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The Forever Sea #2
The Endless Song
The second book in this environmental epic fantasy series delves into the mysteries of a world where ships kept afloat by magical hearthfires sail an endless grass sea.
After setting fire to the Forever Sea and leaving the surface world behind, Kindred Greyreach dives below to find a Seafloor populated by roving bands of scavengers. Among them, Kindred discovers a familiar face working to save the Sea from the continued spread of the Greys and the ravages of the world above. But when Kindred finds herself at odds with them, she and her friends will have to use every power available to them—including their link to the surface world—to forestall disaster.
Meanwhile, above, a boy named Flitch, son of the Baron of the Borders, finds himself caught in a dangerous political crisis as survivors from Arcadia and the Once-City arrive on the Mainland. When Flitch begins to receive messages from someone below the Sea, the denizens of the Mainland see it as a sign that ancient enemies from across the Forever Sea are returning. The resulting crisis forces Flitch and his siblings to flee, as they seek out the truth hidden in old stories.
Above and below, Flitch and Kindred will have to work together to save themselves, their loved ones, and the Forever Sea itself.
After setting fire to the Forever Sea and leaving the surface world behind, Kindred Greyreach dives below to find a Seafloor populated by roving bands of scavengers. Among them, Kindred discovers a familiar face working to save the Sea from the continued spread of the Greys and the ravages of the world above. But when Kindred finds herself at odds with them, she and her friends will have to use every power available to them—including their link to the surface world—to forestall disaster.
Meanwhile, above, a boy named Flitch, son of the Baron of the Borders, finds himself caught in a dangerous political crisis as survivors from Arcadia and the Once-City arrive on the Mainland. When Flitch begins to receive messages from someone below the Sea, the denizens of the Mainland see it as a sign that ancient enemies from across the Forever Sea are returning. The resulting crisis forces Flitch and his siblings to flee, as they seek out the truth hidden in old stories.
Above and below, Flitch and Kindred will have to work together to save themselves, their loved ones, and the Forever Sea itself.
487 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 14, 2023
20 people are currently reading
2672 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
February 10, 2023
A good sequel to The Forever Sea and some of the best queer representation in the genre.
Unique Worldbuilding
Every fantasy book is the same when it comes to the setting. Sure, we have differences here and there, but they are all essentially the same and you can’t tell me otherwise - not that I hate that; I love it!
But in The Forever Sea series, Joshua Phillip Johnson does something with worldbuilding I have only seen from one other writer (so far - and that other writer is R. J. Barker) - the author has created something unique - and it’s a beautiful world!
Also, there are strong themes of environmentalism which I appreciated and want to see more of in the genre as a whole.
Wonderful Characters and Relationships
I’ve been seeking out more LGBTQ+ representation in my fantasy books, so it was lovely to see some great rep in The Endless Song.
The main point I want to mention with characters is that they all have a strong sense of voice, rather than being cardboard cutouts. Additionally, their personal character arcs that intertwine with the main plot of the novel were intricate and satisfying to read.
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Unique Worldbuilding
Every fantasy book is the same when it comes to the setting. Sure, we have differences here and there, but they are all essentially the same and you can’t tell me otherwise - not that I hate that; I love it!
But in The Forever Sea series, Joshua Phillip Johnson does something with worldbuilding I have only seen from one other writer (so far - and that other writer is R. J. Barker) - the author has created something unique - and it’s a beautiful world!
Also, there are strong themes of environmentalism which I appreciated and want to see more of in the genre as a whole.
Wonderful Characters and Relationships
I’ve been seeking out more LGBTQ+ representation in my fantasy books, so it was lovely to see some great rep in The Endless Song.
The main point I want to mention with characters is that they all have a strong sense of voice, rather than being cardboard cutouts. Additionally, their personal character arcs that intertwine with the main plot of the novel were intricate and satisfying to read.
Blog | Patreon | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
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January 31, 2022Fuhhhhhhh I can’t wait for this book!!!!!
April 16, 2023
This book is hard to rate because I did feel like this book was slightly better then book one, The Forever Sea. However, I felt like this book, no, this series went nowhere. I saw so much potential, but ultimately for me this just didn't land for me. This series and book in no way are awful, but more so didn't give me what I wanted. Joshua Phillip Johnson has an amazing writing style, their ideas and world building, super strong. Where I can see they need improvement is in their characters because they lacked life and depth. The Borders Family though that was introduced in this book, now I could have followed them as the main characters over both book instead of Kindred.
This again is in no way a bad book. I didn't hate it and it is beautifully written, with potential. I still want to see more of what Johnson has to offer. So what ever he decides to put out next, I will be waiting.
This again is in no way a bad book. I didn't hate it and it is beautifully written, with potential. I still want to see more of what Johnson has to offer. So what ever he decides to put out next, I will be waiting.
April 6, 2023
3.5/5
Better than the first book in many ways, but still not great
This was okay, and I had a decent time. The world is still the best part of this. When I say "world", I don't mean the world-building, which is only serviceable. The grass seas are so cool, and this had some interesting creatures and ideas that I would have loved to have seen explored more.
My biggest issue with the first book was Kindred. She's much more tolerable here, and has some needed character development, but the development doesn't feel earned. She suddenly cares about someone else now? She's repeatedly called out on her selfishness, but she almost never stops to think about what her actions in the last book actually meant for so many people. Arcadia and the Once-City are almost forgotten here, which sucks. The Once-city sunk, and no one survived? I refuse to believe that. Her finally meeting the Marchess was SO anticlimactic, and I felt nothing. I think this is because I never cared for her and Kindred's relationship in the first place. The climax of their story didn't do much for me either, but I can see how it could have hit.
I really liked Flitch. Didn't like his story as much, but he was endearing and a needed break from Kindred. However, he should have been introduced in the first book, because his story felt SO rushed. His relationship with his siblings had the beginning of something really great, if only it had time to develop. The storyteller parts were my favorite parts, but the reveal would have been much more interesting if Flitch had been introduced in the first book. The labyrinth-stuff could also have been cool, but that too felt rushed. Flitch should have been introduced in the first book with his story ending with the cliffhanger of him getting the book and/or the reveal that he was the storyteller. I didn't care about the final battle at all, and yet again, it was rushed.
Overall, this was better than the first book, but only barely. Kindred is much less annoying (there's still no chemistry between her and Sarah), and the new character of Flitch was a good addition. Their stories, however, were both weirdly paced and rushed in places they really shouldn't have been. Again, this was better than the first book. The ending felt pretty final, so if there's another book in this series, I'm not sure I'm going to pick it up.
Better than the first book in many ways, but still not great
This was okay, and I had a decent time. The world is still the best part of this. When I say "world", I don't mean the world-building, which is only serviceable. The grass seas are so cool, and this had some interesting creatures and ideas that I would have loved to have seen explored more.
My biggest issue with the first book was Kindred. She's much more tolerable here, and has some needed character development, but the development doesn't feel earned. She suddenly cares about someone else now? She's repeatedly called out on her selfishness, but she almost never stops to think about what her actions in the last book actually meant for so many people. Arcadia and the Once-City are almost forgotten here, which sucks. The Once-city sunk, and no one survived? I refuse to believe that. Her finally meeting the Marchess was SO anticlimactic, and I felt nothing. I think this is because I never cared for her and Kindred's relationship in the first place. The climax of their story didn't do much for me either, but I can see how it could have hit.
I really liked Flitch. Didn't like his story as much, but he was endearing and a needed break from Kindred. However, he should have been introduced in the first book, because his story felt SO rushed. His relationship with his siblings had the beginning of something really great, if only it had time to develop. The storyteller parts were my favorite parts, but the reveal would have been much more interesting if Flitch had been introduced in the first book. The labyrinth-stuff could also have been cool, but that too felt rushed. Flitch should have been introduced in the first book with his story ending with the cliffhanger of him getting the book and/or the reveal that he was the storyteller. I didn't care about the final battle at all, and yet again, it was rushed.
Overall, this was better than the first book, but only barely. Kindred is much less annoying (there's still no chemistry between her and Sarah), and the new character of Flitch was a good addition. Their stories, however, were both weirdly paced and rushed in places they really shouldn't have been. Again, this was better than the first book. The ending felt pretty final, so if there's another book in this series, I'm not sure I'm going to pick it up.
July 12, 2024
"The Endless Song" by Joshua Phillip Johnson is a sequel that follows not only Kindred, like in the first book, but also Flitch. The book didn't go quite as I expected, which is not necessarily a bad thing.
I liked Kindred's storyline, especially the people in the world beneath the prairie grasses. They were intriguing, and the conflict was quite interesting. However, the characters felt underdeveloped. Despite their potential, you don't learn much about them, and many aspects weren't properly explained. The pace was slow, with not much happening, and the explanations often felt odd. The grandmother, unlike in the first book where she was fleshed out through flashbacks, was quite annoying in this installment.
Flitch's storyline was more engaging and better developed, but I found it hard to connect with him. His family's big secret didn't captivate me. Some elements of the magic system seemed inconsistent, or perhaps my lack of interest made it feel that way.
What kept me reading was the world-building. Joshua Johnson excels at creating a well-thought-out and visually stunning world. Everything is vividly described, making it come to life, yet leaves enough to the imagination for readers to add their own spin. If there were a book solely about this world with beautiful illustrations, I would buy it immediately.
Johnson's original ideas are impressive, and I'm very curious about what he will create in the future.
Overall, I found this book a bit disappointing in terms of character and plot development. However, the world-building was exceptional and kept me engaged.
I liked Kindred's storyline, especially the people in the world beneath the prairie grasses. They were intriguing, and the conflict was quite interesting. However, the characters felt underdeveloped. Despite their potential, you don't learn much about them, and many aspects weren't properly explained. The pace was slow, with not much happening, and the explanations often felt odd. The grandmother, unlike in the first book where she was fleshed out through flashbacks, was quite annoying in this installment.
Flitch's storyline was more engaging and better developed, but I found it hard to connect with him. His family's big secret didn't captivate me. Some elements of the magic system seemed inconsistent, or perhaps my lack of interest made it feel that way.
What kept me reading was the world-building. Joshua Johnson excels at creating a well-thought-out and visually stunning world. Everything is vividly described, making it come to life, yet leaves enough to the imagination for readers to add their own spin. If there were a book solely about this world with beautiful illustrations, I would buy it immediately.
Johnson's original ideas are impressive, and I'm very curious about what he will create in the future.
Overall, I found this book a bit disappointing in terms of character and plot development. However, the world-building was exceptional and kept me engaged.
March 26, 2023
Disappointing. The only reason I finished it is that I had purchased the audiobook and it felt like a waste of money not to. Overall, it felt like this book went on and on about completely inconsequential things.
The pacing was glacial for most of it. The big payoff from the first book was devastatingly underwhelming, and the main message was simplistic, overly dramatic and overdone. The YA aspect of it really let me down. The characters could have had a lot more personal growth in 464 pages, but we get one big realisation per character. The ending was not in the order that would have made the biggest impact. The big battle with the cliffhanger should have been the actual ending, instead of having to read through yet another chapter of the storyteller. It was anticlimactic.
Most of the book follows a new group of siblings instead of Kindred and Sarah, who are relegated to secondary characters. I could not care for any of the new characters, who were paper thin. Some of the new settings introduced could have been a lot cooler if the world-building had been addressed like in the first book. The world-building was my favourite part of that one but in this one, it's almost non-existent. I came here for descriptions of floating cities build inside of a vegetal ocean and all I got was a vague labyrinth and the answer to what the hell those weird interludes with the mysterious guy telling the story were. It wasn't thrilling. May I suggest The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi instead? I won't be continuing this series if there's another book.
The pacing was glacial for most of it. The big payoff from the first book was devastatingly underwhelming, and the main message was simplistic, overly dramatic and overdone. The YA aspect of it really let me down. The characters could have had a lot more personal growth in 464 pages, but we get one big realisation per character. The ending was not in the order that would have made the biggest impact. The big battle with the cliffhanger should have been the actual ending, instead of having to read through yet another chapter of the storyteller. It was anticlimactic.
Most of the book follows a new group of siblings instead of Kindred and Sarah, who are relegated to secondary characters. I could not care for any of the new characters, who were paper thin. Some of the new settings introduced could have been a lot cooler if the world-building had been addressed like in the first book. The world-building was my favourite part of that one but in this one, it's almost non-existent. I came here for descriptions of floating cities build inside of a vegetal ocean and all I got was a vague labyrinth and the answer to what the hell those weird interludes with the mysterious guy telling the story were. It wasn't thrilling. May I suggest The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi instead? I won't be continuing this series if there's another book.
March 23, 2023
Read this review and other Science Fiction/Fantasy book reviews at The Quill to Live
Back in 2021, The Forever Sea, by Joshua Phillip Johnson was on our Dark Horse list. I enjoyed the book, but it was brought to heel by the lack of character. Over time I think the book lost some of its luster, but I still remembered the sweeping landscapes painted in my brain by Johnson’s prose. So when it was revealed that the sequel, The Endless Song, was coming out this year I felt both a cautious anxiety and a pull to dream once again in the grassy shoals. Unfortunately, the issues I had with the first book reared their big heads and made for a less than pleasant reading experience. Spoilers for The Forever Sea lie ahead; consult your maps if you wish to avoid them.
Kindred has been involved in the destruction of the Once-city, and Arcadia has been brought to its knees. But Kindred is still on the hunt for her Grandmother, the Marchess, and dives deep into the grassy sea that dominates the world. While down there, she encounters a wandering court who know of the Marchess, but she has fallen in with the Fell Court and may be up to more insidious tasks than Kindred was hoping for. Meanwhile, the Barony of the Borders is falling on the King of the Mainlands' bad side. Their quirky nature meant to hide a deep family secret is wearing thin in the greedy king’s eyes. Flitch wants to do everything he can to help his family succeed and maintain their place in the world, but being the youngest of the Borders children makes achieving such a fate tougher than he imagines. Can both Kindred and Flitch follow their stories to save what they can? Or will they be cut short by forces outside their control.
Let me highlight some of the bits I liked first. Johnson’s prose is still wonderful, but it serves a different purpose here. Gone are the colors of the world as we venture below the sea and into the deep recesses of the Borders’ estate. Details are still there, but instead of the stained glass paintings, it’s dark voids filled with secrets and anxieties. The detritus of the top world litters the ground of the undersea. A shifting labyrinth haunts the basement of the Border castle, filled with a being who hunts you so that you may realize your true dreams, but at a cost. Johnson has some truly clever turns of phrase that just light up the story with a bit of mystery. It doesn’t feel as lush as the first book, but it keeps the world alive and breathing.
The Endless Song is also just full of some insanely fun and terrifying ideas. The Labyrinth as a family secret was fun, creepy and unfortunately underutilized. Quietus had some truly solid dialogue that cemented him as one of the better minotaurs of the maze I’ve read. The shadowdrake, was another truly astounding idea. A spirit that chases you till it consumes you, but can be stopped in its tracks as long as you chant its name, forever devoted to it in prayer. The book is just filled with all of these smaller ideas that don’t seem entirely connected to main themes, but nonetheless capture my attention to make me see how they play into the rest of the story.
However, that’s where most of my praise will stop. I had a hard time reading this book and making sure I got to the end. The addition of a second point of view character was welcome at first, but I quickly lost interest in the plight of the Borders. They felt flat as a family and mostly served to expand on the worldbuilding and open up to the themes of The Endless Sea. Not necessarily a bad thing, but I found it tedious and it got in the way of Kindred’s tale. The POV issue was also somewhat hampered by it switching only between chapters, which I think would help ramp up the tension, but most of the time each chapter felt like it was lagging on the cliffhanger. The lack of information as the two halves started dialoguing didn’t really affect the plot all that much, and I found it frustrating.
The lack of character depth was particularly strong in the sequel. Even Kindred herself barely felt like the single rounded character. I did have a better appreciation for Ragged Sarah, but she could have had more time to really shine. The Borders Family, including the lead role Flitch, just felt tacked on. They had some fun quirks, and a really neat family history—again, I cannot overstate how much I love a FAMILY SECRET LABYRINTH, but I really didn’t care about their spat with the king. He was a king, and he was bad. Cool. The lack of character also blunted a lot of the conflict. This was a problem in The Forever Sea but it felt hyper-realized here. Conflicts lasted sentences. The characters didn't run into a wall, and take the time to reflect on things. Instead they bounced off the wall like a rubber ball and zoomed in the opposite direction. Resolutions came and went with the most minimal of set up. And that’s in a book that felt like it only truly got started over halfway through the book. There wasn’t any nuance or introspection, it just was, and now it is.
I think part of this stems from the nature of the two books. Now I will admit, I went into The Endless Song thinking it was the second in a trilogy, so my thoughts are definitely tinged. But the first book felt like the opener to an epic fantasy with a capital P Plot, and capital T Themes. But The Endless Song has a different plan in mind, one that is ostensibly good even, but the whiplash of expectations was strong and shaded my reading experience. The shift to smaller stories within the vast world felt right, but it made Kindred’s big adventure feel accidentally deflated instead of ritually sacrificed for greater effect. It didn’t hurt that the progression of the story didn’t lead the reader to the conclusion, it just dropped the piano on their head right before the climax. The book felt as if it was trying to be a story about the nature of having big stories and myths one follows, but it didn’t stick the landing and fell a full 360 degrees short.
I wanted to like The Endless Song and the stories Johnson was trying to sing, but it just fell flat for me. I didn’t feel the connection I felt in the first book, which brought to light all of the aspects that didn’t work. The sea change only made the experience more discordant. Maybe with time I might find some more appreciation, but right now I can’t say I enjoyed the second go around. If you loved The Forever Sea, you might find a lot to like about The Endless Song, but for me this was a frustrating experience.
Rating: The Endless Song - 5.5/10
-Alex
An ARC of this book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The thoughts on this book are my own.
Back in 2021, The Forever Sea, by Joshua Phillip Johnson was on our Dark Horse list. I enjoyed the book, but it was brought to heel by the lack of character. Over time I think the book lost some of its luster, but I still remembered the sweeping landscapes painted in my brain by Johnson’s prose. So when it was revealed that the sequel, The Endless Song, was coming out this year I felt both a cautious anxiety and a pull to dream once again in the grassy shoals. Unfortunately, the issues I had with the first book reared their big heads and made for a less than pleasant reading experience. Spoilers for The Forever Sea lie ahead; consult your maps if you wish to avoid them.
Kindred has been involved in the destruction of the Once-city, and Arcadia has been brought to its knees. But Kindred is still on the hunt for her Grandmother, the Marchess, and dives deep into the grassy sea that dominates the world. While down there, she encounters a wandering court who know of the Marchess, but she has fallen in with the Fell Court and may be up to more insidious tasks than Kindred was hoping for. Meanwhile, the Barony of the Borders is falling on the King of the Mainlands' bad side. Their quirky nature meant to hide a deep family secret is wearing thin in the greedy king’s eyes. Flitch wants to do everything he can to help his family succeed and maintain their place in the world, but being the youngest of the Borders children makes achieving such a fate tougher than he imagines. Can both Kindred and Flitch follow their stories to save what they can? Or will they be cut short by forces outside their control.
Let me highlight some of the bits I liked first. Johnson’s prose is still wonderful, but it serves a different purpose here. Gone are the colors of the world as we venture below the sea and into the deep recesses of the Borders’ estate. Details are still there, but instead of the stained glass paintings, it’s dark voids filled with secrets and anxieties. The detritus of the top world litters the ground of the undersea. A shifting labyrinth haunts the basement of the Border castle, filled with a being who hunts you so that you may realize your true dreams, but at a cost. Johnson has some truly clever turns of phrase that just light up the story with a bit of mystery. It doesn’t feel as lush as the first book, but it keeps the world alive and breathing.
The Endless Song is also just full of some insanely fun and terrifying ideas. The Labyrinth as a family secret was fun, creepy and unfortunately underutilized. Quietus had some truly solid dialogue that cemented him as one of the better minotaurs of the maze I’ve read. The shadowdrake, was another truly astounding idea. A spirit that chases you till it consumes you, but can be stopped in its tracks as long as you chant its name, forever devoted to it in prayer. The book is just filled with all of these smaller ideas that don’t seem entirely connected to main themes, but nonetheless capture my attention to make me see how they play into the rest of the story.
However, that’s where most of my praise will stop. I had a hard time reading this book and making sure I got to the end. The addition of a second point of view character was welcome at first, but I quickly lost interest in the plight of the Borders. They felt flat as a family and mostly served to expand on the worldbuilding and open up to the themes of The Endless Sea. Not necessarily a bad thing, but I found it tedious and it got in the way of Kindred’s tale. The POV issue was also somewhat hampered by it switching only between chapters, which I think would help ramp up the tension, but most of the time each chapter felt like it was lagging on the cliffhanger. The lack of information as the two halves started dialoguing didn’t really affect the plot all that much, and I found it frustrating.
The lack of character depth was particularly strong in the sequel. Even Kindred herself barely felt like the single rounded character. I did have a better appreciation for Ragged Sarah, but she could have had more time to really shine. The Borders Family, including the lead role Flitch, just felt tacked on. They had some fun quirks, and a really neat family history—again, I cannot overstate how much I love a FAMILY SECRET LABYRINTH, but I really didn’t care about their spat with the king. He was a king, and he was bad. Cool. The lack of character also blunted a lot of the conflict. This was a problem in The Forever Sea but it felt hyper-realized here. Conflicts lasted sentences. The characters didn't run into a wall, and take the time to reflect on things. Instead they bounced off the wall like a rubber ball and zoomed in the opposite direction. Resolutions came and went with the most minimal of set up. And that’s in a book that felt like it only truly got started over halfway through the book. There wasn’t any nuance or introspection, it just was, and now it is.
I think part of this stems from the nature of the two books. Now I will admit, I went into The Endless Song thinking it was the second in a trilogy, so my thoughts are definitely tinged. But the first book felt like the opener to an epic fantasy with a capital P Plot, and capital T Themes. But The Endless Song has a different plan in mind, one that is ostensibly good even, but the whiplash of expectations was strong and shaded my reading experience. The shift to smaller stories within the vast world felt right, but it made Kindred’s big adventure feel accidentally deflated instead of ritually sacrificed for greater effect. It didn’t hurt that the progression of the story didn’t lead the reader to the conclusion, it just dropped the piano on their head right before the climax. The book felt as if it was trying to be a story about the nature of having big stories and myths one follows, but it didn’t stick the landing and fell a full 360 degrees short.
I wanted to like The Endless Song and the stories Johnson was trying to sing, but it just fell flat for me. I didn’t feel the connection I felt in the first book, which brought to light all of the aspects that didn’t work. The sea change only made the experience more discordant. Maybe with time I might find some more appreciation, but right now I can’t say I enjoyed the second go around. If you loved The Forever Sea, you might find a lot to like about The Endless Song, but for me this was a frustrating experience.
Rating: The Endless Song - 5.5/10
-Alex
An ARC of this book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The thoughts on this book are my own.
July 23, 2024
(4.25 stars)
Tagged: found-family, adventurous, hopeful, inspiring, medium-fast paced
Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
This is a great sequel. All around an astoundingly solid book. Every bit of the first book came full circle in this one, and there were no loose ends left wagging in the wind, which I am extremely fond of.
Johnston sculpted these characters from the raw clay that was in my mind, and as the story progressed, so too did my image of and fondness for them. No character was left vague, no sub-plot was left half-done. Absolutely incredibly done; you can tell the author put an insane amount of forethought and planning into this story.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Blood, Murder, and Death of parent
^Note: copied from StoryGraph
Tagged: found-family, adventurous, hopeful, inspiring, medium-fast paced
Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
This is a great sequel. All around an astoundingly solid book. Every bit of the first book came full circle in this one, and there were no loose ends left wagging in the wind, which I am extremely fond of.
Johnston sculpted these characters from the raw clay that was in my mind, and as the story progressed, so too did my image of and fondness for them. No character was left vague, no sub-plot was left half-done. Absolutely incredibly done; you can tell the author put an insane amount of forethought and planning into this story.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Blood, Murder, and Death of parent
^Note: copied from StoryGraph
Read
November 13, 2024Sigh. I loved the first book but this one fell flat for me. Not enough lesbians, not enough weirdness in the plant ocean, too many political children.
April 24, 2023
A rather melancholy conclusion to this duology. Still filled with wonder, epic derring-do and beautiful prose that can get a little close to wearing purple, but not quite the joyous marvel the first novel was.
February 25, 2025
I really love the concept of these books but I struggled to get into this one as much as I did the first book. I found Kindred a bit dull and preferred reading about the Borders children. I really enjoyed the writing, especially how the relationships between the siblings were written. The book held my attention better towards the end and i liked how Flitch and Kindred’s stories intertwined.
September 9, 2024
I adored Joshua Phillip Johnson’s The Forever Sea, set in a world where ships kept afloat by magical hearthfires sail an endless sea of grass, so much that I eagerly snatched up the sequel. And ended up wishing it had been a stand-alone.
This overly long book followed two storylines that are so disconnected for the first three-quarters of the book, I wished it had been divided into two separate volumes or, better yet, that the “continuing” story be cut. By far my favorite part involves a mainland noble family, Borders, that has fallen on hard times, both financially and politically. The power struggles of the ruthless Emperor and the vassal barons are convoluted, rich in cultural world-building, and full of drama. I found the loving, boisterous relationship between youngest Borders child, Flitch, and his siblings delightful and emotionally moving. The action gets even more gripping when, under immediate risk of their barony being destroyed by the Emperor, Flitch’s father reveals a secret hidden deep beneath their castle: the entrance to a realm of immensely powerful and deadly, nonhuman magic. Everything about the “Flitch” narrative grabbed me, from the tense action to the sweet love story between one of Flitch’s siblings, a gifted gender-neutral artist and a charismatic librarian from another barony, to their sister’s impulsive nature and the quiet, detail orientation of another brother. Eventually, the family seeks refuge with a neighbor baron, a youthful-seeming woman of extraordinary strength and madcap humor. She may well give Flitch a run as the most enchanting character in the book.
Meanwhile, Kindred, the heroine from the first volume, follows up setting the grass sea on fire with scuttling her ship, thereby sending her crew—all two of them, one of whom is her lover--to the eerie bottom of the sea. Here, the landscape is filled with fantastical plants and perhaps-animals, not to mention roving bands of humans eking out their livelihood from detritus falling from the surface. Alas, until well past the halfway point, there was so little dramatic tension in these chapters, I kept falling asleep.
At last, most of the way through the book, the two story lines veer toward one another when Kindred’s long-lost grandmother unleashes an army of deep-sea monsters that threaten human life on the surface. Alas, at this point I had lost all interest in the Kindred story, I skimmed over those parts to get back to the dramatic adventures of Flitch and his family. For me, past midway is far too late to introduce a reason to care about these characters and way, way too late for a hint that the two stories will at some nebulous point in the future come together (and they don’t, except in a deus ex machina sort of way). I kept reading on the strength of the first volume, but I don’t see how a reader new to this series would make any sense of it. Which is too bad because The Forever Sea is a really, really cool world. And Flitch's story is magnificent.
The five stars refer ONLY to the Flitch story line.
This overly long book followed two storylines that are so disconnected for the first three-quarters of the book, I wished it had been divided into two separate volumes or, better yet, that the “continuing” story be cut. By far my favorite part involves a mainland noble family, Borders, that has fallen on hard times, both financially and politically. The power struggles of the ruthless Emperor and the vassal barons are convoluted, rich in cultural world-building, and full of drama. I found the loving, boisterous relationship between youngest Borders child, Flitch, and his siblings delightful and emotionally moving. The action gets even more gripping when, under immediate risk of their barony being destroyed by the Emperor, Flitch’s father reveals a secret hidden deep beneath their castle: the entrance to a realm of immensely powerful and deadly, nonhuman magic. Everything about the “Flitch” narrative grabbed me, from the tense action to the sweet love story between one of Flitch’s siblings, a gifted gender-neutral artist and a charismatic librarian from another barony, to their sister’s impulsive nature and the quiet, detail orientation of another brother. Eventually, the family seeks refuge with a neighbor baron, a youthful-seeming woman of extraordinary strength and madcap humor. She may well give Flitch a run as the most enchanting character in the book.
Meanwhile, Kindred, the heroine from the first volume, follows up setting the grass sea on fire with scuttling her ship, thereby sending her crew—all two of them, one of whom is her lover--to the eerie bottom of the sea. Here, the landscape is filled with fantastical plants and perhaps-animals, not to mention roving bands of humans eking out their livelihood from detritus falling from the surface. Alas, until well past the halfway point, there was so little dramatic tension in these chapters, I kept falling asleep.
At last, most of the way through the book, the two story lines veer toward one another when Kindred’s long-lost grandmother unleashes an army of deep-sea monsters that threaten human life on the surface. Alas, at this point I had lost all interest in the Kindred story, I skimmed over those parts to get back to the dramatic adventures of Flitch and his family. For me, past midway is far too late to introduce a reason to care about these characters and way, way too late for a hint that the two stories will at some nebulous point in the future come together (and they don’t, except in a deus ex machina sort of way). I kept reading on the strength of the first volume, but I don’t see how a reader new to this series would make any sense of it. Which is too bad because The Forever Sea is a really, really cool world. And Flitch's story is magnificent.
The five stars refer ONLY to the Flitch story line.
June 13, 2023
This book, the second in a duology, solves all the mysteries and leftover plot threads of the first book,
The Forever Sea
. We find out what happens to all the characters, and the delicate ecology of the Forever Sea and the world is explained.
This ended up being as good as the first book, but it took a little time to get there. The reason for this is unlike the first book, with its tight focus on the hearthkeeper Kindred Greyreach, there are two viewpoint characters and two entwined storylines. They do end up coming together in the end, making sense not only of this book but the first and the series as a whole. However, it felt a little bit of a drag to get through Flitch's chapters in the beginning, as I wanted to be down under the Sea with Kindred. You might feel that way too, but stick with it. I promise Flitch's chapters will make sense and they will draw you into his story.
Both Flitch and Kindred have some impressive character work in this book. The theme of Flitch's storyline is his family growing away from him and leaving him behind:
First Idyll and now the baron--Flitch looked around at his family and wondered how many other lives they were leading, how many other friends and family they were finding and founding, how many paths they walked without him. They were like Gwyn's plants, and while he had been mistaking flowers for the plant, their roots had been growing deeper and further away from him, their stalks reaching away, budding and flowering elsewhere.
(As befits a world with a green grass Sea instead of a liquid water one, most of the phrases and metaphors of the culture are plant-based. This is another fine detail of the worldbuilding.)
Kindred, on the other hand, has to confront her goal of finding her grandmother the Marchess, a former pirate captain who stepped off her boat and dove to the bottom of the Sea. The Marchess raised Kindred and taught her everything she knows about sailing the Sea and tending the hearthfire. Kindred has to confront the fact that her grandmother is doing some very bad things, even if they are for an ostensibly good purpose. She has to break with her grandmother and stop her to save the people above, and this dovetails with Flitch's story. Both their stories, while wrapped up well, are a bit heartbreaking and bittersweet.
This is an immersive world with unique worldbuilding and well-drawn characters. I don't often buy hardbacks these days, but I bought both these books.
This ended up being as good as the first book, but it took a little time to get there. The reason for this is unlike the first book, with its tight focus on the hearthkeeper Kindred Greyreach, there are two viewpoint characters and two entwined storylines. They do end up coming together in the end, making sense not only of this book but the first and the series as a whole. However, it felt a little bit of a drag to get through Flitch's chapters in the beginning, as I wanted to be down under the Sea with Kindred. You might feel that way too, but stick with it. I promise Flitch's chapters will make sense and they will draw you into his story.
Both Flitch and Kindred have some impressive character work in this book. The theme of Flitch's storyline is his family growing away from him and leaving him behind:
First Idyll and now the baron--Flitch looked around at his family and wondered how many other lives they were leading, how many other friends and family they were finding and founding, how many paths they walked without him. They were like Gwyn's plants, and while he had been mistaking flowers for the plant, their roots had been growing deeper and further away from him, their stalks reaching away, budding and flowering elsewhere.
(As befits a world with a green grass Sea instead of a liquid water one, most of the phrases and metaphors of the culture are plant-based. This is another fine detail of the worldbuilding.)
Kindred, on the other hand, has to confront her goal of finding her grandmother the Marchess, a former pirate captain who stepped off her boat and dove to the bottom of the Sea. The Marchess raised Kindred and taught her everything she knows about sailing the Sea and tending the hearthfire. Kindred has to confront the fact that her grandmother is doing some very bad things, even if they are for an ostensibly good purpose. She has to break with her grandmother and stop her to save the people above, and this dovetails with Flitch's story. Both their stories, while wrapped up well, are a bit heartbreaking and bittersweet.
This is an immersive world with unique worldbuilding and well-drawn characters. I don't often buy hardbacks these days, but I bought both these books.
June 30, 2024
This could have been amazing, but sadly, it wasn't.
Kindreds story should have been a standalone. I was already frustrated at this while reading the first book, specifically because the plot led nowhere, and most of the things she did proved irrelevant to this second book. But her story in this continuation felt so... disjointed. It didn't help that Seraph got a new name and felt like a new character for that reason, and Kindred was so different from book one. Less insufferable. But mainly, it was because her main goal in book one/this series (Kindred following her grandmother into the sea) only happened halfway through the second book.
Flitch's story was very cute, but he, too, would have profited from a book solely dedicated to him. His relationships with his sibling had a great setup, and therefore, the ending was very emotional! The whole setup with Quietus and the Labyrinth was fascinating (yet not explored enough), but his curse felt so rushed. Also, it was extremely frustrating to follow his story that didn't connect with Kundreds until 3/4 through this series.
The most frustrating aspect (and the reason I have to round my rating down to two star was that the world still felt underdeveloped and flat. Don't get me wrong, the aesthetics of this sea made of grass were amazing! But after reading two books in this world, there are still too many questions unanswered.
This book delved into the mythology of the world without giving it roots or exploring it. It didn't help that Quietus and the ways in which the different kinds of magic worked were never explained. I usually really like soft magic systems, but here it was just used to throw cool stuff at the characters in a world that didn't feel magical enough to justify that.
Also, the Marchess ending up as the villain to be defeated was just dumb. At least Gwynns character gave me what I longed for in the Marchess.
Kindreds story should have been a standalone. I was already frustrated at this while reading the first book, specifically because the plot led nowhere, and most of the things she did proved irrelevant to this second book. But her story in this continuation felt so... disjointed. It didn't help that Seraph got a new name and felt like a new character for that reason, and Kindred was so different from book one. Less insufferable. But mainly, it was because her main goal in book one/this series (Kindred following her grandmother into the sea) only happened halfway through the second book.
Flitch's story was very cute, but he, too, would have profited from a book solely dedicated to him. His relationships with his sibling had a great setup, and therefore, the ending was very emotional! The whole setup with Quietus and the Labyrinth was fascinating (yet not explored enough), but his curse felt so rushed. Also, it was extremely frustrating to follow his story that didn't connect with Kundreds until 3/4 through this series.
The most frustrating aspect (and the reason I have to round my rating down to two star was that the world still felt underdeveloped and flat. Don't get me wrong, the aesthetics of this sea made of grass were amazing! But after reading two books in this world, there are still too many questions unanswered.
This book delved into the mythology of the world without giving it roots or exploring it. It didn't help that Quietus and the ways in which the different kinds of magic worked were never explained. I usually really like soft magic systems, but here it was just used to throw cool stuff at the characters in a world that didn't feel magical enough to justify that.
Also, the Marchess ending up as the villain to be defeated was just dumb. At least Gwynns character gave me what I longed for in the Marchess.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 11, 2025
4 stars, Metaphorosis reviews
Summary
Even the Mainland is affected by Kindred Greyreach's decision to set the Endless Sea on fire and escape into its depths. As tension mounts, the Borders baron and his four children find that they must escape from or fight the king, and must draw on Borders' deepest secret to do so.
Review
For most of its length, The Endless Song is a stronger story than The Forever Sea. It’s more focused, equally interesting, and introduces a crew of new characters. Where it goes wrong is in stopping very abruptly.
In Endless Song, we do, as promised, get down under the Endless Sea and find out what’s down there. It’s frankly not as much as I’d hoped, and is something of a letdown. But because Johnson has set up some additional, related mysteries before we get there, it’s not as disappointing as it might have been. In fact, he offers up a host of new mysteries that could use exploration and explanation.
For the bulk of the story, I was fairly confident that this was the second book in a trilogy, and I think it very much could have been. Instead, there’s a climactic battle, and then the story is suddenly over, cut off mid-stream. To be fair, there’s a mini-wrap up epilogue, but it’s distinctly unsatisfying. If this was intended as a duology from the start, I wish it had taken a little more time to wind down. As is, everything at the end feels rushed and incomplete.
It’s a shame, because much of the rest of the book is so strong. In any case, I did enjoy the series, short as it is, and recommend it. Just be prepared for a jarring halt at the end.
Summary
Even the Mainland is affected by Kindred Greyreach's decision to set the Endless Sea on fire and escape into its depths. As tension mounts, the Borders baron and his four children find that they must escape from or fight the king, and must draw on Borders' deepest secret to do so.
Review
For most of its length, The Endless Song is a stronger story than The Forever Sea. It’s more focused, equally interesting, and introduces a crew of new characters. Where it goes wrong is in stopping very abruptly.
In Endless Song, we do, as promised, get down under the Endless Sea and find out what’s down there. It’s frankly not as much as I’d hoped, and is something of a letdown. But because Johnson has set up some additional, related mysteries before we get there, it’s not as disappointing as it might have been. In fact, he offers up a host of new mysteries that could use exploration and explanation.
For the bulk of the story, I was fairly confident that this was the second book in a trilogy, and I think it very much could have been. Instead, there’s a climactic battle, and then the story is suddenly over, cut off mid-stream. To be fair, there’s a mini-wrap up epilogue, but it’s distinctly unsatisfying. If this was intended as a duology from the start, I wish it had taken a little more time to wind down. As is, everything at the end feels rushed and incomplete.
It’s a shame, because much of the rest of the book is so strong. In any case, I did enjoy the series, short as it is, and recommend it. Just be prepared for a jarring halt at the end.
February 14, 2023
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for a preview of this Science Fantasy YA novel. It’s volume two in a series but I had not read volume one and even though the story may be richer in its context it’s a possible standalone read as well.
At its best YA is part adventure, part love story and part lesson for its readers. This is among the best YA I’ve read.
The adventure is told from two perspectives Flitch above and Kindred below. Their story connects but it’s the separate stories that bind and entice readers. Kindred loves Sarah and Flitch’s sibling Idyll loves Ravel and so tender love stories and relationships are also presented in delicate and passionate ways.
Flitch learns from Gwyn Gaunt and Kindred learns from her grandmother but both teach as much as they learn.
In a world that is original and innovative the damage we do is explored on a variety of levels. Ecologically, filially, individually- this is a story that will stay with me for a long time.
Memories are important but actions are more so.
Will definitely visit the first in the series and am looking forward to where this might go in subsequent volumes.
Brilliant!
At its best YA is part adventure, part love story and part lesson for its readers. This is among the best YA I’ve read.
The adventure is told from two perspectives Flitch above and Kindred below. Their story connects but it’s the separate stories that bind and entice readers. Kindred loves Sarah and Flitch’s sibling Idyll loves Ravel and so tender love stories and relationships are also presented in delicate and passionate ways.
Flitch learns from Gwyn Gaunt and Kindred learns from her grandmother but both teach as much as they learn.
In a world that is original and innovative the damage we do is explored on a variety of levels. Ecologically, filially, individually- this is a story that will stay with me for a long time.
Memories are important but actions are more so.
Will definitely visit the first in the series and am looking forward to where this might go in subsequent volumes.
Brilliant!
March 13, 2024
I have a strange relationship with the Forever Sea and it’s telling. The writing is atmospheric and poetic. It’s absolutely beautiful. But I’ve never been able to read slow, descriptive books. I don’t “see” when I read, so that’s where I’ve always placed the blame. I was completely enchanted by Kindred and her world though, I pushed through my struggle because I had to know more of this world and how the story would play out.
I wasn’t quite as enamored with the world below (or really within) the Sea as I was with the surface, but it was a perfect fit with Kindred and her journey.
I completely enjoyed and understood Kindred in her singular focus in the first installment, but didn’t enjoy her as much here. Her spell on me broke and she became the selfish lost soul making bad decisions that Little Wing knew her to be from the start.
This was a perfect follow up to The Forever Sea. The blending of the surface and the below, the strange magic and mystery.
This story will always hold this weird indescribable place in my heart and mind; I’ve never been left with what this story invoked in me, and I really don’t know what that even is.
I wasn’t quite as enamored with the world below (or really within) the Sea as I was with the surface, but it was a perfect fit with Kindred and her journey.
I completely enjoyed and understood Kindred in her singular focus in the first installment, but didn’t enjoy her as much here. Her spell on me broke and she became the selfish lost soul making bad decisions that Little Wing knew her to be from the start.
This was a perfect follow up to The Forever Sea. The blending of the surface and the below, the strange magic and mystery.
This story will always hold this weird indescribable place in my heart and mind; I’ve never been left with what this story invoked in me, and I really don’t know what that even is.
January 10, 2023
Overall: Special thanks to NetGalley and DAW for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Content warnings:
Rep: sapphic relationship, queer relationship family bonds
Thoughts
Neutral thoughts:
I thought that this was a good continuation from the first book! Some questions were answered but there is still a lot going on in this world that we dont know about and or getting hints at. I will say that the descriptions were a little over whelming at some points, making the book feel a little dense, but you can tell that the author has put a lot of time and effort into creating this world and the environmental issues going on.
I also like the character development that we got to see between Kindred and the people that she interacted with, as well and Flitch (someone who we barely saw in the first one).
And just like the first one, this one had quite the cliffhanger so we shall see what goes on in the final book!
Content warnings:
Rep: sapphic relationship, queer relationship family bonds
Thoughts
Neutral thoughts:
I thought that this was a good continuation from the first book! Some questions were answered but there is still a lot going on in this world that we dont know about and or getting hints at. I will say that the descriptions were a little over whelming at some points, making the book feel a little dense, but you can tell that the author has put a lot of time and effort into creating this world and the environmental issues going on.
I also like the character development that we got to see between Kindred and the people that she interacted with, as well and Flitch (someone who we barely saw in the first one).
And just like the first one, this one had quite the cliffhanger so we shall see what goes on in the final book!
June 26, 2025
This book was pretty good, and I would echo the sentiment that it is generally an improvement over its predecessor. Though my main gripe is about the ending.
It's very abrupt and doesn't really say very much. It gives a brief vignette of the rest of the characters' lives in a few sentences. What happens to the King? Does he just give up? Why does he leave Paths and Borders alone?
Regarding the Travelling Court, even less is said. Of that group, I liked Madrigal the most. But I also liked Jest a lot.
Either way, Idyll is obviously the best character in the book. Kindred is a much less grating character in this book, and her relationship with Sarah is developed... a little. They have a dramatic falling out, are apart for a while, have sex off screen, then the next time they're "on screen" together is the ending where they become plants.
It's sad, because there are a ton of great ideas, but it's just all so rushed. Flitch's family and his story maybe should have at least been hinted at a little more clearly in the first book, but it is what it is.
It's very abrupt and doesn't really say very much. It gives a brief vignette of the rest of the characters' lives in a few sentences. What happens to the King? Does he just give up? Why does he leave Paths and Borders alone?
Regarding the Travelling Court, even less is said. Of that group, I liked Madrigal the most. But I also liked Jest a lot.
Either way, Idyll is obviously the best character in the book. Kindred is a much less grating character in this book, and her relationship with Sarah is developed... a little. They have a dramatic falling out, are apart for a while, have sex off screen, then the next time they're "on screen" together is the ending where they become plants.
It's sad, because there are a ton of great ideas, but it's just all so rushed. Flitch's family and his story maybe should have at least been hinted at a little more clearly in the first book, but it is what it is.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 8, 2025
3.5-4 stars (I’m waffling between these two can’t decide)
wowwww this was a very pensive conclusion to a extremely pensive story 😭 I really really enjoyed the inner monologues of both flitch and kindred in this , there is something so captivating about how Johnson just lets these characters pontificate about their world and life. Some very compelling sentences and dialogue in this here novel! HOWEVER!!!! as much as I enjoyed the characters reflecting on their world I lowkey knew nothing about the world. why does the prairie sea exist? where do these creatures come from? what is the history of the mainland ? of Arcadia? of the sea itself? many many questions on the world itself. part of me feels like the point of the book is that the prairie holds unknowable worlds butttttt it would have been more impactful to me if there was some kind of explanation. our water oceans hold endless mystery and adventure but like….we know why and how it exists.
wowwww this was a very pensive conclusion to a extremely pensive story 😭 I really really enjoyed the inner monologues of both flitch and kindred in this , there is something so captivating about how Johnson just lets these characters pontificate about their world and life. Some very compelling sentences and dialogue in this here novel! HOWEVER!!!! as much as I enjoyed the characters reflecting on their world I lowkey knew nothing about the world. why does the prairie sea exist? where do these creatures come from? what is the history of the mainland ? of Arcadia? of the sea itself? many many questions on the world itself. part of me feels like the point of the book is that the prairie holds unknowable worlds butttttt it would have been more impactful to me if there was some kind of explanation. our water oceans hold endless mystery and adventure but like….we know why and how it exists.
April 6, 2023
I've been eagerly awaiting this sequel. The Forever Sea ended on a cliffhanger just as Kindred descends into the grass sea. I have been entirely consumed by the mystery of 'what is in the grass?'. I was so caught up in the mystery of the grass that I forgot the story was gay, and it is so wonderfully queer. Having finished The Endless Song I do feel quite satisfied with my knowledge of what lays beneath the grass sea. This book also did a great job of revealing glimpses of the world beneath while keeping me interested by introducing the new mystery of 'what is in the basement?'.
I loved the new characters throughout both Kindred and Flitch's story. I really loved the character development that Kindred went through, especially as she reflects on her relationship with her grandmother. I was genuinely surprised by what her grandmother was up to and I really enjoyed the ending.
I loved the new characters throughout both Kindred and Flitch's story. I really loved the character development that Kindred went through, especially as she reflects on her relationship with her grandmother. I was genuinely surprised by what her grandmother was up to and I really enjoyed the ending.
March 7, 2023
I was excited for this sequel to Joshua Phillip Johnson's Forever Sea, and it didn't disappoint.
The split storyline continues the tale of Kindred and Sarah, journeying beneath the sea to find Kindred's grandmother - but this quest takes a very unexpected turn, resulting in the main conflict of the book. The other strand introduces a whole new set of fascinating and engaging characters - the Barons of the Mainland and their conflict with the tyrannical king.
I loved the way this new storyline connects to the framing narrative of the storyteller, which continues on from the first book, and the development of young Flitch's journey to meet his destiny and leave his siblings was very affecting.
I did feel the time between narrative switches was sometimes a bit long, especially in the first half of the book. And it really annoyed me that the logistics of what lay beneath the Borders mansion was wildly inconsistent between how it was initially described and how it worked once Flitch ventured in (and out). It also felt a bit as if the whole book was a slow burn set-up for a massive, exciting climax in the next book - and then the whole thing played out in its entirety in the last fifty pages, followed by reasonably extensive aftermath that summarised many years of continuing storylines beyond the end of the book.
However, the setting is amazingly rich, the range of characters is fantastic, the conclusion of both storylines was very emotive and also narratively satisfying, and I was fully immersed throughout. So, overall, a great read and I'll definitely be watching out for more from this author.
The split storyline continues the tale of Kindred and Sarah, journeying beneath the sea to find Kindred's grandmother - but this quest takes a very unexpected turn, resulting in the main conflict of the book. The other strand introduces a whole new set of fascinating and engaging characters - the Barons of the Mainland and their conflict with the tyrannical king.
I loved the way this new storyline connects to the framing narrative of the storyteller, which continues on from the first book, and the development of young Flitch's journey to meet his destiny and leave his siblings was very affecting.
I did feel the time between narrative switches was sometimes a bit long, especially in the first half of the book. And it really annoyed me that the logistics of what lay beneath the Borders mansion was wildly inconsistent between how it was initially described and how it worked once Flitch ventured in (and out). It also felt a bit as if the whole book was a slow burn set-up for a massive, exciting climax in the next book - and then the whole thing played out in its entirety in the last fifty pages, followed by reasonably extensive aftermath that summarised many years of continuing storylines beyond the end of the book.
However, the setting is amazingly rich, the range of characters is fantastic, the conclusion of both storylines was very emotive and also narratively satisfying, and I was fully immersed throughout. So, overall, a great read and I'll definitely be watching out for more from this author.
January 10, 2023
The cover sold me on The Forever Sea, and the story and characters captured my heart! I was beyond excited to receive the chance to read the next book, The Endless Song, before its release and I literally dove right in! Picking up right where the first left off, you are once again immersed in wonderful and unique world building and imagery! Following Kindred on her quest to find out what lies below the prairie sea and all of the characters, old and new, whom bring this story to life was a treat! And did I mention the cover art? Because the second book art did not disappoint and is just as beautiful as the first!
February 13, 2023
I really enjoyed this book. The author did an amazing job of making the scenery almost as significant as the rest of the story. The description of the Seafloors and the world was intriguing and kept me pulled in. There was also lovely LGBTQ+ representation in this series. Flitch and Kindred get stuck between a crisis and searching for the truth. I felt for them while they tried to care for the ones they love and found myself wanting even more time with them, despite this being a lengthy novel. Looking forward to the next entry and hopefully spending more time with Kindred and Flitch.
I received an advance review copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily
I received an advance review copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily
November 8, 2023
Ok, so did this series end the way I though it would? No.
Was getting to the end of the 2nd book harder than the 1st ? Yes.
Will I read this again? No.
Was a left satisfied with the ending? Yes.
I was glad i finished book two because it brought closure to the adventure, but this second book was harder to read than the 1st and relied a bit more on 'magic' that wasnt part of the 1st story so it felt like it was added just to try and close loops. The writing was very good and the story was engaging, but characters didnt feel developed in the 2nd book and mostly felt a bit flat. Overall a decent fantasy book, but not something i would re-read.
Was getting to the end of the 2nd book harder than the 1st ? Yes.
Will I read this again? No.
Was a left satisfied with the ending? Yes.
I was glad i finished book two because it brought closure to the adventure, but this second book was harder to read than the 1st and relied a bit more on 'magic' that wasnt part of the 1st story so it felt like it was added just to try and close loops. The writing was very good and the story was engaging, but characters didnt feel developed in the 2nd book and mostly felt a bit flat. Overall a decent fantasy book, but not something i would re-read.
February 28, 2023
Sometimes I don't notice a book is part of a series and this is one of those cases. That said it's one of the most original world building in these years and the author delivers a story that I loved.
It's surely better read the series in order but the storytelling and the world building are magic.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine
It's surely better read the series in order but the storytelling and the world building are magic.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine
April 18, 2025
I feel like this book took some weird turns, at some points it almost felt like weird horror. Which is not at all what I had expected. I also had a hard time understanding basicly any of the choices the characters made.
That being said, I feel like the ending rounded off the story nicely and made me understand the characters a bit better.
That being said, I feel like the ending rounded off the story nicely and made me understand the characters a bit better.
May 30, 2023
Amazing imagery and imagination have been poured into these books.
The characters are so intricate and diverse. I identify with them all in so many.
I've thoroughly enjoyed reading these and having them read to me. They will be going on to my personal bookshelf.
The characters are so intricate and diverse. I identify with them all in so many.
I've thoroughly enjoyed reading these and having them read to me. They will be going on to my personal bookshelf.
February 4, 2024
“perhaps a story of hope might let hope flicker again.”
4.5 stars rounded up
what a fantastic ending, I cried through the final chapters. this book is by no means perfect but it was exactly what I needed right now, I’m glad to have gotten to know these characters and spend this time with them.
4.5 stars rounded up
what a fantastic ending, I cried through the final chapters. this book is by no means perfect but it was exactly what I needed right now, I’m glad to have gotten to know these characters and spend this time with them.
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