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Guildmaster Saga #1
Seamaster
Rasim is no stranger to bad luck. Orphaned at birth, he holds his place in the Seamasters' Guild by dint of quick thinking and sheer stubbornness. Possessed of little magic but a sharp mind, his greatest talent seems to be finding trouble—or perhaps escaping it just in time.
No one is more surprised than Rasim when he earns a place on the fleet’s flagship, sent North for a daring mission. Storm, treachery, piracy, and outright war sail with them. One half-strength foundling can’t hope to save the fleet, his friends, or even himself.
But Rasim is determined to try. He'll use every bit of cleverness and magic he has available to outwit his enemies and protect his friends. In doing so, he just may save his country, and become what he’s always wanted to be…
A Seamaster.
No one is more surprised than Rasim when he earns a place on the fleet’s flagship, sent North for a daring mission. Storm, treachery, piracy, and outright war sail with them. One half-strength foundling can’t hope to save the fleet, his friends, or even himself.
But Rasim is determined to try. He'll use every bit of cleverness and magic he has available to outwit his enemies and protect his friends. In doing so, he just may save his country, and become what he’s always wanted to be…
A Seamaster.
261 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 1, 2017
68 people are currently reading
146 people want to read
About the author
C.E. Murphy
97 books1,796 followersCE Murphy began writing around age six, when she submitted three poems to a school publication. The teacher producing the magazine selected (inevitably) the one she thought was by far the worst, but also told her–a six year old kid–to keep writing, which she has. She has also held the usual grab-bag of jobs usually seen in an authorial biography, including public library volunteer (at ages 9 and 10; it’s clear she was doomed to a career involving books), archival assistant, cannery worker, and web designer. Writing books is better.
She was born and raised in Alaska, and now lives with her family in her ancestral homeland of Ireland.
She also writes paranormal romance as Murphy Lawless and cozy mysteries as Catie Murphy.
She was born and raised in Alaska, and now lives with her family in her ancestral homeland of Ireland.
She also writes paranormal romance as Murphy Lawless and cozy mysteries as Catie Murphy.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
April 18, 2019
What a fun fantasy read. Aimed at middle grade readers or even young YA this is the story of Rasim, age 13 and transitioning from apprentice to journeyman in the Seamaster's Guild. His only ambition is to be taken on as crew and to sail with the fleet. He's undersized, and not much of a water witch—in truth he can barely keep a bucket from slopping over—but he's a quick thinker, if a little precocious. He's the Forrest Gump of his guild, always managing to be at the heart of events without really trying, and always coming up with ideas that even his superiors listen to. OK, it's a little far fetched that his 'betters' accept his good ideas, but just go with it. This is, after all, not meant to be realistic for adult audiences. He manages to achieve great things, but sometimes misses the obvious, which is quite endearing.
gave-up-on
December 12, 2017It started well. YA fantasy, noblebright. Main character is a 13 yo orphan with some magic but not a lot. Runty and target of a bully. Very clever. It's a bit of a stretch that adults always listen to his ideas, but ok. About a third of the way through I realized that it stopped being fun a chapter or three ago, and I gave up. It's possible that the book will improve again, but I have run out of patience with it.
January 15, 2020
Seamaster, by C.E. Murphy is a strongly young-YA book for kids with strong reading skills and low maturity. The main character, Rasim, is a 15-year-old orphan raised with the Seamasters. He has very little magic ability and a lot of smarts. He and a friend of his, Keesha, figure out that an accidental fire really wasn't such an accident, thereby kicking off an international quest for answers.
The trope for this story is the small, looks-different, smart kid figures things out when no one else does. He has to convince people who are bigger, older, and more powerful than him to do what he thinks is right. (Miles Vorkosigan, anyone?) This is a story about magic that manages to get to a solid conclusion without Rasim suddenly leveling up in power or abilities.
I loved one of the plot twists where Rasim most definitely did not know everything, and a large chunk of his worry turned out to be misplaced.
Murphy did commit the "tune in next time" sin at the end of the story by making sure the readership knows that [bit character] is also a [spoiler] so that you just have to read the next book to find out more.
Violence rating: vague. Rasim gets punched and kicked by a bully a few times right at the beginning. People die when their ships are attacked. A [villain character] kills a few people with a knife and a sword. Rasim kills [a villain character] with a knife while in the water, so [villain character] is floating in a pool of blood. There are no drawn out descriptions of death or torture of any kind, though there are short descriptions of what happens when a seamaster is stuck in the sunmaster's dungeons.
Sex rating: none. There are a handful of vaguely flirtatious comments as might be made by precocious young teenagers. There is one future sword-point wedding for a 15-yo bit character who has most refreshingly not been molested in any way. (No one even asks; it's a throwaway comment during a rescue.) There is a reference by that same bit character to the current lord visiting mistresses through closet passageways. That's it.
The trope for this story is the small, looks-different, smart kid figures things out when no one else does. He has to convince people who are bigger, older, and more powerful than him to do what he thinks is right. (Miles Vorkosigan, anyone?) This is a story about magic that manages to get to a solid conclusion without Rasim suddenly leveling up in power or abilities.
I loved one of the plot twists where Rasim most definitely did not know everything, and a large chunk of his worry turned out to be misplaced.
Murphy did commit the "tune in next time" sin at the end of the story by making sure the readership knows that [bit character] is also a [spoiler] so that you just have to read the next book to find out more.
Violence rating: vague. Rasim gets punched and kicked by a bully a few times right at the beginning. People die when their ships are attacked. A [villain character] kills a few people with a knife and a sword. Rasim kills [a villain character] with a knife while in the water, so [villain character] is floating in a pool of blood. There are no drawn out descriptions of death or torture of any kind, though there are short descriptions of what happens when a seamaster is stuck in the sunmaster's dungeons.
Sex rating: none. There are a handful of vaguely flirtatious comments as might be made by precocious young teenagers. There is one future sword-point wedding for a 15-yo bit character who has most refreshingly not been molested in any way. (No one even asks; it's a throwaway comment during a rescue.) There is a reference by that same bit character to the current lord visiting mistresses through closet passageways. That's it.
February 5, 2025
Cleverness Is A Skill
GuildmasterSaga1
Rasim was saved from the river thirteen years ago, when the city of Ilyara was besieged by fire. Hundreds of children were orphaned that day, and depending on where they were found, given to one of the four guilds. Seamasters took the floating ones, Stonemasters took the ones under earth, Sunmasters kept the ones thrust into their temples, and Skymasters took the ones who were flung away.
The guilds are for orphans; if you have family, you follow in their footsteps. Rasim’s water witchery isn’t as strong as others, but he thinks up new ways to make it flexible, as his mind is flexible. Rasim is small of stature, but mighty in ideas. And, it is his ideas that bring him more opportunities than his magic would craft.
Fun!
GuildmasterSaga1
Rasim was saved from the river thirteen years ago, when the city of Ilyara was besieged by fire. Hundreds of children were orphaned that day, and depending on where they were found, given to one of the four guilds. Seamasters took the floating ones, Stonemasters took the ones under earth, Sunmasters kept the ones thrust into their temples, and Skymasters took the ones who were flung away.
The guilds are for orphans; if you have family, you follow in their footsteps. Rasim’s water witchery isn’t as strong as others, but he thinks up new ways to make it flexible, as his mind is flexible. Rasim is small of stature, but mighty in ideas. And, it is his ideas that bring him more opportunities than his magic would craft.
Fun!
December 2, 2019
Teen Fantasy Adventure Not Just for Teens
CE Murphy has written some wonderful urban fantasies, and this departure into high fantasy is just wonderful too. She has created a world of magic and peopled it with villains, kings, Sunmasters, Seamasters, a baker’s daughter and a young man who is small, with very little magic, who has to live sharply by his wits. And of course he does, and thereby hangs a tale.
This is what they call a “middle grades” young adult story, but that’s just publisher’s marketing speak. What it is, really, is a fine fantasy that can be read and enjoyed by anybody, even somebody in their middle sixties, like me.
Brava, Catie!
CE Murphy has written some wonderful urban fantasies, and this departure into high fantasy is just wonderful too. She has created a world of magic and peopled it with villains, kings, Sunmasters, Seamasters, a baker’s daughter and a young man who is small, with very little magic, who has to live sharply by his wits. And of course he does, and thereby hangs a tale.
This is what they call a “middle grades” young adult story, but that’s just publisher’s marketing speak. What it is, really, is a fine fantasy that can be read and enjoyed by anybody, even somebody in their middle sixties, like me.
Brava, Catie!
April 25, 2020
Amazing Book
C.E. Murphy is open of my favorite writers. This new series is very well done! It’s rare for a book to hook me so deeply and to be invested in characters that I get shivers and this book delivered! Magic mystery and an open enough ending for the amazing world to continue to grow.
C.E. Murphy is open of my favorite writers. This new series is very well done! It’s rare for a book to hook me so deeply and to be invested in characters that I get shivers and this book delivered! Magic mystery and an open enough ending for the amazing world to continue to grow.
December 25, 2017
Not just young adult book
I would recommend to anyone who like fantasy not just to teens. Excellent world building, new series by one of my favorite authors. Little unbelievable at end too much sass from hero.
I would recommend to anyone who like fantasy not just to teens. Excellent world building, new series by one of my favorite authors. Little unbelievable at end too much sass from hero.
January 8, 2018
A fast-paced novel for young people that grown ups can enjoy too. An effortlessly diverse cast of characters, with smart and fun characters. The first book of at least two, but hopefully more.
January 1, 2020
I liked the concept of the book but the characters felt flat to me
April 11, 2024
A very enjoyable romp. Not profound but definitely enjoyable 😁
April 21, 2024
I think I'm a sucker for an adventure on the high seas. I also like plucky underdogs who are too clever for their own good. Rasim is unique in that he's got major Gryffindor vibes, but he's Ron, Hermoine, and Harry all wrapped up on one. He's always in the middle of the danger and intrigue like Harry. He thinks very fast on his feet like Hermoine. And he's super awkward and oblivious like Ron. Pretty sure we'll discover Rasim has some interesting parentage eventually, but for now he's this adorable orphan who tries to see the best in people, and isn't much of a witch...yet.
April 25, 2019
Great adventure story for older kids, with magic, ships and sea serpents. The middle is fairly dark but turns out not everything is what Rasim thought - in a believable way - and there’s a happier ending. I like that the main character is a small for his age kid who has only a little magic and gets by with his wits. And he stays cheerful through everything, making new friends on the way. I expect there’s more to his background that will come out in the sequel.
March 5, 2024
Originally gave 4 stars, after finishing the last book in the series dropped to 1 star as the ending ruined it for me
Read
April 22, 2018What a great happenstance. Drawn in by the cover art and stayed for the story. Having bad luck with finding books that are so awesome I immediately visit the author's page for the next instalment only to find it hasn't been written yet!!! Oh well, something to look forward to.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews