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Of Mountains and Seas #2
From The Depths
Not yet published
Expected 9 Jun 26In the wake of a failed coup, peace comes at a cost.
A new regime enforces order by erasing the memories of every Shifter.
But Nivi remembers everything.
Immune to the memory-wiping tincture that silenced her kind, Nivi carries the weight of the past alone. Her powers set her apart, but so does the truth she can't forget. Once again, Nivi finds herself isolated from her family and friends, and something begins to fracture, within herself and within the forest of her hometown Yuras.
Strange happenings are accumulating. A road of abandoned homes in Yuras. A missing crabbing crew in Alaska. A student abduction at the local Shifter school.
With danger creeping closer and reality unraveling for both Shifters and Statics, will the fight for what's been lost be worth unearthing truths they fear?
Book 2 of the Of Mountains And Seas series, a multigenerational urban fantasy and mystery.
A new regime enforces order by erasing the memories of every Shifter.
But Nivi remembers everything.
Immune to the memory-wiping tincture that silenced her kind, Nivi carries the weight of the past alone. Her powers set her apart, but so does the truth she can't forget. Once again, Nivi finds herself isolated from her family and friends, and something begins to fracture, within herself and within the forest of her hometown Yuras.
Strange happenings are accumulating. A road of abandoned homes in Yuras. A missing crabbing crew in Alaska. A student abduction at the local Shifter school.
With danger creeping closer and reality unraveling for both Shifters and Statics, will the fight for what's been lost be worth unearthing truths they fear?
Book 2 of the Of Mountains And Seas series, a multigenerational urban fantasy and mystery.
388 pages, Paperback
Expected publication June 9, 2026
About the author
Emily Renk Hawthorne
2 books63 followersEmily Renk Hawthorne is a dentist who works with underserved populations and the author of the fantasy duology Of Mountains and Seas.
Emily grew up in Southern California and now resides on the Central Coast with her husband and child.
Emily grew up in Southern California and now resides on the Central Coast with her husband and child.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Author
Read Time: 3hrs 25mins
Rating: 4 stars
Favorite quote: “Jorge took a deep breath before responding. His tone was gentle and kind, even if the point he made stung. “I also lost a parent and had my past erased.”
** This is an Arc Review. I'm incredibly thankful for the opportunity from the author!!
This book was a really good continuation of the first one. I have to admit there were times I got a tad confused, but that was my fault. I caught up very quickly, as I now knew the characters better from the first book. There was so much information and storywriting relating to the current state of government and power. It was so interesting to see real-world politics tied into fantasy. There were a lot of different perspectives, but I think the characters all had differences in them. They all seemed so interesting and had so much depth. Not to mention the magic system was well thought out, and the author was so descriptive in her writing without it being overwhelming. Coming from California, this book really hit close to home. I would definitely want to do a reread just to spend more time in it and better understand the book and the hidden meanings within it.
I really enjoyed it and would definitely recommend. If you have the opportunity to read this series, definitely do!
Rating: 4 stars
Favorite quote: “Jorge took a deep breath before responding. His tone was gentle and kind, even if the point he made stung. “I also lost a parent and had my past erased.”
** This is an Arc Review. I'm incredibly thankful for the opportunity from the author!!
This book was a really good continuation of the first one. I have to admit there were times I got a tad confused, but that was my fault. I caught up very quickly, as I now knew the characters better from the first book. There was so much information and storywriting relating to the current state of government and power. It was so interesting to see real-world politics tied into fantasy. There were a lot of different perspectives, but I think the characters all had differences in them. They all seemed so interesting and had so much depth. Not to mention the magic system was well thought out, and the author was so descriptive in her writing without it being overwhelming. Coming from California, this book really hit close to home. I would definitely want to do a reread just to spend more time in it and better understand the book and the hidden meanings within it.
I really enjoyed it and would definitely recommend. If you have the opportunity to read this series, definitely do!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Author
And the streak continues. From the Depths, the second book of the 'Of Mountains and Of Seas' series, is as good as the first one, if not better. I literally finished it in one sitting. And is a third book too much to ask for??
The suspense, the thrill, the mysteries, they keep you hooked throughout. It has so many POVs and timelines, and that just keeps things interesting. I usually hate when a POV is broken in between, but here it actually helped in understanding the things happening at different places and at different times, so it worked positively.
Filled with so many creatures and magic, this book was magnificent. I absolutely adored the character arcs of David and Iris and I really want to read more of Arav in the shifters’ world and more of Ember. I’d love to read more of them in future books, if possible.(please author🥺)
Though the action scenes were a lot lesser than in the first book, the way new mysteries were uncovered and then solved made things much more interesting in this book.
The suspense, the thrill, the mysteries, they keep you hooked throughout. It has so many POVs and timelines, and that just keeps things interesting. I usually hate when a POV is broken in between, but here it actually helped in understanding the things happening at different places and at different times, so it worked positively.
Filled with so many creatures and magic, this book was magnificent. I absolutely adored the character arcs of David and Iris and I really want to read more of Arav in the shifters’ world and more of Ember. I’d love to read more of them in future books, if possible.(please author🥺)
Though the action scenes were a lot lesser than in the first book, the way new mysteries were uncovered and then solved made things much more interesting in this book.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I read Of Mountains and Seas Book 2 as an ARC, and it was so great to be back with these characters. Picking up right where Book 1 left off, the story dives deeper into California's hidden shapeshifter society and the mystery and tension feel even bigger this time around.
One of my favorite parts was seeing how much each character has grown and how their individual journeys continue to unfold. Everyone feels like they have their own stake in the story, and watching those pieces come together was really rewarding.
What struck me too was how relevant this story feels to current events. Themes of memory, control, and resistance hit differently right now and give the book a weight that lingers after you finish.
If you loved the multigenerational storytelling and mythology of Book 1, Book 2 expands on that foundation in a way that feels intentional and satisfying. I would give this 4 stars and recommend starting with Book 1 if you haven't already!
One of my favorite parts was seeing how much each character has grown and how their individual journeys continue to unfold. Everyone feels like they have their own stake in the story, and watching those pieces come together was really rewarding.
What struck me too was how relevant this story feels to current events. Themes of memory, control, and resistance hit differently right now and give the book a weight that lingers after you finish.
If you loved the multigenerational storytelling and mythology of Book 1, Book 2 expands on that foundation in a way that feels intentional and satisfying. I would give this 4 stars and recommend starting with Book 1 if you haven't already!
Review of advance copy received from Author
This one picks up right at the end of Of Mountains And Seas- I had such an amazing time reading it! I was so interested in seeing where Emily would take us after the events in book 1, and she did not disappoint. I felt like a conspiracy theorist bouncing back between the books trying to connect the dots LOL.
From The Depths was beautiful. I really enjoyed seeing all of these characters again, even some that I didn’t expect. I loved how well the characters worked together (for the most part) towards a common goal. The brainwashing was insane and honestly terrifying to read about.
Emily has truly made me love multi-POV, even multi-timeline. The way she blends the stories together so that everything makes sense in the end is soooo worth the confusion in the beginning. Chef’s kiss, this was so good!
From The Depths was beautiful. I really enjoyed seeing all of these characters again, even some that I didn’t expect. I loved how well the characters worked together (for the most part) towards a common goal. The brainwashing was insane and honestly terrifying to read about.
Emily has truly made me love multi-POV, even multi-timeline. The way she blends the stories together so that everything makes sense in the end is soooo worth the confusion in the beginning. Chef’s kiss, this was so good!
May 21, 2026
This book continues from where Of Mountains and Seas ended, and I would highly recommend reading that before even attempting to read this, as you will need the context book one provides to truly understand and appreciate this book.
The shifter OT (oblivion tincture) police are wiping memories left, right and center, in the guise of keeping order, but Nivi is immune to OT. She remembers what the new regime wants her to forget.
This series is a multi-pov tale, and provides an interesting look at a society of shifters, part wanting to keep themselves separate and hidden from statics (non-shifters), and others wanting integration between the two groups.
If you're after a deep shifter story, and don't mind the multiple POVs, this is worth checking out.
I received an ARC of this ebook from the author, and I'm voluntarily leaving this review.
The shifter OT (oblivion tincture) police are wiping memories left, right and center, in the guise of keeping order, but Nivi is immune to OT. She remembers what the new regime wants her to forget.
This series is a multi-pov tale, and provides an interesting look at a society of shifters, part wanting to keep themselves separate and hidden from statics (non-shifters), and others wanting integration between the two groups.
If you're after a deep shifter story, and don't mind the multiple POVs, this is worth checking out.
I received an ARC of this ebook from the author, and I'm voluntarily leaving this review.
Review of advance copy
It pains me to rate this so low. Especially since I loved the first book. But while this had a great premise and idea for plot. The execution left a lot to be desired. The way events unfolded seemed almost absurd. Childish. Hard to be taken seriously. The writing was worse in this book. It was difficult for me to really immerse myself in it.
Not to mention, two characters I thought died in the end of the first book, BOTH came back to life here? Really? Both of them? And we're giving the main villain a redemption arc? After everything he's done, just because he has a sad backstory, it is all forgotten?
As Iris who I really admired in the first book was so different here. That was very disappointing to see. Other than a couple characters, I couldn't make myself care about the others.
Not to mention, two characters I thought died in the end of the first book, BOTH came back to life here? Really? Both of them? And we're giving the main villain a redemption arc? After everything he's done, just because he has a sad backstory, it is all forgotten?
As Iris who I really admired in the first book was so different here. That was very disappointing to see. Other than a couple characters, I couldn't make myself care about the others.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I want to thank the author Emily Renk Hawthorne and Karnova Pr for the chance to read this book as an arc. I am leaving this review by my choice and 100%honestly.
Book 2 picks up right where we left off in book one which was very nice. A great continuation of the story. So many great lessons in this series. I really enjoy the magic system, the relatable world issues and just an all around enticing story.
Look forward to reading the next book and I suggest you taking the chance to read this series
Book 2 picks up right where we left off in book one which was very nice. A great continuation of the story. So many great lessons in this series. I really enjoy the magic system, the relatable world issues and just an all around enticing story.
Look forward to reading the next book and I suggest you taking the chance to read this series
May 4, 2026
This book picks up right where we left off in book one which I loved. The story continues through the different character povs and seeing them interweave with one another is very satisfying. I loved seeing their growth from book one.
I thought the message behind the book was so special and definitely needed given current times and events. It was beautifully written!! Thank you so much Emily for allowing me to be an arc reader!
I thought the message behind the book was so special and definitely needed given current times and events. It was beautifully written!! Thank you so much Emily for allowing me to be an arc reader!
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews