Title: The Siren and the Deep Blue Sea
Author: Kerrelyn Sparks
Series: Embraced (by Magic) #5
A satisfying conclusion at last
I would like to thank Kerrelyn Sparks, Kensington Books, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I tried not to spoil much, but there might be a few minor things here and there.
Yaaaay! FINALLY we get answers to the questions we’ve had for years! Well, it’s only been a little over three years… It feels longer. Nevertheless, it was quite satisfying to shed light on the remaining mysteries of the Embraced series.
I can’t think of any problems to talk about. I highlighted the lines I found funniest, and I made note of things I thought would be problems, but those were actually resolved soon after I noted them, so they were null. If I had to dig deep, maybe Brody and Maeve’s relationship could have been fleshed out a bit more; at times they felt almost like an afterthought, especially in the last quarter, when the final battle took center stage. Splitting time among several POVs didn’t help that, either. And perhaps the final battle in the throne room could have been more fleshed out and dramatized; we spent far more time with the battle outside than the one inside, and the imbalance was felt. But none of that really bothered me, personally; there was a lot to do and a lot going on, and I think Sparks handled it all as skillfully and cleverly as she could.
No, I loved this book from start to finish. The pace moved quickly but not so quickly that the plot was rushed or the characters underdeveloped. I loved meeting the Seer and having his tragic tale added to the lore, I loved learning about Brody and Maeve’s backgrounds, I loved discovering the Embraced army and everything about them. Watching Nevis find his HEA was an unexpected treat.
Overall, I loved this book, and I loved this series. While most of me is glad to have a satisfying conclusion, part of me is sad to see our time on Aerthlan come to an end. But I’m also excited to see what Sparks does next; as far as I know, it should be a spin-off of her vampire series focusing on the children of the OGs. I’m not sure how successful that will be for her, considering the vampire trend is long over, but I plan to check it out when the time comes.
