Sea of Strangers by Erica CameronMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
I got the chance to host a book tour of the second book, Sea of Strangers, and I’m excited! I liked the first book and I love this second book!
The second book started with Khya and her squad sailing through the storm on their way to Ryogo.
As I’m reading the book, I try to remember all the things that were important in the book. It was a while since I read the first book and I kind of forgot some of the things in there. But I didn’t forget the story and the main characters. And some of the things I forgot were the terms in the book. I was seriously lost but it’s a good thing that there’s a glossary or dictionary with definitions of the terms used.
I was weary the whole time I was reading the book. I kept doubting every new character the squad meet. I don’t trust them that easily. Why? Because of the phrase in the cover of the book!
Who wouldn’t be very careful who to trust if you have that in the cover? Like legit!
For me, the story in this book is better than the first. I love this world and this story better. It got better. I think because in this book, Khya is challenging her power’s limit. And, bes, she is very powerful. I can feel that she’s really the main character. There is no doubt. I mean, there are books I’ve read that the main character seemed like not the main character. And even though Khya is not as powerful as Feyre or as badass as Aelin, she is still badass and powerful to me. She’s a fykina, a mage that has the ability to protect herself and others from magic and the world. But every time Khya uses her fykina magic, she’s amazing! And she’s getting more powerful! I can’t wait to see her use her full power!
And what I like about Khya too is her relationship with Tessen, her boyfriend. He is also amazing. He’s a powerful mage as well.
Like I said in my first review about this series, I like that Khya is the one in control in their relationship. I’m not saying this to promote feminism or whatever. I’m saying this because it’s nice to read something different for a change. It’s mainstream that in a relationship, the one in control are mostly men. And I kind of like Erica’s concept that between Khya and Tessen, Khya is the one who controls. She’s even the one on top during their busy time. (If you know what I mean. Haha!) So yeah. I like that.
One more thing that is different and amazing about this book is the accommodation of the third sex. They even have a term for it in Itagami, ebet. I feel like in this book they are treated equally in whatever the Itagamins do. And I sometimes wish that there is that level of equality in the real world.
The characters in the book have improved in terms of powers and in character development. And I like them better now.
The ending though, I don’t know what to feel about that. It was kind of a cliffhanger and also not a cliffhanger. While I was reading it, I wasn’t expecting that I was already near the end of the book. Then when I flip to the next page and the big letters that formed the word “EPILOGUE” greeted me, bes, I backtracked and reread and backtracked again. I thought my Kindle was just acting up but no. It was really the end. I feel like my whole energy just got sucked out of me. The last chapter felt like it was building and then the next thing I knew it’s already the Epilogue. Like, wtf?
Still, beshy, I love and hate cliffhangers. I hate cliffhangers because, duh, they ruin the end of the book. But I also love them because cliffhangers mean the book is not over yet. It’s not the end yet.
And because of that cliffhanger that doesn’t really feel like a cliffhanger but it is nonetheless, I can’t wait to read the third book! I’m so excited since that Epilogue gave me hope about the outcome of the whole story. I just hope it’s good.
To wrap this up, the second book of the Ryogan Chronicles is amazing! For me it is better than the first book. And I highly recommend this to you, bessies! You should read it. It’s great and it has it’s own world with different cultures and languages and all that and trust me, it’s really great.
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