Week 4 Review: Of Mountains and Seas

From Goodreads:

For some, the only way to possess magic is to steal it from others.

Born without magic, Davis is an outcast in his own shapeshifter family. Yearning for his father's approval, he sets down a path that intertwines with Iris, a girl whose own ambitions are hindered by a mysterious illness.

Their quest leads to Yuras, one of California's smallest towns, unremarkable until they discover a cave of magic-transferring stones. Now they have a chance to change their fates. But they're not alone.

When locals stumble upon the cave, they unknowingly set into motion a series of events that threatens to expose Davis's past.

As dark truths surface, one question endures: How much are they willing to take in their quest for power?

My Review:
This was such a great read! I was quickly swept away by this story, of these different characters in different times as their stories came together, learning more about this world-and finding out just what the heck was going on!

I knew ahead of time, that the beginning of this book was chock full of time jumping around, but even knowing that, I was a bit confused at the beginning, but that's more of a me problem then a book problem, because while most of my thing about hearing someone speak who isn't in the room has gone away as I've increasingly gotten used to audiobooks, for some reason, I have a hard time remembering numbers, and the years were a big part of the story, in nailing down the timeline, which was a big reason why I was confused.

But oh, once I had things straightened out in my head, all these different characters and how their stories were coming together, it was so fantastic! There were 3 main threads, and it was pretty surprising how they all connected, and I loved seeing how they all intersected in the end! 

It doesn't have a series listed yet, so I'm putting it as a standalone, but the end of this book had a mention of a sequel, so I'm fairly certain one is coming. While the way things ended could have, and currently technically is, a stand alone, the little teaser about how not everyone is happy with the changes, is causing waves, and I'd love to read htat! 

Loved reading this book, and I do hope we really get the sequel that was mentioned! 

Author: Emily Renk Hawthorne 
Read: January 20th, 2025
Source: NetGalley
Reason Why: Sounded really good, and it's a DAC Book, Historical Fiction 2025 Book and a SAC 2025 Book! 
Publisher: Hawk Ridge Press
Published: January 7th 2025

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars