Out of the Gemmic Sea

by Bethany Siu

Out of the Gemmic Sea is a captivating mix of science and magic, of personal growth and discovery, all dragged along by a grand tale of adventure. Siu weaves an enchanting tale.- Tim Akers, Author of Wraithbound

Out of the Gemmic Sea is an entertaining fantasy adventure set in a world where magic is dying (maybe), cats can talk and do magic (for sure), and the best person to help the humans overcome a deadly adversary is not a human at all. Family, friendship, and finding the truth about the people you come to love all play a big part in this fun and enjoyable read!-- Matt Mikalatos, author of The Crescent Stone

New author Bethany Siu breaks into fantasy fiction with a well-crafted tale of magic and wonder. Her characters will draw you in and not let go until the last page. Vivid storytelling and a complex world will satisfy the reader’s every expectation. Out of the Gemmic Sea is a bold new entry into the fantasy genre. Don’t miss it!- Bryan Litfin, author of The Chiveis Trilogy

With her magisophic degree and advanced studies in magical pathology,Kaeda knows all there is to know about magic. So, when the Gemmic Council recruits her to figure out why the magic in Molva is disappearing, she knows the idea is ridiculous. Magic can't cease to be. It's one of the foundational principles of magical theory!

Reef doesn’t know a thing about magic, but he knows Khirians. When his people demand to be included in the Molvan Magical Crisis Commission, Reef thinks he's their best hope to not start another war. He expects traveling with a bunch of humans to test the limits of his patience, but he doesn’t expect to become the humans’ best chance at defeating a mysterious magical foe.

Together with a wizard with a flair for the dramatic, a cat who'd rather be doing drugs, and a stoic war veteran who happens to be Kaeda’s estranged father, Reef and Kaeda travel to Molva. There they discover that there’s much more to Molva’s magical problem, and to each other, than first meets the eye.

Genres: Fantasy

580 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 27, 2024

Reviews

[Reggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this first novel by Bethany Siu very enjoyable. The world this author has built is unlike any I've read before. The mythology and history is well developed, adding to the story instead of bogging the reader down in interesting information that isn't necessary to the plot. The characters are pull the reader along with them on their journey. I hope there are more books to come set in this fascinating fantasy world.

[Dana C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Magic, science, a wide host of creatures, and characters that are complex and distinct, all wrapped

I LOVED this book. The world setting was not the typical fantasy setting, with varied races, a complex and unique magic system, and a main character that uses her scientific mind to use her magical abilities.

Kaeda is an intelligent, compassionate FMC, and Reef is a complex, interesting MMC, who is not human at all. I loves watching these two interact, to see beyond the racial distrust and even hatred that they should have had for each other. To come together as allies battling a catastrophic unraveling of the world's magic, and find that they are not so different as they've been taught to believe.

I loved how everything that seemed so unconnected was all part of a masterful weave that the author pulled tight as the story came together. Like the main characters, the world's problems are not so unrelated as they seem.

I can't wait to see what the author has in store for book 2!

[Amber Feist · Rating 4 out of 5]

Out of the Gemmic Sea was such an enjoyable Book! The plot and characters are so unique. This book is definitely not a copy of another popular book! The conflict, as well as, the magic system was very well thought out. I very much enjoyed this book! If you like sci-fi fantasy, then this book is for you. And if you don't, well....you're still gonna like it 😊 Nicely done @bpsiuauthor This was so much fun!

[Megan Morrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! It sucked me in immediately and I couldn’t put it down. The world was interesting and the characters so likable. The plot wasn’t predictable or overdone. I highly recommend!

[Shannon O. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Out of the Gemmic Sea is a refreshing fantasy adventure full of action and magic that is hard to put down once you've picked it up. The way Siu frames the magic system with scientific/medical-esque language and weaves intricate political tensions between her fictional nations creates a world that is truly unique and alive. However, perhaps my favorite thing about this novel was the character development. I found myself eagerly turning the pages to see how the characters would grow, personally and relationally to each other. The mystery was intriguing, the twists were calculated, and the plot was wrapped up in a satisfying way that still leaves the reader excited for Kaeda and her friends' next adventure. Out of the Gemmic Sea was a wonderful experience, and I look forward to Siu's next installment.

[Janna M · Rating 4 out of 5]

You will get swept into the rich and incredibly detailed world building, and then get wrecked by the two MC's mutual pining. Seriously, this book packs a TON into its pages and will leave you wanting more. And as much as I thought I would love the drugs-and-coffee-fueled Cat the most, the other characters were just so endearing I wanted to protect them all. I loved how thoughtful and curious they all were as they worked through traumas and made difficult decisions together. If you like your fantasy mixed with a little bit of science and a lot of heart, find a copy of this Gem (ha ha) as soon as possible!

[Elliott Siu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun character-driven adventure with a well-develop story. The author created a unique magic universe that takes a moment to wrap your head around but the payoff is worth it. Characters are fun and layered. This isn't a generic predicable story, but it's packed with drama, adventure, and unexpected developments. Worth reading more than once in anticipation for sequels. You'll enjoy it if you want to make friends in the books you read. Also, I hear the combat scenes were choreographed with D&D rolls!

[Donald Waterman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great First Work!

Thoroughly enjoyed the book! Looking forward to the authors next work.

Not my usual reading genre. My genre is much more the Brad Thor, Vince Flynn and Louis L’Amour genre.

Bethany’s husband was a grad school classmate and I got to know Bethany as well. I’m a sucker for reading works by people I know, so when I heard of Bethany’s book I picked it up.

I was very pleasantly surprised! The story had a great pace and was very well crafted to keep the story moving and interesting. Congratulations Bethany! Looking forward to many more.

[Savanah Weakly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Part fantasy, part drama, part medical intrigue, with a dash of D&D action. The world Bethany Siu built in this novel is fascinating and you can tell she spent a lot of time thinking about the characters, their world, magic, creatures, their encounters, the oceans they swam in, the wars they waged, AND their relationships!!! This book had a great mix of pain, angst, love, loss, hope and despair - all combined with a quick humored cast of characters. I highly recommend this book if you enjoy fantasy and adventure.


Side note: I think Gamalielle might be my favorite character🤣

[Alex Huntsman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m a sucker for an intricate magic system, and Out of the Gemmic Sea offers just that. It fully believes in its world and doesn’t attempt to handhold the reader, which makes it feel much more natural and believable.

I particularly enjoy the way this book deals with war and its aftereffects. Characters own up to the awful things they’ve done and don’t expect to be forgiven, but seek to actively make amends.


All in all, this is a very pleasant, easy read. It’s not over the top with its prose or overly simplistic, but walks that fine line of being a well-written, relaxing read.

[Stephen Mizell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantasy is not really my genre, but this book jumped out at me. The cover was gorgeous and I love Line by Lion publishing so I had to check it out and I am so glad I did. This book has such a cool unique magic system. It’s extremely biological. It’s tied into their body and medical works are built around it. There are also really cool humanoid animals, lizards, cats, wherebears, etc. all bring something to this gorgeous story. I hope you join the crew on this magical journey.

[Rebecca Bourne · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fresh read! I love the setting, and the characters are so well-developed! There's accurate PTSD portrayal, which I love finding in books. I finished this book months ago, but I still think of it frequently. I want to dive back into this world! Also, the magic system is completely unique yet easy to understand- I just love love love this book! I've already lent it to my friend 🧡

[Jordan Blackaby · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had so much in it. Like so much. I feel like I missed an entire book that came before this one. I wish the author had had a glossary of terms and characters either at the end of the beginning of the story. I had a really hard time keeping up with the terms and the world building. They also used words as proper nouns and it felt a little disjointed. Like there was magic and Magic. I wanted to like this book so badly but I felt so confused for most of the story. Maybe reading through it again will help. Overall I liked the premise and the characters but I felt like the world building was all over the place