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A review by keysmashhh
In Deeper Waters by F.T. Lukens
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Plot: 3.5/5
Character: 3.5/5
Relationships: 4/5
World-Building: 4/5
Genre: 3/5
Plot: Generally a great plot, lots of interesting and interlinking plotlines BUT it did have my one pet peeve of good fantasy books, it felt a little too formulaic. The best way I can describe it is that each chapter felt distinctly like a scene and reading it was just jumping from one scene to the next, I didn't feel like the book flowed. I'm glad that Tal getting back to the castle wasn't the end of his troubles, like the assassination attempt 2.0 and his mermaid bf's angst all meant the book ended where it should have done. Also A+ for ending it on a wedding scene, iconic!
Character: Generally all the characters were distinguishable, this book didn't fall into the trap many fantasy books do of having too many characters (all named similarly) and then trying to focus on each one. I loved Kest but I was sort of glad that all the other siblings were sidelined a bit - it meant that there wasn't too much information to try and remember. That being said, I would pay for a spin-off book about the eldest sister! Little things like Poppy's willingness to sacrifice herself and the whole deal with the sea witch could have done with a little more exposition.
Relationships: The main relationship was cute, and pretty well set up but I really wanted just a couple more moments of them being a couple couple once they were together. The family dynamics were really nice, especially between the brothers, very well written and believable. I also appreciated how Tal's bisexuality wasn't made a big deal of, just stated as fact and no one took that to be a surprise.
World-Building: I'm not really a high fantasy girl, in fact, I'd say I go out of my way to avoid it because I hate loads of exposition and world-building but this book defiantly navigated it well. We weren't introduced to the lore and the magic system until we were comfortable with the royal setting and understood a bit about the world. Perhaps the myth/story around the sea witch and mermen could have been talked about a little more but generally, the world-building was good and didn't distract from the story.
Genre: For a fantasy book it was alright. I liked the sea-based setting and the piratey feel was nice. I think I was tricked a bit into thinking there were actual pirates in this book instead of royals and mermen but I really am not disappointed with what I got. Also, the cover is STUNNING!!!
Character: 3.5/5
Relationships: 4/5
World-Building: 4/5
Genre: 3/5
Plot: Generally a great plot, lots of interesting and interlinking plotlines BUT it did have my one pet peeve of good fantasy books, it felt a little too formulaic. The best way I can describe it is that each chapter felt distinctly like a scene and reading it was just jumping from one scene to the next, I didn't feel like the book flowed. I'm glad that Tal getting back to the castle wasn't the end of his troubles, like the assassination attempt 2.0 and his mermaid bf's angst all meant the book ended where it should have done. Also A+ for ending it on a wedding scene, iconic!
Character: Generally all the characters were distinguishable, this book didn't fall into the trap many fantasy books do of having too many characters (all named similarly) and then trying to focus on each one. I loved Kest but I was sort of glad that all the other siblings were sidelined a bit - it meant that there wasn't too much information to try and remember. That being said, I would pay for a spin-off book about the eldest sister! Little things like Poppy's willingness to sacrifice herself and the whole deal with the sea witch could have done with a little more exposition.
Relationships: The main relationship was cute, and pretty well set up but I really wanted just a couple more moments of them being a couple couple once they were together. The family dynamics were really nice, especially between the brothers, very well written and believable. I also appreciated how Tal's bisexuality wasn't made a big deal of, just stated as fact and no one took that to be a surprise.
World-Building: I'm not really a high fantasy girl, in fact, I'd say I go out of my way to avoid it because I hate loads of exposition and world-building but this book defiantly navigated it well. We weren't introduced to the lore and the magic system until we were comfortable with the royal setting and understood a bit about the world. Perhaps the myth/story around the sea witch and mermen could have been talked about a little more but generally, the world-building was good and didn't distract from the story.
Genre: For a fantasy book it was alright. I liked the sea-based setting and the piratey feel was nice. I think I was tricked a bit into thinking there were actual pirates in this book instead of royals and mermen but I really am not disappointed with what I got. Also, the cover is STUNNING!!!