This Splintered Sea

by Haley J. Munroe

“I used to be the warning in the chorus of a sea shanty. Men feared me. Now, I’m a petty thief.”

Killing her betrothed and fleeing an arranged marriage was meant to free Briar, the Princess of the Sea, from a life trapped on land and chained to a throne. Powerful, ruthless, and wild, she once sailed the seas under her queen mother’s rule as the feared captain of The Twelfth Night.

A decade later, she’s a pickpocket and the king’s favorite courtesan in a foreign, enemy court, working as an undercover spy while having a secret affair with the queen. As punishment for her murderous revenge, she’s stuck on land—cursed, forgotten to history, and stripped of her ruthless power that once made her so formidable. One spray of the sea against her skin will kill her.

She’s trapped, hiding in plain sight, until the King announces a competition in which the winner will be granted a single wish—a wish that could undo her curse. Determined, she conceals herself as a pirate, and magically seals herself to The Gales and its trials.

Only, the pirate identity she stole is being hunted by notorious bounty hunter and fellow trials competitor, Kressa—the same bounty hunter Briar is supposed to seduce and spy on as a courtesan.

The same woman whose kiss ignited Briar’s dormant magic, breaking all the rules of her curse.

Fifty competitors, three trials, two stolen identities, and one princess desperate enough to risk it all.
Let the games begin.


The adventure in Pirates of the Caribbean meets the romance of The Serpent of the Wings of Night in This Splintered Sea , a heart-wrenching sapphic romance full of adventure, intrigue, and betrayal.

Genres: Fantasy, Lesbian, Romance, LGBT, Romantasy, Queer, Pirates

444 pages, Paperback

Published March 19, 2026

Reviews

[Gabriella୨ৎ (semi-ia) · Rating 3 out of 5]

━━━ઇଓㅤ⤸
꒰ 𝐚𝐫𝐜 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 ꒱ Ⓘ pub date: march 19th 2026

𝟑.𝟐𝟓 ✩

𝐼 𝓊𝓈𝑒𝒹 𝓉𝑜 𝒷𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓌𝒶𝓇𝓃𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝒾𝓃 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒸𝒽𝑜𝓇𝓊𝓈 𝑜𝒻 𝒶 𝓈𝑒𝒶
𝓈𝒽𝒶𝓃𝓉𝓎. 𝑀𝑒𝓃 𝒻𝑒𝒶𝓇𝑒𝒹 𝓂𝑒. 𝒩𝑜𝓌, 𝐼’𝓂 𝒶 𝓅𝑒𝓉𝓉𝓎 𝓉𝒽𝒾𝑒𝒻.

꒰ 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬: ꒱
I had such high hopes from looking at the synopsis, and when I read the first few chapters, I got that feeling. The one where you just know it’s going to be an incredible read. Unfortunately, my rating slowly decreased as the book continued, and I'm settling on alright yet slightly disappointing.

Let’s start with the things I didn’t like.
Honestly, most fantasy books have you utterly befuddled ninety-nine percent of the time; that’s just the norm. But this book was a different kind. There was information–or lack thereof–that made following along really difficult. Numerous times I completely forgot who a character was, and found that it was challenging to picture what exactly was going on. You know, the movie that plays in your head when you’re reading? Blank. Zero clue. Maybe the details the author gave weren’t thorough enough or the wording wasn’t chosen properly in order for us to get a good understanding. But apart from that, the story was pretty solid.

I very much dislike when characters who are pretending to be someone (secret identity, hidden in plain sight, you get me) make it so blatantly obvious as to who they are, but everyone is just too blind to see what’s right in front of their eyes. It’s not fun, and seriously irritates me. How did the Princess of the Sea hide in plain sight for a decade without anyone even a teensy tiny bit suspicious of her? Let alone be a competitor in the trials and not get caught?

Speaking of, many fantasies have the ‘deadly trials’ theme in them, and I know a lot of people are getting tired of how repetitive they are. However, I think the trials in This Splintered Sea were extraordinary compared to others I’ve read. They were unsettling to read, especially for someone who absolutely hates anything to do with the sea. Fun, and a bit emotional if I’m being honest. But on the downside, they sadly fell flat for me. I wanted to be on the edge of my seat, holding my breath and wondering if they were going to make it out alive–or at least unscathed. Yes, they were difficult and ended in bloodshed most of the time, but they were also too easy. Completed too quickly.

Despite there being a few negative aspects to this book, some parts were super enjoyable. It was dark. It was seductive. It was angsty. The world Haley Munroe created was unique with a strong and promising beginning, and the romance was certainly a tearjerker. This was my first sapphic romance, and I was hesitant about what I was getting into, but was blown away with how much I actually liked it. Fifty competitors, three trials, two stolen identities, and one princess desperate enough to risk it all. It certainly had everything I was hoping for, and though the execution wasn’t perfect, This Splintered Sea was still such an entertaining and adventurous read.

The romance was charged with tension and hidden desire, heartbreaking betrayals that leave you gutted, and bittersweet moments between Briar and Kressa; two headstrong and tenacious characters who want to fight for freedom–and love. There's many ups and downs that'll have you giggling when they flirt or one of them holds a dagger to the other's throat, and then sobbing uncontrollably from the soul shattering betrayals that cut deeper than any knife could.

And that ending, what a banger. It did feel a little rushed in my opinion, but my goodness was I shaken to the core when I read that last sentence. Jaw dropped. Eyes wide because I seriously was not expecting that after everything. Well done Haley.

━━━

ᰔᩚ 𝐩𝐫𝐞-𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝: ꒱
when i read what this was about on netgalley, i just had to request it immediately. [ Fifty competitors, three trials, two stolen identities, and one princess desperate enough to risk it all. Let the games begin. ] girl, this seriously sounds so fun. although i don’t usually read sapphic romance, i’m always open to branching out. please let this be as good as it sounds, i’ve read too many disappointing books already and it’s only february.

Ⓘ thank you @netgalley and publisher for giving me the chance to read this free arc, i'm very eager to share my thoughts.

pub date: march 19th 2026

𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐝: 3/2/2026
𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝: 4/2/2026

-𝓖

[Berry ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Haley J. Munroe and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review! This Splintered Sea comes out on March 19th!

4 / 5 ⭐️
2 / 5 🌶️

I got so deeply invested in this sapphic romantasy. This Splintered Sea had me in a chokehold.

Briar and Kressa were PHENOMENAL FMCs. Not only were they insanely resilient and headstrong, but their chemistry was sooo good! They were so passionate and so addictive, and I could really feel that intensity growing with each chapter! The plot itself was great, but the best part was that the romance between them pushed the plot to continue to move forward at a nice pace.

Haley J. Munroe does an amazing job at not only depicting their relationship, but also all of the nuances that come with it. I felt that this book did LGBTQIA+ representation in such a good, tasteful manner! I did also feel that the missing identity plotline tied into this as well!

Also, that cliffhanger was evil! I cannot wait to see where the next book will take us.

♡ pre-read ♡

This was one of my most anticipated ARC reads after looking through Netgalley AHHHH. A sapphic, pirates of the caribbean-esque romantasy oh mY GOD I cannot wait to read this.

[Lina · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 / 5 Stars
I really enjoyed the first half of this book but then either I or the book started to lose some steam. Briar was the Princess of the Sea but is now cursed after killing the man she was supposed to marry ten years ago. Bound to the land, unable to go into water or on a ship because it will kill it, without her powers, and forgotten by history, she is now a courtesan to a ruthless king. When he announces a deadly trial with the winner receiving one wish from a powerful goddess, Briar sees this as her chance to regain all that she has lost. But she can’t enter as herself so she assumes the identity of a pirate woman, who it turns out is being hunted by a ruthless bounty hunter. It is all a tangled web of lies, hidden identities, and feelings.

You will probably like this book if you like:
🌊 Sapphic Romantic Fantasy book about lady pirates
🌊 Deadly trials
🌊 Enemies to lovers
🌊 A love triangle
🌊 Hidden identities
🌊 Royal court politics

I was really intrigued by the first half. There was a lot going on in a good way. You have Briar, the last Princess, who is being hunted by the bounty hunter (Kressa) but Kressa doesn’t know that Briar the courtesan is Briar the princess. You have Briar, the courtesan, who has a hostile beginning to her relationship with Kressa. And then you have Briar pretending to be Harriet and Harriet has a hostile relationship with Kressa. So enemies in all three relationships. It was really fun to see how each relationship developed (especially the latter two) and how Briar managed to balance it all. I did have a harder time understanding why Briar and Kressa started off on the wrong foot and what shifted between them to go to more positive territory, but I was along for the ride.

The magic was interesting too but a tad convoluted for me. You have elemental courts (sea, earth, sky, and a defunct fire) and then gods who have power and my brain just could not understand how they intersected.

I LOVE a love triangle so I was happy about that. I just wish that one of the points in our sapphic love triangle was slightly stronger. Her major flaw was revealed pretty early and then there aren’t many interactions between her and Briar throughout the book. I prefer a love triangle where the tension lasts a bit longer and both are slightly more viable options.

I liked the deadly trials and I liked that Briar had to balance appearing as Harriet and as Briar. That brought a ton of tension to the story and I was holding my breath for the first half. Once, I got the gist of how she would manage it, it did start to feel a tad repetitive and perhaps was one of the reasons I felt like the second half lost some steam.

I did really enjoy Briar as our protagonist. I love a stabby woman who is ruthless and is good at political maneuvers. She was the perfect mix of stubborn and soft and I hope she murders everyone in the next book.

Thank you Haley J Munroe and NetGalley for providing this eARC! All opinions are my own.
Publication Date: March 19, 2026

ೀ ⋆ Follow me on Instagram @book.recs.by.lina for book recommendations and general fun times ⋆ ೀ ⋆

[Sam’s Sapphic Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️ Rounded up

Briar, princess of the sea was forced into a marriage a decade ago, but refused, killing get would-be husband. Cursed by her decisions, she cannot use her powers and if she touches sea water, she dies.

Kressa, a bounty hunter in the search for someone comes to the court in hopes of finding them.

A challenge called the Gales (it was giving Hunger Games), and the one who wins gets a wish. Both Briar(under a disguise) and Kressa enter in hopes of getting the one wish they hope to come true.

There was SO much action, SO many surprises and twists and turns. A few times I was a bit confused with what was going on because there was so much, but once I focused in things made a bit more sense. I still have so many questions I hope to get answered in book 2.

I absolutely love Kressa, would literally do anything for her. She was so amazing and was by far my favorite. Briar gave me a bit of whiplash because girly could not make a solid decision to save her life.

I loved the intricacies that the author wrote into the story, you literally feel like you’re part of it. But man, how were things not obvious to other characters? All the information war seriously right in front of them.

Of course we must end it on a cliff hanger while my heart is barely in one piece. I need more, immediately.

Thank you NetGalley and Haley Munroe for the fantastic read!

[Aila Krisse · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay so I 100% understand why people are rating this so highly, cause I breezed through it in like record time, but also there is so much missing? If this wasn’t sapphic but straight it would go straight into my bad-overhyped-romantasy pile and be 2 stars at best, but alas I am not immune to propaganda (propaganda = lesbians).

This was very easy to read and I was invested in the story and the characters. If you’re looking for easy sapphic romantasy and you’re fine with kind of flimsy world-building and plot holes/inconsistencies, this might be one of your new favourite books. But if you’re like me, this book will be mostly enjoyable to you but ultimately still a disappointment.

One of my main issues with this book is the world-building. Because it is not well done, which results in the world being rather confusing. So, the world is split into 3 courts, there used to be a Fire court but that one isn’t around anymore. Each court (Earth, Air & Sea/Water) has its own elemental magic type - water court people can control water, air court folks can control air, earth courtians can control the earth. Also some of them can also control fire, on top of their court’s element, for some reason that is never explained. There are also mind readers that are considered very dangerous and are usually killed and they can appear in any court I think? And there’s one character that can illusion a person to look like another person, for some reason.

The curse is weird. It should have been explained better, because it seems quite complicated. Because it doesn’t just mean that Briar can’t touch the sea without dying and doesn’t have her power, it also makes it so that Thea, one of her crew members, selectively forgets some parts of her past and if Briar reveals the truth to her she remembers her whole backstory for five seconds before reverting to her kind-of-amnesiac state. Maybe something also happened to her other crew members I genuinely don’t know.

I also have no clue what the sea court is about, because initially I assumed it was underwater, because… it’s the water court and also the location of its capital city seems to be a secret, which would make sense if it was underwater and thus inaccessible to non-water-court-folk. But at the end, when Briar has regained her powers, she still seems to be at risk of drowning, which means that water-court-folk are not able to breathe underwater, making it rather unlikely that it is located underwater. But the book never says anything about it so I don’t actually know.

Also, Terra. I don’t know how to explain her, because the book never explains her. She appears to be some kind of goddess, since she is much more powerful than every other character. With a name like Terra you might expect her to be an Earth court deity. And maybe she is, I don’t know. But she does co-operate with Caelus, who violently invaded and took over the earth court, to provide the winner’s prize in the trials he’s organising. And if she is an earth court goddess, I don’t understand why she would do something like that. Actually I don’t know why she’s collaborating with Caelus at all, full-stop, cause I don’t think she’s getting anything out of this deal? There’s also never any other deities mentioned.

Another character that is very confusing is Isolde. She regularly get beaten half to death by Caelus and is planning to rebel against him, but when she finds out that Briar, whom she loves, is falling in love with Kressa, she says fuck that and collaborates with Caelus to try and kill Briar?? Also, on multiple occasions Caelus says that he’s gonna drain Isolde’s power completely in a few hours, thereby killing her. And then he doesn’t actually do it. For that matter, there’s a bunch of instances of someone getting injured quite badly, but a few paragraphs later those wounds are gone. That just ruins any and all suspense that you’ve managed to conjure up, because obviously nothing matters anymore.

And when Kressa finds out Briar’s true identity she gets (somewhat justifiably) mad at her. And then a bit later Kressa actually saves her and seems to have changed her opinion back to liking Briar. And then in the last scene she’s mad at her again and has Briar in shackles as a prisoner of the earth court.

There’s more but I’m so fcking tired. I’m probably still gonna read the next book because I have hope and - as stated earlier - am very susceptible to propaganda (propaganda = still lesbians).
----
Thank you to the author and Netgalley for the ARC

[The Wild Weary Cow Reads Sapphic · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't rant and rave enough about this book!

Sometimes you pick up a book you wish you could read for the first time all over again... And THIS is one for me

A cruel arsehole king who has taken control of another Kingdom.. Claimed the Queen and her powers as his own.
Treats the people of its land harshly
A power hungry narcissist

A Queen who's in love with a Cortisian and did what she needed to protect her people but hated for it.
Suffers unimaginable abuse and is slowly being drained of her powers

A Cortisian cursed and taken from her own kingdom on the sea, desperate to find her ship, shipmates and regain her powers
Loves a Queen but feels the pull of another

A bounty hunter in love with a Cortisian but has a job to do in finding The Princess of the Sea

Cortisian Briar, is offered an opportunity to shake off her curse & free herself from the cruel King Caelus, who announces he'll be holding a competition where by the winner gets ONE wish!

The only problem... she has to do it in disguise. With the help of some others in the palace she enters the 3 trials but there's another problem..... Kressa........
!

I really hope this is a multiple book series....
No pressure 😂😂

If you pick up one book this year.. Make it THIS one!

A lovely triangle
Magic
Krakens
Selkies
Competing in trials

[Andrea (looseleftlesbian) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to the author for the ARC! 4.5 Stars

I was a little worried about how I would feel about the love triangle. I knew I would get attached to the love interest, Isolde. I can’t even imagine the pain she feels about her actions and how she can’t take them back. She is essentially trapped with the king and it felt like the only bright spot for her was Briar. Especially when Briar talks about how everyone has always used Isolde and that she only has Briar. Knowing what was coming, it broke my heart. I hated to think of that for Isolde. But I could see where the author was starting to place doubt in the readers’ mind about Isolde and while it is one way to make the love triangle no longer a love triangle, I wish I could’ve kept loving the queen. I usually don’t care for throuples but I would’ve been fine with a throuple in the beginning. I don’t want to give away anything but my view on Isolde definitely changed. It was kinda crazy how I went from loving her to hating her.

The author has written such a tragic plot. I found myself thinking about how alone Briar must feel, knowing she can’t tell anyone of her true identity, not even her former first mate, Thea, who doesn’t remember anything. It’s brilliantly tragic. I kept thinking about The Priory of the Orange Tree and how that author had a prequel after it. I think it would be really beneficial for This Splintered Sea to have one due to the intensive backstory of Briar. I was so fascinated by it and a lot of the plot in TSS is based on what happened before the story began.

I freaking adored Kressa from the beginning and only loved her even more as the story progressed. I can honestly say I didn’t not see the plot twist coming at all. I’m a little annoyed at Briar for being so upset when she has not right to be. Like girl, you have been doing the same thing the whole time?? I can’t say much more but Briar’s actions in the past are kinda worse than Kressa’s. I’ll leave it at that, iykyk.

This Splintered Sea was action packed from the jump. It literally grabs you by the neck and never let’s go. Throughout the whole book, you are in the midst of it all. I loved it. Usually it takes a while to build in fantasy books, but not this one. Holy cow!! Especially the last 30%.

While I don’t get how Kressa didn’t figure it out, I’ll let it slide. WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT ENDING?!!! I NEED THE SECOND BOOK NOW!!! I feel like I’m all over the place with this review but dang!! I read this so fast and so much happened!

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,75⭐️

There are not many sapphic romantasy books out there so when one comes out I have high expectations and while this wasn’t bad i was slightly dissapointed.

In this book we follow Briar the forgotten Princess of the sea who has been cursed and stripped of her powers as she participates in deadly trials to be granted a wish and undoe her curse.

I have to say that I found Briar to be a little inmature sometimes and didn’t understand many of her decisions. I really don’t like when there is a love triangle in a book and this one even though it wasn’t really that I still didn’t appreciate what they did to Isolde’s character, like I get she was jealous but still…

On the other hand Kressa was probably my favorite part of the book.
The trials where really good and I wish we had gotten more of them and of the secondary characters such as Thea who was also really likeable.

The realtionship between Briar and Kressa seemed a little bit rushed to me sometimes but I still found it interesting enough to want to know what’s going to happen to them in the next book.
I recommend if you want to have a fun time.

Thanks to Netgalley for this ARC.

[Stephieloohoo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.
4 ⭐️

I really enjoyed my time reading This Splintered Sea. This being Munroe’s debut says a lot about her as an author and I’m excited to read more of her work.

This book caught my attention, and held it, through the entire story. It’s full of action, intrigue, and cool magic.

It felt like a bit of a mix between The Hunger Games and the Triwizard Tournament but just enough to be different and intriguing.

I liked both MCs a lot, especially Kressa and all of her sexy allure, but Briar did give me some emotional whiplash at times.

This book has a lot going for it and I’d like to see more from our leading ladies (and you too, Thea!). If you like fantasy don’t pass this one up.

[Jess Bullock · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have no words. This was SO good. Like The Hunger Games crossed with Pirates of the Caribbean. Non stop action, an incredible amount of tension. Just a great time all around!

[Celina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am so annoyed. I was mislead by the author's instagram reel. Never again.

[jlreadstoperpetuity · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Fifty competitors, three trials, two stolen identities, and one princess desperate enough to risk it all.
Let the games begin"

🗓 𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗲: March 19, 2026
📚 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗧𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲: This Splintered Sea
👑 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿: Haley J Munroe

✨️𝗤𝘂𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘆 & 🍵𝗧𝗲𝗮 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀
This Splintered Sea follows Briar, once the Princess of the Sea and a feared captain, who killed her betrothed to escape an arranged marriage and is now living as a pickpocket and spy in a foreign court, hiding from her past and cursed so that contact with the sea could kill her. When a high-stakes competition is announced where the winner gets a single wish — potentially undoing her curse — Briar disguises herself as a pirate and enters deadly trials. Things get even more complicated when Kressa, a notorious bounty hunter and competing trial participant, turns out to be both a threat and something Briar never expected. Fifty competitors, three brutal trials, and magic that doesn’t play nice make this a sapphic romantasy full of tension and twists.

This felt like a very addictive blend of enemies-to-lovers, survival competition, and queer fantasy that kept me turning pages. The worldbuilding has breath and salt to it, and the stakes feel personal instead of abstract because Briar’s choices are rooted in her trauma and desire for freedom. At times pacing dipped into setup or world-building chunks, but overall the tension and character interplay carried the momentum forward. The romance is slow burn with messy feelings and betrayals in the mix, which fits the gritty trial vibe. Not every twist shocked me, but the energy remained compelling and emotionally engaging.

🫶 Thank you to @victoryeditingngc for this gifted copy via @netgalley #netgalleycamp

🔥 Fifty competitors, three trials
🌊 Cursed ex-princess turned pirate
🤝 Enemies-to-lovers tension
✨ Sapphic romantasy vibes
⚔️ High-stakes competition
💥 Escalating magic and betrayal

[Kathleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really wanted to like this book but I was confused by the plot

[Taylor Holland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hunger Games x Pirates and I was here for it! The ending!!! Whaaaaaaa?! I need Kressa to remain one of the good ones because she’s my fav and I can’t handle her being a villain. So much to unpack in book 2!

[Cait · Rating 3 out of 5]

The plot was good but my god i got a headache from the amount of times these two betrayed eachother.

[Becca Hummel · Rating 5 out of 5]

the fuck was the last page

[Lupin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thrilling plot full of action following Briar on her quest to break her curse and return to the seas where she can reclaim her power (and place on the throne). There's lots of deception that makes reading through Briar so interesting, but I did have to suspend my disbelief for the "double persona" arc, since it relies on very generous leniency to work.

I loved Briar's romance with Kressa at their peaks. It was sweet to see how easily they loved each other despite keeping a constant bite in how they interacted. But it does falter a lot for me because Briar comes off incompetent with her romantic relationships. There are moments where she switches on Kressa and it doesn't feel earned or warranted. Instead of following through on the development of the relationships, she refuses to do her part when an obstacle appears and ends up retracting into her own wants/needs. She's strangely very selfish despite how much she's shown to be otherwise, so it was jarring that it only happened in her romantic affairs.

I felt the same with Isolde. It seemed like her development ended the way it did to justify what was happening between Briar & Kressa, because Isolde's character takes a sudden nosedive for no apparent reason.

I did really like the world that was built, and it excels in presenting a strong conflict with a journey to find the solution. I just felt very mixed once I got to the end since a lot of conflict was crowded together only to end on a cliffhanger that left me unsatisfied and confused.

[Katie Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was an absolute delight from the very first page. The author doesn’t just tell a story, they immerse you in a fully realized world that feels vivid, alive, and emotionally resonant. Every scene is crafted with care, and the writing is both eloquent and effortlessly engaging, striking that balance between lyrical prose and forward momentum. I found myself completely absorbed, as if I were walking alongside the characters rather than simply reading about them.

What truly sets this book apart is how relentlessly it pulls you forward. Each chapter contains just enough tension, intrigue, or emotional weight to make it impossible to put down. It’s a genuine page-turner in the best sense, one of those stories you keep thinking about long after you’ve closed the cover. By the final page, I was equal parts satisfied and desperate for more. I cannot wait for the sequel (I hope there is one) and to return to this world the author has so masterfully created.

[S. L. Hemmings-Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’d give this book an unending amount of stars if I could!
What a brilliant read this was. From hidden identity to fated bonds, this book has everything I could have possibly wanted from a fantasy book. It gave me a strong female MC, a badass love interest, beautifully written prose, a complex relationship to root for, a villain to hate, magic, politics, and fighting the system. I laughed, I cried, and the ending made me want to scream. I was on the edge of my seat the entire way through the book and it was truly so difficult to put it down. I found myself racing back to it every time.
If you loved Girls of Paper & Fire, you’ll love this book, too!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Tiffany · Rating 5 out of 5]

This Splintered Sea was EVERYTHING.

I love a good romantasy, but making it SAPPHIC? Instant obsession!! This book delivered on all fronts—drama, action, betrayal, romance, tension, and twists that had me hooked!

The pacing is fast and addictive, the characters are compelling, and the emotional stakes are high. I genuinely did not want to put this book down. The ending has me desperately wishing the next book was already out! The chemistry, the tension, Kressa! I genuinely loved every second.

This story was everything I didn’t know I needed, and I cannot wait to continue this series. If you love romantasy with high stakes and sapphic representation, do yourself a favor and pick this one up!

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, this wasn’t quire what I was expecting… I went into it thinking one thing, and then when it was done, I was kind of “meh” about it.

I did really enjoy the first half of the book, but by about halfway/near the end it started to peter out for me. I’m not sure why, but I really struggled to keep going. Maybe it was a pacing issue?

Kressa was an interesting character! I liked her spitfire personality. I don’t know how she didn’t see “Harriet” for who she really was, considering how observant Kressa is.

The curse itself was also a bit confusing. I kept wondering more about it each time it was mentioned within the story.

I am curious to see where this all goes in book 2!

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this book, and it exceeded my expectations! The intrigue of Briar and Kressa working out each other’s true identifies kept me turning the pages like my life depended on it.

I loved the female friendships. I loved the world building. But my favorite part is how Briar crafts metaphors for everything like her only frame of reference is the ocean; it was delightful. 😂💗

[Susan Welch · Rating 2 out of 5]

This had an interesting premise but 1) everybody in this book is incredibly stupid 2) the bad guy is WAY too OP 3) plot holes and predictability 4) seems like this whole thing could be wrapped up with a single actual conversation and 5) a cliffhanger ending that is annoying because I don't like it enough to keep reading and I'm mad I finished this one all the way just to get *that*. Nearly no payoff. Also as a bonus, fated mate tropes are stupid, there I said it and I'm not sorry.

[Hayley Fell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love love love

[Noor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eigenlijk 3/5 sterren. Maar krijgt een extra ster omdat het sapphic is. Was wel leuk en prima, maar toch teveel plotholes en actiescenes die slecht beschreven waren

[Gaby QT · Rating 2 out of 5]

1,5*
Justice for Isolde.

[Becky Schilling · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ll give this a solid 4.5. Do not recommend to my mom, however!

[berry · Rating 3 out of 5]

rating/3.5

[readwith.kloe · Rating 5 out of 5]

…what just happened??? so glad book 2 is out or I would simply perish🤗

[Erica · Rating 5 out of 5]

absolute banger!! Kressa & Briar pls hit me up if you need a third