Through Fire & Sea

Otherselves #1

by Nicole Luiken

Mirror mirror, hear my call…

In the Fire world, seventeen-year-old Leah is the illegitimate daughter of one of the realm's most powerful lords. She's hot-blooded—able to communicate with the tempestuous volcano gods that either bless a civilization or destroy it. But then Leah discovers she's a Caller, gifted with the unique—and dangerous—ability to “call” her Otherselves in mirror worlds. And her father will do anything to use her powers for his own purposes.

In the Water world, Holly nearly drowns when she sees—and interacts with—Leah, a mirror image of herself. She’s rescued by Ryan, a boy from school with a secret he’d die to protect. Little do they know, his Otherself is the son of a powerful volcano god at war in the Fire world…and he’s about to fall.

As Leah and Holly's lives intersect, the Fire and Water worlds descend into darkness. The only way to protect the mirror worlds is to break every rule they've ever known. If they don’t, the evil seeping through the mirrors will destroy everything—and everyone—they love…

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance, Magic, Paranormal, Supernatural, Dragons

354 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 5, 2015

About the author

Nicole Luiken wrote her first book at 13 and was published at 16. She writes SF and fantasy for both adults and teens. She lives with her family in Edmonton. It is impossible for her to go more than three days in a row without writing.

Reviews

[Diana · Rating 1 out of 5]

Maybe I wasn't paying attention or maybe this all was as confusing and non-senseish as I feel it was. It began well, with a fantastic world with a kind of an alive volcano and people with power to appease it, and a dragon... and the discovery of mirrors who could grant the people with the ability to look into them to find themselves into other worlds.
Then it all began crashing: insta love in both worlds, specially worse in the water one. Unappealing characters. Plot with holes: what happens to the time lapse in which the girls superpose? One loses the time... the other too? Can the one who is "posesed" do things to regret? Why this can happen? Why nothing makes sense?
I thought I would love the books as their summaries and the idea were great, but... I was wrong.

[Kariny · Rating 5 out of 5]

*FREE ARC PROVIDED FOR BOOK TOUR*

Okay i am big goner for legends and myths in a story. This one was actually amazing and super original! So basically there were two bothers, Aesok and Besok. Aesok created a wold-The True World and kept adding to it and it became beautiful. Besok got jealous and copied his brother's world exactly four times-with the exact same people-therefore the explanation of the 'otherselves' In the first one he used too much heat so it became the Fire World. In the second, too much water-Water World. In the third too much mud- Stone world and in the fourth too much breath and that became the Air world. Awesome concept right??

The Fire world is made up of erupting volcanoes who are also the gods in each duchy. Each duchy has a duke that can keep the volcano lords from erupting-kind of like a peacekeeper. However a dragon has been terrorizing these duchies and angering the volcano lords, When the dragon attacks Duke Ruben's duchy, he calls the famous woman, Quetrah, who gets rid of the dragon in exchange for the dukes' daughters. But instead, Duke Ruben sends his illegitimate daughter, Leah. But when Leah goes to live with Quetrah she discovers that she has 'otherselves' in the other elemental worlds she never knew existed. There is a true world but it is not the one we live in, the one we live in is actually the water world!!

Leah has spent her life wanting to get her father's attention. But she knows the duke is only using her. When she is taken away, the Duke threatens to kill her mother if she does not spy Quetrah for him. Leah has no choice but to obey.

Holly belongs to our world-well the water world. She has no notion of her 'otherselves' but her world changes when she catches a glimpse of her reflection. Staring back is someone identical to her but not her. When she is saved from drowning by a merman, Holly stars to see her black and white world differently. Turns out her saviour, is a poor lonesome boy at her school who's compelled her to forget he saved her. And top of that there's his crazy mother who is scared to look at her reflection because she fears it will take over. But how crazy is she? Holly is the daughter of one of the most famous movie directors and everyone uses her to get to her dad. She has a slightly rocky relationship with her father but no where as intense as Leah and the Duke. Holly is swept into Ryan's world. But what they don't know is that Ryan's otherself in the fire world is Gideon, Leah's soulmate and the son of a powerful volcano lord.

Gideon is cursed and Leah will do anything to save him. But her actions unknowingly unleash someone into the water world that wants to hurt Ryan. And if Ryan isn't safe then Gideon won't be either, Despite the fact that otherselves are identical and supposed to be mirror images, Holly, Leah, Ryan and Gideon were totally unique! And it was told in alternating POV's so you got to experience the best of both worlds :D !

There was an epic clash of setting for me but it worked wonderfully! The water world is modern and stuff whereas the fire world has a medieval setting! Plus from the glimpse i've got, the True World gives me a kind of computerized cyborg feel! Maybe i'm wrong but i expected the True world to be our world but it wasn't! I hope we get to see more of that! Holly and Leah will have to work together to save the ones they love. Another good aspect was that i didn't find myself looking forward to Holly's POV or vice versa. Both were balanced and i enjoyed the shifting!

I can only describe the last half of the book as a collision of worlds!! And definitely BITTERSWEET. I was kinda heartbroken at some point but i found myself totally able to pass through that and get myself completely immersed in the ongoing story! Oh and don't even get me started on that cliffhanger!! HOPE!!! I really LOVED LOVED LOVED the whole book and i cannot wait till the next! I'm guessing it will include the stone and air world! I'm just soooo excited to find out what happens next!

[Olivia · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Through Fire and Sea” is a fascinating YA sci-fi/fantasy that begins with Leah, an unrecognized daughter of a hot-blooded duke. The dukes control the volcanoes, making it safe to live on their planet, which is full of fire. Leah’s mother had her out of wedlock and tries to keep her away from her father, but Leah has always wanted to connect with him. At the beginning of the book, she does and learns why her mother wanted to keep her from him- the duke is not a kind or nice man. A dragon has been stirring up the volcanoes wrath and as they threaten to explode, the dukes are summoning Qeturah, a woman with her own duchy, to get rid of the dragon. However, she asks for a big price- sometimes wealth and sometimes their daughters. To protect his legal daughter, Jehannah, he asks Leah to pose as her, so that Qeturah will take her instead of the real Jehannah.

The duke’s plan works, and Leah is off to stay with Qeturah instead of Jehannah. We begin to see a relationship to another girl, Holly, as they see each other through the water. Holly is the daughter of a famous director on another world, and she is on a boat with her father when she almost drowns. She is saved by a boy who looks like a merman. We flip back and forth between Leah and Holly, as they both fall in love and learn more about the Mirror Worlds. We soon learn that there is one true world and four Mirror Worlds which have one prevailing element (e.g. fire, water, etc.). Both worlds are threatened by an unforeseen enemy and Holly and Leah will each battle them in their own ways.

It is a really intriguing story, and the perspectives of Holly and Leah were interesting to flip between. It’s a relatively long book, but well written and keeps the reader engaged. It moves pretty fast, story-wise. There were a few places where the scenes felt too long, but were mainly there to give character insight into our two leading ladies. Holly was my favorite of the two, and I was glad as we started to glimpse more and more of her life. The relationships each had were really adorable and sweet/romantic. There is nothing more than kissing between them though, so it’s very clean (as YA often are). The Mirror Worlds idea is really fascinating and I’m really curious to see how this series evolves with these different (yet similar) alternate reality-type existences. I also loved the idea of a prevailing sense of a person which exists across experiences (I won’t say more to avoid spoilers). Overall, it is a fascinating and lovely story, and I am excited to read the next!

Please note that I received this book from the publisher through netgalley. All opinions are my own.

[Ideally.Portia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this ARC from Entangled Teen in exchange for an honest review.

This was so much more fun than I expected it to be! I'm going to try to describe things without using any spoilers!

In this book, there is the True World, and 4 other worlds. The two worlds present here are Fire, which is ruled by volcanoes, and Water, which is our world. Everyone has an otherself in each world. But most people aren't aware of that. It requires magic and mirrors, and knowledge of the other worlds, of course.

This story has 2 perspectives, Leah from Fire world and Holly from the Water world. (The back and forth could have been annoying, but I really enjoyed it.) Through a series of events, Leah becomes aware of the other worlds, and learns that she is a Caller, someone who can communicate with the other worlds. But there is someone trying to use Leah's gift for her own evil deeds.
In these two worlds, we also have the 2 love interests. They are SPECIAL. And totally lovable. But someone is trying to kill them and destroy the worlds they live in, and the girls must learn to communicate and work together to save the ones they love and the place they call home.

Even though they were the same person, they were completely different kinds of people. The author was able to create heroines that I actually really like, and the boys too. I especially loved Holly and Ryan, but felt so much for Leah also. The world that Luiken created was so interesting. The system for using the mirrors and accessing the world was interesting and fun. I absolutely LOVED the fantasy elements used in the book. Everything moved at a great pace, and the end was really exciting.

I knew going into this that it would be a series, as everything is now. I didn't know whether to expect a huge cliffhanger or not. But I was so pleased with how it ended. It wrapped up a lot of things, while still leaving an opening for the next book. I mean, there are still 3 worlds that we haven't even been to yet! While I know that Leah will be a large part of the next book, I hope that we still get some Holly and Ryan time.

I will definitely be looking out for the sequel! Thanks, Entangled!!

**EDIT: I forgot to mention, this book needs some serious editing. But I accepted that as a flaw of an ARC. Hopefully its fixed before it releases!!**

[Anna (Enchanted by YA) · Rating 4 out of 5]

***I received the eBook free as a review copy from the publisher Entangled Teen via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review***

For a very long time Through Fire & Sea was a 3 star book for me, because I lacked any solid emotional investment to the characters, also it was clear from the start that I’d favour one out of the two perspectives - Holly and Leah - since they were both so different. After reading about so many strong heroines lately, Holly’s more feeble attitude rubbed me up the wrong way and even Leah had moments where I rolled my eyes in exasperation.

It was only when I found myself crying half way through, that I realised it was nothing more than a rocky start and I had actually grown attached. Maybe it took a little longer than I’d have liked but by the end of the book I had a new appreciation for the characters, which was worth the initial “oh come on” stage.

What kept the pages turning was my interest to see how everything would come together. The premise for this story with its multiple worlds is incredible and I applaud Nicole Luiken for the amount of depth she’s given the idea. As a reader it’s great to see this in books, but only when you don’t get lost trying to follow the complex plotlines which thankfully didn’t happen in Through Fire & Sea. For the most part.

What’s more, is that when looking up what other books the author has written I found her other series Violet Eyes which actually plays an important (but subtle) part to this book’s plot and for some reason that really stuck out to me as a mind-blowing moment!

There were plenty of these treasurable moments like this which made it worth the read. Including an ending which tied everything together beautifully and has made me eager for a sequel I'm yet to hear anything about…

Conclusively, I would recommend Through Fire and Sea to YA fantasy lovers along with this one piece of advice: stick with it.



Posted on: http://enchantedbyya.blogspot.co.uk/

[Michael (Mai) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Through Fire & Sea is a really unique look of parallel universes. There are 4 elemental worlds like Fire and Water that the book takes place in and one True World. Someone people have otherselves that exist on these different worlds. Through mirror magic someone people can “call” their otherselves and interact with them, possibly even take over their bodies. Of course, in the story you can see how this can be used for good and bad.

I think the settings are really cool, especially Fire World. Here there are volcanos that are essentially gods and everything is dictated by their whims. Water is Earth, so nothing new there. I won’t tell you too much of the details so I don’t include spoilers.

The characters are the reason why this book is only getting four stars out of five instead of a perfect five. Leah, for the most part was pretty good. She’s strong even in the face of danger and has a real likeable quality. She makes bad decisions and learns from them which is great. I hate it when characters remain dumb especially after they make a mistake. She also cares about her mom. So many parents are written out of YA books that it’s disheartening. Not this one!

Holly on the other hand took a while to like. She’s whiny and a little spoiled. I took more than half of the book to realize she wasn’t too worthless. I suddenly liked her and thought her growth as a person/character was realist and valid.

Ryan and Gideon…meh. They could have been replaced by anyone. I liked their abilities but their personalities just didn’t stand out.

The plot was great. I was kept in rapt wonder about how the two worlds would be tied together. At first I was pretty disgruntled with the change from Fire to Water World. It was so abrupt. I was sure I wasn’t going to like the changes. (Because my track record clearly shows I don’t like that) But like I said I became more and more interested in how the world were going to be tied together. And that ENDING! Yes! It was great.

Great job. I’ll definitely read the sequel.

[Lexie · Rating 4 out of 5]

When is the next book? When can I see Gideon again? When can we convince Hollywood to make a Violet Eyes movie? Why can't I have my own Otherself?

These are the questions in my mind the second after the last word. Sigh. But really. When can I read about Gideon again?

+++

Here’s the thing – I’ve followed Luiken from VIOLET EYES all the way to now; it’s been a long road. I think I read VIOLET EYES (and its sequel SILVER EYES) my sophomore year of college? So over a decade ago? Luiken was one of the first authors I ever wrote a fan letter to and I’ve eagerly anticipated further books.
THROUGH FIRE & SEA is the first book in her new series “Otherselves” in which we follow Leah (I presume, based on the ending) as she battles against the evil machinations of Quetrah. I’ll point out her battle against Quetrah is incidental to the fact she’s really trying to escape the guilt and pain of losing someone, which was Quetrah’s fault.
I really liked Leah – you saw her growth from a servant girl hoping to please her estranged father Duke Ruben to a powerful young woman using her grief and anger to cut a swath through any who would think to wreck Gideon’s Otherselves’ lives. She made mistakes (plenty of them) and she paid dearly for each one, but that didn’t lessen her belief that she had a purpose. Though it came at a cost, she believed in herself and her abilities.
Gideon, oh my poor sweet tormented Gideon. This guy. Comparatively speaking we don’t see him as much as Leah, Holly or Ryan, but honestly he makes his moments count. Like Leah he finds himself torn between a parent who obviously did NOT have his best interests at heart and a new sense of wonder that he could make his own life. His and Leah’s stories parallel each other as much as they intertwine.
Holly and Ryan, Leah and Gideon’s Otherselves, are…complicated. How I feel about them is complicated. On the one hand Holly finds herself thrust into a situation she never had control over, fighting to regain control and understand what was happening. Leah is not, at the best of times in these moments, communicative beyond the most basic “I’m right so do what I say”. So I can understand Holly’s hesitation to trust Leah. RYAN HAS NO EXCUSE.
Okay that’s not fair he does. He’s lived with the burden of a parent two steps from the mental hospital and a secret so damaging that he hides himself away rather than risk anything. Except…he gets the chance at the life he thought would make his world better and somehow becomes a total d-bag with no consideration for how his actions looked to others at all. His naiveté about Hollywood was, as Holly puts it, exasperating. Not that her jadedness helps matters.
Together though, I wanted to smack them both up side their heads and shake them. Even without the gift of being a reader, so I know way more than they know, the amount of suspiciousness should have tipped them off.
Quetrah was both a great villain—the build up to her real purpose and her real mission is handled nicely and a bit overplayed. She worked better in the Fire World (where Leah is from) than in the Water World (where Holly was from), though I have to give her props for the fact she never gives up. She’s resourceful, clever, driven and ruthless – giving as good as she got and willing to sacrifice everything for her goals.
Really this everything I could have asked for and I look forward to the next book. Especially if Holly and Ryan don’t make an appearance. Because Leah doesn’t need that stress in her life.

[YA Reads Book Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

Originally posted on www.yareads.com, reviewed by Nichole.

Through Fire & Sea was a solid YA fantasy that I would recommend to YA fantasy lovers, especially leaning toward the younger side. It has everything you could ask for: magic, different realms, dragons, sea creatures, and a ton more! It’s fast paced and constantly keeps you on your toes, wondering what will happen next!

I have mixed feelings about Through Fire & Sea, but I mostly really enjoyed it! Part of my thing was that sometimes I really liked Leah and sometimes I didn’t. Likewise, sometimes I really liked Holly, and sometimes I didn’t. It was never consistent. I thought all of the characters could have used a bit more development, but overall it was a really good start!

I found the different worlds, as well as the dual perspectives, to be a little confusing. I wish that the focus would have just been on one girl and one world with a storyline there. There was just a lot going on all at once. Sometimes, that worked out really well! I enjoyed the fast paced non-ending action that went on throughout this whole book. It was just a lot to take in.

One thing that I really enjoyed about this book was the dragon theme it had going on. Not only did I really like the dragon and the volcano people, but I thought they added oomph to the storyline. I’m really curious to see where that storyline will take place in the next book. IT BETTER CONTINUE!

While I did really enjoy this book, sometimes to the point of staying up well into the night, I did think that it had a bit too much going on at once. Not only did you have the four different realms and the two perspectives, but there was also the Hollywood & acting scene, the two different relationships, the mom drama, etc, etc, etc. It was just a little too much all at once. It was sometimes difficult to keep up on everything that was going on all at once.

I did really enjoy Through Fire & Sea. The only thing that I’ll say is that it did seem to edge a little bit on the younger side. Not to the point of being middle grade, but more like a younger teenager book. Not that there’s anything wrong with that! I still enjoyed it! Based on the cover, though, I expected this one to be a little more upper fantasy/paranormal than it actually was.

Overall, I did enjoy this book. I’m interested to see what will happen next in Amid Wind & Stone!

[Dion · Rating 5 out of 5]

NOTE: I was given this book as an ARC by Entangled publishing

4.5 STARS

This was my first of Luiken's books, although on finishing I discovered that she has previously written other books which I'm sure I'll be exploring soon enough ;)

This book was AWESOME! It mixes high and low fantasy with two stories which could almost exist as totally separate from one another. I found myself entwined in both books so much that I didn't even care which main character I was reading about, I was just happy to be there! The plot, the complexity of the story, the interwoven tales and the writing was what really grasped me and enticed me, creating a great novel! Some parts of the plot fell short and a lot of the characters were missing depth and complexity, but the narrative spoke for itself in this manner.

The premise and overarching idea was very well thought out; complex from any side you looked at it! I commend Luiken tremendously for this whole idea - it's incredible! Brava!

Overall, this was a great book when I was in the thick of it! The stories kept me engaged and the language was sophisticated enough that I did't feel like I was reading a picture book but not too complex that I needed my dictionary by my side! After the post-novel haze faded, the book overall seemed less incredible, but either way it was a fun read!

Definitely worth a try, and probably worth a re-read if you're ever in the mood!

[Brittany (Brittany's Book Rambles) · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5/5 Stars

I wanted to love this book so much. It had such a unique plot. It was intense, complicated, extremely interesting, and fast-paced. Unfortunately, it failed in its execution. There were so many fantastical details that I was in awe of as I was reading but the writing didn't evoke the right emotions out of me to be hooked. The book is so fast-paced that it seems like the authors uses this as her reason as to why the relationships and characters are under-developed but it didn't work. The one thing that will always knock a book down a couple stars for me is instalove, and unfortunately, this book has a lot of it. I definitely didn't hate it and the ending piqued my interest about the sequel. I guess we'll see what the future holds.

To read my full review, visit my blog HERE.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really loved Through Fire & Sea. The worlds depicted are complex, including a Water world that very much resembles our current world except with the addition of real, siren magic, and a smaller, but equally complex Fire world, which resembles what the Medieval period have been like had it been ruled by volcanic eruptions, fire wasps, fire-breathing dragons that kill people at will.

I particularly love the idea that each of the parallel worlds are similar, but different with some people having comparable relationships and abilities. It's also interesting how Leah, who is the illegitimate daughter of one of Fire world's dukes, has otherselves on each of the four mirror worlds and the True World. The mythology of how each of the world's began is simple, which makes me wonder if fantasy readers would find it not clear enough or lacking in some way, but personally, I think that we get enough in this book to allow it to make sense and to understand the terrible possibilities of someone, like Qeturah, toying with the worlds for her own gain.

I also loved the similarities and differences between Leah and Holly. They both have fathers who haven't been there for them, but meeting and seeing the world from their otherselves' perspective demonstrates just how much force one was than the other. I also loved how ill equipped they were to deal with the realities of their otherself's world, even when they had access to all of their otherself's memories. It made for some hilarious moments as they struggled for power and control. Finally, I loved how both Leah and Holly were both forced to grow up, and in the case of Leah, try to do something selfless in the memory of someone she cared about and to protect Holly's world from Qeturah's machinations.

I love the romances that developed between Leah and Gideon and Holly and Ryan, and I think it's funny that the movie Holly's father directs, starring Ryan is one of Nicole Luiken's other, older books, which was originally published in 2001.

I can't wait to see how the story continues in Amid Wind & Stone, what Holly and Leah's otherselves on the Air and Stone world are like, to see if our two fave heroines are able to make an appearance and interact in these other worlds, and to see what becomes of the Phoenix and what that reveal means for each of the otherworlds.

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leah is the illigitimate child of a Duke who has always hoped her father would acknowledge her, even if just to get a dowry. Now he has, and not in a good way. He wants Leah to pretend to be his legitimate daughter, so she will get sent away in her place.

Holly is Leah's otherhalf if the water world. Life is hard as the daughter of a director. You get unwanted (and embarrassing) tabloid photos and attention only because of who your father is.

This story was interesting, and I'm not usually a fan of following two completely different characters at the same time, but this made it work. Can't wait to see what happens next!

*I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Forever Young Adult]

Graded By: Savannah
Cover Story: Inaccurate Big Face
BFF Charm: Yay x 2
Swoonworthy Scale: 3
Talky Talk: She Said/She Said
Bonus Factor: Canada
Anti-Bonus Factor: Patty Chase Award for Awful Parenting
Relationship Status: Pleasantly Surprised

Read the full book report here.

[Kirstie Ellen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5 stars

Initial Thoughts on Finishing
This was a really promising start to what I hope will be an epic adventure. I'm definitely going to continue the series with book two because I just need to know what's going to happen!



Through Fire and Sea by Nicole Luiken
This was a very interesting book with some cool concepts and an awful lot going on. The idea of the book definitely drew me in, but I feel that the book lost some of its momentum towards the end which knocked off a few stars for me. It’s an exciting adventure and a weird blend of fantasy and contemporary young adult - for the most part I really think it works, and I’m excited to continue the series because I have a feeling that things are going to improve as the ideas solidify a bit more.



Fire and Sea, You Say?
This book follows two main character, Leah and Holly. In this universe there are several ‘worlds’. Leah lives in the Fire world and Holly lives in Water. Fire is very fantastical, there is a dragon threatening the life of the kingdom, horrible kings, and a distinctly medieval feel. Water is pretty much our world, which I thought was an interesting choice (but more of that later). Most people are either unaware of the existence of these other worlds and do not have access to them. But here’s the theory:

1. There are 5 worlds altogether, Fire, Water, Wind, Stone, and the True world.
2. It’s possible for people to have ‘otherselves’ in these other worlds, but you might have none, you might have all five, or you might be the only one.
3. Travel between the worlds is forbidden (but doable via special mirrors).

Leah is the illegitimate daughter of one of the kings in the fire world. A woman who is effectively a master Caller (someone who has otherselves an access to them) is taking the daughters of the kings to teach them this art. Of course, she has malevolent intentions as ‘for the protection of the kingdom’ is most definitely not her motivation for doing so. Now, Leah’s half-sister (the legitimate daughter of the king) doesn’t get taken because the king is greedy and sends Leah under her sister’s name to take her place. But as it turns out Leah is a very gifted Caller and gets sucked in to a nefarious plot. Which actually annoyed me a bit, like, Leah honey, YOU'RE DOING THE WRONG THING. Use your silly little brain. Gah.



Holly is a teenage girl living in the water world. She’s quite ordinary, studying at school and getting by. But thanks to the activities in the fire world she falls overboard a boat one day and is saved by a merman. Yup. This sends her life off in a spiral as she fights against the Fire people who constantly call her to look into a mirror. Why is she fighting this? Because once she looks into a mirror her otherself (Leah) can take over her body.



It’s somewhat complicated and takes a while to set all this up but I did very much so enjoy the concept of the book and thought it had a pretty good storyline going for it. However.

The Water World
From what we know, the Water world is basically identical to our world. Yet every other world is fantastical and very different. I was a little disappointed with this because I would have thought that Water would be an underwater world or something really cool like that. It does make the story stick out a little from everything else that’s going on which was a little frustrating. On top of this, everyone is pretty clued up about things in Fire as to there being otherworlds (if you’re told, anyway) and we know that the True world knows about everything. So why is it that Water has absolutely no idea? Why go to so much effort to create four other magical worlds and then throw in our one? It seems strange to have this out of sync world in the mix and I think sticking to pure fantasy could have been a great benefit for this book. Perhaps it’s to toy with the idea that our world is not the only world. Either way for me this seemed . . . odd.



Multiple Perspectives
I wasn’t the biggest fan of how this was split between the two stories. I felt like either of the narrators could have told the story or had their own entire story within one book. It felt a lot like two books accidentally bumped into each other, got their hair tangled together, and just went with it. Which is cool and not as painful as it sounds, but I didn’t quite work. It starts off really strong but I feel like everything gets bogged down with when to switch back and forth and we sort of forget why it's so important. Also the coming together of the two worlds didn't feel like as big of a thing as I'd hoped it would. It was sort of like, yeah, that happened.



I think it would’ve been better to stick to Leah’s perspective and let her tell the whole story. And to add to that, I think it would’ve been really cool if the people from all the different worlds were educated about each other and weren't so like, what’s a bowl? How do I turn on a tap? It should’ve gone one way or the other: either no-one has any idea about there being other worlds and it’s like OH JIMMINY CRICKET, LOOK THROUGH THIS MIRROR EUSTACE. Or like, ooomf, looks like Fire and Water are at odds again. I think the problems I had with this book was that it was too long, there were too many chefs and not enough cooks, and it felt a little like a jigsaw piece that didn’t fit but was smushed together anyway.



And Then There Was a Dragon
So hi, I’m Kirstie and if you don’t know I love dragons. Okay? Okay. THERE WAS A DRAGON. Albeit not for very long. But there was a dragon and that made me happy. This fantasy element of bringing in a fire-breathing dragon of ROAR into the book made me very excited and I loved it. Every book should spontaneously throw a dragon in it - even if it’s like a toy, or a dream. Dragons make everything all right.



That being said, I think it would have been amazing to see even more of the dragon wreaking havoc on Fire. And this is where I think having so many things happening in the one book detracted from its overall WOW factor. There was not enough action for the length of this book and spicing things up with more dragon activity, more adventures into volcanoes, a discovery of an underwater kingdom where a king called Triton rules the-…okay. I like The Littlemaid, alright? But d’you see my point? Too much umming and errring and drama productions and not enough smashing of buildings with fire and brimstone.



Relationships
Well. Relationships were interesting in this book. Of course, there is a love interest for both of our ladies and they’re quite . . . nice. But (because you knew there was going to be a but) the weight of the relationship between Holly and her man stole the story and flipped the Fire world almost out of the picture for a good long while. A lot of things in this book could’ve done with a handy shove push to get things rolling nicely.



Holly and Mr. Merman
This relationship really reminded me of a slightly less flustery version of the one in Of Poseidon. And it just took forever. He saves her when she initially falls overboard and she’s not supposed to remember him but she does and he’s all like, what do you mean? And then 998768 pages later we can start calling it a relationship. Eurgh. There was a lot of potential for this one and I think things definitely did get better towards the end but there was too much not happening for too long.



Leah and Mr. Is This Going to be a Thing?
I’m not going to say too much about this one because I’ll start spoiling things for you, but I thought this was great but that there was not enough of it. I was shocked by some of the events that happened involving these two but I would’ve loved to seen their relationship really develop into something that lasted. Luiken, you ruin my soul!! I loved how they met, I loved that Leah hid her identity, and I loved that they made a great couple. If we’d’ve had less of the other two and more of these two I think it could’ve been reasonably (definitely) spectacular.



Why 3.5?
I considered this long and hard. Aside from being a reasonably positive reviewer most of the time, I think that this genuinely deserves that extra half a star. It was tempting to give it a flat three but at the end of the day I found myself really enjoying the story, I came to really care for the characters, and I loved how unique all the ideas were in this book. I won't hesitate to pick up another of Luiken's books in the future.



Summary
Anyway. Enough rambling. I did really enjoy this book but I would say that it’s a bit of a rocky start to the series. There were quite a few things that I flagged up but I always wanted to keep reading and find out what would happen to the characters. I would recommend giving this a go if you enjoy fantasy and are looking for something new. I’m definitely going to read book two because I have high hopes that things are just going to get better - I feel like the book and story really started coming into itself towards the end of this book. And let’s not bring up how much I love the cover, *drools*. Let’s hope I enjoy book two!



Happy reading!

[Marie -The Reading Otter]

DNF'd at 35%
I received this book from NetGalley for review

Blagh. I can't handle this book any longer. It is so boring. The concept is really interesting but in my opinion, it was done rather sloppy. The other worlds, viewing them through special mirrors is really different. Them being copies of this "True World" is also a fantastic idea. The worlds are supposed to be kind of the same, but when we meet Leah, the girl from the world of Fire, she's in a world with Dukes and it's kind of set in medieval times, and when we meet Holly the girl from the world of Water, it's kind of modern times but with some myths and magic being real. It just felt weird, like two stories sloppily mashed together to try and make it one story. The events that were happening in one world didn't really affect the other and at almost half way through I expect them to be more connected. 10 or so chapters in and I don't see how or why these worlds are connected in any way other than the main characters having a doppelganger.

Maybe further into the book, it explains this, but as I've said, 10 chapters is one hell of a setup and it's taking too long to reveal what the plot is supposed to be. I had hopes for this book, not really high ones, but the synopsis sounded really interesting. It just was taking too long for the book to pick up.

[Jasmyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the start of a binge-worthy series. There isn't just one world, there are several. And the reflections in the mirror, ice, and water connect them all. Within each world, there are a few people able to pass through the reflection to the others. Leah is one of these people, and her ability to connect with her Otherselves in the mirror worlds makes her a powerful force.

I loved how the mirror worlds interacted with each other, with small overlaps and similarities, but also huge differences. I got to really experience Fire and Water, and catch glimpses of Air and Stone, and they all seem fascinating.

But, of course, the worlds are in danger as someone is out to destroy them all, throw off the balance, and I'm not sure what happens after that. I can't wait to find out though. With rich characters, several incredibly detailed worlds, and a plot line that is super crazy awesome, this seems to be a binge-read-worthy series. I can't wait to see what is going to happen next.

*I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of this book*

[Samantha · Rating 2 out of 5]

“Don't go."
"I have to." A regretful sigh. "And it's best if you don't remember any mermen." He tucked a strand of wet hair behind her ear. His voice stroked her skin like velvet. "Forget me."
And she did.”

Title: Throught Fire & Sea

Author: Nicole Luiken

Series: Otherworlds #1

Publication: May 5, 2015 by Entangled Teen

Pages: 354

Source: Netgalley


Summary:
In the Fire world, seventeen-year-old Leah is the illegitimate daughter of one of the realm's most powerful lords. She's hot-blooded—able to communicate with the tempestuous volcano gods that either bless a civilization or destroy it. But then Leah discovers she's a Caller, gifted with the unique—and dangerous—ability to “call” her Otherselves in mirror worlds. And her father will do anything to use her powers for his own purposes.

In the Water world, Holly nearly drowns when she sees—and interacts with—Leah, a mirror image of herself. She’s rescued by Ryan, a boy from school with a secret he’d die to protect. Little do they know, his Otherself is the son of a powerful volcano god at war in the Fire world…and he’s about to fall.

As Leah and Holly's lives intersect, the Fire and Water worlds descend into darkness. The only way to protect the mirror worlds is to break every rule they've ever known. If they don’t, the evil seeping through the mirrors will destroy everything—and everyone—they love…

My Thoughts:

I had high hopes for this book, and in some ways it did not disappoint. The impact was there, it started off really strong but soon faded into sort of a convoluted mess. It's hard to explain, in a way, this book could have been separated into three different books - maybe even more so. There were too many plot lines for the one novel, and that made it extremely confusing to read.

Like I said, it had a very interesting start. We being in this so called Fire World with the main character Leah. Leah is the Duke's illegitimate daughter, and he forces her to swap places with his true heir in order to keep this woman, Quetrah, from getting her within grasp. The story held my attention through the first ten or so chapters, but as soon as Holly - the mirror image from the Water World came into play, things started getting confusing. I feel like if it had just been kept from Leah's point of view, and we only slipped into Holly's mind when Leah took over, it would have helped clarify a lot of things. At first, actually, I almost started enjoying Holly's story more so than Leah's. When we first meet Holly, she is drowning and is saved by what she thinks is a merman - which then turns out to be her soul mate, the other self of Leah's soul mate, and the son of the ocean.

The concept of these other worlds was very intriguing to me, and I especially loved the mythology behind the creation. The creation of the other world's is a myth also shrouded in truth, as all myths are. There were two Gods, one named Aesok and the other Besok. Aesok loved making things, and one day he created something so beautiful he wanted to preserve it. He added to it every day, making it more and more complex until it eventually became what is called the True World. His younger brother, Besok, became jealous and tried to create a world of his own. The first world he made, he used too much heat and gave birth to the Fire World. The second attempt, he used too much water and created the Water World. The third attempt, too much mud and it hardened into the Stone World. And lastly, he used too much breath to create the last world and gave birth to the Air World. We never see anything of the Air World or the Stone World, but we get to visit both Water and Fire and have small glimpses of the so called True World. What really confused me with this aspect of the worlds was that the Water World was our world we live in now. There was Hollywood, regular high school, and every thing we are used to in our everyday lives. On the other hand, the Fire World was this medieval place full of dukes, castles, and dragons.

Another confusing aspect was the constant shifting in point of view. In the same chapter, it would switch between Leah and Holly in small fragments probably about twenty or so times. It made figuring out what was going on really difficult, especially in the last few chapters of the book. I don't know if the fragments were meant to indicate a time jump or something, but all I got out of it was a jumbled mess. I had to force myself to finish the book, which is not something I enjoyed. I loved the start of it, it was so powerful to be thrown into a completely separate world and forced through the pressure of what Leah had to go through. I feel as if the story lost its impact the moment Leah stepped into the picture. She destroyed this aspect of a foreign world by living in our own. I think if it had just been left at the solid fantasy it would have benefited the story more, if we could only glimpse the modern world through Leah's eyes, I think it would have made a more powerful statement. By immersing us within our own world, it took away the availability of a new view.

On the bright side, I absolutely love the cover and enjoyed everything else within the book. I loved the characters, though the insta-love with the soul mate thing sort of put me off. Each and every one of the characters seemed well thought out and had a specific purpose to the story - I liked that. I also loved how all of the magic within the book was done using only mirrors, it sort of reminded me of our modern day magicians and their illusions. All in all, Through Fire & Sea was an exciting read and I would recommend all to try it. This is perfect for fans of Game of Thrones or the Graceling series, and I think this will eventually rise up to that rank. I think this book is appropriate for ages thirteen and up, there is nothing that would make me want to raise the age higher.

[G.J.C. McKitrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Nicole Luiken’s new series the author introduces the YA reader to the concept of mirror worlds, worlds which differ physically but are connected by magical mirrors that allow passage from one to another. What’s more these mirror worlds are populated by mirror people or what the author calls other selves. The two principal protagonists, Leah and Holly are physically identical but occupy different realities on different worlds. They are drawn together when Qeturah, an evil sorceress, attempts to destroy both their love interests and their worlds. Luiken is a master world builder but the real accomplishment here is her ability communicate a fairly complex idea in simple and accessible terms. Her pacing drives the plot forward, but she finds time to explore the emotions of her characters and bring a strong dose of adolescent romance. I’m not sure this series will work for YA males—perhaps a bit too much romance here—but it should enthral and delight her female readership. One minor problem occurs late in the book when Luiken makes the unfortunate decision to introduce an environment theme. This feels clunky and forced, not resonating well with the rest of the book.

[Sarah Maddaford]

Available in my Kindle app from Netgalley.

[Erika Winterlia · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this book we begin by following a girl named Leah and her life in a world full of volcanoes and dukes who can talk to them. Leah is the illegitimate child of one of these dukes and is forced by her father to impersonate his “real” daughter and leave to be an apprentice with a woman called Qeturah. Here Leah finds out about the true world and the four mirror worlds – fire, water, stone and air.

With Qeturah’s guidance Leah learns to call her otherself, Holly, on water world.
When Leah finds her soul mate in the son of a volcano lord, she does what she can to help Qeturah save him from a dangerous curse. But as Leah learns of Qeturah’s true objective she has to work with her otherself Holly to prevent the mirror worlds from shattering.

When beginning to read this book I was instantly drawn to Leah and the world she lived in. It was interesting and written beautifully and I couldn’t put the book down. I loved learning about Leah’s life and her struggle with her father, whom she had been looking at from a distance for so many years, wondering if he even knew about her. I could feel the pain she had and the eagerness to please him despite how he treated her.

I was so into Leah and her life that I really struggled when Holly came along. Her world (which is also the world we live in) was so different from Leah’s and in comparison Holly’s problems seemed so futile and it was hard to care for her. However, a bit into Holly’s POV I slowly began connecting with her too and she grew on me to the point that I loved reading her side just as much as Leah’s.
Nicole has written a story different from anything else I have ever read before and she built this world in such a great way that I was intrigued from the very start. I love the fact that our world is simply one of the Mirror Worlds, Water, rather than the True World. It would have been so easy to put us as “the true ones”, but Nicole didn’t and I love that.

The book is easy to read and the pacing is steady and not even once did I feel like the plot was stalling. Things happened all the time and there was always something that kept me wanting to keep reading. In the beginning I did feel like the writing was a bit too simple, too sparse in a way. I wanted more details about the world, the characters feelings etc, but as I went along I forgot about all that and found it to be more than sufficient.

This is a book I highly recommend reading, especially if you like YA and Fantasy.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Thea Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Thoughts On The Book:

The Plot Of The Story:
This is an interesting idea for a plot using the thought that there is one 'true' world and four very different 'mirror' worlds and each world is like an alternate reality version of the others.
Leah lives in the 'Fire' mirror world, a world of volcanoes and fire gods, and has been gifted with the ability to be a caller and is able to communicate with her otherselves in the other worlds. One day she accidentally discovers this gift and brushes contact with Holly, her alternate self in the 'Water' world (the water world seems to be our own world). This contact becomes the first of many as the two girls, from different world but with similar faces but very contrasting personalities and opinions, embark on an adventure through two worlds like no other.
To be honest I don't really want to explain too much more about the plot as this is a book that can easily be spoiled for readers. It's a complicated and thoroughly compelling plot with so many twists and turns, moments of true horror and utter heartbreak..... throw in magic, body-swapping, witches, dragons, murder and mer-men then you have quite a special tale indeed!

What Is There To Love?
The best thing about this book is the idea behind it, it's a solid background story that grows and evolves as the book progresses as well as introducing us to a cast of characters that are mysterious, well-rooted and emotive, they are appealing, easy to like and feel emotions for (some more than others for varying reasons). The pace is fast moving and the action is pretty much non-stop, it's all go-go-go and doesn't really ever let up at all.
There is are romantic threads for both Holly and Leah during the course of the story, Leah's being more tragic in nature while Holly's is more heart-warming. There is a touch of the love-triangle in there but it's the kind of annoying triangle you usually get, this one is totally different and I really loved how it grew and expanded without taking over the real gist of the story. Both of their soul mates, Gideon and Ryan, are extraordinary for reasons I won't go into for spoiler reasoning but both are captivating in their own right.

What Is There To Dislike?
There was nothing that really stuck out as a negative, I found Holly a tad irritating at times when she's being a bit on the wet side but that is about it I'm afraid. It's a solid and very good read!

How's The Writing?
The writing is fabulous, Luiken has a lovely touch to her prose, it's simple writing without over-complication yet it still is deep and intense while still having a nice sophisticated edge to it. It does feel a little more adult than some YA out there but personally I rather liked that being an older reader myself. The world building is fantastic and the background mythology by the end of the book is a truly beautifully creation when you look back and take everything in that you have learnt about the worlds and the way they work and exist together.
The story is told through the eyes of both Holly and Leah and it does help keep the pace fierce and fast-moving so we get a good view of each of the two girls and the people in their lives and the interactions between everyone in the book, it helps give each of the girl more depth.

Final Thoughts:
Through Fire & Sea is a wonderful read, it's an interesting, complex and thought-provoking read with a solid backstory, great world-building and characterisations that are well considered and soundly developed. If you are looking for a YA fantasy tale that's a little different to the norm, a little more unusual, then push the boat out and try this book, it could be the place to look next and deserves to be closely contemplated as it is worth reading in my opinion and is the start of what could be quite a fascinating and enthralling series. Bravo Nicole Luiken, Bravo!


I received my copy of Through Fire & Sea from the publisher via Netgalley.

[Bridget · Rating 5 out of 5]

Guys. guys. GUYS. I’ve discovered that I’m more than just a contemporary girl. After reading Through Fire & Sea and Amid Wind & Stone by Nicole Luiken, I now consider myself a fantasy reader, too (as long as it has some romance in it because a leopard can’t completely change its spots)! I honestly didn’t know what to expect with this series. I requested Amid Wind & Stone on Netgalley before I even read the first book, so that made me a wee bit nervous. What if I didn’t like Through Fire & Sea? I already committed to review Amid Wind & Stone so that would be really unfortunate. But lucky for me, I loved both!

Through Fire & Sea primarily focuses on Leah, an inhabitant of Fire world and a magical Caller. But Holly, Leah’s otherself and an inhabitant of Water world, also becomes a major part of this story. The idea of a Leah and a Holly–the idea of mirror worlds and otherselves–is an idea that I find very intriguing. Especially because Water world is described to be much the same as earth, and the idea that earth, the planet we live on, is simply a mirror world is quite mind-blowing. Nicole Luiken did a fabulous job in creating two distinctively different worlds–worlds that appear to not only represent different elements, but also different eras. Leah’s father is a duke where Holly’s father is a famous Hollywood director. I think that the combination of fantasy and contemporary is why I liked Through Fire & Sea so much. The fact that two completely contrasting heroines are working together to defeat a common enemy–Qeturah–is great.

Qeturah is an extremely horrid individual and the perfect enemy for Leah and Holly to take on. She’s power hungry and uses her magical ability as a Caller to disrupt and disturb the mirror worlds in an effort to destroy them so that the True world–the world that the mirror worlds are mere reflections of–is the only world left standing. You see, Qeturah was exiled from the True world, and her exile was the biggest instigator in terms of her wanting to shatter the mirror worlds. No matter that to do so she has to kill her innocent otherselves and their sons. She’s truly wicked and doesn’t hesitate to reek havoc.

Anyways, enough about Qeturah for now. I must discuss Leah and Gideon and Holly and Ryan. The idea behind these two pairings is that Leah and Gideon are soulmates, which in turn means that Leah’s otherselves and Gideon’s otherselves are soulmates, too. So, the rules of these worlds are very clear. In this book, I favored Gideon and Leah over Ryan and Holly because I felt so in tune with the characters feelings, which means that when Holly was mad at Ryan, I was mad at Ryan. I could empathize with her insecurity over Ryan’s career choice as a hot shot actor. Because of the whole “soulmate” factor, fate, destiny–all that jazz–I could forgive how fast these couples came to be in love. Also, Gideon and Ryan aren’t entirely human and their uniqueness and the situation surrounding it contribute to the whole insta-love thing because trust in another wasn’t something they had before.

I realize I’m being super vague while also being wordy, but I don’t want to give any of the surprises away! Like the somewhat cliffhanger ending of Through Fire & Sea. I definitely don’t want to give that away, but just know, that last sentence made me crazy–but in an excited way.

Overall, Through Fire & Sea and Amid Wind & Stone are truly thrilling and magical reads. The complexity of the characters and the world building is fantastic. The adventure is exciting, and I would really love to visit these fascinating worlds again. Definitely recommend for YA Fantasy readers.

Review originally posted @ Bridget's Book Bungalow: http://bit.ly/1QDYEF3

[Kristine · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fast-paced and thrilling tale of otherworlds and otherselves brought to a war with each other by the evil Qeturah rated at FIVE STARS.

“Why don’t I give you my cell phone number? Or you could give me yours.” Then she could text him and—He stared at the red bricks. “I don’t have a cell phone. Or a Blackberry or any other type of fruit.”

Schwartz Synopsis
This novel follows a young 17-year-old Leah. The illegitimate daughter of a duke with a plot for power. She has been living in secret, away from her father under her mother’s protective care. However, her protection is shattered when the duke plots include Leah. She must take her half-sister’s place and follow Qeturah to her tower, where she must spy on the duchess to gain insight into the dragon attacks. Failure is not an option.
Leah soon discovers Qeturah has insight into mirror magic and teaches Leah the basics. There are otherworlds, otherselves. A completely new life behind each mirror. Leah unwittingly helps Qeturah gain access to water world and vows vengeance. She must learn quickly, and act surely to save her otherselve’s worlds before it is too late. However, Holly, her water world otherself has other plans. Can they work together for the life of Holly’s world? Or will Qeturah succeed in wreaking havoc on both worlds?

Ryan hadn’t had anything to do with her sleepwalking episode. Was she going crazy, after all? The only other explanation was even nastier: that when she’d looked into her reflection, someone else had taken over her body.

Schwartz Thoughts
I found that the beginning of this novel was quite confusing and somewhat hard to follow. However, as a reader, I was intrigued from the beginning. From the beginning, I also felt a connection to the main character Leah. When she was wronged, I felt bad for her. I wanted things to work out for her since I met her, which, knowing novels as I do should have had me expecting a roller coaster ride of emotions with Leah’s trials. This book provided such a ride. This book played heavily on my emotions. It nearly brought me to tears but also had me laughing at other parts. I was glued to the edge of my seat as I rapidly flipped through the pages.
The characters were extremely well developed, which is something quite fantastic given the nature of this book. Leah’s character grew exponentially within the novel. I also found it interesting that even though the book had pairs of characters (otherselves); each pair differed greatly from one another. That to me was exceptional writing.
This book is the first in a series, I am assuming anyway, but works just as well as a single. However, I would definitely be interested in reading deeper into Leah’s story. This book was just that well written.

Reading the threat behind his words—if she wasn’t a good spy, her mother would suffer—Leah shivered.

Recommendation
I would highly recommend this book to fantasy readers, young adult readers, and adventure readers who enjoy faster-paced novels with romance sprinkled in. This is worth the read!

[Rachel (The Rest Is Still Unwritten) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to YA Bound Book Tours and author Nicole Luiken for providing me with a copy of this in exchange for an honest review!

Find this review and more on my blog The Rest Is Still Unwritten!

Through Fire & Sea by Nicole Luiken is an interesting fantasy novel published by Entangled Teen that weaves together romance, fantasy and magic.

I want to be honest here; Through Fire & Sea is in no way a bad book. It’s well depicted and entails all the classic fantasy elements I enjoy, but there was just something that kept me from really connecting with the story and the characters. Personally I very much enjoyed the concept within this novel and think Nicole Luiken does a great job attempting to explore something different, but Through Fire & Sea feel flat as far as I’m concerned.

Through Fire & Sea is told through the eyes of two very different girls; mirror images of one another, but from very different worlds and who have experienced very different lives. There’s Leah, a scullery maid who lives within a fantasy/medieval style world of fire where dragons exist and magic is possible, and Holly the daughter of a famous movie director who exists in a modern, everyday world much like ours and who is surprised to discover the person looking back in the mirror isn’t just a reflection.

This really is a story about worlds colliding with Luiken weaving her two focal worlds together. At its base there are more than two mirror worlds, but Fire and Water are the only two we have explored so far. There’s a complexity to the theology in Luiken’s mirror worlds that is both intriguing and confusing to me. For the most part I did enjoy this novel but I kept waiting for it to blow me away, like some fantasy tales do but this just wasn’t the case.

Both of the heroines were easy enough to follow, but I certainly preferred Holly over Leah. There was just something about Leah that irked me at times, whereas Holly, even as a generic teenage girl in a modern world was more likable and fighting. Holly was actually the kind of heroine I would happily follow throughout a series as she’s intelligent and though she makes mistakes, learns and then fights for what she cares about.

The different romances between Leah and Holly and the two boys they date who are also mirror imagines of each other were sweet. Once more Holly’s romance won me over more so than her counterpart, but I did like Leah’s too. Hers wasn’t always an easy journey and I felt sorry for her upon occasion.

Overall Through Fire & Sea features a unique concept that could have soared but just failed to win me over as I initially hoped it would heading into the novel. Whether I decide to read the next instalment remains to be seen, but give this novel a go if you think it’s something you might enjoy; you never know…..

[Kiersten · Rating 4 out of 5]

See more of my reviews at We Live and Breathe Books

Thanks to Entangled Teen for the eARC!

Last year, I read Trial by Fire by Josephine Angelini, the first book I've read about parallel worlds and other-selves. Because I really enjoyed Trial by Fire ( review here ), I was approached to review Through Fire & Sea. These books definitely had a similar vibe, with other-selves in other-worlds, but they were also very different, and I'm happy to say that I thoroughly enjoyed Through Fire & Sea!

The beginning of Through Fire & Sea throws a lot at the reader right away - there's a lot of otherworldly jargon very quick in the beginning - but once I figured out what was going on, I found it a lot easier to get into the story. In the story, the land where Leah is from is being attacked by a dragon. As a way to get rid of the dragon, the duke sends Leah, his illegitimate daughter, with Qeturah, a sorceress who can send the dragon away. Qeturah teaches Leah that she can call her otherselves from mirror worlds, and from there, Leah and her otherself Holly's lives become intertwined.

One thing I was at first skeptical about but ended up really loving about Through Fire & Sea was the way it combined a totally fantastical world with the world we know and live in. The way Nicole Luiken wove the two worlds together was both fascinating and extremely well executed. It was really cool to see the juxtaposition between the two worlds and their characters.

Similarly to how the two very different worlds mixed together well, I really enjoyed how each character had a double in the other world and seeing how they could act similarly or completely differently. Like I said earlier in the review, even though this aspect was really similar to Trial by Fire, the execution was absolutely different and just as enjoyable. Another great thing about the two different characters was seeing how Leah, who lived in a world that felt like it was from long ago, reacted to Holly's modern world. Both Leah and Holly were strong and independent in their own ways, but it always felt like they were two separate and very different people.

The entire concept behind Through Fire & Sea was so interesting and I really enjoyed the journey. I'm so excited to see where Nicole Luiken goes with the rest of the mirror worlds in the Otherselves series. Book two will not come soon enough! I highly recommend this for fans of fantasy, parallel worlds, and Trial by Fire!

[Maghon Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an AMAZING book!! Let me tell you how freaking cool this author made this fantastic world! First, there two sets of characters we follow. They are mirror images of each other and live in parallel worlds. It's freaking cool. Then, there's bad guys who know how to be more bad than the good guys know how to be good, well for now anyways lol! And there's so many awesome things to say but I have to try my hardest to not ruin things for you... Let's see...

We start with Leah, who's a peasant girl who's a bastard child of a royal ruler in the Fire world. They have the magic to control fire. Oh and there's dragon which is just awesome. I know I keep saying this. Leah wants her dad to acknowledge her but when he does, it brings a terrible price no one should have to pay. I'm very disappointed in her parentage. But Leah is an amazing character. And when she falls in love, she'll do anything to protect him, even sacrificing herself and others in the process.

Then there's holly. She's from the water world. She's got rich parents who love her, though sometimes I wanna slap her dad, he's much better than Leah's. And when strange things happen to her and she also falls in love, things get really wonky. She's also quite an amazing character. She's more realistic which means I wanted to slap her too and maybe because she's not quite as hard core as Leah. But no worries I loved them both!! I also can't wait to meet stone and air worlds!! And how it's going to play into this story!

I loved how the characters both learned about themselves and their other selves. I absolutely adored the plot and how it unfolded. I seriously cried for Leah. I cheered for Holly! And how good will stand up to evil and will unite to defeat it! And then I simply swooned for out leading men!! I won't talk about them because I will end up ruining good things!

The writing is absolutely stunning! It's not only a great tale but an all encompassing passion that was put into words that made the book so much more! Seriously, this one is da bomb diggity lol with evil plotting to use the good and destroy wonderful things, these young ladies must find a way to balance it out before all the realms come crashing down. And how mirror images who are exactly the same are also polar opposites. Like twins :)

I can't say enough about how phenomenal this whole book was. And boy am I excited to stalk around for book two! Absolutely magnificent. Even if you didn't like YA, or fantasy, or romance, or magical plots, seriously this is your exception. Pick it up. I'm beyond amazed!! I'm going to dish out my rare 6 PAWS because this one is definitely deserving for them!! Wow!!

[Shannon Rogers · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished reading this book last night, so it's fresh on my mind. This was unlike almost anything else I've read in a long time, because it was so very unique. Notice I had a little bit of trouble classifying the genre at the top of the post. It is definitely young adult, but part of the story takes place in a fantastical world, while part of it takes place in the real world, and/or the present day/time/place.

I don't really want to tell you anything more than that because you really just need to experience this one for yourself. I'm afraid I would ruin it for readers if I went into explaining the concepts of the mirrors and the Otherselves too much more than what the summary has already done. So let's talk characters.

I loved these characters. They were so well-crafted. Even though Holly/Leah and Ryan/His Otherself, are mirror images of each other from Fire and Water worlds, they are each completely unique. These are not carbon copies when it comes to personality. I love how the author was able to make them so different while they looked and sounded so similar, and even shared some traits. Leah was smart, strong, and brave, while Holly was smart, world-savvy, but a little more shy. Ryan is sweet, but determined and self-sacrificing, while his otherself is dark, brooding, but nevertheless brave and honorable.

I don't read a lot of fantasy-type stories... so typically, the very things about this book that made it so "different" and "fantasy-like", might not have captured me quite so much if not for the characters. The characters made me care about them. They are what pulled me in and made me want to know what was going on, and to really invest myself into these differing worlds.

The author did an amazing job in her world-building, in crafting such a unique setting and story concept. This story seemed to have it all. There is a fantasy world, magic, divergent settings, romances to die for, and an amazing villain. The writing was simple when it needed to be, poignant at other times, and tight and fast at others. It sucked me in so quickly and kept my attention riveted. The pacing was spot on, and before I knew it, I looked up and I was done with the book. I will definitely be looking for the second installment in this series. This was an amazing, spellbinding start that swept me away completely.

[Amber at Fall Into Books · Rating 1 out of 5]

I had high hopes for Through Fire & Sea. It was a brilliant concept, but poorly executed. I loved the idea of two worlds and mirror versions of ourselves. However, the characters fell flat, the plots were underdeveloped, and the pacing either dragged or felt rushed. The world building was okay, and that's the only reason this book didn't get an F from me. I had to force myself to finish this one, and it took a long time. I was just so bored and uninvested in the outcome that I couldn't make myself care.

The characters, Holly, Ryan, Leah, Gideon, the whole lot of them, were underdeveloped. None of them felt like real people. They were cliches at best. I think Holly was supposed to be somewhat interesting with her pink streak in her hair, but that just seemed like a tired attempt at originality. The characters were dull and I could not relate to any of them. I had no feelings about them at all because I felt as if I were reading about paper dolls instead of people. Very two dimensional. Also, their actions didn't make sense, often times. They'd just do random weird things, which made it hard to keep up a willing suspension of disbelief.

The world-building was extremely well done, and I could picture the Fire World clearly. Our world also was nicely painted. The mythology behind the mirror worlds was a bit vague, but it made sense. That's where the good things stopped, though. The plots (there were two, one in each world) were severely underdeveloped. I felt like I was reading two partial stories, but those two stories didn't fit together to form one cohesive tale. The romance was rushed and unbelievable, not to mention weird. There was no passion at all. The pacing went from rushed to a snail's pace in the blink of an eye. Also, the changing POVs (third person limited) gave me a headache. Since neither Holly nor Leah were well developed, it was difficult to tell them apart. The ending felt extremely rushed and was not satisfying.

Overall, I'd say skip this book. I know a lot of people liked it, but I'm not sure that we even read the same book as it really did not set well with me at all. Maybe it takes a certain type of person to appreciate this writing style. I'm clearly not that type of person. At best, I'd say check it out from the library before buying.

[Angela ReadingCave · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the beginning, there was the True World. It was perfect- so perfect that someone tried to re-create it. First with heat, followed by water, then by stone and finally air. These worlds were not perfect but they were our worlds- our reality. A caller is a person who after looking into a mirror can call to her otherselves. There are rules though, rules that are made to protect the worlds and the otherselves.

Through Fire and Sea is a story about two girls. The same girl from two different worlds. One lives in the Fire World and the other in the Sea World. This story is told from a dual point of view.

Leah, from the Fire World is an illegitimate daughter of a duke. She gets sent to live with Qeturah, a duchess who has the power to control the fire breathing dragon that is plundering the kingdom. She was sent as payment. Once there she learns that she is a caller- one who can call to her otherselves. Leah shows a strength and loyalty that the elders in her kingdom lack. Once with Qeturah, she falls in love with Gideon. Events leave her with a quest to save the Gideon’s of the otherworlds. To do this she visits the Water World first.

Holy is the Leah of the Water World. Her parents are divorced and she lives a privileged life. One day while out with her daddy she falls overboard into the ocean. Instead of drowning a boy named Ryan saves her. Ryan is the Water Worlds Gideon. Ryan is a loner, who wants nothing to do with anyone. He has his reasons. Holly of course wants to find him and thank him for saving her life. He tries to ignore her until they are casted as the leads in the school play. This could mean his one big chance to break the chains of poverty. But what will this do to his relationship with Holly? Holly for her part tries not to fall for Ryan but once she learns his life is in danger, it really is game on.

Since this is told from both points of view, at times it will be difficult to follow. Both girls due to circumstances of their worlds have distinctive voices and switching back and forth can cause whiplash. Once you get use to the flip-flopping though the story picks up. It really is a race against time and the big bad meanie to see if the girls can save Ryan’s life. Through Fire and Sea is a hypnotic tale that ends with a new beginning. Hopefully, you will like it as much as I did.

[Elaine - Splashes Into Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book in the Otherselves series. The main background to it is that there are five versions of worlds only one of which is the True World and on each version for some special people there is likely to be someone living there who is that world’s version of them. This story concerns people living on the Fire and Water worlds and some key characters who are mirrored on the worlds. Leah is the illegitimate daughter of a ruler on the Fire planet who is sent to live with Qeturah, a witch who seems able to stop an unruly dragon attacking their lands. Leah doesn’t have a good relationship with her father and only goes because he threatens to harm her Mum if she doesn’t do as he instructs her. Holly is the equivalent to Leah but she lives on the Water world (Earth!)) and she has a reasonably good relationship with her father. How the two come to meet each other and their soul mates, how they finally get to work together are key elements to the story. Needless to say, all is not what it seems, but to I still don’t want to give too many details!

The story starts well, has a somewhat confusing more like 3* section but that could have been because I read it in fits and starts whilst travelling with a group of friends. However, it is certainly worth persevering through because the final half is fantastic. There are some tragic moments in the story, soul mates, murder, dragons, people having their bodies taken control of by their mirror selves, plots, schemes and romance. Generally it is fast paced, full of strong characters and intrigue to keep the reader wanting to know more. The ending is brilliant - totally finishing this story whilst still linking in superbly to the next and leaving the reader eager to learn what happens next. I’ll definitely be looking out for future books in this series!

Thanks to the author, publishers and NetGalley, too,
for letting me read an ARC in exchange for an honest review.