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The Sea Beyond #1
The Eye of Leviathan
Not yet published
Expected 14 Jul 26Win a free print copy of this book!
17 days and 13:17:00
1 copies available
U.S. and Canada only
From the author of The Mask of Mirrors comes a sweeping adventure set in a world where fae secretly walk amongst those who seek to persecute them.
In an alternate Spanish Golden Age, the Council of the Sea Beyond has risen to unrivaled power, exploiting the Otherworld’s most precious resources for their own gain. Estevan seeks to uncover their secrets, but he risks the exposure of his that he is a faerie, masquerading as a mortal.
The Hungry Girl is the human whose place he took. Lost among the fae and desperate to find some purpose for her existence, she leaps at the chance to help a group of Spanish explorers in the Sea Beyond…only to be horrified at the atrocities they commit.
A faerie pact has separated them– but only together can they bring down Spain’s worlds-spanning empire and save the homes they have both come to love.
In an alternate Spanish Golden Age, the Council of the Sea Beyond has risen to unrivaled power, exploiting the Otherworld’s most precious resources for their own gain. Estevan seeks to uncover their secrets, but he risks the exposure of his that he is a faerie, masquerading as a mortal.
The Hungry Girl is the human whose place he took. Lost among the fae and desperate to find some purpose for her existence, she leaps at the chance to help a group of Spanish explorers in the Sea Beyond…only to be horrified at the atrocities they commit.
A faerie pact has separated them– but only together can they bring down Spain’s worlds-spanning empire and save the homes they have both come to love.
512 pages, Paperback
Expected publication July 14, 2026
About the author
M.A. Carrick
13 books932 followersM.A. Carrick is the joint pen name of Marie Brennan(author of the Memoirs of Lady Trent) and Alyc Helms (author of the Adventures of Mr. Mystic). The two met in 2000 on an archaeological dig in Wales and Ireland — including a stint in the town of Carrickmacross — and have built their friendship through two decades of anthropology, writing, and gaming. They live in the San Francisco Bay Area.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Huge thanks to NetGalley & the publishers for a chance to review this arc!
« There is nothing wrong with you, and everything wrong with the world. »
This is a Historical Fantasy with very nostalgic writing, set in the period of the Spanish Inquisition. It’s obviously very heavy on the topics of religion - but it is done in a way that even I, someone who doesn’t like to read about religion, could tolerate it. I knew going in that it would be religion heavy but I liked that the characters questioned it, even in a time where curiosity on these topics weren’t allowed.
We follow two pov’s about a human girl & the changeling she was switched with by her mother (her father was going to murder her daughter so she was looking for a way to protect her). And I will say nothing was convenient for our poor main characters. Estevan had one goal but he wasn’t in the right family for things to be straightforward for him. The hungry girl unfortunately had been sold multiple times and her path wasn’t linear either.
I was rooting for both main characters, despite their flaws and shortcomings. I will admit I struggled between 30-40%, and then again from 60-80% because the plot wasn’t moving along. I know that it was intended though because the characters were facing difficulties. There’s only a *hint* of romance but I was really rooting for them. I thought the pacing was on the slower side and it could’ve been edited down but I still enjoyed this read and thought it was unique.
« There is nothing wrong with you, and everything wrong with the world. »
This is a Historical Fantasy with very nostalgic writing, set in the period of the Spanish Inquisition. It’s obviously very heavy on the topics of religion - but it is done in a way that even I, someone who doesn’t like to read about religion, could tolerate it. I knew going in that it would be religion heavy but I liked that the characters questioned it, even in a time where curiosity on these topics weren’t allowed.
We follow two pov’s about a human girl & the changeling she was switched with by her mother (her father was going to murder her daughter so she was looking for a way to protect her). And I will say nothing was convenient for our poor main characters. Estevan had one goal but he wasn’t in the right family for things to be straightforward for him. The hungry girl unfortunately had been sold multiple times and her path wasn’t linear either.
I was rooting for both main characters, despite their flaws and shortcomings. I will admit I struggled between 30-40%, and then again from 60-80% because the plot wasn’t moving along. I know that it was intended though because the characters were facing difficulties. There’s only a *hint* of romance but I was really rooting for them. I thought the pacing was on the slower side and it could’ve been edited down but I still enjoyed this read and thought it was unique.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Disclaimer: Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this early in exchange for an honest review!
And an honest review it will be, because, unfortunately... this book was not for me at all. The reason I wanted to read this so much, was due to my enjoyment with Rook & Rose that managed to create a whole new world with its own magic system, a well developed set of characters and surprising twists along the way. The Eye of the Leviathan, on the other hand, had none of those things for me. I heavily underestimated the "historical" part of the "historical fiction" and while I see this as a work of love (the details of the world's history and workings are everywhere! And the notes at the end with the thought process), I feel as if they focused TOO much on the world and way less on the characters and the plot.
We have a dual POV with Estevan and the Hungry Girl in different timelines and that is where one of the problem starts. While we see Estevan's journey as a human to understand what he is going through, it mostly feels like he's a placeholder for the world's exposition and history events. I swear the first 10% it felt as if I were reading a history book of sorts (exaggerating, but you get my point). It gets better (mostly because the foundation has been built by then), but I could never really see Estevan as his own person as much as a way to share the world, despite me actually liking him.
Hungry Girl, on the other hand, is the opposite. It's a short part of her life with some important events that lead to some other events, as it usually goes. We also learn the world beyond thanks to her, but not in an infodump Estevan way, but more through experiences and all. Problem with her is that I also could not really care much about her. I feel like she fixates on some things too much like believing in the baptism with very little information and she keeps having all these... incidents that keep pushing her to take the next step fast. Feels a bit on the nose with her and how nice she is. She is a being that struggles with belonging somewhere, but I didn't feel that was conveyed as it should.
All in all, the focus is 100% on the world and it makes sense as it is a HISTORICAL fiction, but everything else felt as it were accessories to the world, rather than guiding forces. Many convenient turns of events, abrupt scenes, scenes that dragged a lot. Just... really not my cup of tea and maybe not the right audience for this.
And an honest review it will be, because, unfortunately... this book was not for me at all. The reason I wanted to read this so much, was due to my enjoyment with Rook & Rose that managed to create a whole new world with its own magic system, a well developed set of characters and surprising twists along the way. The Eye of the Leviathan, on the other hand, had none of those things for me. I heavily underestimated the "historical" part of the "historical fiction" and while I see this as a work of love (the details of the world's history and workings are everywhere! And the notes at the end with the thought process), I feel as if they focused TOO much on the world and way less on the characters and the plot.
We have a dual POV with Estevan and the Hungry Girl in different timelines and that is where one of the problem starts. While we see Estevan's journey as a human to understand what he is going through, it mostly feels like he's a placeholder for the world's exposition and history events. I swear the first 10% it felt as if I were reading a history book of sorts (exaggerating, but you get my point). It gets better (mostly because the foundation has been built by then), but I could never really see Estevan as his own person as much as a way to share the world, despite me actually liking him.
Hungry Girl, on the other hand, is the opposite. It's a short part of her life with some important events that lead to some other events, as it usually goes. We also learn the world beyond thanks to her, but not in an infodump Estevan way, but more through experiences and all. Problem with her is that I also could not really care much about her. I feel like she fixates on some things too much like believing in the baptism with very little information and she keeps having all these... incidents that keep pushing her to take the next step fast. Feels a bit on the nose with her and how nice she is. She is a being that struggles with belonging somewhere, but I didn't feel that was conveyed as it should.
All in all, the focus is 100% on the world and it makes sense as it is a HISTORICAL fiction, but everything else felt as it were accessories to the world, rather than guiding forces. Many convenient turns of events, abrupt scenes, scenes that dragged a lot. Just... really not my cup of tea and maybe not the right audience for this.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I went into this book with some very high expectations because I absolutely loved the Rook & Rose trilogy. The authors' writing style remains as beautifully rich as ever, very atmospheric and full of intricate details. I also enjoyed the historical setting, which felt very well researched and added a strong background for this story.
That said, unfortunately I didn't fell in love with it. I could never connect with the characters. They were interesting enough, but remained emotionally distant throughout the story. Because of that I wasn't particularly interested in their fate and I couldn't stay fully engaged.
The pacing didn't help either. The book was slow, which isn't necessarily a problem on its own, but when combined with the characters I didn't care about, it often felt like a slog.
I was also surprised by how mych of the narrative focused on the religion. While those elements where deeply explored I personally would have preferred more emphasis on the fantasy aspects of the novel. The magic wasn't as rich as I could have hoped for.
I think that's what I missed most. The Rook & Rose trilogy had a unique spark, a kind of magical intrigue and creativity that made the world feel fascinating. This book, despite being well written and ambitious, never gave me this special feeling that made their previous work so memorable.
Overall, I'm glad I had a chance to read it and I wonder how people that didn't read Rook & Rose would experience it.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
That said, unfortunately I didn't fell in love with it. I could never connect with the characters. They were interesting enough, but remained emotionally distant throughout the story. Because of that I wasn't particularly interested in their fate and I couldn't stay fully engaged.
The pacing didn't help either. The book was slow, which isn't necessarily a problem on its own, but when combined with the characters I didn't care about, it often felt like a slog.
I was also surprised by how mych of the narrative focused on the religion. While those elements where deeply explored I personally would have preferred more emphasis on the fantasy aspects of the novel. The magic wasn't as rich as I could have hoped for.
I think that's what I missed most. The Rook & Rose trilogy had a unique spark, a kind of magical intrigue and creativity that made the world feel fascinating. This book, despite being well written and ambitious, never gave me this special feeling that made their previous work so memorable.
Overall, I'm glad I had a chance to read it and I wonder how people that didn't read Rook & Rose would experience it.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Want to Read
March 27, 2026oh my god, this synopsis is everything i've ever wanted in a book.
edit: the cover!! the old map, the wax seal with the ship, the sea monster, i'm literally in love.
edit: the cover!! the old map, the wax seal with the ship, the sea monster, i'm literally in love.
thoughts
June 4, 2026I LOVED the rook & rose series so much. Cannot wait for this one omg.
Want to Read
March 28, 2026“alternate Spanish Golden Age, the Council of the Sea Beyond” sounds so interesting i’m ngl
and i like that this seems like it’s from the perspective of the guy who is a fae
and i like that this seems like it’s from the perspective of the guy who is a fae
May 10, 2026
3.75⭐️
A reimagined historical fantasy following a human child and a faerie changeling during the time of the Spanish Inquisition, as efforts are made to dismantle and control the faeries and suppress other religions.
It’s very clear that Carrick did an immense amount of research on the time period, culture, politics, and religious persecution. This is a high-stakes adventure that kept me on the edge of my seat. The plotlines kept me engaged, and the direction the story took was incredibly creative. Carrick is masterful at creating a rich atmosphere while also weaving in commentary on colonialism and religious oppression.
At times, the plotlines become a bit too dense, which bogs down the story and makes it difficult to follow. However, this only occurred occasionally, and the majority of the plotlines remained fairly straightforward.
This is truly one of the most unique historical fantasies I have read. The concepts are creative and refreshing, and I’m excited to see where the series goes!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!
A reimagined historical fantasy following a human child and a faerie changeling during the time of the Spanish Inquisition, as efforts are made to dismantle and control the faeries and suppress other religions.
It’s very clear that Carrick did an immense amount of research on the time period, culture, politics, and religious persecution. This is a high-stakes adventure that kept me on the edge of my seat. The plotlines kept me engaged, and the direction the story took was incredibly creative. Carrick is masterful at creating a rich atmosphere while also weaving in commentary on colonialism and religious oppression.
At times, the plotlines become a bit too dense, which bogs down the story and makes it difficult to follow. However, this only occurred occasionally, and the majority of the plotlines remained fairly straightforward.
This is truly one of the most unique historical fantasies I have read. The concepts are creative and refreshing, and I’m excited to see where the series goes!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!
April 22, 2026
Thank you NetGalley, Orbit Books, and M.A. Carrick for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review!
4.5 stars
I was pretty nervous reading this just because I’m tired of the way fae is done in fantasy, but oh my god this was so good. This is a historical fantasy set in an alternate Spanish Golden Age where Spanish greed is not just limited by human lands but also the fae’s Sea Beyond and the magic that can be found there. When I say only M.A. Carrick can do so much in such few pages. The violence we see through the Inquisition, how religion is distorted for control, the affects of colonialism while also tying that to the magic system of this book, so well done and I can’t do it justice with my words, you’re just going to have to trust me and read this. This book is well-researched, so I had a good time reading how events and people would differ in this alternate world. The worldbuilding is so detailed, layered, and immersive without being info dumpy. We follow a changeling (Estevan) seeking to hide amongst the humans to discover how to stop the Spanish from hurting more fae in the Sea Beyond. This changeling switches places with a human girl who ends living among the fae with the name The Hungry Girl. Estevan’s POV chapters are historical sensory overload with the vibes in Spain during this time and I loved it! Really enjoyed seeing how much he wrestled with the guilt of complicity in the name of his mission. His relationships are so angsty and messy because of the role he plays (the potential of a romance had me screaming in delight). The Hungry Girl’s chapter are lush with fantastical magic and worlds that fae live in and I loved seeing how weird things could get and her development. This book was unique, but still had characters that felt real, who didn’t always make the “right” choice. I consumed this book in 3 days and I desperately wait for Book 2.
4.5 stars
I was pretty nervous reading this just because I’m tired of the way fae is done in fantasy, but oh my god this was so good. This is a historical fantasy set in an alternate Spanish Golden Age where Spanish greed is not just limited by human lands but also the fae’s Sea Beyond and the magic that can be found there. When I say only M.A. Carrick can do so much in such few pages. The violence we see through the Inquisition, how religion is distorted for control, the affects of colonialism while also tying that to the magic system of this book, so well done and I can’t do it justice with my words, you’re just going to have to trust me and read this. This book is well-researched, so I had a good time reading how events and people would differ in this alternate world. The worldbuilding is so detailed, layered, and immersive without being info dumpy. We follow a changeling (Estevan) seeking to hide amongst the humans to discover how to stop the Spanish from hurting more fae in the Sea Beyond. This changeling switches places with a human girl who ends living among the fae with the name The Hungry Girl. Estevan’s POV chapters are historical sensory overload with the vibes in Spain during this time and I loved it! Really enjoyed seeing how much he wrestled with the guilt of complicity in the name of his mission. His relationships are so angsty and messy because of the role he plays (the potential of a romance had me screaming in delight). The Hungry Girl’s chapter are lush with fantastical magic and worlds that fae live in and I loved seeing how weird things could get and her development. This book was unique, but still had characters that felt real, who didn’t always make the “right” choice. I consumed this book in 3 days and I desperately wait for Book 2.
to-read-forthcoming
April 14, 2026*high pitched screeching*
June 12, 2026
Very good! I always love southern Iberian history with Spanish and Arabic influencing the culture, so that sucked me in at the beginning. This is a fascinating alternate history where Spanish conquistadors invaded fae realms instead of the Americas. The dual PoV is utilized very well and there’s hints of connections between them throughout. The examination of complicity in atrocity is well done, especially from Estevan’s PoV. How complicit will you be to ultimately help your people?
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thanks to NetGalley and Orbit for this ARC.
3.5 Stars
The Rook and Rose series by M.A. Carrick was so phenomenal to me, that when I heard that they were releasing another series, I happily applied for the ARC of The Eye of Leviathan. Per my regular standard, I did not know what the content was to be about and was prepared to go in blind. If I knew what the focus of The Eye of Leviathan was going to be, I would have held back as this is everything I do not desire to read.
To start with, this is an alternate history fantasy. I have no problem with this genre, but in general it is not my favorite. It highly depends on the historical period, and the late 1500s/early 1600s of Catholic Spain, intent on conquering the world... I have no desire to read. The entire premise is bizarre, with a young woman Teresa going to the woods with her newborn daughter to make a deal with the local fae in order to save her daughter from her husband's spoken threat to drown her if she was not a son. Fortunately for Teresa, the fae took pity on her and offered to leave a changeling in her daughter's place. With a catch: the fae wanted to find the secret of how men traversed the ocean to the Sea Beyond, the land of the Fae. What I was NOT expecting was the fae to just... offer themselves to be the changeling? This full fledged adult fae decided to roleplay as a human starting from day one. Using fae magic, they turned themselves into a newborn son -- although Carrick gave the reader plenty of time skips, the reader did spend most of the time in the fae's life (Estevan) throughout the story. Personally I am not a huge fan of being with the character from infancy to adulthood.
Estevan also did not act like they were blessed with wisdom. In most stories of fae, the fae themselves are tricksters and hard to be pinned in place. In this world, however, the fae were... pretty dumb. That is putting it nicely. They could not outsmart humans, and were brought back as slaves who were then baptized into Catholicism and had their nature taken from them. Given a new "Christian" name, the fae were now able to be COMMANDED to do the bidding of anyone who knew their new true name. Slavery is a tough sell in a book, let alone a fantasy book. I have read some books that feature slavery with the protagonists actively working against this. In The Eye of Leviathan, the protaganists are doing the same, but the pure misery of never ending torture to the captured fae left a sour taste in my mouth.
If you thought this story was ONLY about Estevan, think again, as The Eye of Leviathan alternates perspectives. We switch between Estevan and The Hungry Girl. The human counterpart of Estevan was not afforded the same lifespan in the books as the fae. Instead, the Hungry Girl's introduction begins with her exiled on an island where the inhabitants are cursed to become Harpies slowly but surely. Her introduction was brief, with a few hints about the magic linking her to Estevan. At first I did prefer this part of the story, as this was where all the fantasy parts of the story resided. This was shortly taken from me when Spanish sailors came to the island and "rescued" the Hungry Girl and her faerie companions. It was at this point that I decided this was not the book for me, when the Hungry Girl discovered her soul was doomed unless she came back to Spain to be baptized. Her naivete astounded me-- for anyone who spent any amount of time in the land of the fae, they should know better than to trust things at face value.
Both Estevan and the Hungry Girl needled at me, with their constant blunders. I am not saying that characters need to be perfect all the time. Instead, I would like to point out that the mistakes they made did not match what the reader has been told. They are too trusting of others, and never think of the consequences of their actions. How could someone who spent their whole life in the Sea Beyond believe the faeries when they say their mother was captured by an Ogre? Faeries do not understand humans, this logic makes no sense. On the flipside, a fae who lived on the land of humans for the majority of their life should also just know that people are fickle and will flip back and forth.
This combined with the straight sexism, inherent of the time period, made this story unbearable for me. Sure there were times when Estevan's sisters' barbs made me shout "YEAH YOU SHOW HIM" but they came out of left field. For me, it felt like the authors wanted to cover too much in this story and they should have narrowed down the scope. Whether that would be cutting on POV from the final manuscript or choosing the selected scenes more carefully, it does not really matter.
Overall, I feel there is an audience for this type of book, but it does not include me.
3.5 Stars
The Rook and Rose series by M.A. Carrick was so phenomenal to me, that when I heard that they were releasing another series, I happily applied for the ARC of The Eye of Leviathan. Per my regular standard, I did not know what the content was to be about and was prepared to go in blind. If I knew what the focus of The Eye of Leviathan was going to be, I would have held back as this is everything I do not desire to read.
To start with, this is an alternate history fantasy. I have no problem with this genre, but in general it is not my favorite. It highly depends on the historical period, and the late 1500s/early 1600s of Catholic Spain, intent on conquering the world... I have no desire to read. The entire premise is bizarre, with a young woman Teresa going to the woods with her newborn daughter to make a deal with the local fae in order to save her daughter from her husband's spoken threat to drown her if she was not a son. Fortunately for Teresa, the fae took pity on her and offered to leave a changeling in her daughter's place. With a catch: the fae wanted to find the secret of how men traversed the ocean to the Sea Beyond, the land of the Fae. What I was NOT expecting was the fae to just... offer themselves to be the changeling? This full fledged adult fae decided to roleplay as a human starting from day one. Using fae magic, they turned themselves into a newborn son -- although Carrick gave the reader plenty of time skips, the reader did spend most of the time in the fae's life (Estevan) throughout the story. Personally I am not a huge fan of being with the character from infancy to adulthood.
Estevan also did not act like they were blessed with wisdom. In most stories of fae, the fae themselves are tricksters and hard to be pinned in place. In this world, however, the fae were... pretty dumb. That is putting it nicely. They could not outsmart humans, and were brought back as slaves who were then baptized into Catholicism and had their nature taken from them. Given a new "Christian" name, the fae were now able to be COMMANDED to do the bidding of anyone who knew their new true name. Slavery is a tough sell in a book, let alone a fantasy book. I have read some books that feature slavery with the protagonists actively working against this. In The Eye of Leviathan, the protaganists are doing the same, but the pure misery of never ending torture to the captured fae left a sour taste in my mouth.
If you thought this story was ONLY about Estevan, think again, as The Eye of Leviathan alternates perspectives. We switch between Estevan and The Hungry Girl. The human counterpart of Estevan was not afforded the same lifespan in the books as the fae. Instead, the Hungry Girl's introduction begins with her exiled on an island where the inhabitants are cursed to become Harpies slowly but surely. Her introduction was brief, with a few hints about the magic linking her to Estevan. At first I did prefer this part of the story, as this was where all the fantasy parts of the story resided. This was shortly taken from me when Spanish sailors came to the island and "rescued" the Hungry Girl and her faerie companions. It was at this point that I decided this was not the book for me, when the Hungry Girl discovered her soul was doomed unless she came back to Spain to be baptized. Her naivete astounded me-- for anyone who spent any amount of time in the land of the fae, they should know better than to trust things at face value.
Both Estevan and the Hungry Girl needled at me, with their constant blunders. I am not saying that characters need to be perfect all the time. Instead, I would like to point out that the mistakes they made did not match what the reader has been told. They are too trusting of others, and never think of the consequences of their actions. How could someone who spent their whole life in the Sea Beyond believe the faeries when they say their mother was captured by an Ogre? Faeries do not understand humans, this logic makes no sense. On the flipside, a fae who lived on the land of humans for the majority of their life should also just know that people are fickle and will flip back and forth.
This combined with the straight sexism, inherent of the time period, made this story unbearable for me. Sure there were times when Estevan's sisters' barbs made me shout "YEAH YOU SHOW HIM" but they came out of left field. For me, it felt like the authors wanted to cover too much in this story and they should have narrowed down the scope. Whether that would be cutting on POV from the final manuscript or choosing the selected scenes more carefully, it does not really matter.
Overall, I feel there is an audience for this type of book, but it does not include me.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
****Many thanks to Netgalley and Orbit Books for an advanced eArc in exchange for my honest opinion****
Phew.. this is probably going to be the biggest letdown of the year for me.
Reading the description of this book I went into this SUPER excited and expecting the MOST. After getting through the slog fest I am thoroughly disappointed.
I'm sorry... but what BLOODY happened to interesting characters?! I know yall can do it! Rook and Rose had some of the most funny, intriguing, mysterious, COMPELLING characters. All of these characters in The Eye of Leviathan were agenda pushing cardboard cutouts. What a freaking joke. I couldn't care less about Estevan and the Hungry Girl which is really saying something since those are the two POV's you get.
The first 50% of the book you get 35 minute chapters... Yes that's right, 35 MINUTE CHAPTERS. Mother of GOD. Half of the crap you get in those chapters could have been cut. A lot of information recycling. In Rook and Rose series it was a lot of information getting dumped on you but somehow I understood that mainly mystical land better than I do of this historical fantasy, make that make sense!
Estevan's POV chapters were extremely RIGID whereas the Hungry Girl's chapters was pure unhinged chaos. Which was smart honestly because of where these two characters were located for most of the story, that part I can understand. But somewhere along the line I just would keep losing my place in the pages. I'd read a line and go "wait, what?" and have to go back and reread it. To me that means too much information is trying to be relayed at a fast pace. For a dense book like this I am a firm believer in taking your time to explain your story to the reader. There's no need to rush things, I am an experienced reader and so are others if they are willingly picking your story up.
Sigh... lets talk about Estevan. The first three chapters of info dumping and girl I was DONE. I'll sum it up like this.. Estevan's POV was literally him climbing the corporate ladder in 1600's Spain. The best thing I enjoyed reading about in his chapters was his friendship with Alexander. THAT was well written. You get their childhood shenanigans, curious minded and stubborn bantering of the college years and the love that blossomed from many years being by one another's side. It wasn't insta-lust or love. It didn't feel pushed on me, it felt natural.
Oof, the Hungry Girl. I don't even know where to start with this one. I want to say I wish she had a spine, I wish she didn't feel as wishy washy as she came off but because she has been sheltered in the Sea of Beyond I can't base my dislike of her on that. Every. New. Thing. She. Encounters. is immediately something she latches onto. Which again... I understand why that is but it just chaffs. I wish she would have been MORE experienced because she really did bounce around from island to island in the Sea of Beyond. She could have been a freaking VAULT of knowledge of the Sea and the differing Fae on each islands. I could have learned more about Leviathan and Behemoth through her eyes and I just didn't?? Instead I'm jolted down one fever dream to the next with barely a breath of air between each "adventure". The goblin armada literally just read like the Kakamora "pirate" ship from Moana. The Storm Isle's felt glossed over honestly. The Isle's of Threnody weren't described the magnitude I'd expect from M.A. Carrick. For the more "adventurous" POV I didn't get the adventures I wanted.
Erauso WAS one of my favorites but then it was revealed that it's a woman dressing in men's clothes I was immediately turned off the character... you know a WOMAN CAN BE A TOMBOY WITHOUT THE MENTAL BAGGAGE of somehow being trans in 1600's Spain. Laughable really. In the acknowledgements M.A. Carrick literally admits Erauso would have been utterly alien in the time period which LITERALLY takes away from the story! How can we read about a character like that and not get pissed off... I will concede to the stretching of identity to the Fae, that seems more realistic to me than anything else.
The only two stars I have for this book are Jualida and Sayyidda Al Hurra. These two characters are freaking stars themselves and I NEEDED more from these women.
I had expected going into this feeling the salt spray of the Sea of Beyond, hearing the sails snapping in the wind, seeing and experiencing the awe and wonder of the many differing Isles. I expected to feel the hot cobblestones under my feet, hear the bells echo off the beautiful buildings, and smell the oranges in the breeze. At this point I don't think I'll continue the series.
Phew.. this is probably going to be the biggest letdown of the year for me.
Reading the description of this book I went into this SUPER excited and expecting the MOST. After getting through the slog fest I am thoroughly disappointed.
I'm sorry... but what BLOODY happened to interesting characters?! I know yall can do it! Rook and Rose had some of the most funny, intriguing, mysterious, COMPELLING characters. All of these characters in The Eye of Leviathan were agenda pushing cardboard cutouts. What a freaking joke. I couldn't care less about Estevan and the Hungry Girl which is really saying something since those are the two POV's you get.
The first 50% of the book you get 35 minute chapters... Yes that's right, 35 MINUTE CHAPTERS. Mother of GOD. Half of the crap you get in those chapters could have been cut. A lot of information recycling. In Rook and Rose series it was a lot of information getting dumped on you but somehow I understood that mainly mystical land better than I do of this historical fantasy, make that make sense!
Estevan's POV chapters were extremely RIGID whereas the Hungry Girl's chapters was pure unhinged chaos. Which was smart honestly because of where these two characters were located for most of the story, that part I can understand. But somewhere along the line I just would keep losing my place in the pages. I'd read a line and go "wait, what?" and have to go back and reread it. To me that means too much information is trying to be relayed at a fast pace. For a dense book like this I am a firm believer in taking your time to explain your story to the reader. There's no need to rush things, I am an experienced reader and so are others if they are willingly picking your story up.
Sigh... lets talk about Estevan. The first three chapters of info dumping and girl I was DONE. I'll sum it up like this.. Estevan's POV was literally him climbing the corporate ladder in 1600's Spain. The best thing I enjoyed reading about in his chapters was his friendship with Alexander. THAT was well written. You get their childhood shenanigans, curious minded and stubborn bantering of the college years and the love that blossomed from many years being by one another's side. It wasn't insta-lust or love. It didn't feel pushed on me, it felt natural.
Oof, the Hungry Girl. I don't even know where to start with this one. I want to say I wish she had a spine, I wish she didn't feel as wishy washy as she came off but because she has been sheltered in the Sea of Beyond I can't base my dislike of her on that. Every. New. Thing. She. Encounters. is immediately something she latches onto. Which again... I understand why that is but it just chaffs. I wish she would have been MORE experienced because she really did bounce around from island to island in the Sea of Beyond. She could have been a freaking VAULT of knowledge of the Sea and the differing Fae on each islands. I could have learned more about Leviathan and Behemoth through her eyes and I just didn't?? Instead I'm jolted down one fever dream to the next with barely a breath of air between each "adventure". The goblin armada literally just read like the Kakamora "pirate" ship from Moana. The Storm Isle's felt glossed over honestly. The Isle's of Threnody weren't described the magnitude I'd expect from M.A. Carrick. For the more "adventurous" POV I didn't get the adventures I wanted.
Erauso WAS one of my favorites but then it was revealed that it's a woman dressing in men's clothes I was immediately turned off the character... you know a WOMAN CAN BE A TOMBOY WITHOUT THE MENTAL BAGGAGE of somehow being trans in 1600's Spain. Laughable really. In the acknowledgements M.A. Carrick literally admits Erauso would have been utterly alien in the time period which LITERALLY takes away from the story! How can we read about a character like that and not get pissed off... I will concede to the stretching of identity to the Fae, that seems more realistic to me than anything else.
The only two stars I have for this book are Jualida and Sayyidda Al Hurra. These two characters are freaking stars themselves and I NEEDED more from these women.
I had expected going into this feeling the salt spray of the Sea of Beyond, hearing the sails snapping in the wind, seeing and experiencing the awe and wonder of the many differing Isles. I expected to feel the hot cobblestones under my feet, hear the bells echo off the beautiful buildings, and smell the oranges in the breeze. At this point I don't think I'll continue the series.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to NetGalley and to Orbit Books for the ARC of The Eye of the Leviathan by M.A. Carrick.
Readers of Leigh Bardugo's The Familiar will really enjoy the historical setting of the novel, while readers of H.G. Parry, Seanan McGuire, and Heather Fawcett will enjoy the fae lands setting and characterization. And, as someone who is a fan of Carrick's first trilogy, the Rook and Rose, previous readers will find this a very strong new duology in their bibliography taking place in another differently imagined historical European context.
The Eye of the Leviathan tells two storylines - one of the Hungry Girl living in the fae Otherworlds, and the other of her changeling Estevan, living in Spain in the late 1500s/early 1600s. The changeling exchange was with the consent of the Hungry Girl's mother on the day of her birth to protect her from the rage of her father who already had 6 daughters and no sons, but it leads to unintended consequences as Spain's leaders are persecuting the fae both through the fae homelands and on Spanish soil. Estevan's life is in constant danger, but he is motivated to find a way to free his people through the changeling bargain, meanwhile the Hungry Girl is passed from owner to owner in the Otherworlds, always feeling out of place and hoping to one day find a place to call home. When the Hungry Girl encounters Spanish conquistadors in the Otherworld, she finally sees a potential way back to her mother, only to come face to face with the brutality of those who see the only people she has ever known as evil. So much more happens in the book, but to provide more details would derail from the ways the plot twists and turns and the way the characters develop based on what they both know of humankind and the fae.
What really stands out with this book is the amount of incredibly in-depth research on Spanish history and religion. For me, this was really impressive, but it also was, at times, a bit overwhelming. It is needed to set the stage of the story, and I do think the second book in the duology will be a bit more free form given how much will be already be established. for worldbuilding/background. Estevan is focused on rising through the civil service ranks to join the Council of the Sea Beyond who set the policy and actions toward the Otherworld, but to do that he has to go to school and we are given an absolutely massive amount of detail on the religious persecutions, the aims of colonialism, the individual city history of Valencia, Madrid, etc. The Hungry Girl sections have similar interludes as well on Jewish persecution, the Moors, and other cultures. History buffs will absolutely love it, but at times it had me wishing for more action or more times spent with the Hungry Girl whose focus on survival made those sections much more plot driven than factual. I think, for me, having Estevan's chapters so couched in facts and figures made me feel more apart from him vs the Hungry Girl as his sections felt more like someone running an experiment while hers were driven by the nature of an unpredictable world and unpredictable people.
I do really like the way Carrick wrote the parallels between Estevan and the Hungry Girl - both outsiders in different lands, both trying to survive and find their way home, both struggling to connect with people and both seeing the dark and light of the others kind. I also liked the allies they make along the way and the super in-depth view of the ways we see different individuals with different backgrounds all trying to fight tyranny. The allies are all well developed even if they minimally appear on the page and they have important roles to play in the context of the overall story -- the book is long, but no words, characters, or actions are wasted. Carrick's Rook and Rose trilogy showed how essential building blocks are to their plotting and I have no doubt this duology is the same - when reading their work, all of it is relevant and is going to be needed in a later plot point and they have really set the stage for big growth in the next book.
Carrick also does a great job of keeping the story very unpredictable. I had multiple guesses while reading it about where the story was going, and was very happy with the route they ended up taking and the reveals they made along the way. I think the second book in the duology is going to be the real showstopper of the two, as so much needed to be established for this one, and I can't wait to read it.
Readers of Leigh Bardugo's The Familiar will really enjoy the historical setting of the novel, while readers of H.G. Parry, Seanan McGuire, and Heather Fawcett will enjoy the fae lands setting and characterization. And, as someone who is a fan of Carrick's first trilogy, the Rook and Rose, previous readers will find this a very strong new duology in their bibliography taking place in another differently imagined historical European context.
The Eye of the Leviathan tells two storylines - one of the Hungry Girl living in the fae Otherworlds, and the other of her changeling Estevan, living in Spain in the late 1500s/early 1600s. The changeling exchange was with the consent of the Hungry Girl's mother on the day of her birth to protect her from the rage of her father who already had 6 daughters and no sons, but it leads to unintended consequences as Spain's leaders are persecuting the fae both through the fae homelands and on Spanish soil. Estevan's life is in constant danger, but he is motivated to find a way to free his people through the changeling bargain, meanwhile the Hungry Girl is passed from owner to owner in the Otherworlds, always feeling out of place and hoping to one day find a place to call home. When the Hungry Girl encounters Spanish conquistadors in the Otherworld, she finally sees a potential way back to her mother, only to come face to face with the brutality of those who see the only people she has ever known as evil. So much more happens in the book, but to provide more details would derail from the ways the plot twists and turns and the way the characters develop based on what they both know of humankind and the fae.
What really stands out with this book is the amount of incredibly in-depth research on Spanish history and religion. For me, this was really impressive, but it also was, at times, a bit overwhelming. It is needed to set the stage of the story, and I do think the second book in the duology will be a bit more free form given how much will be already be established. for worldbuilding/background. Estevan is focused on rising through the civil service ranks to join the Council of the Sea Beyond who set the policy and actions toward the Otherworld, but to do that he has to go to school and we are given an absolutely massive amount of detail on the religious persecutions, the aims of colonialism, the individual city history of Valencia, Madrid, etc. The Hungry Girl sections have similar interludes as well on Jewish persecution, the Moors, and other cultures. History buffs will absolutely love it, but at times it had me wishing for more action or more times spent with the Hungry Girl whose focus on survival made those sections much more plot driven than factual. I think, for me, having Estevan's chapters so couched in facts and figures made me feel more apart from him vs the Hungry Girl as his sections felt more like someone running an experiment while hers were driven by the nature of an unpredictable world and unpredictable people.
I do really like the way Carrick wrote the parallels between Estevan and the Hungry Girl - both outsiders in different lands, both trying to survive and find their way home, both struggling to connect with people and both seeing the dark and light of the others kind. I also liked the allies they make along the way and the super in-depth view of the ways we see different individuals with different backgrounds all trying to fight tyranny. The allies are all well developed even if they minimally appear on the page and they have important roles to play in the context of the overall story -- the book is long, but no words, characters, or actions are wasted. Carrick's Rook and Rose trilogy showed how essential building blocks are to their plotting and I have no doubt this duology is the same - when reading their work, all of it is relevant and is going to be needed in a later plot point and they have really set the stage for big growth in the next book.
Carrick also does a great job of keeping the story very unpredictable. I had multiple guesses while reading it about where the story was going, and was very happy with the route they ended up taking and the reveals they made along the way. I think the second book in the duology is going to be the real showstopper of the two, as so much needed to be established for this one, and I can't wait to read it.
May 24, 2026
I am lost for words. I haven’t been this immersed in the worldbuilding of a novel since stormlight archive and that was years ago.
The Eye of the Leviathon is an intricate dual-pov, historical fantasy about a girl (Hungry Girl or Don Maria) born to a barbaric father in the height of the Crusades in the hopes of breeding a son - who is exchanged at birth to a fae changeling at the request of her mother, fearing for the abuse the girl may endure at the hands of the father, and about the changeling (Estevan) who bargained human form in hopes to put a halt to enslavement of faeries and the Crusades itself. It’s as ambitious and depressing as it suggests. How can one little changeling bring about the end of an entire religious campaign?
There’s quite a lot of historical and technical jargon that may ward off some readers, and the writing style itself isn’t the most accessible/beginner friendly, however, once you’re able to immerse yourself into the story, oh what a marvel it was. (I was fully on board in the first 20%). The writing style itself was really descriptive and the Hungry Girls pov was very adventurous almost reminiscent of Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters, making this a very visual book for me and I loved every second of it.
I don’t know if I prefer Estevan, or the Hungry girls’ pov, because both were equally alluring, the pacing was fantastic, the dialogue was meaningful and tension remained at every page.
There were times I loved Estevan more - the impossibility of his ambition, the dread that comes with the cruelty that is plagued on his people, the nature of rebellion, the moral quandary of ‘for the greater good’ and the necessity of violence in rebellion engaged every cell in my brain - and him finding his place between his glorious purpose and domestic status as the “man” of the house was a marvel to read about. The interactions with Leanore was oh so intriguing I want more!! And oh Alejandro, my Ale’.
And then there were times where the Hungry Girl’s chapters took centre stage in my attachment - where and whom does she belong to? Is she human or faerie? A lot of her chapters is where we see the true cruelties of the Crusades which is heartbreaking at times.
There’s quite a lot of historical references - from Alexander the Great to Enoch, Al Khidr and the famed Al Hurra, it was a treat to read about them in this fantastical context.
And the fantasy element is that in this world, faeries (jinn) are real and there’s a barrier that separates the two worlds - which the Spanish have found a way to navigate. Different fae have different abilities and have tools or trinkets or treasures in their realms that allow these abilities to be used by humans. The Crusades on the fae realms is about purging and thieving all that can be used for the expansion of empire and Catholicism. There’s quite a lot of religious commentary, and all the while we do have the Ottoman expansion, Arab conquest, slavery, the English and the French and all those real life historical global political players and events in the background and in parallel all happening at once, which is why the worldbuilding was so intense and immersive.
For the things that I didn’t like - I don’t think I was fully attached to either of the characters - more so I was attached to their cause, the fae in general - and maybe that was intentional or inherent - I am not sure, but hey this booked landed for me so I’m not complaining. What I did think went wrong though, was the ending - I thought that the Hungry Girl had a really good emotional ending before those final chapters but I suppose having two storylines with distinct beats and character points would inevitably be hard to deliver, but still I wasn’t a fan of a certain character arc at the end😮💨 and Estevans arc felt too rushed in those final pages.
That however is minor because I can’t wait for book 2 - and book 1 isn’t even out yet (Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review)
All in all - I think this will be the new big name in fantasy, at least I hope it is!
Ps: yes we have queer rep
The Eye of the Leviathon is an intricate dual-pov, historical fantasy about a girl (Hungry Girl or Don Maria) born to a barbaric father in the height of the Crusades in the hopes of breeding a son - who is exchanged at birth to a fae changeling at the request of her mother, fearing for the abuse the girl may endure at the hands of the father, and about the changeling (Estevan) who bargained human form in hopes to put a halt to enslavement of faeries and the Crusades itself. It’s as ambitious and depressing as it suggests. How can one little changeling bring about the end of an entire religious campaign?
There’s quite a lot of historical and technical jargon that may ward off some readers, and the writing style itself isn’t the most accessible/beginner friendly, however, once you’re able to immerse yourself into the story, oh what a marvel it was. (I was fully on board in the first 20%). The writing style itself was really descriptive and the Hungry Girls pov was very adventurous almost reminiscent of Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters, making this a very visual book for me and I loved every second of it.
I don’t know if I prefer Estevan, or the Hungry girls’ pov, because both were equally alluring, the pacing was fantastic, the dialogue was meaningful and tension remained at every page.
There were times I loved Estevan more - the impossibility of his ambition, the dread that comes with the cruelty that is plagued on his people, the nature of rebellion, the moral quandary of ‘for the greater good’ and the necessity of violence in rebellion engaged every cell in my brain - and him finding his place between his glorious purpose and domestic status as the “man” of the house was a marvel to read about. The interactions with Leanore was oh so intriguing I want more!! And oh Alejandro, my Ale’.
And then there were times where the Hungry Girl’s chapters took centre stage in my attachment - where and whom does she belong to? Is she human or faerie? A lot of her chapters is where we see the true cruelties of the Crusades which is heartbreaking at times.
There’s quite a lot of historical references - from Alexander the Great to Enoch, Al Khidr and the famed Al Hurra, it was a treat to read about them in this fantastical context.
And the fantasy element is that in this world, faeries (jinn) are real and there’s a barrier that separates the two worlds - which the Spanish have found a way to navigate. Different fae have different abilities and have tools or trinkets or treasures in their realms that allow these abilities to be used by humans. The Crusades on the fae realms is about purging and thieving all that can be used for the expansion of empire and Catholicism. There’s quite a lot of religious commentary, and all the while we do have the Ottoman expansion, Arab conquest, slavery, the English and the French and all those real life historical global political players and events in the background and in parallel all happening at once, which is why the worldbuilding was so intense and immersive.
For the things that I didn’t like - I don’t think I was fully attached to either of the characters - more so I was attached to their cause, the fae in general - and maybe that was intentional or inherent - I am not sure, but hey this booked landed for me so I’m not complaining. What I did think went wrong though, was the ending - I thought that the Hungry Girl had a really good emotional ending before those final chapters but I suppose having two storylines with distinct beats and character points would inevitably be hard to deliver, but still I wasn’t a fan of a certain character arc at the end😮💨 and Estevans arc felt too rushed in those final pages.
That however is minor because I can’t wait for book 2 - and book 1 isn’t even out yet (Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review)
All in all - I think this will be the new big name in fantasy, at least I hope it is!
Ps: yes we have queer rep
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
After loving the author’s previous trilogy, The Rook and the Rose, I was really excited to read their new book set in a alternative Spanish Golden Age.
The book opens brilliantly with a mother desperately making a bargain with the fae to prevent her new-born daughter being killed by her husband for the crime of being yet another daughter.. Her baby is given to the fae with the promise that she will be loved and cared for and instead she has one of the fae masquerading as her son to provide her husband with the heir he wants so badly.
The story is then told through the dual POV of Estevan, the changeling who has entered the human world to find out how humans are taking over the Sea Beyond and Hungry Girl, Teresa’s human daughter who far from being loved and cared for, seems to have been tossed from one fairy to another almost like unwanted baggage.
I found the early part of the book from Estevan’s POV quite hard gong at first. His story is brilliant but there is so much historical detail weighing it down that his story almost gets lost. The book has been extremely well researched and sometimes felt almost like Historical Fiction rather than fantasy. Every time I began to feel like though, we were reminded very firmly that Estevan was a fairy and in constant danger of being discovered by the inquisition.
Hungry Girl’s chapters were a lot more fast moving but just being contradictory, I wished that we had a bit more detail about her life in the fairy realm especially the magic. One thing that I really did miss in this book was the depth of the magic that we saw in the previous trilogy. In The Eye of the Leviathan, that place seems to be taken by religion and its power over the fae. The Catholic Church and the Inquisition don’t come out of this book well.
Gradually, my interest in Estevan did pick up although I think that I enjoyed Hungry Girl’s chapters more probably because of them being set in the Otherworld. I loved what we did see of the Islands of the Sea Beyond especially the Goblin Market where anything can be had for a price but the bargain might surprise you. There was definitely no lack of inventiveness or richness of world described here.
I did enjoy both the storylines for Estevan and Hungry Girl but my favourite character without a doubt was Diego. He is a fairy who has had his immortality and magic taken away by the Catholic Church and is now compelled to serve one of the conquistadors who is taking over his lands. His story intersects with both Estevan’s and Hungry Girl’s and I was completely invested with what was happening to him. The book is full of memorable characters from Catalina who betrays her ‘brother’ to Daring Don’t who helps Hungry Girl and Diego in the Goblin Armada and they all contribute to the depth of this story.
The book is quite slow paced, partly down to the depth given to the Historical setting and there were a couple of occasions where the story did seem to drag. However, once the two POVs began to converge, the pace began to pick up and the final few chapters were as action packed as anyone could wish for.
I liked the fact that the book didn’t end on a cliff hanger. The story seemed to come to a natural pause point for all of the main characters which is something that I always appreciate in a series. I can’t wait to see how the story is worked out in the next book.
Huge thanks as always to Net Galley and the Publishers, Little Brown Book Group, for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
The book opens brilliantly with a mother desperately making a bargain with the fae to prevent her new-born daughter being killed by her husband for the crime of being yet another daughter.. Her baby is given to the fae with the promise that she will be loved and cared for and instead she has one of the fae masquerading as her son to provide her husband with the heir he wants so badly.
The story is then told through the dual POV of Estevan, the changeling who has entered the human world to find out how humans are taking over the Sea Beyond and Hungry Girl, Teresa’s human daughter who far from being loved and cared for, seems to have been tossed from one fairy to another almost like unwanted baggage.
I found the early part of the book from Estevan’s POV quite hard gong at first. His story is brilliant but there is so much historical detail weighing it down that his story almost gets lost. The book has been extremely well researched and sometimes felt almost like Historical Fiction rather than fantasy. Every time I began to feel like though, we were reminded very firmly that Estevan was a fairy and in constant danger of being discovered by the inquisition.
Hungry Girl’s chapters were a lot more fast moving but just being contradictory, I wished that we had a bit more detail about her life in the fairy realm especially the magic. One thing that I really did miss in this book was the depth of the magic that we saw in the previous trilogy. In The Eye of the Leviathan, that place seems to be taken by religion and its power over the fae. The Catholic Church and the Inquisition don’t come out of this book well.
Gradually, my interest in Estevan did pick up although I think that I enjoyed Hungry Girl’s chapters more probably because of them being set in the Otherworld. I loved what we did see of the Islands of the Sea Beyond especially the Goblin Market where anything can be had for a price but the bargain might surprise you. There was definitely no lack of inventiveness or richness of world described here.
I did enjoy both the storylines for Estevan and Hungry Girl but my favourite character without a doubt was Diego. He is a fairy who has had his immortality and magic taken away by the Catholic Church and is now compelled to serve one of the conquistadors who is taking over his lands. His story intersects with both Estevan’s and Hungry Girl’s and I was completely invested with what was happening to him. The book is full of memorable characters from Catalina who betrays her ‘brother’ to Daring Don’t who helps Hungry Girl and Diego in the Goblin Armada and they all contribute to the depth of this story.
The book is quite slow paced, partly down to the depth given to the Historical setting and there were a couple of occasions where the story did seem to drag. However, once the two POVs began to converge, the pace began to pick up and the final few chapters were as action packed as anyone could wish for.
I liked the fact that the book didn’t end on a cliff hanger. The story seemed to come to a natural pause point for all of the main characters which is something that I always appreciate in a series. I can’t wait to see how the story is worked out in the next book.
Huge thanks as always to Net Galley and the Publishers, Little Brown Book Group, for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I received a free copy from Orbit Books via Netgalley in exchange for a fair review. Release date July 14th, 2026.
I thought author team MA Carrick's previous series (starting with A Mask of Mirrors) was interesting but not quite to my taste, so I was willing to give them another shot with this book in a new universe. In The Eye of Leviathan, sixteenth century Spain has expanded from the conquest of the New World to pillaging Faerie using their secret portal. A faerie plots to substitute themself with their friend's unwanted daughter in order to topple Spain's empire, but finds that the conquistadors may be more difficult to defeat than they thought...
The book's narrative is split into two POVs, one for the child sent to fairyland and one for the changeling left behind to replace her. Overall, it's a very worldbuilding-forward story, and the authors have an excellent touch with the details. The central premise is a Spain that managed to not only murder their way through the New World, but also pillage the lands of Faerie—baptizing their people into mortal slaves, looting magic items, and binding Faerie islands to the map. It's brutally well drawn, and it's obvious the authors did their research into the historical side of things. The Inquisition is genuinely chilling but not sketched with too heavy a hand, and the bits about Estevan in university were particularly good. I didn't know there was a bullfighting part to your thesis defense... Still, I did regret the lack of detail on the course of alternate history in the New World itself. There's references to the same debates over the rights of indigenous people there, but both Estevan and the authors' attention is firmly fixed elsewhere.
However, while the worldbuilding was well done, the plot and characters were a bit more standard fantasy tome for my taste. The plot is straightforward—Estevan plots to infiltrate the Spanish portal administration council and the girl trapped in Faerie tries to escape. Especially for a big doorstopper of a novel, my taste runs to twistier books. On the character side, I would have preferred for Estevan's point of view to be a bit more inhuman. He feels exactly like the girl's perspective—but perhaps the point is that the inhabitants of Faerie are just as human as their conquerors, who claim that they are soulless. I also appreciated that the authors took religion seriously as a major force in the period. It's a nice touch that the girl's lifelong fear from being told she'll dissolve into nothing when she dies is a major contributor to her initial attraction to the conquistadors' side.
The compact POVs and engaging historical setting worked well for me, and overall I liked the style better than the Rook and Rose series. Although the more standard fantasy style isn't quite to my taste, I think it's worth it to read the sequel for the worldbuilding alone. Pair with Bardugo's The Familiar.
I thought author team MA Carrick's previous series (starting with A Mask of Mirrors) was interesting but not quite to my taste, so I was willing to give them another shot with this book in a new universe. In The Eye of Leviathan, sixteenth century Spain has expanded from the conquest of the New World to pillaging Faerie using their secret portal. A faerie plots to substitute themself with their friend's unwanted daughter in order to topple Spain's empire, but finds that the conquistadors may be more difficult to defeat than they thought...
The book's narrative is split into two POVs, one for the child sent to fairyland and one for the changeling left behind to replace her. Overall, it's a very worldbuilding-forward story, and the authors have an excellent touch with the details. The central premise is a Spain that managed to not only murder their way through the New World, but also pillage the lands of Faerie—baptizing their people into mortal slaves, looting magic items, and binding Faerie islands to the map. It's brutally well drawn, and it's obvious the authors did their research into the historical side of things. The Inquisition is genuinely chilling but not sketched with too heavy a hand, and the bits about Estevan in university were particularly good. I didn't know there was a bullfighting part to your thesis defense... Still, I did regret the lack of detail on the course of alternate history in the New World itself. There's references to the same debates over the rights of indigenous people there, but both Estevan and the authors' attention is firmly fixed elsewhere.
However, while the worldbuilding was well done, the plot and characters were a bit more standard fantasy tome for my taste. The plot is straightforward—Estevan plots to infiltrate the Spanish portal administration council and the girl trapped in Faerie tries to escape. Especially for a big doorstopper of a novel, my taste runs to twistier books. On the character side, I would have preferred for Estevan's point of view to be a bit more inhuman. He feels exactly like the girl's perspective—but perhaps the point is that the inhabitants of Faerie are just as human as their conquerors, who claim that they are soulless. I also appreciated that the authors took religion seriously as a major force in the period. It's a nice touch that the girl's lifelong fear from being told she'll dissolve into nothing when she dies is a major contributor to her initial attraction to the conquistadors' side.
The compact POVs and engaging historical setting worked well for me, and overall I liked the style better than the Rook and Rose series. Although the more standard fantasy style isn't quite to my taste, I think it's worth it to read the sequel for the worldbuilding alone. Pair with Bardugo's The Familiar.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
M.A. Carrick surprised me with their Rook&Rose trilogy, which took some time to convince me of just how good it was but once I was sucked in I was in everlasting love. The same can be said for this newest trilogy starter, The Eye of Leviathan. It once again took some time for me to warm up to the book but then at some point it just clicked for me and now I'm eagerly awaiting book 2.
This is historical fantasy with a big emphasis on the historical aspect for a long time. Yes, there's always fantasy involved, the main characters are a faerie and the girl he switched placed with who's now living in the Otherworld, after all. But it's definitely a history lesson about the era of Spain's Golden Age, about the often meme-fied Inquisition and the terror of becoming of interest to them, about colonization that in this case doesn't even stop at the edge of our world. Obviously, though, if a faerie world would exist in our world and we'd find a way to get there, you just know we'd exploit it until there's nothing left to steal. The way the very real issue of colonization is brought to a fantasy land yet still remains entirely realistic and grounded is not just a feat of good writing but also tells us a lot about our own history (and, let's face it, current reality).
Both main characters are incredibly intriguing even if I didn't warm up to Estevan for a while. They're so complex, so fascinating and the relationships they build with different people are so deep that I loved reading about them. I couldn't wait for them to finally meet and it was satisfying when they did.
The writing is superb as usual for these authors and while the pacing is, also as usual, rather slow it made sense for this story. The final chapters do pick up speed, which compared to all that came before felt almost hectic. There are also some minor issues I had with how the dual pov structure played out. Namely, during the last chapters there are some instances of very important character moments happening not in a character's own chapter but in the other one's pov (for example: a rather pivotal relationship moment between Estevan and another character told from the Hungry Girl's pov), which I found particularly strange because it took away from the emotional impact of that scene. This kind of pov change can work to create an effect but it really doesn't here.
Still, despite some minor issues this is a great start to a new series. You do have to like the historical part of historical fantasy to enjoy yourself and you have to be in for a slower pace, but give it some time and let these authors dazzle you. If the previous trilogy is any indication, the patience is worth it in the end.
Many thanks to Little, Brown Book Group/Orbit and Netgalley for the arc!
This is historical fantasy with a big emphasis on the historical aspect for a long time. Yes, there's always fantasy involved, the main characters are a faerie and the girl he switched placed with who's now living in the Otherworld, after all. But it's definitely a history lesson about the era of Spain's Golden Age, about the often meme-fied Inquisition and the terror of becoming of interest to them, about colonization that in this case doesn't even stop at the edge of our world. Obviously, though, if a faerie world would exist in our world and we'd find a way to get there, you just know we'd exploit it until there's nothing left to steal. The way the very real issue of colonization is brought to a fantasy land yet still remains entirely realistic and grounded is not just a feat of good writing but also tells us a lot about our own history (and, let's face it, current reality).
Both main characters are incredibly intriguing even if I didn't warm up to Estevan for a while. They're so complex, so fascinating and the relationships they build with different people are so deep that I loved reading about them. I couldn't wait for them to finally meet and it was satisfying when they did.
The writing is superb as usual for these authors and while the pacing is, also as usual, rather slow it made sense for this story. The final chapters do pick up speed, which compared to all that came before felt almost hectic. There are also some minor issues I had with how the dual pov structure played out. Namely, during the last chapters there are some instances of very important character moments happening not in a character's own chapter but in the other one's pov (for example: a rather pivotal relationship moment between Estevan and another character told from the Hungry Girl's pov), which I found particularly strange because it took away from the emotional impact of that scene. This kind of pov change can work to create an effect but it really doesn't here.
Still, despite some minor issues this is a great start to a new series. You do have to like the historical part of historical fantasy to enjoy yourself and you have to be in for a slower pace, but give it some time and let these authors dazzle you. If the previous trilogy is any indication, the patience is worth it in the end.
Many thanks to Little, Brown Book Group/Orbit and Netgalley for the arc!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
4.5 ⭐️
Oh I liked this a lot. The beginning is on the slower side and the initial world building on the denser side, so it took me a bit to really sink into this world, but once I did it fully absorbed me. The pace definitely picks up by the midpoint and from then on I had trouble putting the book down. I'm unsurprised, having read the Rook and Rose trilogy, that MA Carrick's writing is so lush and immersive, but I enjoyed just how different this book felt from their others.
This was a very effective alternative historical fantasy, where the world and the history felt familiar, but the way it was altered also felt expansive and intricate. The changes that the fae world and its colonization have on history and on religion were really interesting. I appreciated that colonization of the fae is an additional facet of spanish colonization. I was a bit concerned going into the book that fae may become a stand-in for all of the actual victims of spanish colonization and the inquisition, but instead you see fae as one people among many who suffer under spanish rule. It was super interesting to explore the relationships between these different fronts of colonization and their similarities and differences.
I also really liked both protagonists, and the secondary characters in their lives. I continue to be impressed by MA Carrick's ability to develop a really engaging and dynamic cast of characters. Estevan, as a changeling, is really interesting to explore as someone who simultaneously is a centuries-old fae and has lived an entire life as human man with a family and friends. The Hungry Girl, meanwhile, is very naive about the mortal world and its inhabitants when we first meet her, but she learns quickly after meeting other humans for the first time. Her introduction to Catholicism was particularly fascinating to me. She's someone who grew up in a fantastical world full of immortal beings, and then is told that these are the things she needs to do to save her immortal soul, and it doesn't even occur to her these may not be absolute facts. To follow her journey as she learns about the entire concept of religion and faith was just so interesting.
I had high expectations for this book, and I wasn't sure at the start of this book if it would live up to them — but by the end, I was so invested in this. I'm really excited to return to this world and these characters whenever book 2 comes.
Oh I liked this a lot. The beginning is on the slower side and the initial world building on the denser side, so it took me a bit to really sink into this world, but once I did it fully absorbed me. The pace definitely picks up by the midpoint and from then on I had trouble putting the book down. I'm unsurprised, having read the Rook and Rose trilogy, that MA Carrick's writing is so lush and immersive, but I enjoyed just how different this book felt from their others.
This was a very effective alternative historical fantasy, where the world and the history felt familiar, but the way it was altered also felt expansive and intricate. The changes that the fae world and its colonization have on history and on religion were really interesting. I appreciated that colonization of the fae is an additional facet of spanish colonization. I was a bit concerned going into the book that fae may become a stand-in for all of the actual victims of spanish colonization and the inquisition, but instead you see fae as one people among many who suffer under spanish rule. It was super interesting to explore the relationships between these different fronts of colonization and their similarities and differences.
I also really liked both protagonists, and the secondary characters in their lives. I continue to be impressed by MA Carrick's ability to develop a really engaging and dynamic cast of characters. Estevan, as a changeling, is really interesting to explore as someone who simultaneously is a centuries-old fae and has lived an entire life as human man with a family and friends. The Hungry Girl, meanwhile, is very naive about the mortal world and its inhabitants when we first meet her, but she learns quickly after meeting other humans for the first time. Her introduction to Catholicism was particularly fascinating to me. She's someone who grew up in a fantastical world full of immortal beings, and then is told that these are the things she needs to do to save her immortal soul, and it doesn't even occur to her these may not be absolute facts. To follow her journey as she learns about the entire concept of religion and faith was just so interesting.
I had high expectations for this book, and I wasn't sure at the start of this book if it would live up to them — but by the end, I was so invested in this. I'm really excited to return to this world and these characters whenever book 2 comes.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The Eye of Leviathan is changeling folklore with a knife pressed under its ribs.
M. A. Carrick takes a familiar fairy-tale bargain, a desperate mother, a stolen child, a faerie left in her place, and turns it into something far thornier. This is not whimsical fae trickery for the fun of it. It is survival, sacrifice, religious terror, imperial hunger, and one very dangerous lie forced to grow up inside a human body.
Estevan is such a fascinating lens for this story because his existence is both disguise and imprisonment. Watching an immortal faerie endure the indignities of childhood, learn the rules of a hostile society, and slowly understand just how efficiently humans can turn doctrine into a weapon gives the story a quiet, simmering dread. He is not just hiding what he is. He is studying the machinery built to destroy him.
The historical setting does a lot of heavy lifting here, and Carrick uses it with bite. Spain during the shadow of the Inquisition is already a pressure cooker, but adding the Sea Beyond makes it feel even more brutal. The human world does not simply fear the fae. It wants to name them, convert them, own them, and drain the magic out of them while calling it salvation. That detail alone gives the book its sharpest edge.
The parallel thread with the Hungry Girl, a mortal child raised in the faerie realm, adds a great mirror to Estevan’s story. He is fae trapped among humans. She is human surviving among fae. Neither world is clean. Neither side gets to be conveniently innocent. That tension keeps the story from flattening into a simple humans-bad/fae-good shape, which I appreciated.
This is dense, atmospheric, and politically loaded fantasy, but it has more pulse than the usual “intricate court maneuvering” setup. It is about identity under pressure, family as both refuge and wound, colonization dressed up as righteousness, and the ugly cost of belonging anywhere that demands you cut pieces off yourself first.
The Eye of Leviathan is eerie, intelligent, and beautifully unsettling. A fairy bargain, a historical pressure cooker, and a fantasy world where the most terrifying monsters are the ones holding the holy water.
Thank you to NetGalley, Orbit, and M. A. Carrick for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
M. A. Carrick takes a familiar fairy-tale bargain, a desperate mother, a stolen child, a faerie left in her place, and turns it into something far thornier. This is not whimsical fae trickery for the fun of it. It is survival, sacrifice, religious terror, imperial hunger, and one very dangerous lie forced to grow up inside a human body.
Estevan is such a fascinating lens for this story because his existence is both disguise and imprisonment. Watching an immortal faerie endure the indignities of childhood, learn the rules of a hostile society, and slowly understand just how efficiently humans can turn doctrine into a weapon gives the story a quiet, simmering dread. He is not just hiding what he is. He is studying the machinery built to destroy him.
The historical setting does a lot of heavy lifting here, and Carrick uses it with bite. Spain during the shadow of the Inquisition is already a pressure cooker, but adding the Sea Beyond makes it feel even more brutal. The human world does not simply fear the fae. It wants to name them, convert them, own them, and drain the magic out of them while calling it salvation. That detail alone gives the book its sharpest edge.
The parallel thread with the Hungry Girl, a mortal child raised in the faerie realm, adds a great mirror to Estevan’s story. He is fae trapped among humans. She is human surviving among fae. Neither world is clean. Neither side gets to be conveniently innocent. That tension keeps the story from flattening into a simple humans-bad/fae-good shape, which I appreciated.
This is dense, atmospheric, and politically loaded fantasy, but it has more pulse than the usual “intricate court maneuvering” setup. It is about identity under pressure, family as both refuge and wound, colonization dressed up as righteousness, and the ugly cost of belonging anywhere that demands you cut pieces off yourself first.
The Eye of Leviathan is eerie, intelligent, and beautifully unsettling. A fairy bargain, a historical pressure cooker, and a fantasy world where the most terrifying monsters are the ones holding the holy water.
Thank you to NetGalley, Orbit, and M. A. Carrick for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Let me start by saying that I LOVED M.A. Carrick's The Mask of Mirrors, which I know a lot of people find slow, so I went into this book prepared for a slower pacing. That said, I still found this VERY slow. It seems to be primarily a world-building book, as the plot feels neither "plot-driven" nor "character-driven." There is an interesting thought experiment going on here, with how the world would have acted historically if Faerie (called The Sea Beyond in this book) was a real, reachable place during the Age of Exploration, how that would have interacted with religion, colonization, conquest, etc. I think that part is all done very well, and if you're interested in why the authors made the decisions they did about parts of it, they address a lot of that in the author's note at the end of the book. It is a very well-researched historical setting with an intriguing fantasy twist.
That said, doing SO much worldbuilding kind of meant it felt like not a lot else happened...even though the two main characters were running around and at least one of them (the Hungry Girl) was doing quite a bit. I think it was the lack of character interactions that did it. Though there are a lot of side characters, both main characters really don't form a lot of deep or lasting connections with any of them. Even Estevan's relationship with Alejandro flits in and out, rather than being a strong thread throughout the entire book. For a lot of the story, each character is either actually or effectively on their own, bopping around while worldbuilding occurs around them, and it makes it feel VERY slow, even more so than THE MASK OF MIRRORS (which doesn't always have a lot of action but always has a lot of politicking and character relationship drama going on).
Not sure if I will pursue further books in this series. Theoretically, this book should have done all of the setup for those to move a bit more, and the characters are now in each others' orbit to DO a bit more, but I think the very slow start here will scare off a lot of potential readers.
That said, doing SO much worldbuilding kind of meant it felt like not a lot else happened...even though the two main characters were running around and at least one of them (the Hungry Girl) was doing quite a bit. I think it was the lack of character interactions that did it. Though there are a lot of side characters, both main characters really don't form a lot of deep or lasting connections with any of them. Even Estevan's relationship with Alejandro flits in and out, rather than being a strong thread throughout the entire book. For a lot of the story, each character is either actually or effectively on their own, bopping around while worldbuilding occurs around them, and it makes it feel VERY slow, even more so than THE MASK OF MIRRORS (which doesn't always have a lot of action but always has a lot of politicking and character relationship drama going on).
Not sure if I will pursue further books in this series. Theoretically, this book should have done all of the setup for those to move a bit more, and the characters are now in each others' orbit to DO a bit more, but I think the very slow start here will scare off a lot of potential readers.
Review of advance copy received from Storygraph
3.75
This is a book that didn't quite work for me personally, but I don't hold it against the book itself.
This is a historical fantasy set in the Spanish Inquisition, but in a world populated by Fairies as well as humans. Using the the home of the faeries in the Sea Beyond as a stand in for the lands being 'discovered' (re: violently conquered and colonized), this book explores the ways religion was used to justify horrific atrocities committed against native peoples. There is a heavy focus on the catholic church in this novel, and how religious indoctrination and persecution was utilized as a tool by the Spanish crown, and how it masked the personal greed and violence that underpinned a lot of colonization.
We follow 2 characters, Estevan and the Hungry Girl. Estevan is a faery who mad a bargain to take the place of a human child as a changeling, in the hopes of discovering how the Spanish crown was infiltrating the Sea Beyond. The Hungry Girl is the human girl who's place he took, now residing in with the Faeries in the Sea Beyond. We follow both of their fish out of water stories as they attempt to reconcile with their identity and place in a world not designed for them, and figure out what lengths they will go to to protect the people they choose as their own.
If all this sounds interesting, I genuinely recommend you check this book out. I picked it up mostly because I loved the Mask of Mirrors series by the same author, but I found this book very different in its execution. As I mentioned, both of these stories have a narrator who is out of their element and trying to function in a world they don't fully understand. I personally don't like this narrative device in books. Additionally, I found the pacing strange in several places.
All in all, I think this book has an audience that will adore it. I think it was overall well written, and I was rooting for our protagonists. I just went into expecting schemes and plots, and instead received naive characters serving more as a vessel for the world to tell a story through.
Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit for the eARC
This is a book that didn't quite work for me personally, but I don't hold it against the book itself.
This is a historical fantasy set in the Spanish Inquisition, but in a world populated by Fairies as well as humans. Using the the home of the faeries in the Sea Beyond as a stand in for the lands being 'discovered' (re: violently conquered and colonized), this book explores the ways religion was used to justify horrific atrocities committed against native peoples. There is a heavy focus on the catholic church in this novel, and how religious indoctrination and persecution was utilized as a tool by the Spanish crown, and how it masked the personal greed and violence that underpinned a lot of colonization.
We follow 2 characters, Estevan and the Hungry Girl. Estevan is a faery who mad a bargain to take the place of a human child as a changeling, in the hopes of discovering how the Spanish crown was infiltrating the Sea Beyond. The Hungry Girl is the human girl who's place he took, now residing in with the Faeries in the Sea Beyond. We follow both of their fish out of water stories as they attempt to reconcile with their identity and place in a world not designed for them, and figure out what lengths they will go to to protect the people they choose as their own.
If all this sounds interesting, I genuinely recommend you check this book out. I picked it up mostly because I loved the Mask of Mirrors series by the same author, but I found this book very different in its execution. As I mentioned, both of these stories have a narrator who is out of their element and trying to function in a world they don't fully understand. I personally don't like this narrative device in books. Additionally, I found the pacing strange in several places.
All in all, I think this book has an audience that will adore it. I think it was overall well written, and I was rooting for our protagonists. I just went into expecting schemes and plots, and instead received naive characters serving more as a vessel for the world to tell a story through.
Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit for the eARC
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
This was a highly anticipated, predicted five-star read…. :(
In an alternate Spanish Golden Age, the Council of the Sea Beyond has gained unrivalled power by exploiting the fae’s Otherworld.
Estevan seeks to uncover their secrets, but he risks exposing his own dangerous secret: he is a faerie, masquerading as a mortal. He is part of a changeling bargain to protect a mortal girl from her father from birth.
This was clearly well-researched and filled with intricate details. However, I think that’s what bogged this down for me. It’s filled with descriptions and names and places.
Interestingly, I preferred Estevan over his counterpart in the Sea Beyond: the Hungry Girl. Undeniably, she had the most interesting plot and adventures, but she was very naive. She changed from her passivity, but she wasn’t quite as purposeful.
The parallels between Estevan and the Hungry Girl created interesting character work. Both are outsiders in different worlds. They both struggle to survive as they desperately try to find their way home - or at least what they think of as home. There was a good contrast between the two as they interact with others from their different backgrounds and true identities.
I did struggle with the focus on philosophical discussions around religion. I know this is a major part of the time period and the book, but it started to feel repetitive and heavy-handed. Again, I know, the point.
The world-building here was the standout, similar to the Rook and Rose trilogy. The historical backdrop and intricate details made this immersive, if not dense.
I will continue with this duology with better expectations: I went in expecting more magic and witty, snarky characters like the Rook and the Rose.
3.5 stars.🌟
Physical arc gifted by Orbit.
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In an alternate Spanish Golden Age, the Council of the Sea Beyond has gained unrivalled power by exploiting the fae’s Otherworld.
Estevan seeks to uncover their secrets, but he risks exposing his own dangerous secret: he is a faerie, masquerading as a mortal. He is part of a changeling bargain to protect a mortal girl from her father from birth.
This was clearly well-researched and filled with intricate details. However, I think that’s what bogged this down for me. It’s filled with descriptions and names and places.
Interestingly, I preferred Estevan over his counterpart in the Sea Beyond: the Hungry Girl. Undeniably, she had the most interesting plot and adventures, but she was very naive. She changed from her passivity, but she wasn’t quite as purposeful.
The parallels between Estevan and the Hungry Girl created interesting character work. Both are outsiders in different worlds. They both struggle to survive as they desperately try to find their way home - or at least what they think of as home. There was a good contrast between the two as they interact with others from their different backgrounds and true identities.
I did struggle with the focus on philosophical discussions around religion. I know this is a major part of the time period and the book, but it started to feel repetitive and heavy-handed. Again, I know, the point.
The world-building here was the standout, similar to the Rook and Rose trilogy. The historical backdrop and intricate details made this immersive, if not dense.
I will continue with this duology with better expectations: I went in expecting more magic and witty, snarky characters like the Rook and the Rose.
3.5 stars.🌟
Physical arc gifted by Orbit.
Bookstagram
Tiktok
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I really struggled with this book.
I did read the Rook and the Rose trilogy, and while that dragged in places, I still loved the world and the characters and enjoyed it immensely. This one... not as much.
I am a professor of history and my research specialization is 15th-16thC Spain, so right in the time period where MA Carrick is messing around in this book. I have no problem with historical fiction or historical fantasy, and think it can be another interesting way to use the historical imagination. But this one didn't work so well for me.
I am not at all apologizing for the colonization efforts of the Spanish, nor the work of the Spanish Inquisition. Both of these things are deeply troubling episodes in the history of Spain and I have read a great deal on both subjects - which is probably why I struggled with this book.
By making this an fantastical version of Spain's history, MA Carrick are contributing to the the Black Legend, which is a type of propaganda originating from Protestant (esp Britain) countries in the early modern period. This history perpetuates the idea of Spanish colonizers as rabid religious fanatics, who used religion as an excuse for genocide. And let me be clear: this is definitely a part of the story. But was England or the Netherlands any better? Were the French? No. I understand that they did a lot of research and I am familiar with some of the works they read, but... it wasn't enough for me. I kept cringing as I read this, just because of my own knowledge of this era and how the book kept leaning on those historical tropes, even in a fantastical setting.
While I appreciate the skill of the authors, I so wish they had not tried to marry this story with history. The Rook and Rose series may have felt somewhat Venetian in setting, but that didn't interfere with the story. In this case, the historical aspect really interfered with my appreciation for the story. I don't know if I can continue with this.
I did read the Rook and the Rose trilogy, and while that dragged in places, I still loved the world and the characters and enjoyed it immensely. This one... not as much.
I am a professor of history and my research specialization is 15th-16thC Spain, so right in the time period where MA Carrick is messing around in this book. I have no problem with historical fiction or historical fantasy, and think it can be another interesting way to use the historical imagination. But this one didn't work so well for me.
I am not at all apologizing for the colonization efforts of the Spanish, nor the work of the Spanish Inquisition. Both of these things are deeply troubling episodes in the history of Spain and I have read a great deal on both subjects - which is probably why I struggled with this book.
By making this an fantastical version of Spain's history, MA Carrick are contributing to the the Black Legend, which is a type of propaganda originating from Protestant (esp Britain) countries in the early modern period. This history perpetuates the idea of Spanish colonizers as rabid religious fanatics, who used religion as an excuse for genocide. And let me be clear: this is definitely a part of the story. But was England or the Netherlands any better? Were the French? No. I understand that they did a lot of research and I am familiar with some of the works they read, but... it wasn't enough for me. I kept cringing as I read this, just because of my own knowledge of this era and how the book kept leaning on those historical tropes, even in a fantastical setting.
While I appreciate the skill of the authors, I so wish they had not tried to marry this story with history. The Rook and Rose series may have felt somewhat Venetian in setting, but that didn't interfere with the story. In this case, the historical aspect really interfered with my appreciation for the story. I don't know if I can continue with this.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
⭐⭐⭐½
The Eye of Leviathan is one of those books that I can absolutely appreciate while also admitting that it wasn’t entirely for me.
This is a historical fantasy set against a version of Inquisition-era Spain where faeries exist alongside humans, and a changeling bargain sets two lives on very different paths. What follows is a story about identity, belonging, colonization, religion, power, and the ways people are shaped by the worlds they inhabit.
The strongest part of this book is easily its ideas. I loved the way it explored cultural assimilation, persecution, and the tension between identity and society. The Hungry Girl’s storyline was especially compelling as she grappled with her place between worlds. There are also some fascinating discussions about religion as a source of power and control, as well as the ways cultures are erased, reshaped, or forced to conform.
The writing is good. The worldbuilding is expansive, detailed, and deeply considered.
Unfortunately, that’s also where I struggled.
For me, the book often felt more invested in its world, politics, and themes than in creating emotional momentum or a strong plot line. There were long stretches where I found myself appreciating what the story was doing without feeling particularly invested in where it was going. The worldbuilding is dense, and while I admired the level of detail, it sometimes came at the expense of plot progression and character connection. By the end, I understood the themes better than I felt attached to the characters.
If you enjoy dense historical fantasy, rich worldbuilding, political and religious themes, and stories that prioritize ideas over action, this may work much better for you than it did for me. I can absolutely see why some readers will love it. I just needed a stronger emotional connection to the characters and story to fully buy in.
The Eye of Leviathan is one of those books that I can absolutely appreciate while also admitting that it wasn’t entirely for me.
This is a historical fantasy set against a version of Inquisition-era Spain where faeries exist alongside humans, and a changeling bargain sets two lives on very different paths. What follows is a story about identity, belonging, colonization, religion, power, and the ways people are shaped by the worlds they inhabit.
The strongest part of this book is easily its ideas. I loved the way it explored cultural assimilation, persecution, and the tension between identity and society. The Hungry Girl’s storyline was especially compelling as she grappled with her place between worlds. There are also some fascinating discussions about religion as a source of power and control, as well as the ways cultures are erased, reshaped, or forced to conform.
The writing is good. The worldbuilding is expansive, detailed, and deeply considered.
Unfortunately, that’s also where I struggled.
For me, the book often felt more invested in its world, politics, and themes than in creating emotional momentum or a strong plot line. There were long stretches where I found myself appreciating what the story was doing without feeling particularly invested in where it was going. The worldbuilding is dense, and while I admired the level of detail, it sometimes came at the expense of plot progression and character connection. By the end, I understood the themes better than I felt attached to the characters.
If you enjoy dense historical fantasy, rich worldbuilding, political and religious themes, and stories that prioritize ideas over action, this may work much better for you than it did for me. I can absolutely see why some readers will love it. I just needed a stronger emotional connection to the characters and story to fully buy in.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Carrying echoes of both Twelfth Nightand The Tempest, M.A. Carrick's latest novel channels Shakespeare by way of the Spanish Inquisition. Carrick envisions an alternate version of the age of "exploration", in which the Spanish and Portuguese enslaved and converted not the Americas, but a scattered cluster of faerie realms. The world-building is spectacular, split neatly between a perspective almost wholly historical and one almost wholly fantastical. Both perspectives draw from authentic histories of marauding conquistadors and indigenous uprisings, leaning heavily into themes of hegemonic oppression, forced conversion, and collective resistance. However, the novel sometimes struggles to strike a balance between the academic & interpersonal.I had a strong sense of the individual characters by the end of the novel, but didn't feel as sold on their relationships to one another. I sense this aspect will play a more central role in future novels, but the lack of meaningful connections (or significant character development) mace this first novel seem like a pale first act of a more emotionally saturated epic. The glacial pace of the story was also difficult to push through: a stronger editor might have cut this down by at least a quarter (mostly in the form of internal monologues) and maintained the high concept and compelling narrative through line.
Side note, but I was surprised to enjoy the side characters more than the protagonists: I ADORED Erauso, Alejandro, Diego, and Theresa, but Estevan and the Hungry Girl left something to be desired. Perhaps it is the incremental pace of their character development: by the end of the novel, their meaningful personal arcs appear ton have only just begun.
Side note, but I was surprised to enjoy the side characters more than the protagonists: I ADORED Erauso, Alejandro, Diego, and Theresa, but Estevan and the Hungry Girl left something to be desired. Perhaps it is the incremental pace of their character development: by the end of the novel, their meaningful personal arcs appear ton have only just begun.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This is the second book by MA Carrick that I've read, the first being the Mask of Mirrors that I read a little over a year ago. And while I read and enjoy The Mask of Mirrors, even though I had the rest of the trilogy I haven't yet got around to picking it up. Not because I don't want to continue with the series, but because I didn't enjoy it enough to make continuing a priority. Between not loving The Mask of Mirrors and reviews I've seen of The Eye of Leviathan, where many have said they enjoyed the Rook and Rose series more, and I was nervous I would have a hard time with The Eye of Leviathan.
I was so pleased to find that nothing could have been further from the truth.
I'm generally not a fan of fae or the "real" world being used as a setting for my fantasy, but I found both so incredibly well done here. The world building - of both the fae world and the "real" world was brilliantly done. I was particularly fond of the religious aspect of the world building - everyone suspects the Spanish Inquisition, or at least they should.
As far as characters go, I found both Estevan and the Hungry Girl to be compelling and interesting characters to follow. Estevan's struggle with wanting to protect his secret and his family, while still trying to achieve his goal was well written and I hope in following books we will see how he and everyone around him treats his choices now that he is no longer in a position where making those choices is necessary.
As much as I enjoyed the main characters though, I found the side characters to be just as compelling. Alejandro's loyalty, Diego's hopelessness and hope, Erauso's desires. I loved it all.
I look forward to the next book when it is published.
I received an eARC of The Eye of Leviathan from NetGalley.
I was so pleased to find that nothing could have been further from the truth.
I'm generally not a fan of fae or the "real" world being used as a setting for my fantasy, but I found both so incredibly well done here. The world building - of both the fae world and the "real" world was brilliantly done. I was particularly fond of the religious aspect of the world building - everyone suspects the Spanish Inquisition, or at least they should.
As far as characters go, I found both Estevan and the Hungry Girl to be compelling and interesting characters to follow. Estevan's struggle with wanting to protect his secret and his family, while still trying to achieve his goal was well written and I hope in following books we will see how he and everyone around him treats his choices now that he is no longer in a position where making those choices is necessary.
As much as I enjoyed the main characters though, I found the side characters to be just as compelling. Alejandro's loyalty, Diego's hopelessness and hope, Erauso's desires. I loved it all.
I look forward to the next book when it is published.
I received an eARC of The Eye of Leviathan from NetGalley.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I had a great time with this book. I loved the mostly historical style, with the fantasy elements woven through so seamlessly that they felt like a natural part of the world. I was equally invested in both protagonists and found the pacing just right. Each chapter left me eager to see how the other character was navigating their own situation, making it difficult to resist reading just one more.
I was also a big fan of the restraint shown with the more unbelievable and absurd elements often found in faerie stories. Those elements were still present, as they are integral to the genre, but they never felt excessive or bizarre for the sake of it. The result was a wonderful balance of atmosphere, imagination, and storytelling.
I think part of what made the book feel so grounded was the regular return to the "real" world, where the magic was more limited and subtle. It provided a strong contrast that helped keep the fantastical elements from becoming overwhelming.
I was also very satisfied by the way the various plot threads came together. I particularly appreciated that there was no drawn-out or unnecessary conflict between characters simply for the sake of creating tension. Instead, they were able to cautiously collaborate towards a shared goal. In many books this would have been stretched out with artificial obstacles and misunderstandings, but here it allowed the story to progress naturally and made the eventual payoffs all the more satisfying.
Overall, I thought this book was wonderful. I would absolutely recommend it, and I'm very much looking forward to seeing how the story concludes in book two.
I was also a big fan of the restraint shown with the more unbelievable and absurd elements often found in faerie stories. Those elements were still present, as they are integral to the genre, but they never felt excessive or bizarre for the sake of it. The result was a wonderful balance of atmosphere, imagination, and storytelling.
I think part of what made the book feel so grounded was the regular return to the "real" world, where the magic was more limited and subtle. It provided a strong contrast that helped keep the fantastical elements from becoming overwhelming.
I was also very satisfied by the way the various plot threads came together. I particularly appreciated that there was no drawn-out or unnecessary conflict between characters simply for the sake of creating tension. Instead, they were able to cautiously collaborate towards a shared goal. In many books this would have been stretched out with artificial obstacles and misunderstandings, but here it allowed the story to progress naturally and made the eventual payoffs all the more satisfying.
Overall, I thought this book was wonderful. I would absolutely recommend it, and I'm very much looking forward to seeing how the story concludes in book two.
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
4.5 out of 5 stars
The Eye of Leviathan is incredibly dense, requiring the reader's full attention to truly understand the vast complexity of historical fact meeting fantastical fiction.
If you are not a history nerd or a fan of in depth discussions on historical events, this book might be an incredibly difficult read. The Spanish Inquisition is a MAJOR plot point, focusing heavily on the effects of the inquisition's crusade while bringing in the fantasy element of the conquered islands being inhabited by faeries and fae creatures.
I felt incredibly involved in these characters lives and their journeys. Estevan was such a lovely complicated character struggling between his duties to the fae, his true people and home, and the humans he has come to know and love as a changeling among them.
Hungry Girl on the other hand grated me. I really despised her character, but I understand she is meant to be a foil to Estevan so her perspective is meant to be oppositional. I just couldn't comprehend how she just kept begging to be baptized when she saw that it literally stripped the life and magic from the faeries she called her friends. She watches conquistadors commit atrocious crimes against the fae and other humans and was still like "I want that". I'm sure we'll see some character growth from her in the second book but for now she's my least favorite character.
The Eye of Leviathan had me hooked from page one and I was highlighting phrases and passages throughout my read. If you enjoy steadily paced historical fiction with a blend of fantasy, faeries, politics, and war then I think you'll enjoy this book.
The Eye of Leviathan is incredibly dense, requiring the reader's full attention to truly understand the vast complexity of historical fact meeting fantastical fiction.
If you are not a history nerd or a fan of in depth discussions on historical events, this book might be an incredibly difficult read. The Spanish Inquisition is a MAJOR plot point, focusing heavily on the effects of the inquisition's crusade while bringing in the fantasy element of the conquered islands being inhabited by faeries and fae creatures.
I felt incredibly involved in these characters lives and their journeys. Estevan was such a lovely complicated character struggling between his duties to the fae, his true people and home, and the humans he has come to know and love as a changeling among them.
Hungry Girl on the other hand grated me. I really despised her character, but I understand she is meant to be a foil to Estevan so her perspective is meant to be oppositional. I just couldn't comprehend how she just kept begging to be baptized when she saw that it literally stripped the life and magic from the faeries she called her friends. She watches conquistadors commit atrocious crimes against the fae and other humans and was still like "I want that". I'm sure we'll see some character growth from her in the second book but for now she's my least favorite character.
The Eye of Leviathan had me hooked from page one and I was highlighting phrases and passages throughout my read. If you enjoy steadily paced historical fiction with a blend of fantasy, faeries, politics, and war then I think you'll enjoy this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
3.5 rounded up
I think if you liked their Rook and Rose series you’ll love this, but I find that I had a similar issue (though I actually liked this one better) in that it’s just too long for what you’re getting. This felt like soooo much and also not enough at the same time. I feel like there were parts that just went too much into detail and made the pacing feel off.
You’re introduced initially to a lot of characters but they get narrowed down in focus. It’s dual POV of the changeling Estevan in the human world and The Hungry Girl in the faerie world. I just wish the characters had a bit more personality, sometimes the POVs don’t really feel all that different.
You don’t need to know anything about the time period this was written in; I feel the world building was great and didn’t feel like info dumping. It’s just A LOT and I wish I was able to articulate this better. There’s just some things that could have been left out to make the story flow better. I generally find historical fantasy leans too much on the history part and ends up feeling boring but this was well balanced in that it wasn’t boring; this could have really been 2 books in my opinion, which is a slight problem when it’s already part of 3 books…I like this but I would LOVE it if it were trimmed up a little more.
I think I might try the next one on audio. I’m a fairly slow reader on page and I think it just made this feel so much longer. It’s an interesting story, it was just kind of a lot for the first book in a trilogy(?)
Thank you to Netgalley and Orbit Books for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I think if you liked their Rook and Rose series you’ll love this, but I find that I had a similar issue (though I actually liked this one better) in that it’s just too long for what you’re getting. This felt like soooo much and also not enough at the same time. I feel like there were parts that just went too much into detail and made the pacing feel off.
You’re introduced initially to a lot of characters but they get narrowed down in focus. It’s dual POV of the changeling Estevan in the human world and The Hungry Girl in the faerie world. I just wish the characters had a bit more personality, sometimes the POVs don’t really feel all that different.
You don’t need to know anything about the time period this was written in; I feel the world building was great and didn’t feel like info dumping. It’s just A LOT and I wish I was able to articulate this better. There’s just some things that could have been left out to make the story flow better. I generally find historical fantasy leans too much on the history part and ends up feeling boring but this was well balanced in that it wasn’t boring; this could have really been 2 books in my opinion, which is a slight problem when it’s already part of 3 books…I like this but I would LOVE it if it were trimmed up a little more.
I think I might try the next one on audio. I’m a fairly slow reader on page and I think it just made this feel so much longer. It’s an interesting story, it was just kind of a lot for the first book in a trilogy(?)
Thank you to Netgalley and Orbit Books for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
4.5 out of 5 stars
The Eye of Leviathan is incredibly dense, requiring the reader's full attention to truly understand the vast complexity of historical fact meeting fantastical fiction.
If you are not a history nerd or a fan of in depth discussions on historical events, this book might be an incredibly difficult read. The Spanish Inquisition is a MAJOR plot point, focusing heavily on the effects of the inquisition's crusade while bringing in the fantasy element of the conquered islands being inhabited by faeries and fae creatures.
I felt incredibly involved in these characters lives and their journeys. Estevan was such a lovely complicated character struggling between his duties to the fae, his true people and home, and the humans he has come to know and love as a changeling among them.
Hungry Girl on the other hand grated me. I really despised her character, but I understand she is meant to be a foil to Estevan so her perspective is meant to be oppositional. I just couldn't comprehend how she just kept begging to be baptized when she saw that it literally stripped the life and magic from the faeries she called her friends. She watches conquistadors commit atrocious crimes against the fae and other humans and was still like "I want that". I'm sure we'll see some character growth from her in the second book but for now she's my least favorite character.
The Eye of Leviathan had me hooked from page one and I was highlighting phrases and passages throughout my read. If you enjoy steadily paced historical fiction with a blend of fantasy, faeries, politics, and war then I think you'll enjoy this book.
The Eye of Leviathan is incredibly dense, requiring the reader's full attention to truly understand the vast complexity of historical fact meeting fantastical fiction.
If you are not a history nerd or a fan of in depth discussions on historical events, this book might be an incredibly difficult read. The Spanish Inquisition is a MAJOR plot point, focusing heavily on the effects of the inquisition's crusade while bringing in the fantasy element of the conquered islands being inhabited by faeries and fae creatures.
I felt incredibly involved in these characters lives and their journeys. Estevan was such a lovely complicated character struggling between his duties to the fae, his true people and home, and the humans he has come to know and love as a changeling among them.
Hungry Girl on the other hand grated me. I really despised her character, but I understand she is meant to be a foil to Estevan so her perspective is meant to be oppositional. I just couldn't comprehend how she just kept begging to be baptized when she saw that it literally stripped the life and magic from the faeries she called her friends. She watches conquistadors commit atrocious crimes against the fae and other humans and was still like "I want that". I'm sure we'll see some character growth from her in the second book but for now she's my least favorite character.
The Eye of Leviathan had me hooked from page one and I was highlighting phrases and passages throughout my read. If you enjoy steadily paced historical fiction with a blend of fantasy, faeries, politics, and war then I think you'll enjoy this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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