Genre: Adult Fantasy Romance
Spice: 3/5🌶️
This is the second book in the Whispering Sea Duet. You must read Ballad of Sea and Sky before this.
Tropes & themes: enemies to lovers, selkie FMC & siren MMC, fated mates, hurt/care, chronic disease representation (asthma), selkie and siren mythology and lore, lyrical whimsy, and danger in the sky and on the seas.
Spoiler-free summary:
Immediately following the events in Ballad of Sea and Sky, Marina and Caspian are working together to prepare for uniting their people, hopefully via peaceful negotiations with Marina’s father, the Selkie King. Unfortunately, things don’t go as smoothly as they’d like, and an entity from Caspian’s past complicates everything they’ve dreamed of.
Thoughts:
An enchanting end to my favorite of Madeleine’s works! Truly, I love this duet and these characters, and I thought that book two was fun and sassy, and gave us the fireworks between Caspian and Marina that we’ve been craving.
One thing I always look forward to in Madeleine’s works is a developed, full cast of characters. I appreciate that aside from the MCs, there’s always charming side characters with their own little quirks.
As for the MCs themselves, I loved seeing them work together in an official capacity in this book, side by side not only as partners, but as rulers. Marina continued to be an adorably prickly urchin, while Caspian proved time and again that he’s her perfect match.
I really enjoyed the plot development and the lore we got that helped further the overall story — especially the lore about the sea and sky!!
If you were left wanting more form Marina and Caspian’s romantic life (if you know what I mean) then this book will surely quench your thirst.
All in all, a great end! Definitely recommend this duet to those who enjoy cozy romantasy and mythology!