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The Sea Beyond #1
The Eye of Leviathan
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.
499 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 14, 2026
About the author
M.A. Carrick
13 books955 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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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
2.75 stars (rounded up)
M.A. Carrick instantly earned auto-buy author status for me with The Rook & Rose trilogy because it is genuinely one of my favourite fantasy series ever, so when I saw their new book The Eye of the Leviathan was going to be an alternate history fantasy set during the Spanish Golden Age except with faeries, I was sold immediately and just dove in blind. And honestly, I think this book delivers exactly what it promises, but the problem is that what it promises is apparently not entirely my thing, which I am honestly gutted about because I wanted to love this so badly.
Now, the opening chapter of The Eye of the Leviathan truly had me hooked and very excited. We witness the changeling bargain that leads a faerie to take the place of a mortal girl in order to save her from her abusive father, and that single choice becomes the foundation of everything that follows. From there we alternate between Estevan, the faerie living as a mortal while trying to uncover the secrets of the humans persecuting his people, and The Hungry Girl, the human whose place he took, now stranded in the Sea Beyond and trying to figure out the purpose of her existence among the fae before stumbling headfirst into horrors she never could have imagined.
The vision for The Eye of the Leviathan is honestly fantastic, and I loved how you can tell how much time, care, and passion went into the research and writing of this story. Just like The Rook & Rose, the cultural depth and atmosphere are absolutely incredible, and I really enjoyed exploring this alternate version of the Spanish Golden Age where the conquistadors are not invading the Americas but the faerie realms of the Sea Beyond instead. M.A. Carrick fully commits to examining the dark horrors of colonialism, religious persecution, forced conversion, cultural erasure, and resistance in a way that feels thoughtful, nuanced, brutally honest, and very intentionally researched, so I could not help but admire their craft.
Unfortunately, admiration and enjoyment turned out to be two very different things, and I personally think The Eye of the Leviathan almost overcommitted on its historical and thematic focus at the expense of literally everything else. Like, one of my favourite things about The Rook & Rose was how every character burst off the page with personality and how every relationship was complicated, messy, dramatic, and endlessly entertaining, but here I kept waiting for that spark to arrive and it never really did until maybe the very end. Don’t get me wrong, the characters are genuinely interesting on paper, and both Estevan and The Hungry Girl wrestle with identity, belonging, morality, and otherness in ways that should have completely worked for me, but emotionally I just never clicked with them and that really hindered my immersion and investment.
The lack of forward momentum and strong pacing also made things difficult, because while I usually love me a good slow-burn narrative, I felt a bit frustrated with how I spent such a large portion of The Eye of the Leviathan being confused about whether there was even going to be a goal that we were moving towards. Oddly enough, Estevan's chapters worked surprisingly well for me despite being heavier on dense historical details and political/religious conflict, while The Hungry Girl's storyline in the Sea Beyond could have easily been my favourite if it had not been for the fact that it always felt strangely vague and emotionally distant. I did really like the parallels between their journeys though, with both of them existing as outsiders in worlds where they could never fully belong, because I live for that level of inner turmoil.
There were honestly several moments where I almost put The Eye of the Leviathan down, but somehow I never actually did because I was stubbornly convinced there had to be a point where everything clicked into place. Thankfully, that gamble mostly paid off, because the final twenty percent was easily my favourite part of the entire novel. Suddenly the emotional stakes came alive, the relationships finally got room to breathe, the morally gray messiness of it all got to shine, and everything started converging in ways I genuinely did not expect.
I especially loved the queer yearning between Alejandro and Estevan, and I desperately wish we had gotten more of that throughout the novel because every heartaching scene between them immediately made me more invested. I also really enjoyed the way both storylines finally came together by the end, because it subverted what I expected, left several fascinating threads dangling, and somehow managed to make me genuinely excited to see where Estevan and The Hungry Girl will go in the finale to The Sea Beyond Duology. It almost feels a bit like Stockholm syndrome at this point, but I am choosing to take it as a win so we will not unpack that today.
So yes, I am quite disappointed that I did not love The Eye of the Leviathan the way I hoped I would, but at the same time I think it succeeds remarkably well at being exactly the book M.A. Carrick wanted to write, and I will always respect authors for following their own interests rather than trying to recreate a previous success. If you go in expecting another Rook & Rose, you might end up having the same identity crisis I did, but if you like the sound of an alternate history fantasy in the vein of The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo or The Red Winter by Cameron Sullivan, I think there is a very good chance you will absolutely love this.
Thank you to Orbit US for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review, all opinions are my own. The Eye of the Leviathan is scheduled for release on July 14, 2026.
M.A. Carrick instantly earned auto-buy author status for me with The Rook & Rose trilogy because it is genuinely one of my favourite fantasy series ever, so when I saw their new book The Eye of the Leviathan was going to be an alternate history fantasy set during the Spanish Golden Age except with faeries, I was sold immediately and just dove in blind. And honestly, I think this book delivers exactly what it promises, but the problem is that what it promises is apparently not entirely my thing, which I am honestly gutted about because I wanted to love this so badly.
Now, the opening chapter of The Eye of the Leviathan truly had me hooked and very excited. We witness the changeling bargain that leads a faerie to take the place of a mortal girl in order to save her from her abusive father, and that single choice becomes the foundation of everything that follows. From there we alternate between Estevan, the faerie living as a mortal while trying to uncover the secrets of the humans persecuting his people, and The Hungry Girl, the human whose place he took, now stranded in the Sea Beyond and trying to figure out the purpose of her existence among the fae before stumbling headfirst into horrors she never could have imagined.
The vision for The Eye of the Leviathan is honestly fantastic, and I loved how you can tell how much time, care, and passion went into the research and writing of this story. Just like The Rook & Rose, the cultural depth and atmosphere are absolutely incredible, and I really enjoyed exploring this alternate version of the Spanish Golden Age where the conquistadors are not invading the Americas but the faerie realms of the Sea Beyond instead. M.A. Carrick fully commits to examining the dark horrors of colonialism, religious persecution, forced conversion, cultural erasure, and resistance in a way that feels thoughtful, nuanced, brutally honest, and very intentionally researched, so I could not help but admire their craft.
Unfortunately, admiration and enjoyment turned out to be two very different things, and I personally think The Eye of the Leviathan almost overcommitted on its historical and thematic focus at the expense of literally everything else. Like, one of my favourite things about The Rook & Rose was how every character burst off the page with personality and how every relationship was complicated, messy, dramatic, and endlessly entertaining, but here I kept waiting for that spark to arrive and it never really did until maybe the very end. Don’t get me wrong, the characters are genuinely interesting on paper, and both Estevan and The Hungry Girl wrestle with identity, belonging, morality, and otherness in ways that should have completely worked for me, but emotionally I just never clicked with them and that really hindered my immersion and investment.
The lack of forward momentum and strong pacing also made things difficult, because while I usually love me a good slow-burn narrative, I felt a bit frustrated with how I spent such a large portion of The Eye of the Leviathan being confused about whether there was even going to be a goal that we were moving towards. Oddly enough, Estevan's chapters worked surprisingly well for me despite being heavier on dense historical details and political/religious conflict, while The Hungry Girl's storyline in the Sea Beyond could have easily been my favourite if it had not been for the fact that it always felt strangely vague and emotionally distant. I did really like the parallels between their journeys though, with both of them existing as outsiders in worlds where they could never fully belong, because I live for that level of inner turmoil.
There were honestly several moments where I almost put The Eye of the Leviathan down, but somehow I never actually did because I was stubbornly convinced there had to be a point where everything clicked into place. Thankfully, that gamble mostly paid off, because the final twenty percent was easily my favourite part of the entire novel. Suddenly the emotional stakes came alive, the relationships finally got room to breathe, the morally gray messiness of it all got to shine, and everything started converging in ways I genuinely did not expect.
I especially loved the queer yearning between Alejandro and Estevan, and I desperately wish we had gotten more of that throughout the novel because every heartaching scene between them immediately made me more invested. I also really enjoyed the way both storylines finally came together by the end, because it subverted what I expected, left several fascinating threads dangling, and somehow managed to make me genuinely excited to see where Estevan and The Hungry Girl will go in the finale to The Sea Beyond Duology. It almost feels a bit like Stockholm syndrome at this point, but I am choosing to take it as a win so we will not unpack that today.
So yes, I am quite disappointed that I did not love The Eye of the Leviathan the way I hoped I would, but at the same time I think it succeeds remarkably well at being exactly the book M.A. Carrick wanted to write, and I will always respect authors for following their own interests rather than trying to recreate a previous success. If you go in expecting another Rook & Rose, you might end up having the same identity crisis I did, but if you like the sound of an alternate history fantasy in the vein of The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo or The Red Winter by Cameron Sullivan, I think there is a very good chance you will absolutely love this.
Thank you to Orbit US for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review, all opinions are my own. The Eye of the Leviathan is scheduled for release on July 14, 2026.
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.
July 16, 2026
"This was what good men did to those they did not consider people"
4⭐
The Eye of Leviathan is the story of an historical 'What If' - What if faeries were real? How would history as we know it have been affected by this? More specifically, because this alone isn't an entirely unique question, how would the Age of Exploration and the Spanish Inquisition have been changed by this knowledge? What if, instead of mapping and colonizing the New World, Spain had much closer, much more fantastical lands to exploit within The Sea Beyond?
M.A. Carrick's answer to this is, as expected, quite harrowing.
This is one of those books that was difficult for me to blast through, despite my investment in the story. For one, it was quite dense. This isn't a critique, as it's an element I also loved and appreciated about Rook & Rose. The authors are exceptionally talented at imbuing a rich sense of culture into their books, and it takes quite a bit of world building and attention to detail to achieve that. But it really forces the reader to slow down in order to take it all in. Secondly, the subject matter was heavy. Colonization in a broad sense is always tough to read about, but Estevan witnessing his people lose their sense of identity and vivacity as they are forcibly baptized against their will was chilling. Hungry Girl's firsthand account of an entire faerie people be torn apart and subjugated by conquistadors, even more so. This is by no means a light fantasy read. This is a book that uses fantasy as a mirror to reflect humanity's most gruesome behavior right back at you.
My only complaint with this one is that I didn't find our main characters to be consistently engaging. I was initially intrigued with Estevan, the faerie changeling, and seeing how he navigated mortal life while hiding his true nature. I think his childhood scenes accomplished this well, and his encounter with the Inquisition was probably the peak of this for me. Once he hits college, however, my interest in his story waned a bit. I sympathized with his frustration at his lack of ability to affect any real change in the way he had hoped to, but his academic journey was just a bit...boring? It feels harsh, because obviously a character has to earn their accomplishments, but the pacing dragged for me. The romance reader in me also wanted more interaction between him and Alejandro, but unfortunately we were fed only the most meager of crumbs of that. A+ angst, but I wanted more!
On the other hand, Hungry Girl's story starts off very abruptly. We don't get to see her grow up at all, we're only told that she's been handed off from faerie to faerie her whole life and had to learn to quickly adapt in order to survive. Her chapters were much more action-oriented, which I appreciated, and the setting of her scenes in The Sea Beyond were imaginative and exciting. But I felt like I was missing something of her backstory. Maybe this was intentional, as she feels that sort of missing sense of self as well, but it made for a strange mismatched pacing between her POV chapters and Estevan's.
M.A. Carrick is and forever will be an auto-buy author(s) for me after Rook & Rose, so take whatever criticism I have here with a grain of salt. At the end of the day, this book is masterfully written and obviously thoroughly researched. The characters just didn't grip me in the same way they did in their previous works, unfortunately. I still highly recommend this though, especially for fans of historical fiction/fantasy!
Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit for the ARC!
4⭐
The Eye of Leviathan is the story of an historical 'What If' - What if faeries were real? How would history as we know it have been affected by this? More specifically, because this alone isn't an entirely unique question, how would the Age of Exploration and the Spanish Inquisition have been changed by this knowledge? What if, instead of mapping and colonizing the New World, Spain had much closer, much more fantastical lands to exploit within The Sea Beyond?
M.A. Carrick's answer to this is, as expected, quite harrowing.
This is one of those books that was difficult for me to blast through, despite my investment in the story. For one, it was quite dense. This isn't a critique, as it's an element I also loved and appreciated about Rook & Rose. The authors are exceptionally talented at imbuing a rich sense of culture into their books, and it takes quite a bit of world building and attention to detail to achieve that. But it really forces the reader to slow down in order to take it all in. Secondly, the subject matter was heavy. Colonization in a broad sense is always tough to read about, but Estevan witnessing his people lose their sense of identity and vivacity as they are forcibly baptized against their will was chilling. Hungry Girl's firsthand account of an entire faerie people be torn apart and subjugated by conquistadors, even more so. This is by no means a light fantasy read. This is a book that uses fantasy as a mirror to reflect humanity's most gruesome behavior right back at you.
My only complaint with this one is that I didn't find our main characters to be consistently engaging. I was initially intrigued with Estevan, the faerie changeling, and seeing how he navigated mortal life while hiding his true nature. I think his childhood scenes accomplished this well, and his encounter with the Inquisition was probably the peak of this for me. Once he hits college, however, my interest in his story waned a bit. I sympathized with his frustration at his lack of ability to affect any real change in the way he had hoped to, but his academic journey was just a bit...boring? It feels harsh, because obviously a character has to earn their accomplishments, but the pacing dragged for me. The romance reader in me also wanted more interaction between him and Alejandro, but unfortunately we were fed only the most meager of crumbs of that. A+ angst, but I wanted more!
On the other hand, Hungry Girl's story starts off very abruptly. We don't get to see her grow up at all, we're only told that she's been handed off from faerie to faerie her whole life and had to learn to quickly adapt in order to survive. Her chapters were much more action-oriented, which I appreciated, and the setting of her scenes in The Sea Beyond were imaginative and exciting. But I felt like I was missing something of her backstory. Maybe this was intentional, as she feels that sort of missing sense of self as well, but it made for a strange mismatched pacing between her POV chapters and Estevan's.
M.A. Carrick is and forever will be an auto-buy author(s) for me after Rook & Rose, so take whatever criticism I have here with a grain of salt. At the end of the day, this book is masterfully written and obviously thoroughly researched. The characters just didn't grip me in the same way they did in their previous works, unfortunately. I still highly recommend this though, especially for fans of historical fiction/fantasy!
Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit for the ARC!
thoughts
June 4, 2026I LOVED the rook & rose series so much. Cannot wait for this one omg.
Read
August 6, 2026Rtc. What a story (especially as Spaniard, I loved this historical fantasy)
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
July 15, 2026
This was a DNF (for now) for two reasons. One is personal. A story about Spanish Inquisition and conquistadors was too heavy for my current reading mood, the cruelty not lessened a bit that it was aimed towards the fae. Another had to do with the chosen narrative. Where the Hungry Girl got a proper plot with good twists, goals, and a character arc, Estevan was given a biopic and no plot. All sorts of things happened to him, but it’s not a narrative that would take the reader with it. There’s nothing that couldn’t have been told in flashbacks along the story. For all that we follow him from cradle onwards, he doesn’t really grow—a reflection of his nature, perhaps, but it didn’t make him very interesting.
I can guess why this happened. The authors wanted to show all their research into Spanish history, which was rich and well done. As a historian, I found the tidbits interesting. As a reader, I was bored. When the main characters hadn’t met by half-point, I decided to finish the book at a later date when I’m better suited for it.
Other than this, the book is well-written, the Hungry Girl’s story is very interesting, the historical setting with the fantasy twist works well, and the stakes promise to be high. Hence my four stars at this point. The rating may change once I—hopefully—finish the book.
I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I can guess why this happened. The authors wanted to show all their research into Spanish history, which was rich and well done. As a historian, I found the tidbits interesting. As a reader, I was bored. When the main characters hadn’t met by half-point, I decided to finish the book at a later date when I’m better suited for it.
Other than this, the book is well-written, the Hungry Girl’s story is very interesting, the historical setting with the fantasy twist works well, and the stakes promise to be high. Hence my four stars at this point. The rating may change once I—hopefully—finish the book.
I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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.
July 21, 2026
This second collaboration of Marie Brennan and Alyc Helms (under the combined pen name of M.A. Carrick) is very different from their absolutely fantastic Rook & Rose trilogy. That one I think of as Scott Lynch + Zorro + a metric ton of flirtations and sexual tension. This is much darker, and much more serious: it’s set in a reimagined late 16th/early 17th century Spain, where not only are the Spanish colonizing the New World, they are also colonizing the Sea Beyond: the faerie seas one can reach by sailing through the Straight of Gibraltar Pillars of Hercules under the right astrological conditions (with a few other restrictions as well).
The story begins with a Spanish noblewoman, having just given birth to (yet another) daughter, confiding in her friend, a tree spirit. Her husband has threatened to kill the child if it was another girl, and not the son he wants. The tree spirit offers a suggestion: leave the girl with the faerie grove, unbaptized, and the spirit of the tree can take the form of a boy child and take her place. The mother won’t get to raise her youngest daughter, but she’ll be safe; and the tree spirit will use his disguise to investigate the Spanish and learn how they’re subjugating his brethren from the Sea Beyond.
This is a story with two co-protagonists. First is the tree spirit, now a boy called Estevan making his way through Catholic Spain, trying to avoid drawing the ire of either his father or the ever-alert Inquisition (in this conception as watchful for fae influence as they are for insincere Muslim or Jewish converts or Protestant heretics). His goal is the royal Council of the Sea Beyond, overseeing the conquest of the fae, their baptism (or elimination), and the theft of their wealth & power - and the secrets behind how they’re doing it.
The other is the girl, who (how is unclear) made her way from the faerie grove into the company of the faeries of the Sea Beyond. She is known only as the Hungry Girl - the fae are immortal, and wherever she’s been they keep forgetting that mortals need to eat every single day. More than once even! She has heard many stories of the dreaded Conquistadors, with their strange ships made of dead trees and their weapons and armor of deadly iron. When she finally meets some Spaniards, she’s relieved they are merchants looking for trade, not conquest - and listens eagerly when their captain tells her that she needs to return to the mortal lands to get baptized, lest she burn in Hell for all eternity. That doesn’t sound good at all, so the Hungry Girl is very eager for this “baptism” thing.
My bet is that Alyc did the writing for the Hungry Girl, and Marie Estevan. I look forward to finding out if I’m right.
This is a pretty dark story all told. The European conquest of the Americas was absolutely brutal, and the actions of the Spanish in the Sea Beyond are on par with the real world history. And this is also the era shortly after the Reconquista, when both Muslims (who had ruled the Iberian peninsula) and Jews (who had been tolerated and flourished under Muslim rule) had to convert or die - and if they chose to convert, were persecuted by the Inquisition for generations after. None of that is glossed over.
I expected something great out of Brennan & Helms, and while this wasn’t what I was expecting, it is certainly something great. Very eager for #2.
My blog.
The story begins with a Spanish noblewoman, having just given birth to (yet another) daughter, confiding in her friend, a tree spirit. Her husband has threatened to kill the child if it was another girl, and not the son he wants. The tree spirit offers a suggestion: leave the girl with the faerie grove, unbaptized, and the spirit of the tree can take the form of a boy child and take her place. The mother won’t get to raise her youngest daughter, but she’ll be safe; and the tree spirit will use his disguise to investigate the Spanish and learn how they’re subjugating his brethren from the Sea Beyond.
This is a story with two co-protagonists. First is the tree spirit, now a boy called Estevan making his way through Catholic Spain, trying to avoid drawing the ire of either his father or the ever-alert Inquisition (in this conception as watchful for fae influence as they are for insincere Muslim or Jewish converts or Protestant heretics). His goal is the royal Council of the Sea Beyond, overseeing the conquest of the fae, their baptism (or elimination), and the theft of their wealth & power - and the secrets behind how they’re doing it.
The other is the girl, who (how is unclear) made her way from the faerie grove into the company of the faeries of the Sea Beyond. She is known only as the Hungry Girl - the fae are immortal, and wherever she’s been they keep forgetting that mortals need to eat every single day. More than once even! She has heard many stories of the dreaded Conquistadors, with their strange ships made of dead trees and their weapons and armor of deadly iron. When she finally meets some Spaniards, she’s relieved they are merchants looking for trade, not conquest - and listens eagerly when their captain tells her that she needs to return to the mortal lands to get baptized, lest she burn in Hell for all eternity. That doesn’t sound good at all, so the Hungry Girl is very eager for this “baptism” thing.
My bet is that Alyc did the writing for the Hungry Girl, and Marie Estevan. I look forward to finding out if I’m right.
This is a pretty dark story all told. The European conquest of the Americas was absolutely brutal, and the actions of the Spanish in the Sea Beyond are on par with the real world history. And this is also the era shortly after the Reconquista, when both Muslims (who had ruled the Iberian peninsula) and Jews (who had been tolerated and flourished under Muslim rule) had to convert or die - and if they chose to convert, were persecuted by the Inquisition for generations after. None of that is glossed over.
I expected something great out of Brennan & Helms, and while this wasn’t what I was expecting, it is certainly something great. Very eager for #2.
My blog.
July 18, 2026
This alternate history tale about faeries in the Spanish Golden Age was an extremely slow start for me and it felt much more steeped in the history part of alternate history than in the faerie part.
It took a long time for me to start caring about either main character, although the Hungry Girl's story started to capture my interest sooner than Estevan's. But I only started really enjoying myself when the two stories/timelines finally converged, which was only during the final third of the book.
The writing felt very dense and had a tendency to get lost in (alternate) history info-dumping instead of truly developing the characters as much as I would've hoped. I also kept having to go back and reread passages - especially during Estevan's chapters. For me, something about the rhythm/sentence structure just didn't flow well and I sometimes had trouble retaining any information from what I just read.
My favorite character, and my favorite thing about the book, was probably Diego/Morn. I hope he and the Hungry Girl will reunite in the next one. Still, I'm undecided if I really want to read the sequel when it comes. Based on the last 30% I'm curious to see how this ends, especially because so much is left unresolved. It will depend on if I feel like I can read book #2 without rereading the first (because I don't think I'll want to do that).
Thank you to the publisher, Little, Brown Book Group UK, for providing a review copy via NetGalley. This review reflects my honest opinion.
It took a long time for me to start caring about either main character, although the Hungry Girl's story started to capture my interest sooner than Estevan's. But I only started really enjoying myself when the two stories/timelines finally converged, which was only during the final third of the book.
The writing felt very dense and had a tendency to get lost in (alternate) history info-dumping instead of truly developing the characters as much as I would've hoped. I also kept having to go back and reread passages - especially during Estevan's chapters. For me, something about the rhythm/sentence structure just didn't flow well and I sometimes had trouble retaining any information from what I just read.
My favorite character, and my favorite thing about the book, was probably Diego/Morn. I hope he and the Hungry Girl will reunite in the next one. Still, I'm undecided if I really want to read the sequel when it comes. Based on the last 30% I'm curious to see how this ends, especially because so much is left unresolved. It will depend on if I feel like I can read book #2 without rereading the first (because I don't think I'll want to do that).
Thank you to the publisher, Little, Brown Book Group UK, for providing a review copy via NetGalley. This review reflects my honest opinion.
August 1, 2026
My rating is 3.25
There were all the elements I wanted in this changeling story but none of it really ended up working for me overall. This plot was super slow moving, in some cases not moving at all for chapters at a time.
I love the writing of M.A Carrick, the Rook & Rose trilogy was a highlight for me last year so I knew this would also likely be a pleasure to read.
I loved the dual POV's of Hungry Girl and her cast of characters on the Island and beyond, and Estevan who is in a human boy's body and he's trying not to lose himself. They both struggle with being "other" and all that strife and hurt.
The world is the strongest part of the book for me. You can tell the author duo has spent a lot of time perfecting the historical details while still making it feel like fantasy. The way they blend elements of the Spanish Inquisition/Golden Age with the Fantasy world of the Sea Beyond creates a world that feels both authentic and completely unique.
The ending redeemed the rest to a certain degree but by then I had checked out. I'm not sure I would continue the series.
Thank you to NetGalley and Little Brown Book Group UK for the opportunity to read and review this title. My thoughts are my own.
There were all the elements I wanted in this changeling story but none of it really ended up working for me overall. This plot was super slow moving, in some cases not moving at all for chapters at a time.
I love the writing of M.A Carrick, the Rook & Rose trilogy was a highlight for me last year so I knew this would also likely be a pleasure to read.
I loved the dual POV's of Hungry Girl and her cast of characters on the Island and beyond, and Estevan who is in a human boy's body and he's trying not to lose himself. They both struggle with being "other" and all that strife and hurt.
The world is the strongest part of the book for me. You can tell the author duo has spent a lot of time perfecting the historical details while still making it feel like fantasy. The way they blend elements of the Spanish Inquisition/Golden Age with the Fantasy world of the Sea Beyond creates a world that feels both authentic and completely unique.
The ending redeemed the rest to a certain degree but by then I had checked out. I'm not sure I would continue the series.
Thank you to NetGalley and Little Brown Book Group UK for the opportunity to read and review this title. My thoughts are my own.
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!
July 7, 2026
The Eye of Leviathan (The Sea Beyond, #1) by M.A. Carrick
Thank you, NetGalley & Little, Brown Book Group UK, for the eARC
I have read the first book in Duo Authors' other series [Rook&Rose], so I knew their writing style suits me.
This book is told from two different POVs swamping back in fort; as the main characters 'Hungry Girl' navigates the Sea Beyond [Fay realm] trying to get back to Earth & the Spains as 'Estevan' is hiding as a changeling in the Spains trying to infiltrate the Spanish Council to stop and save the Sea beyond from human conquistador's destroying the true home of his people. It is set during the Spanish Golden Age [personal union of the Hispanic Monarchy], one of the most fascinating moments in European history, blending real history with a historical fantasy setting. It is one of my favourites, and it adds magic.
During Hungry Girl POV, we travel in the Sea beyond, seeing the damage and devastation the Spanish conquistadors are doing for there own financial gain under the guise of 'Christianity' from enslaving the Fae, destroying their homes and taking all there magical items back to the Spains, we also see the treatment some Fae give the Hungry Girl since she is a mortal, battling with her own conscious of wanting to return to Spains and be baptized into the church plus save her Mother from the 'changeling' as she doesn't know the actual truth her mother did to protect her. Some fairly well-known historical figures are mentioned and presented in a different interpretation, which was fun to read.
During Estevan's POV, we follow him on his journey growing up, keeping his true nature a secret while trying to get closer and closer to the secrets of how the mortals are travelling to the Sea Beyond so that he can stop it. We follow him as he goes through the usual, mundane growing-up with older sisters, puberty, college, etc., while navigating his feelings for humans and what their leaders are doing to his people.
The final arc was really good and interesting
At the same time, some of the background characters are really cool, and I hope we get to explore more of 'Diego’ story and maybe Hungry Girls allies still back in the Sea Beyond!
Pacing is a minor issue at the beginning, but it picks up later. I enjoyed reading the novel as a whole. (Granted, it took longer for me to get into it due to a reading funk and my own hyperfixation searching up some stuff for that age of Spain lol)
Thank you, NetGalley & Little, Brown Book Group UK, for the eARC
I have read the first book in Duo Authors' other series [Rook&Rose], so I knew their writing style suits me.
This book is told from two different POVs swamping back in fort; as the main characters 'Hungry Girl' navigates the Sea Beyond [Fay realm] trying to get back to Earth & the Spains as 'Estevan' is hiding as a changeling in the Spains trying to infiltrate the Spanish Council to stop and save the Sea beyond from human conquistador's destroying the true home of his people. It is set during the Spanish Golden Age [personal union of the Hispanic Monarchy], one of the most fascinating moments in European history, blending real history with a historical fantasy setting. It is one of my favourites, and it adds magic.
During Hungry Girl POV, we travel in the Sea beyond, seeing the damage and devastation the Spanish conquistadors are doing for there own financial gain under the guise of 'Christianity' from enslaving the Fae, destroying their homes and taking all there magical items back to the Spains, we also see the treatment some Fae give the Hungry Girl since she is a mortal, battling with her own conscious of wanting to return to Spains and be baptized into the church plus save her Mother from the 'changeling' as she doesn't know the actual truth her mother did to protect her. Some fairly well-known historical figures are mentioned and presented in a different interpretation, which was fun to read.
During Estevan's POV, we follow him on his journey growing up, keeping his true nature a secret while trying to get closer and closer to the secrets of how the mortals are travelling to the Sea Beyond so that he can stop it. We follow him as he goes through the usual, mundane growing-up with older sisters, puberty, college, etc., while navigating his feelings for humans and what their leaders are doing to his people.
The final arc was really good and interesting
At the same time, some of the background characters are really cool, and I hope we get to explore more of 'Diego’ story and maybe Hungry Girls allies still back in the Sea Beyond!
Pacing is a minor issue at the beginning, but it picks up later. I enjoyed reading the novel as a whole. (Granted, it took longer for me to get into it due to a reading funk and my own hyperfixation searching up some stuff for that age of Spain lol)
July 24, 2026
The duo that is M.A. Carrick created a rich, immersive setting filled with intrigue and atmosphere that kept me invested, even during the slower moments. The overall world building, pulling from history and myth, was well done but I found myself wanting to spend more time exploring the magic and the creatures that inhabited the world.
Where the book fell short for me was the pacing. The plot moved at a fairly slow pace, and while there was plenty of character focus, I didn’t feel the character development was compelling enough to fully make up for the lack of momentum. I enjoyed spending time with the cast, but I never became as emotionally invested in them as I’d hoped.
Overall, Eye of the Leviathan was an enjoyable read with an excellent setting, even if the story itself didn’t always grip me. While it wasn’t a standout, I enjoyed it enough that I would likely continue with the duology to see how everything comes together.
Thank you to Little, Brown Book Group UK | Orbit for the opportunity to read this ARC.
Where the book fell short for me was the pacing. The plot moved at a fairly slow pace, and while there was plenty of character focus, I didn’t feel the character development was compelling enough to fully make up for the lack of momentum. I enjoyed spending time with the cast, but I never became as emotionally invested in them as I’d hoped.
Overall, Eye of the Leviathan was an enjoyable read with an excellent setting, even if the story itself didn’t always grip me. While it wasn’t a standout, I enjoyed it enough that I would likely continue with the duology to see how everything comes together.
Thank you to Little, Brown Book Group UK | Orbit for the opportunity to read this ARC.
to-read-forthcoming
April 14, 2026*high pitched screeching*
July 17, 2026
I love a fantasy rooted in actual history, and one that's not just medieval Europe. The Eye of Leviathan takes place in 17th century Spain in a world where not only do faeries exist, but their lands are also subject to conquest. The story begins with a woman who fears her husband will kill their daughter as he requires a son, so she makes a trade with a faery. The faery will become a male child for her, and her daughter will be raised with faeries.
The book then follows two POVs: Estevan, the faery living in the human world, and The Hungry Girl, the human living amongst the fae. Estevan's story begins from him as a young child and spans a long time, whereas The Hungry Girl's story picks up when she's already an adult.
Estevan's story is rife with historical references, some good, some not so much (the depiction of the Spanish Inquisition is a glaring misstep and feeds the "Black Legend" of this period of Spanish history). I really liked Estevan's chapters as he tries to navigate the human world. His fear of being found out felt palpable, and his relationship to his quasi-mother Teresa was equal parts interesting and touching. I liked how the faery world was interwoven with the human world.
The Hungry Girl's story is much wilder and fanciful. The faery world and the "Sea Beyond" as they call it, is full of creatures and characters. However, I found her story to mainly be interesting due to the Diego character, a faery that was captured by conquistadors and baptized. Baptism in this world strips the faery of their immortality and any magical abilities they had. They can then be commanded by anyone else who is a baptized Christian. You could feel his rage and sadness, and he stole the show.
My biggest issue with the book is actually the structure. Estevan's story being a span of his lifetime while The Hungry Girl's is only perhaps a few months before the end of the book made for a strange dichotomy. We know Estevan a lot more as we are along for his entire trajectory. The Hungry Girl's POV felt emptier yet also overfilled with fantastical creatures and adventures. My issue with her POV is that I never felt danger for her, as she always seemed to get through everything with relative ease. My biggest concern was more about her getting baptized which would imperil Estevan. I think if we had the same context and history with The Hungry Girl, I would have felt more connected to her.
The timelines were also confusing; I had a hard time figuring out when both of them synced up. This structure can also make the pacing quite erratic, with parts of the book feeling like a slog and other parts feeling overwhelming with action. I tend to not love when a historical fiction tries to use actual historical people, and I didn't love the inclusions here. They felt a bit too forced.
Overall, I liked the unique setting and some of the concepts were fascinating. Even with the issues, it was a fun read.
The book then follows two POVs: Estevan, the faery living in the human world, and The Hungry Girl, the human living amongst the fae. Estevan's story begins from him as a young child and spans a long time, whereas The Hungry Girl's story picks up when she's already an adult.
Estevan's story is rife with historical references, some good, some not so much (the depiction of the Spanish Inquisition is a glaring misstep and feeds the "Black Legend" of this period of Spanish history). I really liked Estevan's chapters as he tries to navigate the human world. His fear of being found out felt palpable, and his relationship to his quasi-mother Teresa was equal parts interesting and touching. I liked how the faery world was interwoven with the human world.
The Hungry Girl's story is much wilder and fanciful. The faery world and the "Sea Beyond" as they call it, is full of creatures and characters. However, I found her story to mainly be interesting due to the Diego character, a faery that was captured by conquistadors and baptized. Baptism in this world strips the faery of their immortality and any magical abilities they had. They can then be commanded by anyone else who is a baptized Christian. You could feel his rage and sadness, and he stole the show.
My biggest issue with the book is actually the structure. Estevan's story being a span of his lifetime while The Hungry Girl's is only perhaps a few months before the end of the book made for a strange dichotomy. We know Estevan a lot more as we are along for his entire trajectory. The Hungry Girl's POV felt emptier yet also overfilled with fantastical creatures and adventures. My issue with her POV is that I never felt danger for her, as she always seemed to get through everything with relative ease. My biggest concern was more about her getting baptized which would imperil Estevan. I think if we had the same context and history with The Hungry Girl, I would have felt more connected to her.
The timelines were also confusing; I had a hard time figuring out when both of them synced up. This structure can also make the pacing quite erratic, with parts of the book feeling like a slog and other parts feeling overwhelming with action. I tend to not love when a historical fiction tries to use actual historical people, and I didn't love the inclusions here. They felt a bit too forced.
Overall, I liked the unique setting and some of the concepts were fascinating. Even with the issues, it was a fun read.
July 16, 2026
The Eye of Leviathan is, objectively, a very good book. Its incredibly creative and beautifully written. The setting of the story is vivid, detailed, and packed with interesting historical facts. You could clearly see how much research and thought went into the book, both in the historical setting in Spain, and in the description of the Sea Beyond.
Despite that, unfortunately, this just wasn't the book for me.
Although the characters were interesting and well-developed, I just couldn't connect fully with them. Part of this was due to the narrative structure. When in the alternate history Spain setting, I often felt like I was reading a history book, while the other location felt like reading a fairytale. Even though both settings were well written it gave me a feeling of distance to the characters, like the story wasn't fully centered on them. There were a few moments, , where we did get into the characters and I started to get invested, but they were minimal and mostly obscured by the over-arching plot. As a character driven reader, this made it difficult for me to get into the story because I really need that connection and focus on the characters.
Another issue I had was with the plot overall. Its pretty straightforward, just as the synopsis says. Estevan, the changeling, swaps places with the human girl and he wants to find out how to stop the exploitation of his world while she tries to survive and find her way home. This is a perfectly good plot but there really wasn't much beyond that. There wasn't anything to discover or anything unexpected that happened. The story was set up as what it was and then that's the story that was told. Even the conclusion at the end, while interesting, happened so quickly that I didn't really feel it had much of an impact.
To be fair to the book, I did have extremely high expectations going in,because the author's other series, Rook & Rose, is an all time favourite of mine. Even thought I knew this would be different and tried to remember that, I'm sure it still coloured my perspective, particularly on the characters.
Overall, The Eye of Leviathan was beautifully written with an excellent atmosphere and I think its a very good book even though it isn't the book for me, as I personally prefer more character driven fantasy. I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy historical fantasy or are looking to bridge into fantasy from historical fiction or literary fiction.
Despite that, unfortunately, this just wasn't the book for me.
Although the characters were interesting and well-developed, I just couldn't connect fully with them. Part of this was due to the narrative structure. When in the alternate history Spain setting, I often felt like I was reading a history book, while the other location felt like reading a fairytale. Even though both settings were well written it gave me a feeling of distance to the characters, like the story wasn't fully centered on them. There were a few moments, , where we did get into the characters and I started to get invested, but they were minimal and mostly obscured by the over-arching plot. As a character driven reader, this made it difficult for me to get into the story because I really need that connection and focus on the characters.
Another issue I had was with the plot overall. Its pretty straightforward, just as the synopsis says. Estevan, the changeling, swaps places with the human girl and he wants to find out how to stop the exploitation of his world while she tries to survive and find her way home. This is a perfectly good plot but there really wasn't much beyond that. There wasn't anything to discover or anything unexpected that happened. The story was set up as what it was and then that's the story that was told. Even the conclusion at the end, while interesting, happened so quickly that I didn't really feel it had much of an impact.
To be fair to the book, I did have extremely high expectations going in,because the author's other series, Rook & Rose, is an all time favourite of mine. Even thought I knew this would be different and tried to remember that, I'm sure it still coloured my perspective, particularly on the characters.
Overall, The Eye of Leviathan was beautifully written with an excellent atmosphere and I think its a very good book even though it isn't the book for me, as I personally prefer more character driven fantasy. I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy historical fantasy or are looking to bridge into fantasy from historical fiction or literary fiction.
August 8, 2026
It took me a few days to write this review- honestly because I have a few quibbles with this novel. It was an amazing ride, and I will mention the immense love I have for these characters and world, there will be two things I have to mention for my own peace of mind. But I cannot say enough good things about this book other than those! I mean, who else has written faeries in Inquisition alt-timeline Spain? No one! No one else can top M. A. Carrick.
I LOVED the POV characters. Estevan and Hungry Girl are so unique and complex, and I can already tell I’m in it for the long haul to see what their stories will be. The pacing made me worry we wouldn’t get enough from Estevan with how quick his storyline felt, but it worked out perfectly for all the lessons he had to learn (and how much he had to grow) that by the time they both met up I was cheering like a superfan at them! These are truly great people.
The world feels lush and absolutely engrossing. I especially love the Fae lands as islands, which not only feels unique but fits the vibe of these particular faeries this duo wrote. It feels so vibrant & alive when we get to see to all these locations described to us, and just wild and unknown to us to still give it an air of mystery. Amazing!
As for the worldbuilding, I definitely think it’s a solid foundation, I need to see a little more of what’s going on in this place however to make a call on it. I feel like we barely got to dip our toes into the far reaching ramifications of the sea beyond- and we especially did not see the intricate political machinations that are waiting in the wings for book 2 considering what we know 🫣
But now onto the things that I wish got more love
The side characters. The few ones we had didn’t feel very impactful to the main characters. I would have thought Estevan’s siblings would matter or any of Hungry Girl’s companions would be there. Nope. I still have hope two individuals will matter in the next novel, but it feels more like this will be a rotating cast and I worry I won’t care about any.
The romance. I love the few moments of chemistry we got with the couple, but then… nothing. It felt like a limb got chopped off before we got any good buildup with them! I actively felt when I realized we couldn’t wouldn’t anymore about the two of them until a certain part of the book, and because that yearning & tension was fully chopped off so definitively, it almost felt wrong for it to continue as if nothing has happened! Bleh.
But, as you can see by the five stars, I was still so over the moon by the pacing & everything else keeping the plot & characters aloft I had a STELLAR time reading it! You should read it too!
I LOVED the POV characters. Estevan and Hungry Girl are so unique and complex, and I can already tell I’m in it for the long haul to see what their stories will be. The pacing made me worry we wouldn’t get enough from Estevan with how quick his storyline felt, but it worked out perfectly for all the lessons he had to learn (and how much he had to grow) that by the time they both met up I was cheering like a superfan at them! These are truly great people.
The world feels lush and absolutely engrossing. I especially love the Fae lands as islands, which not only feels unique but fits the vibe of these particular faeries this duo wrote. It feels so vibrant & alive when we get to see to all these locations described to us, and just wild and unknown to us to still give it an air of mystery. Amazing!
As for the worldbuilding, I definitely think it’s a solid foundation, I need to see a little more of what’s going on in this place however to make a call on it. I feel like we barely got to dip our toes into the far reaching ramifications of the sea beyond- and we especially did not see the intricate political machinations that are waiting in the wings for book 2 considering what we know 🫣
But now onto the things that I wish got more love
The side characters. The few ones we had didn’t feel very impactful to the main characters. I would have thought Estevan’s siblings would matter or any of Hungry Girl’s companions would be there. Nope. I still have hope two individuals will matter in the next novel, but it feels more like this will be a rotating cast and I worry I won’t care about any.
The romance. I love the few moments of chemistry we got with the couple, but then… nothing. It felt like a limb got chopped off before we got any good buildup with them! I actively felt when I realized we couldn’t wouldn’t anymore about the two of them until a certain part of the book, and because that yearning & tension was fully chopped off so definitively, it almost felt wrong for it to continue as if nothing has happened! Bleh.
But, as you can see by the five stars, I was still so over the moon by the pacing & everything else keeping the plot & characters aloft I had a STELLAR time reading it! You should read it too!
August 4, 2026
3.5/5 stars
The Eye of Leviathan is the first book in MA Carrick’s historical fae fantasy duology The Sea Beyond, set in an alternate Golden Age Spain. Changeling Estevan once made a bargain with a mortal woman to take the place of her newborn daughter, protecting the child from her husband who wants a son. Now, he seeks to uncover Spain’s secret for crossing into the Sea Beyond, conquering the Otherworld, and enslaving its fae inhabitants. Meanwhile, Hungry Girl, the child whose place he took, has grown up among the fae and never quite belonging. When she encounters Spanish explorers in the Sea Beyond, she helps them before discovering their true purpose. The faerie bargain may have saved them both, but only together can they prevent Spain’s ambitions from destroying both worlds.
This had such an interesting premise, but I wish the execution had lived up to it. I liked the broad shape of the story and the rich historical backdrop, yet neither of the two protagonists ever fully connected with me. I found both Estevan and Hungry Girl likable enough, but I never became invested in their journeys or emotionally attached to their struggles. The book never did anything particularly wrong to make me want to stop reading, but it also never gave me enough of a narrative or emotional hook to keep me eager to turn the page.
I was already struggling to stay engaged, so splitting the novel into two alternating storylines that remain completely separate until the very end only weakened the momentum. Just as one storyline began to gain traction, the perspective would shift away from it. When the plot finally starts to build toward something larger, it mostly levels off instead of escalating. Then, just as the two narratives finally converge and the story becomes genuinely exciting, the book ends. I think this would have worked better as a standalone novel than as the first half of a duology, as this installment feels stretched too thin without enough narrative progression to justify being its own book.
The Eye of Leviathan is an imaginative historical fae fantasy whose premise never quite develops into an equally compelling story.
The Eye of Leviathan is the first book in MA Carrick’s historical fae fantasy duology The Sea Beyond, set in an alternate Golden Age Spain. Changeling Estevan once made a bargain with a mortal woman to take the place of her newborn daughter, protecting the child from her husband who wants a son. Now, he seeks to uncover Spain’s secret for crossing into the Sea Beyond, conquering the Otherworld, and enslaving its fae inhabitants. Meanwhile, Hungry Girl, the child whose place he took, has grown up among the fae and never quite belonging. When she encounters Spanish explorers in the Sea Beyond, she helps them before discovering their true purpose. The faerie bargain may have saved them both, but only together can they prevent Spain’s ambitions from destroying both worlds.
This had such an interesting premise, but I wish the execution had lived up to it. I liked the broad shape of the story and the rich historical backdrop, yet neither of the two protagonists ever fully connected with me. I found both Estevan and Hungry Girl likable enough, but I never became invested in their journeys or emotionally attached to their struggles. The book never did anything particularly wrong to make me want to stop reading, but it also never gave me enough of a narrative or emotional hook to keep me eager to turn the page.
I was already struggling to stay engaged, so splitting the novel into two alternating storylines that remain completely separate until the very end only weakened the momentum. Just as one storyline began to gain traction, the perspective would shift away from it. When the plot finally starts to build toward something larger, it mostly levels off instead of escalating. Then, just as the two narratives finally converge and the story becomes genuinely exciting, the book ends. I think this would have worked better as a standalone novel than as the first half of a duology, as this installment feels stretched too thin without enough narrative progression to justify being its own book.
The Eye of Leviathan is an imaginative historical fae fantasy whose premise never quite develops into an equally compelling story.
July 25, 2026
3ish stars
I was so excited for this book after loving the Rook and Rose series by this author duo. I did find that trilogy started slower as well but nowhere near as slow as this book. It did begin to move better in the last 15%-20% or so, and I will likely read the sequel at some point but I wont be preordering it. Historical alternate fantasy set in the 1600s in Spain sounds like the perfect fit of book for me. I expected religion to play a role but I didn't expect it to be almost the entire focus of the book. How religion and forced conversion effect the world around them. It was done well but there was so much more of it than I wanted.
I loved the opening chapter with a faerie bargain to set the tone. But from there on I found it difficult to care about the characters. We get alternating POVs between Estevan the changeling and The Hungry Girl the child given to the fae for safe keeping.
I struggled with the audio and had to slow it down. This I think was a me problem. Usually I have little difficulty with accent, especially when it is fitting to the story, but for some reason I had to keep rewinding the story this time. I did adjust to it eventually. Again the book was okay, I just expected something different.
I was so excited for this book after loving the Rook and Rose series by this author duo. I did find that trilogy started slower as well but nowhere near as slow as this book. It did begin to move better in the last 15%-20% or so, and I will likely read the sequel at some point but I wont be preordering it. Historical alternate fantasy set in the 1600s in Spain sounds like the perfect fit of book for me. I expected religion to play a role but I didn't expect it to be almost the entire focus of the book. How religion and forced conversion effect the world around them. It was done well but there was so much more of it than I wanted.
I loved the opening chapter with a faerie bargain to set the tone. But from there on I found it difficult to care about the characters. We get alternating POVs between Estevan the changeling and The Hungry Girl the child given to the fae for safe keeping.
I struggled with the audio and had to slow it down. This I think was a me problem. Usually I have little difficulty with accent, especially when it is fitting to the story, but for some reason I had to keep rewinding the story this time. I did adjust to it eventually. Again the book was okay, I just expected something different.
July 25, 2026
The Eye of Leviathan follows the parallel stories of the Hungry Girl, a mortal girl given away to the fae, and Estevan, the changeling that took her place. Estevan goes undercover to free the fae from the ravages of Spanish colonialism, and the Hungry Girl embarks on a journey through the fairy realm to return to the family, religion, and home that was torn from her.
Overall, I enjoyed how this book illustrates the terrible consequences of dehumanization. My favorite parts of the book were when it explored the complexities of human behavior around power and control over others.
I do wish the plot had been a bit more grounded. Jumping between perspectives and timelines was jarring at times. This made it difficult for me to feel attached to the characters. I also felt didn’t know enough about Spanish history and geography to fully appreciate what was happening and sometimes found myself confused.
While I don’t think I will continue in the series, I do look forward to what M.A. Carrick publishes in the future.
Thank you to Net Galley and Orbit Books for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Overall, I enjoyed how this book illustrates the terrible consequences of dehumanization. My favorite parts of the book were when it explored the complexities of human behavior around power and control over others.
I do wish the plot had been a bit more grounded. Jumping between perspectives and timelines was jarring at times. This made it difficult for me to feel attached to the characters. I also felt didn’t know enough about Spanish history and geography to fully appreciate what was happening and sometimes found myself confused.
While I don’t think I will continue in the series, I do look forward to what M.A. Carrick publishes in the future.
Thank you to Net Galley and Orbit Books for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review!
July 31, 2026
I received an ARC of this from Netgalley.
I adored the Rook and Rose trilogy from this author duo before and couldn't wait to get my hands on a fae inspired sea setting from them. The world didn't let me down, it was lush, well grounded and explained. I loved the mix of history and folklore. The idea of basing the story on a pair of changelings was original to me and I think worked really well.
The characters were plentiful but well differentiated, I loved the two main perspectives and how their views were similar despite the fact they were raised in very different settings.
I did however find that the middle of this book really dragged and the story seemed to amble along instead focusing on the world and fleshing out every single new aspect and character. That made this a pretty slow read for me.
I'm looking forward to the end of the duology but the Rook and Rose books were more suited to my tastes in the end. I felt this lacked the tension and intricate plot and character weaving that I loved so my in their first series.
I adored the Rook and Rose trilogy from this author duo before and couldn't wait to get my hands on a fae inspired sea setting from them. The world didn't let me down, it was lush, well grounded and explained. I loved the mix of history and folklore. The idea of basing the story on a pair of changelings was original to me and I think worked really well.
The characters were plentiful but well differentiated, I loved the two main perspectives and how their views were similar despite the fact they were raised in very different settings.
I did however find that the middle of this book really dragged and the story seemed to amble along instead focusing on the world and fleshing out every single new aspect and character. That made this a pretty slow read for me.
I'm looking forward to the end of the duology but the Rook and Rose books were more suited to my tastes in the end. I felt this lacked the tension and intricate plot and character weaving that I loved so my in their first series.
July 16, 2026
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.
Sadly this was a DNF at 50%
The Leviathan had all the makings of a book I would love: well researched historical fantasy with otherworld and faeries mixed in. However this pacing absolutely dragged and the religious plot really turned me off. It uses the Spanish Inquisition and forced baptism as a way to re-mortal the fae creatures as well to bind them into slavery.
A neat concept, but it was just a lot to get through and I did not feel connected to either of our main characters: a girl who was switched at birth with a far changeling and her fae counterpart.
I loved the introduction as a mother makes a faerie bargain to save her daughter from death - after failing again to bear her husband a son. The faerie she makes her bargain with is intent on learning the ways the Spanish are sailing and taking over the otherworld isles and vows to stop them. A very intriguing plot but overall I got bogged down in the length of this book.
Sadly this was a DNF at 50%
The Leviathan had all the makings of a book I would love: well researched historical fantasy with otherworld and faeries mixed in. However this pacing absolutely dragged and the religious plot really turned me off. It uses the Spanish Inquisition and forced baptism as a way to re-mortal the fae creatures as well to bind them into slavery.
A neat concept, but it was just a lot to get through and I did not feel connected to either of our main characters: a girl who was switched at birth with a far changeling and her fae counterpart.
I loved the introduction as a mother makes a faerie bargain to save her daughter from death - after failing again to bear her husband a son. The faerie she makes her bargain with is intent on learning the ways the Spanish are sailing and taking over the otherworld isles and vows to stop them. A very intriguing plot but overall I got bogged down in the length of this book.
Did Not Finish
August 4, 2026This story has a very interesting plot that I would love to continue with but at a different time. I love how this story focused a lot of building the world and taking care of the folklore. However at 23%, I am getting a bit bored. I don’t think this is really a book issue, it’s more of a me issue because I just need more fast paced stories at the moment. Especially since I feel a reading slump coming soon.
Maybe in the future I will pick this up again but I for now it will be a soft DNF.
Maybe in the future I will pick this up again but I for now it will be a soft DNF.
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
The Eye of Leviathan by author duo M.A. Carrick is a sweeping historical epic fantasy set in the Spanish Golden Age. It follows Estevan and the Hungry Girl - linked together by magic - as they navigate the oppression of the Spanish Inquisition and the pillaging of the Otherworld, a fantastical realm inhabited by Faeries and monsters, while searching for a way to stop it.
Written in dual-POV, with Estevan and The Hungry Girl as the MMC and FMC, the POV chapters also inhabit separate timelines that converge at the end of the novel. The structure created a lovely tension and heightened the sense of urgency in the plot. It is a sex-positive novel in that the MMC is essentially genderfluid, a faerie occupying first a female and then a male form, where they engage in a M/M relationship. There is also other LGBTQ representation. It is not a spice novel, and the only romantic content is firmly in the subplot category. There are depictions of same-sex attraction and kissing. There is violence, and depictions of torture, but no depictions of sexual violence.
The publisher comps are The Rook and Rose trilogy by M.A. Carrick, The Tower of Fools by Andrzej Sapkowski, A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark, The Scholar and the Last Faerie Door by H.G. Parry, and The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo. The Rook and Rose is comparable in style, but this is not a heist novel. I have not read The Tower of Fools but have read his Witcher series and find the style dramatically different, the prose of M.A. Carrick being denser and more elaborate. A Master of Djinn is somewhat similar in content in that there is a magical world in tension with the nonmagical, but A Master of Djinn is a magical steampunk alternate history fantasy and this is decidedly epic historical fantasy. I have not read The Scholar and the Last Faerie Door and can’t evaluate it. I DNF’D The Familiar, but the world-building is set in a similar timeframe. In style and content I would say Guy Gavriel Kay’s works could also be comparable.
The character work is excellent, with the MCs being relatable, flawed individuals with their own trials and struggles to overcome - not a Mary Sue or Gary Stu in sight. The side and supporting characters are also lovely, with Alejandro, Diego, and Erauso doing a substantial amount of plot work as characters in their own right, with dimension and their own motivations. I loved the Moors, and their pirate queen Sayyida Al-Hurra of Morocco. It added an additional dimension, not only of the faeries fighting against the incursions of Spain, but the Moors fighting to reclaim their homes as well.
The main characters are Castaña/Estevan, a faerie who agrees to take the place of their friend Doña Teresa’s seventh daughter as a changeling in order to save Teresa’s and her daughter’s life, in exchange for Teresa promising Castaña that she would help them stop the Spanish from destroying the Otherworld, the magical realm that the Spanish are pillaging for wealth and slaves. Raised as the only son of the Don, Estevan grows up as a human, protected by Teresa’s daughter - the Hungry Girl - being kept safe and unbaptized in the Otherworld. Estevan’s POV is slightly more dominant than the Hungry Girl’s, and it explores his childhood and search for knowledge of how to stop the Spanish. He is driven and determined, but struggles with his lack of progress against the humans and with his doubts around his purpose. His closest companion besides Teresa is Alejandro, his childhood friend, who convinces his mother to pay for Estevan’s schooling at a prestigious academy with him.
The Hungry Girl is raised for a time with the other faeries of Estevan’s chestnut grove, but eventually is passed along into the Otherworld and ends up traded from faerie court to faerie court. We meet her as she is serving a powerful faerie who has been exiled to an island with a terrible curse on it, turning any faerie who remains to harpies. Spanish merchants land on the island, and she eagerly helps them, wanting to return to her mother (who she believes is a princess held captive by an ogre in a tower), and most importantly, wanting to be baptized and given a true name. Her arc is engaging, as she moves from naivety towards humans into understanding more and more about the motivations of the Spanish. The contrast between the goals of the Hungry Girl and Estevan create an excellent amount of suspense.
The world-building is absolutely fantastic. It is rich and redolent with detail, and is so beautifully researched as to feel immediately familiar and fantastic. It is our world and history, but made magical. The authors have woven various myths, legends, and fairytales together, referencing the labors of Hercules, extending the conquests of Alexander the Great to the Otherworld, alongside the tale of the Wild Swans. The magic system is soft, a stark contrast to the intricate magic system of M.A. Carrick’s Rook and Rose trilogy, focusing on the innate magic each type of faerie holds, and the magical artifacts taken from the Otherworld. The explanation for the origin of the faeries is well-crafted, and I loved the lore provided. It is at times deeply philosophical, exploring questions of religion, the rights of the individual, and the nature of the soul. Religion is a main feature, being that the novel is set in an alternate history of the Spanish Inquisition, but not in the sense that the authors are attempting to convert their readers. Rather it is an exploration of the dynamics of power that accompany systems of belief, and how they can be both genuine and used to create atrocities. If you do not enjoy reading spiritual-philosophical content you may not enjoy this book.
The pacing is methodical and at times slow, with the movement increasing in the last 25%. I do not anticipate pacing issues with subsequent books, as this was very much a foundation laying, getting the characters and timelines where they need to be in order for the next main conflict. If you are looking for quick-paced and action-packed, this will most likely disappoint you. If you’re looking for romance, this will disappoint you. It is firmly historical fantasy, with an epic scope, and is driven more so by the fate of the world than the individual characters, though I found them to also be engaging. The ending was a little abrupt, but I felt it did a good job of bringing the plot and characters together for the next book.
All in all, I absolutely loved this book. I was engaged the entire time, and had emotional responses to the book starting around the halfway point, feeling tension, suspense, and heartbreak in equal measures. I think this will delight fans of M.A. Carrick, and enthrall epic historical fantasy fans who love deep immersion into rich and marvelous worlds. I can’t wait to have a hardcopy on my shelf, and will eagerly await the sequel.
Written in dual-POV, with Estevan and The Hungry Girl as the MMC and FMC, the POV chapters also inhabit separate timelines that converge at the end of the novel. The structure created a lovely tension and heightened the sense of urgency in the plot. It is a sex-positive novel in that the MMC is essentially genderfluid, a faerie occupying first a female and then a male form, where they engage in a M/M relationship. There is also other LGBTQ representation. It is not a spice novel, and the only romantic content is firmly in the subplot category. There are depictions of same-sex attraction and kissing. There is violence, and depictions of torture, but no depictions of sexual violence.
The publisher comps are The Rook and Rose trilogy by M.A. Carrick, The Tower of Fools by Andrzej Sapkowski, A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark, The Scholar and the Last Faerie Door by H.G. Parry, and The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo. The Rook and Rose is comparable in style, but this is not a heist novel. I have not read The Tower of Fools but have read his Witcher series and find the style dramatically different, the prose of M.A. Carrick being denser and more elaborate. A Master of Djinn is somewhat similar in content in that there is a magical world in tension with the nonmagical, but A Master of Djinn is a magical steampunk alternate history fantasy and this is decidedly epic historical fantasy. I have not read The Scholar and the Last Faerie Door and can’t evaluate it. I DNF’D The Familiar, but the world-building is set in a similar timeframe. In style and content I would say Guy Gavriel Kay’s works could also be comparable.
The character work is excellent, with the MCs being relatable, flawed individuals with their own trials and struggles to overcome - not a Mary Sue or Gary Stu in sight. The side and supporting characters are also lovely, with Alejandro, Diego, and Erauso doing a substantial amount of plot work as characters in their own right, with dimension and their own motivations. I loved the Moors, and their pirate queen Sayyida Al-Hurra of Morocco. It added an additional dimension, not only of the faeries fighting against the incursions of Spain, but the Moors fighting to reclaim their homes as well.
The main characters are Castaña/Estevan, a faerie who agrees to take the place of their friend Doña Teresa’s seventh daughter as a changeling in order to save Teresa’s and her daughter’s life, in exchange for Teresa promising Castaña that she would help them stop the Spanish from destroying the Otherworld, the magical realm that the Spanish are pillaging for wealth and slaves. Raised as the only son of the Don, Estevan grows up as a human, protected by Teresa’s daughter - the Hungry Girl - being kept safe and unbaptized in the Otherworld. Estevan’s POV is slightly more dominant than the Hungry Girl’s, and it explores his childhood and search for knowledge of how to stop the Spanish. He is driven and determined, but struggles with his lack of progress against the humans and with his doubts around his purpose. His closest companion besides Teresa is Alejandro, his childhood friend, who convinces his mother to pay for Estevan’s schooling at a prestigious academy with him.
The Hungry Girl is raised for a time with the other faeries of Estevan’s chestnut grove, but eventually is passed along into the Otherworld and ends up traded from faerie court to faerie court. We meet her as she is serving a powerful faerie who has been exiled to an island with a terrible curse on it, turning any faerie who remains to harpies. Spanish merchants land on the island, and she eagerly helps them, wanting to return to her mother (who she believes is a princess held captive by an ogre in a tower), and most importantly, wanting to be baptized and given a true name. Her arc is engaging, as she moves from naivety towards humans into understanding more and more about the motivations of the Spanish. The contrast between the goals of the Hungry Girl and Estevan create an excellent amount of suspense.
The world-building is absolutely fantastic. It is rich and redolent with detail, and is so beautifully researched as to feel immediately familiar and fantastic. It is our world and history, but made magical. The authors have woven various myths, legends, and fairytales together, referencing the labors of Hercules, extending the conquests of Alexander the Great to the Otherworld, alongside the tale of the Wild Swans. The magic system is soft, a stark contrast to the intricate magic system of M.A. Carrick’s Rook and Rose trilogy, focusing on the innate magic each type of faerie holds, and the magical artifacts taken from the Otherworld. The explanation for the origin of the faeries is well-crafted, and I loved the lore provided. It is at times deeply philosophical, exploring questions of religion, the rights of the individual, and the nature of the soul. Religion is a main feature, being that the novel is set in an alternate history of the Spanish Inquisition, but not in the sense that the authors are attempting to convert their readers. Rather it is an exploration of the dynamics of power that accompany systems of belief, and how they can be both genuine and used to create atrocities. If you do not enjoy reading spiritual-philosophical content you may not enjoy this book.
The pacing is methodical and at times slow, with the movement increasing in the last 25%. I do not anticipate pacing issues with subsequent books, as this was very much a foundation laying, getting the characters and timelines where they need to be in order for the next main conflict. If you are looking for quick-paced and action-packed, this will most likely disappoint you. If you’re looking for romance, this will disappoint you. It is firmly historical fantasy, with an epic scope, and is driven more so by the fate of the world than the individual characters, though I found them to also be engaging. The ending was a little abrupt, but I felt it did a good job of bringing the plot and characters together for the next book.
All in all, I absolutely loved this book. I was engaged the entire time, and had emotional responses to the book starting around the halfway point, feeling tension, suspense, and heartbreak in equal measures. I think this will delight fans of M.A. Carrick, and enthrall epic historical fantasy fans who love deep immersion into rich and marvelous worlds. I can’t wait to have a hardcopy on my shelf, and will eagerly await the sequel.
May 14, 2026
Thank you Netgalley and Orbit Books for the e-ARC!
This book exceeded my expectations, it was such an incredible historical fantasy book. You can clearly tell that the authors did a lot of research in order to get even small historical facts correct, which I really appreciated.
This book exceeded my expectations, it was such an incredible historical fantasy book. You can clearly tell that the authors did a lot of research in order to get even small historical facts correct, which I really appreciated.
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