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Watersmeet #1
Watersmeet
From her birth, Abisina has been outcast--for the color of her eyes and skin, and for her lack of a father. Only her mother's status as the village healer has kept her safe. But when a mythic leader arrives, Abisina's life is ripped apart. She escapes alone to try to find the father and the home she has never known. In a world of extremes, from the deepest prejudice to the greatest bonds of duty and loyalty, Abisina must find her own way and decide where her true hope lies.
341 pages, Hardcover
First published April 1, 2009
25 people are currently reading
1553 people want to read
About the author
Ellen Jensen Abbott
6 books51 followersEllen Jensen Abbott grew up in the foothills of New Hampshire’s White Mountains—often disappearing for a whole day to build forts, pretend, and read in the fields and forests around her house. She has degrees in English and education from Brown and Harvard Universities. When she is not dreaming up stories about Seldara, she teaches English at a boarding school in Westtown, PA. Ellen, her husband, and two children like to spend time outdoors: camping and hiking in the summer; skiing and snowboarding in the winter. She and her family live in West Chester, PA with their dog and small flock of chickens.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 158 reviews
May 27, 2010
The idea behind the book was good but the writing couldn't stand up to the challenge that the writer seemed to be making for herself. The book attempts to deal with issues like racial prejudices and blind faith but the writing is just not developed enough to really explore these subjects. I would have loved to see more subtlety and less in-your-face "symbolism" but Abbott didn't seem capable of it.
Throughout the entire read, I kept waiting for more from this book, but I never got it. Suffice it to say that I won't be reading anymore novels in this series.
Throughout the entire read, I kept waiting for more from this book, but I never got it. Suffice it to say that I won't be reading anymore novels in this series.
August 24, 2011
I sort of struggled over how many stars I would give this book, three or four. In the end, I decided to go with three, because I felt like it most accurately described how I ended up feeling about the book.
The almost-four-stars of it first: Abbott is obviously a skilled writer. Her descriptions were good, her characterization consistent, and the writing flowed. The dialog was mostly good (very few clunkers!) and as a fantasy, it mostly works. The writing here simply isn't the problem. My issues lie elsewhere.
This isn't actually a problem, necessarily, but it does bear stating. There is very little in Watersmeet that felt new and innovative. It's Tolkienesque, in a big way. Like I said, it's not a problem. There's a reason so many fantasy authors use Tolkien's template. But it is a template.
My biggest issue was with the Vranian society. We are told that Vranians are instructed to abandon any newborn child that does not meet the Vranian ideal: blonde, blue-eyed, fair skinned, and without blemish or physical imperfection. In other words, a faithful Vranian would murder an otherwise healthy infant for a birthmark. Let's tackle this part first. It's one thing to use fantasy to teach a moral lesson. It happens all the time, and it can be very good. But the problem is with going so far overboard that there's nothing to be learned. The Vranians are so extreme that Hitler would think they'd gone a bit too far. All that is aside from the sheer unbelievability of it all. I'm unclear on how long this has lasted (it seems a very long time indeed, possibly hundreds of years) but any longer than a few decades is just way too far for me to suspend my disbelief. I'm meant to believe that generations of mothers would willingly abandon their children, sometimes many children, to die and never protest in any meaningful way? We're told of one woman who killed herself after being made to abandon her third child, but why isn't there more resistance? You really need to explain why this entire society has lost its parental instincts wholesale. This is all aside from the very important question of why the Vranians chose to adopt this incredibly stringent belief system. We're told that Vran lead their people into the land they live in, but what made him into a god in their eyes instead of a prophet? Why is it so terribly important that everybody look like him? We truly needed a dozen or so pages on the actual theology to get this straightened out. We're told that this is the way it is, without being told why it's this way, or what the Vranians get out of it. (And there doesn't seem to be a single redeeming feature of the Vranian system of beliefs, which makes it even more baffling.)
Now, let's move on a bit. Say that you're born blonde, blue-eyed, and fair, but have a tiny birthmark. Your parents may hide it, for a time. But eventually, it may be discovered. Considering that this society apparently has no problem leaving helpless infants to die, you would expect that they'd do the same to anyone older who's found to be less than a paragon of Vranian beauty. Nope. They're marked as Outcasts, sent to live in an outer section of town, and, surprisingly, fed on the scraps. For consistency's sake, you'd expect them to be literally outcasts, sent outside the city to fend for themselves, or possibly enslaved. Not so. Oh, they gather firewood, but that's apparently it. Why are they keeping these people alive? It simply doesn't mesh.
And then there's the slight hypocrisy of the moral. We're told that appearances matter less than what is inside, and that it's wrong to think less of someone because of their appearance, or because they're a dwarf or a centaur. But at the same time, all minotaurs and uberwolves are evil. If we're supposed to be learning that fantasy races aren't inherently evil, it's a mistake to introduce inherently evil fantasy races. It undermines the moral.
The ending I actually have no problem with. It's abrupt, and open-ended, but it's also complete. It doesn't need a sequal to expand the story, but it wouldn't hurt to add one. (And there does seem to be one coming out soon.) However, the final confrontation is a wee bit rushed, and could have used even a few more pages to flesh it out a bit.
The almost-four-stars of it first: Abbott is obviously a skilled writer. Her descriptions were good, her characterization consistent, and the writing flowed. The dialog was mostly good (very few clunkers!) and as a fantasy, it mostly works. The writing here simply isn't the problem. My issues lie elsewhere.
This isn't actually a problem, necessarily, but it does bear stating. There is very little in Watersmeet that felt new and innovative. It's Tolkienesque, in a big way. Like I said, it's not a problem. There's a reason so many fantasy authors use Tolkien's template. But it is a template.
My biggest issue was with the Vranian society. We are told that Vranians are instructed to abandon any newborn child that does not meet the Vranian ideal: blonde, blue-eyed, fair skinned, and without blemish or physical imperfection. In other words, a faithful Vranian would murder an otherwise healthy infant for a birthmark. Let's tackle this part first. It's one thing to use fantasy to teach a moral lesson. It happens all the time, and it can be very good. But the problem is with going so far overboard that there's nothing to be learned. The Vranians are so extreme that Hitler would think they'd gone a bit too far. All that is aside from the sheer unbelievability of it all. I'm unclear on how long this has lasted (it seems a very long time indeed, possibly hundreds of years) but any longer than a few decades is just way too far for me to suspend my disbelief. I'm meant to believe that generations of mothers would willingly abandon their children, sometimes many children, to die and never protest in any meaningful way? We're told of one woman who killed herself after being made to abandon her third child, but why isn't there more resistance? You really need to explain why this entire society has lost its parental instincts wholesale. This is all aside from the very important question of why the Vranians chose to adopt this incredibly stringent belief system. We're told that Vran lead their people into the land they live in, but what made him into a god in their eyes instead of a prophet? Why is it so terribly important that everybody look like him? We truly needed a dozen or so pages on the actual theology to get this straightened out. We're told that this is the way it is, without being told why it's this way, or what the Vranians get out of it. (And there doesn't seem to be a single redeeming feature of the Vranian system of beliefs, which makes it even more baffling.)
Now, let's move on a bit. Say that you're born blonde, blue-eyed, and fair, but have a tiny birthmark. Your parents may hide it, for a time. But eventually, it may be discovered. Considering that this society apparently has no problem leaving helpless infants to die, you would expect that they'd do the same to anyone older who's found to be less than a paragon of Vranian beauty. Nope. They're marked as Outcasts, sent to live in an outer section of town, and, surprisingly, fed on the scraps. For consistency's sake, you'd expect them to be literally outcasts, sent outside the city to fend for themselves, or possibly enslaved. Not so. Oh, they gather firewood, but that's apparently it. Why are they keeping these people alive? It simply doesn't mesh.
And then there's the slight hypocrisy of the moral. We're told that appearances matter less than what is inside, and that it's wrong to think less of someone because of their appearance, or because they're a dwarf or a centaur. But at the same time, all minotaurs and uberwolves are evil. If we're supposed to be learning that fantasy races aren't inherently evil, it's a mistake to introduce inherently evil fantasy races. It undermines the moral.
The ending I actually have no problem with. It's abrupt, and open-ended, but it's also complete. It doesn't need a sequal to expand the story, but it wouldn't hurt to add one. (And there does seem to be one coming out soon.) However, the final confrontation is a wee bit rushed, and could have used even a few more pages to flesh it out a bit.
October 9, 2012
To see my full review:
http://bookvacations.wordpress.com/20...
This is one of those novels that I definitely think our young adult population should be reading as it addresses many important issues, such as discrimination, bullying, tolerance, and forgiveness. I certainly don’t expect to come across such phenomenal themes when I pick up a novel, but that’s exactly what I got in Abbott’s Watersmeet, and I really enjoyed it.
Abisina has had a very hard life, and yet, for the most part, she is relatively normal. I would think that someone who goes through as much as she does, being outcast, jeered at, and occasionally beaten, would not only hate those who treat her so unfairly, but also hate the world. Abisina is a much stronger person than I am, because I don’t think I’d come out on top like she does, but even so, it’s a struggle for her, and I loved that Abbott made Abisina’s character so real. Yes, Abisina comes out on top, but she struggles with her feelings throughout the novel, and even though she was discriminated against by her own people, she easily becomes the discriminator when meeting others, such as dwarfs and centaurs. She’s not perfect, by any means, and though she did and said some things that I scoffed at, in retrospect, I’d probably do the exact same, as shameful as that may be. It is very easy for us to become what we hate, especially if we’ve experienced it our entire life (being bullied to becoming a bully, etc.). It’s just as easy for us to fear a certain thing or group if we’ve experienced unpleasantries because of it/them (such as a fear of all dogs because one bit us once upon a time), and I really loved the struggle that takes place throughout the novel as Abisina must come to terms with the idea that not all dwarfs, centaurs, etc., have ill will towards others.
I really enjoyed the fantasy aspect of this novel as Abbott fleshes out the mythological creatures we don’t hear all that much about: centaurs, fauns, trolls, dwarfs, and fairies. Though we learn more about some than others, I was initially drawn to this novel because of the title—I wanted to know more about centaurs and Abbott definitely provided a lot of information. And, I love that she provided both sides of the coin for these creatures; not all are good, and not all are bad, which, again, goes back to the idea that we are all unique and prejudice against others is a terrible thing.
Overall, I really enjoyed the journey Abisina embraks on in order to find her father and try to save her people from the evil that has taken over. At some points I did feel like the novel was a bit slow in terms of action, but when the action came, Abbott did a phenomenal job capturing the reader’s attention and bring it all to life.
http://bookvacations.wordpress.com/20...
This is one of those novels that I definitely think our young adult population should be reading as it addresses many important issues, such as discrimination, bullying, tolerance, and forgiveness. I certainly don’t expect to come across such phenomenal themes when I pick up a novel, but that’s exactly what I got in Abbott’s Watersmeet, and I really enjoyed it.
Abisina has had a very hard life, and yet, for the most part, she is relatively normal. I would think that someone who goes through as much as she does, being outcast, jeered at, and occasionally beaten, would not only hate those who treat her so unfairly, but also hate the world. Abisina is a much stronger person than I am, because I don’t think I’d come out on top like she does, but even so, it’s a struggle for her, and I loved that Abbott made Abisina’s character so real. Yes, Abisina comes out on top, but she struggles with her feelings throughout the novel, and even though she was discriminated against by her own people, she easily becomes the discriminator when meeting others, such as dwarfs and centaurs. She’s not perfect, by any means, and though she did and said some things that I scoffed at, in retrospect, I’d probably do the exact same, as shameful as that may be. It is very easy for us to become what we hate, especially if we’ve experienced it our entire life (being bullied to becoming a bully, etc.). It’s just as easy for us to fear a certain thing or group if we’ve experienced unpleasantries because of it/them (such as a fear of all dogs because one bit us once upon a time), and I really loved the struggle that takes place throughout the novel as Abisina must come to terms with the idea that not all dwarfs, centaurs, etc., have ill will towards others.
I really enjoyed the fantasy aspect of this novel as Abbott fleshes out the mythological creatures we don’t hear all that much about: centaurs, fauns, trolls, dwarfs, and fairies. Though we learn more about some than others, I was initially drawn to this novel because of the title—I wanted to know more about centaurs and Abbott definitely provided a lot of information. And, I love that she provided both sides of the coin for these creatures; not all are good, and not all are bad, which, again, goes back to the idea that we are all unique and prejudice against others is a terrible thing.
Overall, I really enjoyed the journey Abisina embraks on in order to find her father and try to save her people from the evil that has taken over. At some points I did feel like the novel was a bit slow in terms of action, but when the action came, Abbott did a phenomenal job capturing the reader’s attention and bring it all to life.
May 23, 2009
Oh, my goodness and holy wow. This is the best book I've read so far this year. I really wish there was a special button to click that would give an extra star. Anyone who likes fantasy or mythology will love WATERSMEET. It is set in a dark fantasy world that fans of Maria Snyders books will appreciate, but it is inhabited by creatures straight from the imagination of Brian Froud. If you cross Narnia with The Dark Crystal and The Neverending Story and threw in a little Braveheart, you would find yourself in Watersmeet. This book is fantastic!
Abisina has always been treated as an outsider. She doesn't look like everyone else in the village of Vranille so she is shunned and called an Outcast. Nobody will touch her and her life has been a long hard struggle. The only thing that keeps her from being exiled is that her mother is a healer and the people need her. Times in Vranille are very tough at the moment. Food is scarce, morale is low and the evill creatures inhabiting the land are attacking the villagers. Just as people begin to lose hope, a visitor appears promising to help them. But Abisina can see the true face of this savior and he is not wat he appears. She sees the face of true evil and is forced to flee the place she calls home when he orders that all Outcasts be hunted down.
On the run and facing insurmountable odds, terrifying dangers and painful losses, Abisina goes in search of a legendary place called Watersmeet where she hopes to find refuge and possibly answers to her own heritage. Along the way she will learn that sometimes those you once feared may end up your greatest allies and those you once trusted your most deadly adversaries. Abisina has a long and arduous journey ahead, but with the help of a new friend, a little magic and a lot of believing in herself, she just may reach her goal. But once she gets there, will she be strong enough to save the entire land?
Every single page of this book had a magical and wonderful surprise, and I was truly enthralled and, actually, giddy with delight. It made me feel like a kid again. The fantasy world Ellen Jensen Abbott has created is so amazing and it felt like it could have been a real place in my most vivid dream. Every creature you could imagine lives there, even a few you can't. Expect to meet faeries, centaurs, hags, dwarves and more. But do not judge any of them based on what you think you may already know. You just might be surprised.
I am in love with this book.
Abisina has always been treated as an outsider. She doesn't look like everyone else in the village of Vranille so she is shunned and called an Outcast. Nobody will touch her and her life has been a long hard struggle. The only thing that keeps her from being exiled is that her mother is a healer and the people need her. Times in Vranille are very tough at the moment. Food is scarce, morale is low and the evill creatures inhabiting the land are attacking the villagers. Just as people begin to lose hope, a visitor appears promising to help them. But Abisina can see the true face of this savior and he is not wat he appears. She sees the face of true evil and is forced to flee the place she calls home when he orders that all Outcasts be hunted down.
On the run and facing insurmountable odds, terrifying dangers and painful losses, Abisina goes in search of a legendary place called Watersmeet where she hopes to find refuge and possibly answers to her own heritage. Along the way she will learn that sometimes those you once feared may end up your greatest allies and those you once trusted your most deadly adversaries. Abisina has a long and arduous journey ahead, but with the help of a new friend, a little magic and a lot of believing in herself, she just may reach her goal. But once she gets there, will she be strong enough to save the entire land?
Every single page of this book had a magical and wonderful surprise, and I was truly enthralled and, actually, giddy with delight. It made me feel like a kid again. The fantasy world Ellen Jensen Abbott has created is so amazing and it felt like it could have been a real place in my most vivid dream. Every creature you could imagine lives there, even a few you can't. Expect to meet faeries, centaurs, hags, dwarves and more. But do not judge any of them based on what you think you may already know. You just might be surprised.
I am in love with this book.
April 19, 2009
Watersmeet was a fascinating and truly impressive debut novel. Abbott's writing style is very easy to read. The fantasy world that is created contains many mythical creatures- fairies, trolls, dwarfs, fauns, and centuars, but at the same time it deals with the same issues we face in today's society- discrimination, prejudice, tolerance and acceptance.
The main character Abisina deals with many of those issues throughout the novel. Abisina is a terribly flawed character, but I think that is what makes her so believable. While I didn’t always agree with her, I enjoyed seeing her personal growth within the novel.
Plot wise, there was some unexpected twists that I didn’t even see coming. The story was revealed at a steady pace, and there were never moments where I felt like it was dragging. I did developed a few issues about three quarters of the way through the novel, but luckily those issues were addressed in a satisfying manner. The ending was a little disappointing for me, I definitely preferred the epilogue.
Overall, a great read for fantasy fans.
The main character Abisina deals with many of those issues throughout the novel. Abisina is a terribly flawed character, but I think that is what makes her so believable. While I didn’t always agree with her, I enjoyed seeing her personal growth within the novel.
Plot wise, there was some unexpected twists that I didn’t even see coming. The story was revealed at a steady pace, and there were never moments where I felt like it was dragging. I did developed a few issues about three quarters of the way through the novel, but luckily those issues were addressed in a satisfying manner. The ending was a little disappointing for me, I definitely preferred the epilogue.
Overall, a great read for fantasy fans.
November 4, 2012
Reviewed by coollibrarianchick for TeensReadToo.com
W-A-T-E-R-S-M-E-E-T. The word easily rolls off my tongue. The cover with the picture of the girl caught my attention first. She has the look of a scared, caged animal. I want to know what Watersmeet is. As I usually do with fantasy books, I dove into this book with gusto. Any book that can keep me interested from beginning to end and not drag is a good thing.....
First time novelist Ellen Jensen Abbott has impressed me with her book, WATERSMEET.
There are many forms of prejudice in Vranille. Every day it is a fight for survival for Abisina. Shunned constantly and roughly pushed aside by others, Abisina is an outcast just because of how she looks. The worst thing about being an outcast is the all-consuming loneliness she felt on an everyday basis. There's always a fight for food and no one, unless they were an outcast themselves, is allowed to talk to her.
The only thing that kept her alive was her mother, who was the village healer. Things are about to go from bad to worse for Abisina. Someone other than her mother is about to come into power, meaning bad news for all outcasts.
Forced to flee, she heads to Watersmeet for help in the form of her father, a man she has never known. Along the way, she sees fauns, has a run-in with centaurs, eats a poisonous mushroom to save herself, faces minataurs, and has the courage to continue on.
Will Watersmeet be her salvation or her downfall?
The teacher in me came out as I was reading this book - you can easily make comparisons between this fantasy world and the real world we live in. How many times have people in this world faced prejudice, violence, and oppression, all because they were different than the ideal that society has imposed? Remember the Holocaust and Hitler? I saw many similarities between Charach and Hitler. Both were very charismatic leaders and no one saw the evil side of them until it was too late. You can do a lot of interesting activities in the classroom with this book.
Abisina changes a lot in the course of this story. There were many challenges she faced that brought upon these changes. First and foremost, and probably the most important, is that she had to look at the prejudices in herself. Once that was done, she became more forgiving, accepting, and tolerant. This, of course, is crucial if she wants to continue the legacy of Vigor.
Does that mean we will see more of Abisina in the future? I certainly hope so.
W-A-T-E-R-S-M-E-E-T. The word easily rolls off my tongue. The cover with the picture of the girl caught my attention first. She has the look of a scared, caged animal. I want to know what Watersmeet is. As I usually do with fantasy books, I dove into this book with gusto. Any book that can keep me interested from beginning to end and not drag is a good thing.....
First time novelist Ellen Jensen Abbott has impressed me with her book, WATERSMEET.
There are many forms of prejudice in Vranille. Every day it is a fight for survival for Abisina. Shunned constantly and roughly pushed aside by others, Abisina is an outcast just because of how she looks. The worst thing about being an outcast is the all-consuming loneliness she felt on an everyday basis. There's always a fight for food and no one, unless they were an outcast themselves, is allowed to talk to her.
The only thing that kept her alive was her mother, who was the village healer. Things are about to go from bad to worse for Abisina. Someone other than her mother is about to come into power, meaning bad news for all outcasts.
Forced to flee, she heads to Watersmeet for help in the form of her father, a man she has never known. Along the way, she sees fauns, has a run-in with centaurs, eats a poisonous mushroom to save herself, faces minataurs, and has the courage to continue on.
Will Watersmeet be her salvation or her downfall?
The teacher in me came out as I was reading this book - you can easily make comparisons between this fantasy world and the real world we live in. How many times have people in this world faced prejudice, violence, and oppression, all because they were different than the ideal that society has imposed? Remember the Holocaust and Hitler? I saw many similarities between Charach and Hitler. Both were very charismatic leaders and no one saw the evil side of them until it was too late. You can do a lot of interesting activities in the classroom with this book.
Abisina changes a lot in the course of this story. There were many challenges she faced that brought upon these changes. First and foremost, and probably the most important, is that she had to look at the prejudices in herself. Once that was done, she became more forgiving, accepting, and tolerant. This, of course, is crucial if she wants to continue the legacy of Vigor.
Does that mean we will see more of Abisina in the future? I certainly hope so.
August 17, 2009
It seems that lately I've been reading books in which some (or all) of the plot involves the subject of prejudice. Watersmeet was no exception. The lead character, Abisina, experiences it on a daily basis. Why, you may ask? It's because her dark hair and skin keep her from embodying the image of Vran (the man who spread his settlement into free territory and cast out the "monsters"). So, Abisina is treated as an outcast, her only refuge is her mother, the village healer. While her life certainly isn't desirable, it is bareable. Until one night she is forced to flee her village, leaving her mother behind.
What I enjoyed most about this book (a 2009 debut) was the growth of the heroine. At the start of the book, Abisina hates "monsters", even though she has been treated as one throughout her life. A great example of this is shown by her relationship with Hoysta, a dwarf. Despite that fact that Hoysta nursed her back to health, Abisina still fears her. Over the course of the novel, however, Abisina is forced to confront the ideas she's been taught, and think of what loyalty and acceptance truely mean to her. Eventually she comes to the realization that not every non-human can be labelled "bad", just like every Vranian can't be called "good".
Abbott's debut was an interesting read. There were times when I loathed Abisina for her callous treatment of non-human creatures, and other times I felt her fear (i.e when rogue centaurs are on the hunt). I think that may be why I liked the book so much. I was able to connect with the characters because they were flawed. I'm looking forward to the sequel, and can't wait to read more from this author.
June 16, 2013
Ok, so this book falls to about every cliché in fantasy stories starring a female lead. Girl is looked down on and bullied by her ignorant village peers for being different, and is rejected by almost all but her loving mother, whom is the village healer. One day an ancient evil comes to their village and stirs trouble, causing her mother to be killed and putting the girl on the run. Luckily her mother left her vague instructions to find her long lost father and a magical artifact to lead her way. Eventually girl learns she is a princess (of sorts) with mysterious powers that could help defeat the ancient evil guy. Also she is an archer. Very, very by the number.
And yet, it’s not bad. The lead character, Abisina, manages to be a flawed, likeable character that manages to avoid most Mary Sue traits, and the other characters who populate the book are also for the most part interesting, especially Abisina’s travel companion, the dwarf Haret, whom is her companion travelling to find Abisina’s father. I found their relationship, from enemies to cautious allies to friends natural and compelling. Though about 2/3rds through the book when they finally reach their destination, suddenly about 15 characters are just shoved at you and I honestly had a bit of trouble remembering them all, and the small romance that was tossed in felt a bit ham fisted in. I really couldn’t care less about Abisina’s crush on that… guy. Whatever his name was.
The world and Abisina’s journey is also pretty compelling, with some tense, exciting moments.
Overall I found it a fun, light fantasy novel with some good messages. I’ll probably pick up the sequel down the road.
And yet, it’s not bad. The lead character, Abisina, manages to be a flawed, likeable character that manages to avoid most Mary Sue traits, and the other characters who populate the book are also for the most part interesting, especially Abisina’s travel companion, the dwarf Haret, whom is her companion travelling to find Abisina’s father. I found their relationship, from enemies to cautious allies to friends natural and compelling. Though about 2/3rds through the book when they finally reach their destination, suddenly about 15 characters are just shoved at you and I honestly had a bit of trouble remembering them all, and the small romance that was tossed in felt a bit ham fisted in. I really couldn’t care less about Abisina’s crush on that… guy. Whatever his name was.
The world and Abisina’s journey is also pretty compelling, with some tense, exciting moments.
Overall I found it a fun, light fantasy novel with some good messages. I’ll probably pick up the sequel down the road.
July 17, 2012
This is a fairly enjoyable fantasy about a girl who lives as an outcast in her village and the tragedies and triumphs that befall her as she attempts to escape the increasing danger there and to find her father.
I would have enjoyed it more except that it seemed a bit as if the author sat down with a list of themes she wanted to make sure the reader 'got' and built a story to illustrate them, in a not very subtle way. We have the hatred and violence that stem from bigotry and prejudice and blindly following a leader or religion that promises power and superiority to the followers. We have a girl who is a victim of all of that and yet suffers from those same faults. We see how her experiences lead her to recognize and overcome those faults. We have the search for identity. We have the concept of fighting against wrong even if you are not the one being affected, sacrifice for the greater good, ... You get the idea. The author's themes are good ones, just maybe a bit heavy-handed for me.
Like I said, though, it was fairly enjoyable and I think it would be suitable for middle-grade readers and up. Not to insult younger readers, but the lack of subtlety might work to their benefit. I can see this being an assigned read in middle school in order to promote discussion of the themes.
By the way, I believe this is the author's first novel and it is a very promising debut!
I would have enjoyed it more except that it seemed a bit as if the author sat down with a list of themes she wanted to make sure the reader 'got' and built a story to illustrate them, in a not very subtle way. We have the hatred and violence that stem from bigotry and prejudice and blindly following a leader or religion that promises power and superiority to the followers. We have a girl who is a victim of all of that and yet suffers from those same faults. We see how her experiences lead her to recognize and overcome those faults. We have the search for identity. We have the concept of fighting against wrong even if you are not the one being affected, sacrifice for the greater good, ... You get the idea. The author's themes are good ones, just maybe a bit heavy-handed for me.
Like I said, though, it was fairly enjoyable and I think it would be suitable for middle-grade readers and up. Not to insult younger readers, but the lack of subtlety might work to their benefit. I can see this being an assigned read in middle school in order to promote discussion of the themes.
By the way, I believe this is the author's first novel and it is a very promising debut!
August 12, 2014
This book for me was like the ebbing and flowing of a tide. It started out a bit slow and far-removed, built up into something great (in the middle), but then it lost it's flow about three-quarters of the way through and went back to being slow. It had some great ideas and settings, and it was a readable book....I just think it could have been a great book if it was developed more. I enjoyed the mines/underground "city" of the dwarves, and Watersmeet itself. Those settings were very well done and were very visual for me. I also enjoyed the different species of characters that all came together in a community for the common good. I'll probably read the next one.
April 29, 2015
A nice fantasy book. Fauns, centaurs, dwarves, etc. An “accept everybody” message.
January 18, 2020
This was a perfectly average fantasy story which used the culture of its land as a sort of metaphor for racism/the Holocaust. Our protagonist, Abisina, is a dark-haired and copper-skinned girl who lives in a town where every child born without blonde hair, fair skin, and blue eyes is tossed out of the town limits and left to die. Though she was protected from this fate at birth, she is considered an Outcast and treated as less than human, alongside town members with disabilities and other such issues. When she learns that her father was from a far away land where everyone was accepted, she flees and sets off in search of him and this other world.
Though I appreciated this lesson and thought that it was handled fairly well, the book felt very predictable and generic. Aside from there being a town with similar values to Hitler's Germany, there was nothing about this fantasy world filled with centaurs, fauns, dwarves, and fairies (and yes, a dragon, but just for the sake of being able to say there was one in the book) that made it stand out as particularly unique and clever. Granted, it is a YA novel, so it's possible that its intended audience have read far fewer fantasies than I have and wouldn't be bothered by this, but in today's culture, YA is widely read by people of all ages, so I find that debatable.
The other issue that I had with it was the limited way that the metaphor was extended. In addition to disabled or non-blonde-haired-blue-eyed humans, the people of Abisina's land also didn't like members of other species, aka dwarves, fauns, and centaurs. They were looked down upon, and as such, even Abisina felt hesitant to accept them as she started her journey. A big part of the plot involved her encountering evil centaurs and then later having to accept that any individual has the capacity to be evil, but that it does not mean everyone like them is similarly evil. I appreciated this and think it would have been done well had the fantasy races of this world stopped there. However, the book also brought up a selection of other creatures such as minotaurs and uberwolves which were only ever seen working on the side of evil. This muddied the lesson a bit for me, because surely if not every centaur is bad, not every minotaur is bad, as well. I am aware that this is the first in a trilogy, and I hope that later books address this and feature good characters of these races. However, when looking at this as a stand-alone at least, that is somewhat of a hole in the logic.
Though I appreciated this lesson and thought that it was handled fairly well, the book felt very predictable and generic. Aside from there being a town with similar values to Hitler's Germany, there was nothing about this fantasy world filled with centaurs, fauns, dwarves, and fairies (and yes, a dragon, but just for the sake of being able to say there was one in the book) that made it stand out as particularly unique and clever. Granted, it is a YA novel, so it's possible that its intended audience have read far fewer fantasies than I have and wouldn't be bothered by this, but in today's culture, YA is widely read by people of all ages, so I find that debatable.
The other issue that I had with it was the limited way that the metaphor was extended. In addition to disabled or non-blonde-haired-blue-eyed humans, the people of Abisina's land also didn't like members of other species, aka dwarves, fauns, and centaurs. They were looked down upon, and as such, even Abisina felt hesitant to accept them as she started her journey. A big part of the plot involved her encountering evil centaurs and then later having to accept that any individual has the capacity to be evil, but that it does not mean everyone like them is similarly evil. I appreciated this and think it would have been done well had the fantasy races of this world stopped there. However, the book also brought up a selection of other creatures such as minotaurs and uberwolves which were only ever seen working on the side of evil. This muddied the lesson a bit for me, because surely if not every centaur is bad, not every minotaur is bad, as well. I am aware that this is the first in a trilogy, and I hope that later books address this and feature good characters of these races. However, when looking at this as a stand-alone at least, that is somewhat of a hole in the logic.
November 4, 2022
At first, this felt like a fantasy version of Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry, but as I kept reading, it just kind of felt like a very older middle grade/younger YA version of The Horse and His Boy (well, Narnia in general, but minus the aspect of our world existing) or Tolkien's Lord of the Rings series. The themes in this story are important themes to have, and they are shown clearly through our characters, but they are also clunkily woven into the threads of the storytelling itself. As a reader, I knew what this story wanted to say because it was put across like a half-broken blinking neon sign, instead of handing us an onion and peeling it to show the layers.
Watersmeet doesn't have a chance to breathe, because our characters are constantly thrown from one plot-point to the next. While I appreciate Haret and Abisina's friendship, and I thought it was really cool to the nuances of Abisina's developing relationship with her father, in all of the complexity that comes from their situation, I thought we needed more time getting to know Watersmeet and its people. We spend some time there, but then it's all preparing for war and the actual battle itself. The battle scene is told in serious and tragic language, but I wasn't fully invested because I was barely attached to the people who were fighting.
This isn't a bad book. I probably would've enjoyed it a lot when I was younger, and I think there ARE good things about it, but I do not think they cancel out all the parts that needed to be worked on and refined. The reader is left with a soupy mess bashing them on the head with its theme and promising a deeper fantasy lore, only to pull back at the last second to provide some standard dialogue exposition and world building that is much shallower at second glance. I might read the second one,
(Also, I will add that the edition I read has a review from an alleged 13-year old reader on the back cover, and though I disagree with what they had to say, I would love to see this done on other books!)
Watersmeet doesn't have a chance to breathe, because our characters are constantly thrown from one plot-point to the next. While I appreciate Haret and Abisina's friendship, and I thought it was really cool to the nuances of Abisina's developing relationship with her father, in all of the complexity that comes from their situation, I thought we needed more time getting to know Watersmeet and its people. We spend some time there, but then it's all preparing for war and the actual battle itself. The battle scene is told in serious and tragic language, but I wasn't fully invested because I was barely attached to the people who were fighting.
This isn't a bad book. I probably would've enjoyed it a lot when I was younger, and I think there ARE good things about it, but I do not think they cancel out all the parts that needed to be worked on and refined. The reader is left with a soupy mess bashing them on the head with its theme and promising a deeper fantasy lore, only to pull back at the last second to provide some standard dialogue exposition and world building that is much shallower at second glance. I might read the second one,
(Also, I will add that the edition I read has a review from an alleged 13-year old reader on the back cover, and though I disagree with what they had to say, I would love to see this done on other books!)
July 18, 2020
This book reminded me a lot of the Giver and of Divergent in the sense that all three of them were promoting utopian worlds that were anything but utopian. In Watersmeet, everyone worships one man, white, blond, frankly, the Aryan ideal, although this world is hunter/gatherer level. But anyone who is different is cast out, cast away, shunned, abused. Abisina is one of those out casts. The only reason she isn't dead is that her mother is the village healer. But she doesn't look like her mother. When her mother is murdered, she is forced to leave everything she knows, however horrible, to find her father's people, in a place called Watersmeet. Watersmeet is a legend, a place where human, centaur, dwarf, faery, and all other creatures live together without fear but all she knows is fear and getting to Watersmeet just might kill her. She has to interact with dwarves, who save her life, and others who are so unlike her she doesn't know how to act but when she meets her father she understands that she has a choice about upholding Watersmeet's ideals. When the humans decide to wage war on anyone different from them, Abisina's father raises his own army and Abisina has to make a choice. It's a good book but not a great book. Abisina was very timid and scared throughout the entire book and it made me doubt her ability to rise to the occasion. She is supposed to take over from her father should anything happen to him but for all that she wanted to be accepted, she isn't very accepting of anyone else and it takes much of the book for her to show even a hint of promise. There is a sequel in which I assume she will show growth but the other characters were more interesting than she was and I don't think I will pick it up. But I am glad I read it.
May 26, 2022
Watersmeet is the start of an epic YA adventure fantasy series; there are 3 books total. It explains in great detail what it's like to be an outcast when you don't fit the ideal of perfect and how people can pass judgments out of fear, which allows them to be manipulated easily. Very true to life. It is fast paced, exciting, tense and sad at times. The characters are creative, unique and some are funny (like the dwarf dirty self). I loved how Watersmeet was described. Beautiful place I'd love to visit; very ideallic where everyone can live together in harmony. Wouldn't that be nice. Great read for anyone, especially younger people. Clean read, with no smut.
October 17, 2017
This book is about a girl named Abisina and how she has to go on an adventure to find her father in a place she's only heard of a few times. She has to leave her mother because a new leader comes to her village and starts doing things to the outcasts. Abisina is an outcast so she leaves the village and finds these creatures that help her find watersmeet. Watersmeet is the place she thinks her father is. Many things pop up on the way to watersmeet. This book relates to fablehaven because there are so many creatures and monsters in both books.
March 20, 2020
The beginning was so compelling that I thought it would be a different book than it was, but after she escapes her village life, it felt like... almost like reading a Redwall book, where it was relaxing and kind of an easy journey. It wasn't terribly compelling a lot of the time and I did not feel the need to rush though to find out what happened to the characters. But The end was quite anticlimactic.
December 12, 2017
I’m not a huge fan of fantasy, but that could be because I’ve never read much of it. Highly impressed with the story, the characters, and the timeliness of the novel. Identity, discrimination, and nature vs. nurture are all topics explored. It would be a great a high-interest read for those teaching quest narratives.
December 28, 2017
When I started this book, I didn't have high expectations. While the first part of this book is slow it soon picks up the pace and gets very interesting. It was a pleasant surprise when I couldn't put it down. I would recommend to anyone who is interested.
September 21, 2025
3.75- I liked the mythology and lore of this book but wish it were developed more. Some parts seemed really rushed or glossed over. I appreciate the overarching themes of facing your prejudices against “the other” and mercy/forgiveness.
December 7, 2018
Ok book, but wasn't very engaging for me.
August 24, 2019
Good start but just got boring
Dropped at p170
Dropped at p170
October 14, 2020
Really good book, however, the next two were not as good.
April 26, 2022
This book was fast paced, and kept my attention all the way through. There were definitely times where the strife between races was super frustrating but I think that was the point.
February 7, 2017
If you're looking for a good, evocative Darkness vs Light narrative, you found it.
March 12, 2022
I didn't know how I would feel about this book when I picked it up. I thought I would give it a shot and I'm glad I did. The fantasy in this book gave me Tolkien vibes. Especially for the preparing for the journey and the journey bits. I feel that the journey could have been longer. It felt surprisingly fast. There's lots of dirty detail in this book. The grit the covers a lot of the story is something you can feel. Which is why I akinned it to Tolkien. The battle, which keeps being referred to as a war, could also have been longer. Both battle and journey seemed too short.
Our main character is OK. Her age is vague on purpose I think. She's a little hard to place. Supporting cast was much better. Characters weren't as interesting as the world building. The fantasy races were both familiar and different. Lots of familiar names but with some descriptions that I have heard anywhere else.
The lore was rather extensive but not too extensive for a book of this size. It added to the world wonderfully. As more was revealed it kept me reading.
The story could have ended were it did. There's no cliff hanger or anything. I don't know if three books were always the original intent I don't think it feels that way.
One thing I found frustrating had to do with the book titles. The next two kind of give away some stuff and it just makes the reveals in this book feel weightless.
There's nothing new with the conflict of this book. Fantasy has handled racism time and time again. It's done believably.
Overall, this was a breath of fresh air for someone who reads a lot of polished and sparky fantasy. I will be checking out the next book out of curiosity.
Our main character is OK. Her age is vague on purpose I think. She's a little hard to place. Supporting cast was much better. Characters weren't as interesting as the world building. The fantasy races were both familiar and different. Lots of familiar names but with some descriptions that I have heard anywhere else.
The lore was rather extensive but not too extensive for a book of this size. It added to the world wonderfully. As more was revealed it kept me reading.
The story could have ended were it did. There's no cliff hanger or anything. I don't know if three books were always the original intent I don't think it feels that way.
One thing I found frustrating had to do with the book titles. The next two kind of give away some stuff and it just makes the reveals in this book feel weightless.
There's nothing new with the conflict of this book. Fantasy has handled racism time and time again. It's done believably.
Overall, this was a breath of fresh air for someone who reads a lot of polished and sparky fantasy. I will be checking out the next book out of curiosity.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 23, 2013
This book is about a girl named Abisina, raised in a village, Vranille, that had outcast her because of the color of her hair and skin, and for not having a father. Her mother's status as the village healer has kept her safe. However, when Vranille's idol/leader arrives in Vranille, Abisina's life is torn apart. She escapes the outcast slaughtering and tries to find her father and his home that she has never seen.
One of the key themes in this book is the difference in culture and atmosphere in Vranille and Watersmeet. In Vranille, the people are judged on whether they have traits similar to the "idea" of Vran, a person of some sort of god-like existence to them. Whether they carried these traits determined what status they had in the village, or if they were outcast. These traits could vary from hair and skin color to personality traits that may detract them from being like Vran; "The others were outcast as older children or adults, where hidden flaws were discovered: ominous birthmarks, missing digits, simplemindedness, excessive timidity, or softness- any trait that moved them further from Vran's Paragon of beauty, intelligence, strength, and bravery" (page 16). The villagers were also subject to the Elders of Vranille, who were similar to religious leaders, and lived in poverty as they sacrificed food to Vran. However, in Watersmeet,the people were much more accepting of each other, regardless of their appearance or race. In fact, the town was founded by Vigar, a woman who hoped that all races (fauns, centaurs, dwarves, humans, minotaurs, and other "evil" races) would be able to live peacefully with each other. Also, the atmosphere in Watersmeet was that of a place where people were treated equally, in comparison to Vranille who compare its own people with their Vran's Paragon.
Another key theme in this story is the main characters, Abisina, identity issues, concerning whether she belongs to Watersmeet or Vranille. Her main conflict with this the fact that she was despised in Vranille for her dark features and the fact she didn't have a father, even among other the other outcasts. She continually struggles with this, even after she arrives in Watersmeet and meets her father. However, when she finds about her father being a shape-shifter (shifting between a man and a centaur), she runs away and begins to confront him about her suffering in Vranille because of her resemblance to him and the fact that she was raised to despise centaurs in Vranille. Eventually though, she comes to accept her heritage and try to be on friendly terms with centaurs in Watersmeet.
I think that people who enjoy adventure and fantasy in books would like this book because it focuses on a different perspective of the world that the main character, Abisina, lives in.
One of the key themes in this book is the difference in culture and atmosphere in Vranille and Watersmeet. In Vranille, the people are judged on whether they have traits similar to the "idea" of Vran, a person of some sort of god-like existence to them. Whether they carried these traits determined what status they had in the village, or if they were outcast. These traits could vary from hair and skin color to personality traits that may detract them from being like Vran; "The others were outcast as older children or adults, where hidden flaws were discovered: ominous birthmarks, missing digits, simplemindedness, excessive timidity, or softness- any trait that moved them further from Vran's Paragon of beauty, intelligence, strength, and bravery" (page 16). The villagers were also subject to the Elders of Vranille, who were similar to religious leaders, and lived in poverty as they sacrificed food to Vran. However, in Watersmeet,the people were much more accepting of each other, regardless of their appearance or race. In fact, the town was founded by Vigar, a woman who hoped that all races (fauns, centaurs, dwarves, humans, minotaurs, and other "evil" races) would be able to live peacefully with each other. Also, the atmosphere in Watersmeet was that of a place where people were treated equally, in comparison to Vranille who compare its own people with their Vran's Paragon.
Another key theme in this story is the main characters, Abisina, identity issues, concerning whether she belongs to Watersmeet or Vranille. Her main conflict with this the fact that she was despised in Vranille for her dark features and the fact she didn't have a father, even among other the other outcasts. She continually struggles with this, even after she arrives in Watersmeet and meets her father. However, when she finds about her father being a shape-shifter (shifting between a man and a centaur), she runs away and begins to confront him about her suffering in Vranille because of her resemblance to him and the fact that she was raised to despise centaurs in Vranille. Eventually though, she comes to accept her heritage and try to be on friendly terms with centaurs in Watersmeet.
I think that people who enjoy adventure and fantasy in books would like this book because it focuses on a different perspective of the world that the main character, Abisina, lives in.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 14, 2015
While packed with dwarves, centaurs, fauns, fairies and more, the story is world building and focuses on discrimination. As an outcast in her village, Abisina is considered to be dirty and part demon. She is treated with a combination of abuse and neglect. In addition to the villagers' intolerance of anyone born with "flaws," the wrong skin color, hair color, or even eye color, every non-human creature is considered to be evil, a demon. Though Abisina has been raised an outcast, when she leaves her village, she takes her village's hatred and fear of non-human creatures with her.
Now, I understand it is hard to change people's beliefs, and I understand Abisina was raised to fear and hate non-humans. However, given her treatment by her own people and the kindness she receives from some of the non-humans in the story, her continual, stubborn intolerance of some groups, after learning to accept others, frustrated me. Alternately, when she finally does concede to try to give other groups a chance, her concession seems sudden given her previous stubborness.
Also, while a lot happens throughout the course of the book, I thought some of the slower scenes were taking too long; I like fast paced books with lots of action. That said, I felt like some events in the book should have taken longer, but still be moving. Even though a lot happens from the beginning to the end of the book, I did not feel the emotional connections that I thought should have been built with some of the characters by the end of the book. A lot of characters are introduced in the second half of the story that I think lacked character development. I also did not get the sense of time passing; a year passes in the story, but it felt more like a couple of months. And, because I like my gory details, I would have liked more descriptive fight scenes.
My criticisms aside, overall I enjoyed the story. While not as fast paced as I normally like, Watersmeet was not a slow read. I liked some of the characters introduced and would like to learn more about them. I plan on reading the sequel, The Centaur's Daughter, to do just that. Hopefully, many of the characters from Watersmeet will get fleshed out and I will see how, or if, new and old conflicts get resolved.
Amber S.
Librarian
Mahon Branch
Review originally published in Abilene Public Library blog on April 24, 2013.
Now, I understand it is hard to change people's beliefs, and I understand Abisina was raised to fear and hate non-humans. However, given her treatment by her own people and the kindness she receives from some of the non-humans in the story, her continual, stubborn intolerance of some groups, after learning to accept others, frustrated me. Alternately, when she finally does concede to try to give other groups a chance, her concession seems sudden given her previous stubborness.
Also, while a lot happens throughout the course of the book, I thought some of the slower scenes were taking too long; I like fast paced books with lots of action. That said, I felt like some events in the book should have taken longer, but still be moving. Even though a lot happens from the beginning to the end of the book, I did not feel the emotional connections that I thought should have been built with some of the characters by the end of the book. A lot of characters are introduced in the second half of the story that I think lacked character development. I also did not get the sense of time passing; a year passes in the story, but it felt more like a couple of months. And, because I like my gory details, I would have liked more descriptive fight scenes.
My criticisms aside, overall I enjoyed the story. While not as fast paced as I normally like, Watersmeet was not a slow read. I liked some of the characters introduced and would like to learn more about them. I plan on reading the sequel, The Centaur's Daughter, to do just that. Hopefully, many of the characters from Watersmeet will get fleshed out and I will see how, or if, new and old conflicts get resolved.
Amber S.
Librarian
Mahon Branch
Review originally published in Abilene Public Library blog on April 24, 2013.
June 13, 2012
Abisina lives in a repressive community, following the laws/religious codes of Vran, which declare her an outcast. The only reason she wasn't exposed to the elements at birth was her mother's powerful position as the village healer. But another charismatic leader is about to come to power, and his rise is bad news for all the outcasts - human and other.
Events cause Abisina to seek her father, in the far village of Watersmeet. But her journey causes her to face her own prejudices, and realize she's not the only one discriminated against. Ellen Jensen Abbott does a wonderful job of showing how being oppressed and mistreated doesn't stop you from doing the same to others - and that it's hard to learn to do anything else. It's not very subtle and at times I worried some of the metaphors/allegories were too bold, but I think the message is well presented for the age level.
The publisher, Marshall Cavendish, is marketing the book as twelve and up, but I think younger kids will enjoy it to provided they don't mind a little violence. (Nothing that's not in a Disney movie, to be honest.) I know I would've been happy if I found WATERSMEET on the shelves in elementary school.
It's got a lot of the classic fantasy elements - secret parentage, fantastic sentient creatures, a quest, and a climatic battle. But Abbott doesn't make the proceedings route - she imbues the characters with a variety of reasonable backgrounds and desires. It's a tale of cultures clashing as much as it is a fantastic quest, and that needs development of societies and mindsets.
WATERSMEET is a very quick read, at least for someone older. A class was unexpectedly cancelled and I read the entire novel waiting for the next class to begin. (Minus the time ducking into a convenience store to buy some cheese because the opening made me really hungry for it. That's the power of description for you.) I enjoy picking up something that can make me think while maintaining forward momentum.
WATERSMEET is Abbott's first novel, and it's an excellent start to her writing career. (The way it ends makes me hope that there will be a sequel. Things tie up, but there's certainly room to explore more of the world.)
Events cause Abisina to seek her father, in the far village of Watersmeet. But her journey causes her to face her own prejudices, and realize she's not the only one discriminated against. Ellen Jensen Abbott does a wonderful job of showing how being oppressed and mistreated doesn't stop you from doing the same to others - and that it's hard to learn to do anything else. It's not very subtle and at times I worried some of the metaphors/allegories were too bold, but I think the message is well presented for the age level.
The publisher, Marshall Cavendish, is marketing the book as twelve and up, but I think younger kids will enjoy it to provided they don't mind a little violence. (Nothing that's not in a Disney movie, to be honest.) I know I would've been happy if I found WATERSMEET on the shelves in elementary school.
It's got a lot of the classic fantasy elements - secret parentage, fantastic sentient creatures, a quest, and a climatic battle. But Abbott doesn't make the proceedings route - she imbues the characters with a variety of reasonable backgrounds and desires. It's a tale of cultures clashing as much as it is a fantastic quest, and that needs development of societies and mindsets.
WATERSMEET is a very quick read, at least for someone older. A class was unexpectedly cancelled and I read the entire novel waiting for the next class to begin. (Minus the time ducking into a convenience store to buy some cheese because the opening made me really hungry for it. That's the power of description for you.) I enjoy picking up something that can make me think while maintaining forward momentum.
WATERSMEET is Abbott's first novel, and it's an excellent start to her writing career. (The way it ends makes me hope that there will be a sequel. Things tie up, but there's certainly room to explore more of the world.)
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