to be reckoned with despite her age.
Overall, this book wasn’t quite for me. The lovely world building didn’t make up for a slightly convoluted plot, which I don’t feel I can comment much on becauseeven at 32% not much of it was revealed, and my struggles with Mouse as a character. Just because it wasn’t for me doesn’t mean it will not be for you. Rather than recommend passing on this book, I think you should pick it up if the plot sounds appealing to you.

Rating: 3/5

*Copy courtesy of Goodreads

This was an interesting first book in Fantasy Trilogy. A story is about missing jewels, whale song, shape changers, various unimaginable beasts and terror with children being the main protagonists. I have enjoyed the first book and the series has great potential.

A relatively strong middle-grade fantasy novel. I did, however, find my attention waning, as the pacing often felt a little off. There were moments of roaring action, surrounded by long periods of exposition. It was like being constantly thrown from a furnace into an ice bath. I think the problem is the nature of the trilogy. There seemed to be a lot of filler. Why make a trilogy when one really good book will suffice?

This is a series that starts with a bang. Whale Gods, betrayal, murder, more betrayal and hawks galore.

Goodreads Summary:

In the sky, the fire spirits dance and ripple. Grandma says they showed our Tribe that I’d be a captain, before I was even born.

Ever since Ma died, Mouse has looked after her little brother, Sparrow, dreaming of her destiny as captain of the Huntress. But now Da’s missing, Sparrow is in danger, and a deathly cold is creeping across Trianukka . . .
So what’s this about? Well it’s about a thirteen year old girl called Mouse who lives on her Grandmother’s trading ship with her younger brother and who is training to be Captain one day. There are whales in the sea that are kind of Gods, there are monsters that fly that are scared of whales, there are various tribes to which people are fiercely loyal and there’s a vague mythology of a magical crown. Let’s not forget our main character and her brother both possess different kinds of magic, she can talk to animals using beast chatter and he can sing to the whales.

Now I’m completely aware that this sounds utterly confused as well as being confusing. The thing is, this is one of those stories where any attempt to put it into words just makes it sound much worse than it is. In fact, this was actually a really fun set up for what I think is going to be a really good series.

What of our main character? I daresay there are people who are going to find mouse annoying. I guarantee she won’t be everyone’s cup of tea. But what really sold it for me was that it took me until a fair way through the book to realise she was a girl. That isn’t to say I thought she was a boy before that but she was gloriously neutral. This is how you write balanced characters people, you don’t assume that all women writing in first person will at some point describe the colour/length of their hair or something to indicate gender, you make a realistic human being who thinks the way actual people do (and then you give them magical powers because you don’t want them to be too real).

I’d definitely put this more at the younger end of the teens/YA spectrum. Having said that, I, a 22 year old woman, really enjoyed this. Especially since (drumroll please) there was no love triangle! None whatsoever! Now of course there’s plenty of room for a love triangle in the upcoming books but for now I can rest easy knowing that another novelist has escaped the cliché to end all clichés.

Should you read this? Yes. It’s a fun world to be in, particularly if you, like me, adore the sea. It’s not going to be a must read for everyone but just add it to your to read shelf and see where life takes you!

My Rating: 4/5 stars

By the way: I received a digital advanced review copy of Sea from the publisher (Egmont Publishing) via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review, all my opinions are my own and I wouldn’t recommend this if I didn’t think it was worth reading.

Incredible storytelling with a unique voice that had me hooked from the first page! Basically, it's pirates of the Caribbean in a book! Cannot wait for Sky!

I've just finished book 1 of a great fantasy adventure trilogy.

I requested Sea from NetGalley so thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read it!

Sea tells the story of Mouse a 12 year old girl when the story starts who's grown up at sea. She has a little brother, Sparrow too that she cares for. Her grandmother is the captain of the Huntress, their ship at the beginning of the book. Mouse is meant to become captain after her grandmother but someone impedes that happening. Mouse has friends on the Huntress that we don't really see in this book. They might come into the story more in future books.

Sea is marketed as a aged 9+ book. I don't think it should be read until age 13 really as there is lots of violence, blood and threatening behaviour. The protagonist is 13 for the majority of this book. I don't think a younger reader should read it.

Sea is written in first person perspective from the protagonist, Mouse's point of view. I really enjoyed reading from her perspective because I could see myself in her in how she stands up for whatever she believes in. She never backed down. These are the sorts of heroines that I love reading about.

The plot of Sea is basically Mouse trying to find her dad to begin with. She looks at a carving he made her and notices that it holds secrets that she didn't know before. The plot then turns to Mouse trying to get Sea Opals, special gems that hold power before the main villain of the story can get them. When the main villain takes her brother, her grandmother, her friends and her ship away from her, all Mouse has are her sea hawk and her brother's Moonsprite to aid her in getting what she owns back.

As I said above, this is a fantasy book. This world has terrodyls in it. I imagined them as pterodactyls, and it also has other evil creatures as well. Another fantasy element is that of "beast talk" which is something that a few of the characters can do. Mouse is one of them. It's how she communicates with her sea hawk and other creatures she meets. The last fantastical element I'll discuss here, is something her brother can do...communicating with whales. This isn't really a huge part of this first book but I'm sure it will come more into play in the next books in the trilogy.

Mouse meets a land dwelling boy as well. He's called Crow and at first they don't like each other. However, when they have to work together they do so, grudgingly. I have hopes that more of a relationship will develop here in the next books. Crow helps Mouse find her brother but do they succeed in rescuing him?

This is a character/plot driven story so the setting isn't really built upon. We know when the characters are on a ship or on land but apart from that the setting is a little left to be desired. This doesn't really matter though because as I've said above it's a character/plot driven story so the world building doesn't need to be that expansive. I think because it's meant for younger readers as well, the setting isn't hugely drawn upon.

I enjoyed the language of Sea. It used a lot of Pirate terms which really immersed me in the story. Mouse has been brought up on the sea so that's why she speaks the way she does.

I really enjoyed Sea. I found the overall story interesting and I'm really excited to see where the next books take us. I'm giving Sea 4 stars because I loved the characters, the relationships, the language, and the fantasy elements that were a part of the book. The main reason I'm not giving 5 stars is because I think the book is marketed for the wrong audience. I think the book is marketed at 9+ year olds just to allow the setting not to be explained as much as it should have been.

Sky is the next book and I'm excited to read and review it for you guys, hopefully...

Living aboard her grandmother’s ship, Huntress, Mouse dreams of being captain of Huntress one day. But her father has gone missing and treachery is afoot, threatening to change the life of Mouse and her brother, Sparrow, forever.

This is a hugely imaginative rendering of a tribe of people who live and breathe life on the sea and for whom dry land is an anathema. The children live on board the ships where equal rights mean that women can command their own crew.

Mouse’s world is immersive with a real sense of the smell of salt spray and the creaking timbers of the ship. The dialect Sarah Driver uses might create problems for some of the book’s intended readers but, for those who get to grips with it, will find its use increases the sense of really being there, and the intensity of Mouse’s frenetic, first person narration.

Mouse is a very passionate individual, with a sense of independence and a complete lack of understanding that she has much to learn where subtlety is concerned; placing her in constant danger and a whole world of trouble. But it is this inability to be passive which is also her salvation.

This is a full-blooded, nail-biting adventure, complete with evil, conniving villains and pterodactyls (called terrodyls in the book).

Definitely a book whose possession will be fought over by parents and children, and one which will be passed to the children of those who are reading it now.

An email pinged into my inbox, “Would I like to read Sea, the first of The Huntress trilogy by Sarah Archer?”. My eldest son looked over my shoulder and declared that it looked like an interesting book and could he read it. I told him yes on the condition that he wrote a review for Catherine’s Cultural Wednesdays. Over to Jake ……

Mouse lives with Sparrow her brother, grandmother and friends on the sailing trade ship called The Huntress in a land ruled by land and sea tribes. Mouse is the next in line for captaincy of The Huntress after her Grandma dies as her mother is dead. She looks after Sparrow, who suffers from shaking fits. One day her father goes missing and is presumed to be dead when mysterious man is welcomed on to the boat holding her fathers bloodied cloak. Mouse refuses to believe him and that night finds a message on the sail on the model of The Huntress that she and her father made together, it was not there the last time she looked. The message tells her to find the three Storm Opals. These magical stones when reunited with their crown will bring about the peace in all tribes.

Mouse’s first quest is on the Sea, magic is all around both good and evil. Whilst all this is going on the friendly whales are under threat. One day, when Sparrow has a fit many lives are put in danger, are his fits all tied up with the magic?

Overall this book had me captivated and I read it for hours on end wondering where it would take me next. With many excellent complex magical characters, no one felt linear or dull which helped me connect with many of the characters. When I got to the end I was left wanting to know what was next for Mouse and if she could complete her task for peace. I will be looking out for the next books in the trilogy.

This book definitely had echoes of Phillip Pullman’s His Dark Materials books. In particular, in terms of the strong female protagonist Mouse. Mouse reminds me very much of Lyra, especially the frequency with which she says ‘ent.’
12 year old Mouse is a likeable character, fierce and strong. She is frequently misunderstood throughout the book and underestimated at almost every turn but she knows what she is capable of. However, she also has a softer and more vulnerable side to her that she keeps hidden away. Her family are highly important to her and her most prized possession is her mother’s dragonfly brooch.
The book has beautiful pictures scattered throughout it, they compliment the story in every way.
The book begins with a Terrodyl attack on her family ship The Huntress. Terrodyls are terrifying winged beasts that attack from above and killed her grandfather a few years before leaving her ferocious grandmother to captain the ship in his stead.
When Mouse learns of the threat she immediately runs above decks and ignoring the concerns of everyone around her brings down a Terrodyl using her bow and arrow. At the sound of the Terrodyls cries Mouse’s bones turn to water but she runs up on deck regardless.
Every action of Mouse’s is driven by the idea of destiny and her belief that she is destined to be captain of the ship one day.
“In the sky, the great green fire spirits dance and ripple, stretching far away into the distance. Grandma says their pictures are gifts to show us what will come and what has been. She says they showed our Tribe that I’d be a captain, before I was even born.”
Sparrow, Mouse’s younger brother is allowed on deck during the attacks much to her annoyance. He is only 8 and it is her job to protect him because she promised her mother before she died. Sparrow has the gift of whale song, a gift that is crucial during Terrodyl attacks. It is a gift given to him by the gods of the sea, the whales and it is a sound the Terrodyl’s hate.
“Suddenly I spot a wisp of whale-song coiling up from the sea…a whale has come! The whales voice joins Sparrow’s and it’s the strangest thing, but spooky – beautiful.”
Mouse, on the other hand, has the gift of ‘beast chatter’ and is able to understand what creatures are thinking and to communicate with them in a way they can understand.
Mouse is excited about her upcoming 13th birthday and gaining her own traditional sea-hawk. The occasion is overshadowed though by her dad being missing the and appearance of a former Tribe member called Stag who Mouse finds suspicious from the start.
When Sparrow begins to suffer from fits Mouse and her grandma become increasingly concerned for him and Stag becomes vocal in his belief that he is a deadweight on the ship.
When Sparrow disappears, Mouse knows that she must find him whatever the cost.
I love this book even though it is meant for people much younger than me. It was a brilliant story and a great read full of adventure and fantasy.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. Thank you to the author, Sarah Driver and the publisher, Egmont Books Ltd, for this opportunity.

Whilst this was a truly lovely and well-done middle-grade novel I can't really say I enjoyed every aspect of it. The pirate-esque focus and the animal-named characters were both charming and adorable and drew me instantly in. However, I found my attention wane as the novel progressed, despite this.

Whilst I appreciated its complexity, that was unexpected considering the young readership it was aimed for, I found other parts a little dull and monotonous. This was action-heavy in some parts and plot-heavy in others, but rarely did the action and the plot gel together to bring this novel together for me.

From the outset we are caught up in Mouse's struggles. Caught on the cusp of growing up, and being treated as a child by her grandmother but desperate to prove her worth, Mouse soon gets the opportunity to test herself. I loved how she kept faith that her father was alive, and I hope he'll appear in the next book.
Throughout the story I was entranced by the writing style. There's a wonderful playfulness to the language, and the story whipped along.

First of all, really loved the cover artwork. Secondly, the language is beautiful - love the different slangs and accents, the storyline is exciting and full of good things we'd like to teach our children. Definitely a book I'll be giving to my nephew for his birthday this year.

This was a really unique story with a fabulous young heroine. With Pirates, deadly sea monsters and a spice of magic, this was a splashing start to a sea churning adventure.

When Mouse’s dad goes missing—and a long-lost crew member returns to claim the vacant spot of navigator—Mouse knows something is amiss. Then she finds a hidden message that leads to dangerous waters, depths where myths come to life and crew turn on their captains…

Admittedly, this book was a little confusing in places, and Mouse’s unique voice took me several chapters to click with. At first I didn't even realise Mouse was a girl! However once I got into the rhythm of the story, I soon found myself swept away.

The story offers a really unusual set of characters, all memorable by there personalities, physical traits or magical abilities. However I didn't understand the motivations of some of the crew, and look forward to the next book to see if more puzzle pieces are slotted together.

One of things I really enjoyed though was the dialog - words like, “heart-courage” and “heart-thanks.” All simple words that conveyed so much. I also liked that Mouse was gifted with the ability to speak to animals, and I found the animals speech really entertaining. Several times I even laughed out loud.

In terms of plot, the story moves at a fast pace although I feel we know the bigger picture yet (again, something I hope is revealed in the next book) but overall this was a most enjoyable read and it's a series I definitely will be continuing.

All I can say, is that due to the writing style I really hope new readers persevere and give this book a chance. Despite the choppy beginning you’ll find that once you click with the story, you will be well and truly hooked!

3 stars!

This is a fantastic fantasy adventure story i love storys you can sit back and read and be taken to another world a world of fantasy mystery and lots of magic. Brilliant book.

Mouse and Sparrow are Sea dwellers; living on the "Huntress" whose captain is their grandmother and looking forward to the Tribe meet where they can meet up with their Da again. It isn't da though, who gets onto the boat, it's Stag who takes over Da's job as navigator and who starts to change everything. Now Mouse must step up to be the Captain that she was always destined to be.

This is marketed as a story for younger readers but unfortunately I don't think it quite hits that mark. Some of the themes are a little more adult than 9+ and some of the language and the way things are written would, I think, be more suitable for teens or YA than younger children.

Mouse is an interesting character but there didn't really seem to be enough time to develop her relationship with anyone else in the novel before things quickly moved on and she was then spending a great deal of time with someone else. I can see that there was a lot to get through, but I did feel that the story was secondary to the ideas, and that everything could have taken just that little bit longer to evolve.

Having said that, the descriptions of "The Huntress" were excellent and really did come to life. These were definitely the best part of the book and I hope they won't be lost as the story continues to the next stage in "Sky".

This is an interesting start to a trilogy and I will definitely look for the next one; I hope that it gives the author a chance to settle into her stride and slow things down a little as there is definitely an interesting story to tell.

I thought I was going to love this book – it overflowed with all the right constituents: strong young female lead; magic; strange beasts; shape -shifters; animal familiars; gifted people able to communicate with animals; good versus evil; old ways in sync with nature versus new ways of machinery and desecration; equality versus misogyny. But somehow, it did not quite grab my full attention.
The world of Trianukka was beautifully crafted, with a cluster of tribes, each with their own religion, Gods and customs. The sea folk (generally the good guys) worship and are protected by the enormous whales, with whom they communicate through song. The interaction between the whales and the sea folk singers was one of the best features of the book, with quite stunning imagery: “The wind gusts and carries his voice over the sea, pulling more strands of song from his mouth – the notes shiver and glow bright blue”. The music takes on a tangible, physical appearance, and can be captured in the beaks of the bird familiars.
The writing was inventive and at times very evocative of the settings, descriptions and action: “the egg-stinky hot springs”; “the man has a mop of dirty yellow hair and a hateblistered stare”; “his face is worrycrumpled”. But, for me, the language was also one of the major detractions. There was just too much alternative language use. Much of the book is first person narration, and made to appear like a dialect – for instance, the continued repetition of “ent” for “ain’t”, and the hyphenated descriptive words. It adds ‘local colour’, but makes reading very slow, and gets in the way of the story telling.
My other problem with the book was the heroine, Mouse. She was a very strong female lead character, but I could not warm to her. She was very aggressive and rude to others. Yes, sometimes it was warranted, but not always. She came across as an (initially) indulged child, who took little note of others’ feelings or needs (hers were always paramount), until it was too late. She was slowly changing by the end of the book, but it was too late for me. I can only hope that she redeems herself in the next two books of the trilogy.
This book has so much going for it, so much potential, and I think many fantasy fans will love it. But, unfortunately it did not appeal to me.

I haven't given this book any stars because I didn't finish it, but for the quality of the writing, I would give at least 3.
I started this book, but very quickly realised that I couldn't read it. There are so many fantasy stories, set in an alien world, where young people have to discover their inner strengths, and right wrongs. In this case, on a ship, where people can communicate with whales and fish, and underwater creatures.
I do enjoy fantasy, but this just wasn't for me.