Kingdom of Waves

Kingdom of Waves #1

by Melissa de la Cruz

The Gilded Wolves meets A Magic Steeped in Poison in the first of a new pulse-pounding YA fantasy duology about two thieves who go after the same mythical treasure, from #1 New York Times-bestselling author Melissa de la Cruz.

Once upon a time, there was a shining kingdom floating on the sea . . .

The kingdom of Ophir was one of the most powerful and beautiful places in the world. But after an invasion by the land of Lacon, it was lost to the waves. Now, the Ophir live as second-class citizens beneath Lacon’s golden palaces.

When two bands of Ophir thieves—one led by Eban Sadreal and the other by Gineth Strong—go after the same treasure, a priceless relic, their worlds and hearts suddenly collide. For the relic releases an ancient magic that could restore the legacy of Ophir—a magic that could change the course of Eban and Gin’s lives forever.

With impossibly high stakes and charming will-they-won’t-they romance, this heist fantasy is perfect for fans of Six of Crows and A Tempest of Tea.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Romantasy, Romance, Audiobook, Fiction, Young Adult Fantasy

320 pages, Hardcover

First published June 16, 2026

About the author

Melissa de la Cruz is the New York Times and USA Today best-selling author of many critically acclaimed and award-winning novels for teens including The Au Pairs series, the Blue Bloods series, the Ashleys series, the Angels on Sunset Boulevard series and the semi-autobiographical novel Fresh off the Boat.

Her books for adults include the novel Cat’s Meow, the anthology Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys and the tongue-in-chic handbooks How to Become Famous in Two Weeks or Less and The Fashionista Files: Adventures in Four-inch heels and Faux-Pas.

She has worked as a fashion and beauty editor and has written for many publications including The New York Times, Marie Claire, Harper’s Bazaar, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Allure, The San Francisco Chronicle, McSweeney’s, Teen Vogue, CosmoGirl! and Seventeen. She has also appeared as an expert on fashion, trends and fame for CNN, E! and FoxNews.

Melissa grew up in Manila and moved to San Francisco with her family, where she graduated high school salutatorian from The Convent of the Sacred Heart. She majored in art history and English at Columbia University (and minored in nightclubs and shopping!).

She now divides her time between New York and Los Angeles, where she lives in the Hollywood Hills with her husband and daughter.

Reviews

[Elizabeth]

Kingdom of Waves (Kingdom of Waves #1) by Melissa de la Cruz
Book Blurb: Once upon a time, there was a shining kingdom floating on the sea . . .
The kingdom of Ophir was one of the most powerful and beautiful places in the world. But after an invasion by the land of Lacon, it was lost to the waves. Now, the Ophir live as second-class citizens beneath Lacon’s golden palaces.

Rating: ****
Feels: Adventure, Intrigue, Mystery, Fun
Style: Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult, Fantasy Romance, Romantasy, Young Adult Fantasy
First published June 16, 2026: 320 pages

Themes & Setting: A land with the conquerors and the conquered. A people suppressed and wanting to reclaim their glory but with most of their history buried. The rebels are repressed and hunted.
FMC: Gineth was totally relatable and I love her for that. Why yes I would rather be at the castle eating good food thank you !!! Yet she is Ophir and that means she must turn to a life a thievery.
MMC: Eban is the kinda rough edges thief that grows on you. Smart with his own moral code and a fierce need to protect who he sees as his family.
Conclusion: Two thieves , a heist and a world in turmoil lend to the high stakes vibe of this YA fantasy duology. My favorite past of this book was the setting and world building. A lost kingdom that used to harness the power of the gods !! The magic system was truly unique and fascinating. The political atmosphere was charged through out the book and I love that whole fight the evil empire to reclaim our lost kingdom vibe through out. If you like heist books then this is a great read !!!

Favorite Quote: "Magical beings aren't aggravating. We are precise. "

This book has:
Heist Vibes
Political Intrigue
Magical Beings
Lost Kingdom
Rival Thieves

[Aya ☕︎]

Hmmmmm.... A decent read, not great tho. It had all the elements that I -theoretically- liked, thieves turned out royals, spirits, magic, rebellion, and secret history but for some reason felt flat. I will wait for the next book tho.

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚𝕻𝖗𝖊-𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖉˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆

So grateful for Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for inviting me to listen to this ALC 🩵💚

[jo ❣︎]

i did win this in a goodreads giveaway (somehow they are not?? a scam??) but i fear this did not hit

[kylie’s been jinxed ౨ৎ]

❛❛ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴡᴀs ʟᴏsᴛ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ғᴀʟʟ ʜᴀs ʙᴇᴇɴ ғᴏᴜɴᴅ ᴏɴᴄᴇ ᴀɢᴀɪɴ. ❜❜*

˚⊱🫧⊰˚ 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑲𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒅𝒐𝒎 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑾𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒔˚⊱🌊⊰˚

ᯓ 🌊 ᴛʜᴇ ᴋɪɴɢᴅᴏᴍ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴀᴠᴇs ᴡɪʟʟ ʙᴇ ʀᴇʟᴇᴀsᴇᴅ ᴏɴ ᴊᴜɴᴇ 𝟷𝟼, 𝟸𝟶𝟸𝟼!
⤿ ʀᴀᴛɪɴɢ: 3.5 sᴛᴀʀs!! ★★★☆☆
⤿ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴛʜɪs ɪғ ʏᴏᴜ ᴇɴᴊᴏʏ: ʜᴇɪsᴛs, sᴛʀᴇᴇᴛ ᴛʜɪᴇᴠᴇs, ᴛʀᴇᴀsᴜʀᴇ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴀᴄᴛɪᴏɴ!

ᯓ 🫧 ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀs:

⤷ Gin. A talented Ophir thief looking for the prize, to get herself off the streets and save her own life.

⤷ Eban. Another skilled thief, attempting to gain his freedom and save his people, by getting ahold of the treasure.

They’re both pursuing the same treasure, what could possibly go wrong?

ᯓ 🌊 ᴀʟʟ ᴍʏ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛs:
⤷ This book is super fast paced and it didn’t slow down during the entirety of the book. The writing was well done and the world building is immersive!

This felt like a very quick read at 320 pages, it flew by with lots of action. However, it does toe the line of feeling too rushed, but it did keep my attention pretty well. There’s always another action scene within the next chapter or so. It definitely could’ve done with slowing down the middle and with extra pages.

The writing was easy to read, it brings me back to reading Melissa de la Cruz when I was younger. Additionally, the plot was well defined and straightforward, but that ending! I was expecting a little bit more from the characters, but it was enough to keep me intrigued. The world building was a high point of this book. It was well imagined and detailed, creating a wonderful backdrop for the action.

ᯓ 🫧 ᴏᴠᴇʀᴀʟʟ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛs:

I will probably continue with the duology, to see the character development and how the plot will continue to develop. I would recommend this book to people who have short attention spans and enjoy great world building!

ᯓ 🌊 ʀᴀᴛɪɴɢ:
⤿ 3.5 stars ★★★☆☆

ᯓ 🫧 ʀᴇᴀᴅ ɪғ ʏᴏᴜ ᴇɴᴊᴏʏᴇᴅ:
⤿ To Kill A Kingdom (Christo)
⤿ All the Stars and Teeth (Grace)

*Quote has been taken from an uncorrected proof.

Thank you very much to Netgalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group for a copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

▰▱▰▱▰▱▰▱▰▱▰▱▰▱▰▱▰▱▰▱▰▱▰

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ 🫧 || ᴘʀᴇʀᴇᴀᴅ:
₊⊹⁀➴ heist fantasy? sign me up!!

[Emma]

ARC received in exchange for an honest review.

Kingdom of Waves leans very much toward the “young” side of “young adult.” It’s a bit unsubtle in certain spots, but still manages to entertain. I think tweens and new teenagers will love it! Melissa de la Cruz is a perfect author for younger audiences just getting into fantasy - there’s always an intriguing world, some spunky characters, and a good plot to pull you in. That being said, if you’re picking this up because you want a heist book…this is not that. The main characters are thieves and there are some robberies involved, but the main focus is on colonialism and the rewriting of history by oppressors. (The topic is handled very well for the age group, in my opinion.)

I really liked Gin and Eban’s dynamic - bantering thieves is always going to be a favorite - though I wish we’d had more time with Aris and Vergel to bring some different energy to the group. I’m excited to see how Eban’s trial goes, and I’ll definitely be picking up book two for the rest of Ophir’s and Lacon’s lore…and the satisfaction of watching certain nobles get what’s coming to them.

I do think the book was good, but its marketing is doing it a disservice. If the right audience picks it up and has realistic expectations going in, Kingdom of Waves will be a really great read.

[Teresa]

✨𝒜𝑅𝒞 & 𝒜𝐿𝒞 𝑅𝑒𝓋𝒾𝑒𝓌✨
📖🎧: Kingdom of Waves (Kingdom of Waves duology Book 1)
🎙️: Alexandra Palting, Matt Mercurio

In search for the same relic, rival thieves find themselves entangled in more ways than one.

Tropes:
🎙️Dual POV/dual narration
💰Rival thieves
🫂Forced proximity
🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒Found family
🏰Intrigue
🤫Hidden identities
🗺️Heist

The author crafts a lush tale brimming with a gorgeous world and lovable characters. The narrators skillfully capture the suspenseful elements of this tale and the motivations of our main characters. Gin is a survivor who exudes quiet strength and Eban is determined and fierce. Failure is not an option for either. I’m so eager to see how their relationship evolves!

From heists, high-stakes, to hidden identities, Kingdom of Waves is a sweeping and fantastical adventure! I cannot wait to see how this duology concludes.

Huge thanks to Fierce Reads, Macmillan Audio for the review copies. This is my honest and voluntary review.

[Brittany]

I wasn't expecting much from this really, but was really engaged. The major twist I never saw coming and that ending. 🤯 I need the sequel pronto. I loved that this was a blend of a few genres and a great read for teens or young adults. Heck, I'm almost 40 and got lost in the audio.

[Ann]

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

I feel like my main problem with this novel is that it's billed as a heist novel, and it is very much not. Said "heist" really involves just two sets of thieves trying to go after the same treasure hidden in a barrel in an alleyway, and most of the rest of the novel involves what to do with the treasure in the context of Ophir vs. Lacon. I did like Eban a lot when he is first introduced, since I always like a jaded thief looking for the one big job, and I was inclined to like Gin as well, even if I found her romance with Rollo to be a bit intense given that she had just met him a week ago, but I was willing to cut her some slack since he was kind of her savior, and she's a teenager. Unfortunately, everything after that just goes so fast; Gin and Eban's true thieving companions die so fast, and I feel like not enough time is spent on mourning either of them. The lost mystical kingdom of Lashing is found not even halfway through the book, and the romance between Gin and Eban feels speed run as well.

The worldbuilding of this book is interesting, but honestly, the pacing is so fast, and the story could do more to just spend time breathing instead of heading to the next big thing. Hopefully book 2 takes a slightly less frenetic approach.

[Erin Cataldi]

This was a quick little fantasy read that is the start of a new series. The Ophir have been repressed and subjected to what amounts as slavery for hundreds of years. You either work for the Laconians for minimum wages and struggle to fill your bellies, take to thieving, or are lucky enough to live on the one lone Ophir sanctuary, a mysterious floating city. Gin and Eban are both Ophir thieves and they've just been double crossed by the same man. They were able to steal some loot, including some enchanted reliquaries. Even though they don't know each other they both must work together to flee the city and try to find other Ophir. The two are about to discover that their actions have the potential to save the Ophir, if they are up to the challenge. Predictable, yet with enough action and excitement to keep you going. I predicted the "surprise" at the end immediately, but I am an adult reading teen literature so I can't be too mad. I would maybe continue on with the rest of the series.

[Ashley Martinez (ilovebooksandstuffblog)]

A fast paced exciting young adult fantasy! I was easily pulled into this story with thieves and magic!

The story moved fast and was full of action never leaving a dull moment. I couldn’t put the book down once I started.

I enjoyed the premise with the lost history, hidden magic, and secrets. The twists were good and kept me hooked throughout.

Gin was a scrappy FMC who was trying to survive. I enjoyed her quiet strength and her determination.

Eban was a fierce character. I enjoyed his protectiveness.

From enemies to reluctant allies to something more I loved the progression of their relationship.

If you enjoy morally grey characters, action-packed reads, thieves, magic, spirits, underdog, close proximity, enemies to allies, protective MMC, past secrets, betrayals, and so much more then don’t miss this one!

[Larissa]

What a lovely adventure Eban and Gineth get to go on. Both thieves team up to try when they are sent on the same mission in hopes of retrieving a very powerful relic. Their relationship is filled with ups and downs, quite a few laughs, and of course an unexpected villain. I really enjoyed going on this adventure with them, and younger readers are going to get lost in this fantastical world and feel like thieves on their own mission. This is the perfect book to kick off a series and will have young readers eagerly awaiting the next book.
Thank youto Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this title.

[Lea]

4.25 ⭐️ First off thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this audioARC of the book. This is the first book I've read by this author and I really enjoyed it. The narrator was really good. I found the characters likeable and the plot was intriguing. I will be continuing the series when there is more. There's oppression, invasion of a land, automatons, deception, magical entities, thieves, a floating city, a heist, love, romance and more. Yes I would recommend this book to readers. I listened to it during my shift at work. It releases today 6/16/26.

[Lisa Davidson]

The narration was the best part of this for me. There was a lot that wasn't as engaging to me-- the worldbuilding was good overall but felt too political for what I was expecting. I think I would have liked to know more about the characters themselves.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me listen to this

This is a review of the audiobook.

[Jacy]

4.25

Another excellent book from Melissa de la Cruz. She perfectly sets up this duology with a suspenseful story featuring magic, thieves, duplicitous royals, and a wonderful found family. I can’t give too much away, but suffice it to say, this was another slam dunk from one of my favorite authors.

While the story is fast-paced, I wouldn’t necessarily classify it as a heist novel. To fit that label, I would have expected more of the plot to focus on the heist itself. Instead, there is a brief “we’re trying to steal something” moment before the story shifts into “what do we do with the goods?” Even so, the writing was accessible, the story was entertaining, and that ending! I’m certainly excited for book two.

Thank you to Roaring Brook Press and Melissa de la Cruz for the free review copy via NetGalley.

[Angeline]

✎ᝰ. ★★.75 stars
╰┈➤ 𓇼 📱 𓆝 ⋆.

𓇼 ⋆.˚ 𓆉 𓆝 𓆡⋆.˚ 𓇼

Kingdom of Waves had a good message about oppression with a few good quotes but the execution of the story itself was disappointing. The characters, the plot and the writing, it all felt flat.

Especially when the book was described as Six of Crows, a Magic Steeped in Poison and the Gilded Wolves, in the blurb of the book. After reading that I might have had a bit too high expectations, moreover the cover reminded me of a favorite of mine, the Girl who fell Beneath the Sea, but nor was it similar or even set in the beautiful, underwater city we see on the cover🌊🐚🪸🐉

Why this book was compared to a Magic Steeped in poison I don’t know but for Six of Crows and the Gilded Wolves I guess it’s because there is an element of heist in this book, however here in lies the problem I have with this book. This whole book kind of starts out with both of our main characters attempting the same heist and we’re being told, not shown, that these two are some of the best, if not the best, thieves in the city, yet everything points to the contrary! Gin has lost all her skills and didn’t even really have a plan or a crew so obviously she fails! And Eban? He’s not much better of and just stands around doing niche long enough for his attempt to fail too, yet for the rest of the book they boast about how skilled they are. Nothing in this book is shown, it’s all tell, which makes it all feel so incredibly flat and so contradictory to what we’re being shown of these characters’s capability.

⊹ ﹏𓊝﹏𓂁﹏⊹ ˖

The only thing I enjoyed was the message itself and some of the quotes towards the end that reflects upon the dynamic between oppressor and the oppressed:

જ⁀➴ ”You’re actually nothing but a hypocrite. You only pretend to help people, from your comfortable estate. You hand out scraps to make yourself look good, but you don’t actually want anything to change, because you benefit from it. From the wealth and from the appearance of charity.”

જ⁀➴ ”Like those toys, I’d be relegated to the discard pile of a dusty storage room once I cease to amuse him anymore, or work exactly the way he wants me to.”

જ⁀➴ ”I wanted to be loved by a rich Laconian lord, told I was worthy, that I wasn’t like the others. I was ashamed of who I was, of who I came from, of my people and my blood. But I know better now. I am proud of who I am, of where I come from.”

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟

[Phoebe]

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC and ALC.

1.5 stars rounded down. For an author with as many books written as Melissa de la Cruz, it's kind of bizarre how badly crafted this book is, though honestly, I've mainly only ever heard bad things about her work. Well, first of all, I appreciate that Kingdom of Waves is a YA book trying to tackle colonialism, specifically colonialism against indigenous peoples. I think there are some valuable takeaways for a younger reader who is not entirely aware of how indigenous people have been subjugated. ...However. The book is entirely too heavy-handed with its message and the way Ophir is described does not make it believable that it *is* a subjugated civilization.

Let me elaborate: this is a problem with the entire book but the author pretty much only sketches out whatever is necessary for the story to keep going. As a result, the world doesn't feel lived in and the characters don't feel like real people. This is especially egregious with the Ophir. We're told a lot about how Lacon views them as barbarians and treats them as second-class citizens, but weirdly, we get more description about Laconian culture than we do Ophir. I can't really tell you anything substantial about Ophir culture, traditions, or beliefs other than that they worship ancestors and gods (on the flip side, I don't know what the Laconian worship), they maybe eat slightly more seafood and tropical fruits than Lacon (honestly, this is tentative, given Lacon is also located by the sea), and uhhh they use more humble materials for their clothing?? (Though, this is debatable because what we see of Ophir later in the book suggests it was just as ostentatious as Lacon.) We never get to know what about Ophir is actually *different* from Lacon, such that they can be portrayed as "barbarians" in the first place, and I honestly feel like this is a somewhat common pitfall for some (particularly white and/or YA) authors trying to write racial dynamics when they don't seem to fully understand how those work and are enforced. In general, I feel like Ophir, in the descriptions about its original kingdom, feels very......Euro-centric. Sure, Lacon is all about gold and marble and brocade and silk and Ophir uses crystals and pearls but in actuality, there is no real difference between the two civilizations. What particularly stuck out to me was that Ophir preserves its history in *books*, when indigenous cultures are famously oratory or at least, non-textual. That, combined with Ophir's opulent grandeur, felt like a missed opportunity to highlight aspects of a culture that aren't normally portrayed as worthwhile or valuable. It also felt weird for the author to pretty much copy-paste the treatment of indigenous peoples onto the Ophir but then completely disregard any cultural parallels in favor of aesthetics and convenience. I somewhat wonder if the author just didn't want to bother with deeper research than what she already knew.

That aside, I also have issues with the characters, romance, and story. First off though, the synopsis is a complete lie. This is not a heist book *at all*. There is little to no elaborate planning, scheming, or deception. The "heist" described in the synopsis is essentially a brute-force robbery, and the "bands of thieves" we're suggested rival each other are basically two *pairs* of thieves that are quickly whittled down to just our two main characters Gin and Eban when their respective friends die. And speaking of those deaths... The book is rather short and the pacing is *extremely* fast. The reader and the characters never get a chance to fully sit with what has happened, and this is particularly noticeable with the deaths of two characters that Gin and Eban respectively have long histories with. Actually, even before those two characters die, we're told that a previous "heist" Eban committed very recently got one of his friends killed, someone he says was like a brother to him....and he doesn't show one ounce of grief or guilt over it. He barely shows any more than that after his best friend Vergil is killed, and the book tries to justify this by Eban thinking to himself that he'll have time to mourn later, he has to focus on surviving now, that that's just how things go in a thief's life, but then...he never actually mourns. There *is* a moment where he tells the audience he's probably going to be tormented by nightmares of Vergil's death during the night but we never actually get to SEE him tormented by them, and he never really mentions them or Vergil throughout the course of the story so it comes off as him just not really caring about him all that much. I also thought it was particularly insulting when Eban thinks to himself that he never had a reason to live before falling in love with Gin when...he had Vergil....who was his closest friend.... Gin shows a similar level of indifference towards the death of her mentor, with the same justifications, and honestly she mentions her mentor somehow even less than Eban does Vergil, despite him having practically raised her and taught her everything.

On the topic of Eban and Gin themselves, they NEVER speak of their grief to one another. In fact, they never have any kind of substantial conversation with each other and yet they're deeply in love and "know" each other in the span of a few days. Their romance is completely unbelievable and it also starts out as practically instalove/instalust. Eban experiences jealousy over Gin having potentially had a lover after exchanging like, a few sentences with her, and both Gin and Eban also show attraction towards the other mere hours after their friends are killed. How is that the behavior of reasonable or even likeable people? There's also the issue that Gin is *incredibly* passive as a character (TBF, Eban also is, it's just more obvious with Gin) and a big reason she falls in love with Eban is that Eban allegedly trusts her to save herself, unlike her previous love interest Rollo who always protects her. This rings blatantly false when Eban saves her from nearly every situation and even at one point *makes* a decision for her...and she *likes* it. Her reasoning for loving him is so bizarre, and it's also pretty bizarre how she instantly jumps to believing Rollo only saved her to stroke his own ego the next time she sees him again despite not even interacting with him. The way the scene is written makes it feel like Gin is just jumping to a bunch of unfounded assumptions (even though they do end up being true in the end) just so the author can have Gin choose Eban without any emotional baggage. And the way Rollo starts acting like a cartoon villain after Gin decides that despite having acted perfectly nice before then...it's all so *lazy*.

There are also some plot things that make zero sense or are just written very weirdly. Eban instantly assumes that his previous failed heist at a gambling hall was a set-up because....Rollo calls him a weasel?? Darius's intent to steal the relics is bizarrely underbaked; he claims he's throwing together a crew to go steal it but then just has Gin and Eban and...abandons them to make a plan on their own?? There was also no reason for him to suddenly change his mind about the plan that *he* made when the author could've written him as having crafted the plan they ended up going with. It felt like a failed attempt at foreshadowing. I also didn't like the use of some anachronistic words and phrases, like "glitch", "whatever", "make bank", and I particularly didn't like the portrayal of Ophir's venerated ancestor spirits as very casual, almost childish people when they're supposedly the best of the best. It just felt like it took away from the story and the very real practice of ancestor worship, but that's my personal opinion. I also didn't really feel like the book or the civilization of Ophir was nearly as aquatic/oceanic as the title "Kingdom of Waves" makes it out to be.

As for the narrators, I thought the female one was pretty good but the male narrator was *horrendous*. I personally found his voice quite obnoxious, trying too hard to sound like a roguish thief that it sounded like a devil-may-care 15-year-old, and his cadence was very strange at some points, kind of like when students are reading out loud in class and don't bother with pacing their words in a natural way, kind of stopping very oddly once they reach the side of the page. He also did not bother to differentiate Eban's speaking voice with his thinking voice, or Eban's voice from any other character's voice for that matter. Everyone and everything sounded the same so it was at times difficult to tell who was speaking or when Eban's thoughts ended and his speech began. Honestly, it made Eban's chapters unbearable for me to listen to, and I'm going to try to avoid this narrator from now on. (EDIT: Apparently there's only one narrator?? That's actually incredible if so, and I commend the narrator's skill in doing both a female and male voice, but I stand by my points about not enjoying Eban's chapters.)

Anyways, that's all the criticism I can remember. I have another ARC of Melissa de la Cruz's to finish but in the future, I won't be reading anymore of her work.

[KMart Books]

TL;DR: Way too fast-paced and very young YA. Other than that, it's fun!

This was a fun, fast-paced read that sets up a fascinating world and introduces some genuinely interesting characters, though the pacing never slows down long enough for anything to breathe. With the story moving this fast, some of the bigger moments don't carry NEARLY as much weight as they should. Killing off some characters felt like a cheap move too. There was a real opportunity for a found family dynamic there and it got sacrificed instead for a quick emotional hit that didn't even land.

The world building is the strongest part of this one. The conflict and history between Ophir and Lacon, the sunken kingdom and its lore, and the oppression of the Ophir people were all genuinely interesting and gave the story real stakes. The lore and the complex politics underneath everything feel like they're just getting started, and I think the next book is going to push all of that even further. Fingers crossed.

Gin and Eban are enjoyable together, even if their relationship develops WAY faster than I would have liked. I also wanted more of an actual heist here. There's stolen treasure and thieves involved but not much of the planning or tension that usually makes a heist story satisfying.

Good world, fun characters, just needed to slow down enough to let things land.

The audiobook was very well done and I think they did a great job with such a young adult story. There was a weird sound once in the audiobook copy I got.

Thanks so much to Colored Pages Book Tours, Fierce Reads, Macmillan Audio, and the author for the complimentary copies. This review is voluntary and all opinions are my own.

[Galy]

I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley. Thank you! All opinions are my own.

A fantastic adventure!

The kingdom of Ophir was once powerful until the invasion by the land of Lacon, then it was lost to the waves. Now, the Ophir live as second-class citizens beneath Lacon’s golden palaces. Then two Ophir thief bands, one led by Eban Sadreal and the other by Gineth Strong, go after the same priceless relic and their worlds collide.

I love Melissa de la Cruz's books so when the publisher reached out to read her next YA novel I was so in. I really enjoyed it, the plot was super interesting.

The main characters Gin and Eban were great, two rival thieves who end up working together for a common goal.

The magic is amazing with the relics and I love how we learn more about the ancestral magic at the same time as Gin and Eban cause they didn't know anything about the old stories.

The twists were really cool and the ending caught me by surprise, I really need the next one!

[Ashlyn Tickle]

Thank you to MacmillanAudio for the gifted ALC through Netgalley. This does not affect my honest review.

I did truly eat this one up. It was a really well done in the narration. Alexandra Palting was a phenomenal Gineth. I felt she was able to demonstrate that Gin is still young but has had many life experience due to her life being really hard on the streets. Matt Mercurio was a great Eben as well when showing his inner conflict on who Eben felt he was against who he wanted to be (mostly for Gin).

I loved that this was a YA because we didn’t lose any plot to the budding romance and that didn’t really get in the way of the overall quest to restore these artifacts. I think it was a bit slow there in the middle and I could’ve lost interest had I not had the audiobook, but stick with it because it picks up again and you’ll be screaming after the epilogue. I’m very excited to hear news on book 2 now!

[Shahana]

3.5⭐️

The premise of this book was so good. I was immediately hooked by the treasure hunt, the lost kingdom, and the rich world inspired by a culture fighting to reclaim what had been stolen from them.

The themes of colonialism really got under my skin—in the best way. Watching an empire try to erase another people’s history, identity, and culture genuinely made my blood boil, which just shows how effectively those themes were portrayed. I found myself rooting for Ophir and its people from the very beginning.

Gin and Eban were both compelling protagonists, and I enjoyed following their journeys and seeing their paths intertwine. I just wish the story had slowed down a little at times so we could spend more time with them and really dive deeper into their characters.

Overall, an exciting fantasy with a fantastic premise, powerful themes, and a world I’m definitely interested in returning to.

[Lindsey]

*I received an ARC via Netgalley*

Kingdom of Waves dragged me out of a very difficult reading slump. After weeks of finding no joy in reading, I read this book in around 3 hours. Kingdom of Waves really was unputdownable, and brought a lot of uniqueness to well loved tropes.

I felt that the characters were slightly stronger in driving this story than the plot, but I quite enjoyed that. The world building was interesting and easy to follow, but the characters really gripped me. I truly did not see the twists coming, and gosh the ending was incredible. It was a very unexpected ending and I really (impatiently lol) look forward to the sequel.

This was such a fun, interesting, and slightly heartbreaking read.

[AshReadsAlot]

A solid YA Fantasy, emphasis on the Young side, with high-stakes, lost worlds, heists, thieves, magic, mystery and betrayals.
This book is very fast-paced and easy to read, with non-stop action; but I’d say too fast.
I enjoyed the premise and the characters. There is a lot there and the story is so intriguing. For me, it just felt like it needed a bit more depth. It felt a bit rushed where I wanted to dive deeper into the details, emotions, and the world. However, I do think this would be a good fit for the 12-14 age range.

Overall, I really did enjoy the story and the narrators were fantastic. I will read the next book as it was very entertaining and I am invested now to see how it all plays out.


Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC copy.

[Whitney ✨A River of Books✨]

Audiobook DNF @ 49%

*Thank you to MacMillan Audio for sending me a widget via NetGalley for this ALC*

I really wanted to like this & id honestly say I gave it a fair chance-this is just not for me.

It’s pretty fast paced, I’ll give it that, but I don’t really feel like I’m getting a good grasp of what this world is, the struggle it’s people are experiencing, nor any real character development.

The narrators are doing a fine job (there did seem to be a glitch at one part and the male narrator sounded kind of echoey at the start- hopefully that’s fixed before this went out)

I’m sure there are people that will truly enjoy this, it’s just a miss for me.

[Jaimes_Mystical_Library]

This was an enjoyable young adult fantasy and a great start to a duology. I liked following the dual points of view between Gin and Eban in this story. This book had a fast pace and high stakes and had me hooked from start to finish. I liked the world building and overall storyline in this one. I can’t wait to see how the story continues in the next book after how this one left off.

Read this if you like:

📖 Heists
📖 Lost kingdoms
📖 Dual POV

Thank you to Goodreads and the publisher for my giveaway prize.

[Meredith]

This is very much on the young side of YA, and I think it’s probably a great fit for a younger audience.

It has so many great elements - thieves guild and rival thieves, rebellion, secret royals and oceanic magic. I think I wanted MORE? De La Cruz’s other work this year, Sibylline, offered so much in the way of world building and complex magic systems along with deep emotional relationship dynamics and slow burn tension, and I think was expecting more in the complexity and character development.

Thanks so much to MacMillan and Fierce Reads for the review copy! All opinions are my own.

[Jennifer]

This was such a disappointing book, but I think that's because I went into it with the wrong expectations. I've seen it likened to Six of Crows, which, imo, is like comparing fish to apples. (Six of Crows is incredible, btw - such a good book/series!)

Kingdom of Waves is very fast paced. There's action on top of action and it never really slows down, which makes the story feel rushed. I wish more time had been given to character development - I feel as though we never really get to know our MCs - and fleshing out the story a bit better. There's so many inconsistencies throughout the story and little things that just don't make sense.

Maybe very young YA readers would enjoy this one, but it missed the mark for me.

[jenny reads a lot]

Treasure and relics?! Say less

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[Jessica]

What a fun book! The Writting was easy and enjoyable. My 12 year old is currently reading it and loves it too!

[Brenda Westervelt]

It was okay. I liked the characters and story but I found it slow.

[Dana M.]

3.5⭐️