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In the sky, the fire spirits dance and ripple. Grandma says they showed our Tribe that I’d be a captain, before I was even born.
Ever since Ma died, Mouse has looked after her little brother, Sparrow, dreaming of her destiny as captain of the Huntress. But now Da’s missing, Sparrow is in danger, and a deathly cold is creeping across Trianukka . . .
Sea-churning, beast-chattering, dream-dancing, whale-riding, terrodyl-flying, world-saving adventure. The first book in a stunning new fantasy adventure trilogy, perfect for readers aged 9+ and fans of Philip Pullman, Piers Torday, Abi Elphinstone, Katherine Rundell and Frances Hardinge.
Ever since Ma died, Mouse has looked after her little brother, Sparrow, dreaming of her destiny as captain of the Huntress. But now Da’s missing, Sparrow is in danger, and a deathly cold is creeping across Trianukka . . .
Sea-churning, beast-chattering, dream-dancing, whale-riding, terrodyl-flying, world-saving adventure. The first book in a stunning new fantasy adventure trilogy, perfect for readers aged 9+ and fans of Philip Pullman, Piers Torday, Abi Elphinstone, Katherine Rundell and Frances Hardinge.
336 pages, Paperback
First published April 6, 2017
59 people are currently reading
1230 people want to read
About the author
Sarah Driver
12 books65 followersSarah Driver was born on the Sussex coast and started writing as a small child. She graduated with distinction from the Bath Spa MA in Writing for Young People in 2015, after winning the 2014 United Agents prize for ‘most promising writer’. She is also a nurse and midwife, having trained at the Florence Nightingale School at King's College London and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
Dreamstalkers: The Night Train is releasing on February 1st 2024. It is the first in a new middle grade fantasy-adventure duology, telling the story of Bea Grimspuddle and Pip, an owl who smells like butter and candle smoke. In the world of Hirathorn, Bea lives in the remote wilds of a rugged moorland settlement called Thunderheart Tor. She longs to become a mage, riding off on adventures, with the power to use wild magic. Instead she is taught that all the magic of Hirathorn resides exclusively with the elites in the faraway city of Silvervein. Everything changes when the dreams disappear, strange shadows are glimpsed and nightmares come walking. Then the Night Train steams across the moors, and Bea is swept into an adventure in the world of the Dreamstalkers.
Other novels by Sarah Driver are The Huntress trilogy, which tells the story of Mouse, who grows up aboard a ship captained by her grandmother in a world of moonsprites, terrodyls and merwraiths. Once We Were Witches is a fantasy duology which follows Spel Wrythe and her sister Egg, who grow up in Mistress Mouldheels' School for Wicked Girls believing they are the daughters of criminals. Learning the truth will lead them on an adventure to a strange funeral parlour guarding even more secrets.
Photo credit: Lauren Psyk.
Dreamstalkers: The Night Train is releasing on February 1st 2024. It is the first in a new middle grade fantasy-adventure duology, telling the story of Bea Grimspuddle and Pip, an owl who smells like butter and candle smoke. In the world of Hirathorn, Bea lives in the remote wilds of a rugged moorland settlement called Thunderheart Tor. She longs to become a mage, riding off on adventures, with the power to use wild magic. Instead she is taught that all the magic of Hirathorn resides exclusively with the elites in the faraway city of Silvervein. Everything changes when the dreams disappear, strange shadows are glimpsed and nightmares come walking. Then the Night Train steams across the moors, and Bea is swept into an adventure in the world of the Dreamstalkers.
Other novels by Sarah Driver are The Huntress trilogy, which tells the story of Mouse, who grows up aboard a ship captained by her grandmother in a world of moonsprites, terrodyls and merwraiths. Once We Were Witches is a fantasy duology which follows Spel Wrythe and her sister Egg, who grow up in Mistress Mouldheels' School for Wicked Girls believing they are the daughters of criminals. Learning the truth will lead them on an adventure to a strange funeral parlour guarding even more secrets.
Photo credit: Lauren Psyk.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 150 reviews
April 8, 2017
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. Thank you to the author, Sarah Driver and the publisher, Egmont Books Ltd, for this opportunity.
Whilst this was a truly lovely and well-done middle-grade novel I can't really say I enjoyed every aspect of it. The pirate-esque focus and the animal-named characters were both charming and adorable and drew me instantly in. However, I found my attention wane as the novel progressed, despite this.
Whilst I appreciated its complexity, that was unexpected considering the young readership it was aimed for, I found other parts a little dull and monotonous. This was action-heavy in some parts and plot-heavy in others, but rarely did the action and the plot gel together to bring this novel together for me.
Whilst this was a truly lovely and well-done middle-grade novel I can't really say I enjoyed every aspect of it. The pirate-esque focus and the animal-named characters were both charming and adorable and drew me instantly in. However, I found my attention wane as the novel progressed, despite this.
Whilst I appreciated its complexity, that was unexpected considering the young readership it was aimed for, I found other parts a little dull and monotonous. This was action-heavy in some parts and plot-heavy in others, but rarely did the action and the plot gel together to bring this novel together for me.
September 13, 2017
ARC received in exchange for an honest review.
I'm rarely reading childrens books but when I do, I know I'm usually in for a good treat. And this story is simply wonderful. I feel in love with the main character and her friends and family. I especially loved her grandmother. Mouse is so brave, fearless, compassionate and has so much courage, I really enjoyed her character. She has big dreams and even bigger steps to fill in. I'm not going to go into the plot, since no matter what I say, I would for sure be giving away some of the mystery and joy of discovering this book's potential. All I can say is that it's a pleasure to read and you won't regret doing it.
I'm rarely reading childrens books but when I do, I know I'm usually in for a good treat. And this story is simply wonderful. I feel in love with the main character and her friends and family. I especially loved her grandmother. Mouse is so brave, fearless, compassionate and has so much courage, I really enjoyed her character. She has big dreams and even bigger steps to fill in. I'm not going to go into the plot, since no matter what I say, I would for sure be giving away some of the mystery and joy of discovering this book's potential. All I can say is that it's a pleasure to read and you won't regret doing it.
February 6, 2017
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
An action-packed tale of sea-folk, quests and revenge - though perhaps a little confusing in places!
Sea is the first in the Huntress trilogy, and marks a promising start to this nautical adventure. The protagonist is Mouse, a 13 year-old girl destined to become captain of The Huntress one day. Right from the start, the author establishes their watery world expertly - and captures the exciting (not to mention dangerous) life onboard a ship.
As the story progresses, we discover that Mouse's grandmother (currently captain) is under threat, and it's uncertain whether Mouse's absent father is alive or dead. A traitor aboard the ship threatens to destroy Mouse's existence, though thankfully she's helped along the way by her trusty sea-hawk, a landlubber named Crow and some other similarly characterful folk.
The strength of this story lies largely in Driver's ability to create a thoroughly believable world, and I thoroughly enjoyed the fresh approach of setting the main events at sea - a nice touch for a fantasy novel. The characters were also well-rounded and credible, particularly Mouse's brother Sparrow, not to mention her battle-axe grandmother.
The only criticism I'd raise is that at points, it was a little confusing. I couldn't quite follow how Mouse's father was connected to the mysterious opal - and likewise, I was struggling to understand how certain characters were involved and what their motivation was. If the story had been slowed down just a little, I think these details could have been incorporated a little more clearly.
However, this is a relatively minor issue, as overall, it was a ripping good yarn, and enjoyable to read - which is the main thing, isn't it! It's definitely worth a read, particularly if you enjoy YA fantasy.
An action-packed tale of sea-folk, quests and revenge - though perhaps a little confusing in places!
Sea is the first in the Huntress trilogy, and marks a promising start to this nautical adventure. The protagonist is Mouse, a 13 year-old girl destined to become captain of The Huntress one day. Right from the start, the author establishes their watery world expertly - and captures the exciting (not to mention dangerous) life onboard a ship.
As the story progresses, we discover that Mouse's grandmother (currently captain) is under threat, and it's uncertain whether Mouse's absent father is alive or dead. A traitor aboard the ship threatens to destroy Mouse's existence, though thankfully she's helped along the way by her trusty sea-hawk, a landlubber named Crow and some other similarly characterful folk.
The strength of this story lies largely in Driver's ability to create a thoroughly believable world, and I thoroughly enjoyed the fresh approach of setting the main events at sea - a nice touch for a fantasy novel. The characters were also well-rounded and credible, particularly Mouse's brother Sparrow, not to mention her battle-axe grandmother.
The only criticism I'd raise is that at points, it was a little confusing. I couldn't quite follow how Mouse's father was connected to the mysterious opal - and likewise, I was struggling to understand how certain characters were involved and what their motivation was. If the story had been slowed down just a little, I think these details could have been incorporated a little more clearly.
However, this is a relatively minor issue, as overall, it was a ripping good yarn, and enjoyable to read - which is the main thing, isn't it! It's definitely worth a read, particularly if you enjoy YA fantasy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 12, 2018
I practically liked the main character Mouse, she is the granddaughter of the captain of the ‘Huntress’.
A brave tough teenager who’s always ready for adventure.
I brought this on the back of Waterstones Book of the Month recommendation, I really liked the world building but found the story to be slightly complex at times.
A brave tough teenager who’s always ready for adventure.
I brought this on the back of Waterstones Book of the Month recommendation, I really liked the world building but found the story to be slightly complex at times.
November 6, 2019
I picked this book up without knowing anything about it, just because it was on sale and it has an Amazing cover with equally beautiful illustrations inside. Believe me, pictures cannot do it justice. And I was so happy to find out that the inside is just as wonderful.
This book is just lovely. You really enter a whole new world, filled to the brim with magic (but nothing like Harry Potter… this magic is simple, based around nature. There are spirits, weird creatures, folklore and myths), the language and customs are completely different from ours… and none of it is explained. But it isn’t necessary. It is all written in such a believable way that you just take it for granted, it feels so natural. Of course whale song floats through the air shaped like worms.
All the characters in this book are well-developed and have their own background stories as well as motives. This isn’t just a story about the main-character, but about all the side-characters as well. There is Grandma, captain of the ship and tough as nails but with a heart as big as the ocean. Bear, who is like his name suggest just a big Teddy. Sparrow, a young boy who has a special gift of whale-song, with which he can attract the gods of the sea to keep the ship safe, but he also suffers with shaking-fits. Crow, a boy who sometimes does the wrong things but all he wants is just to have a home. And then there is the main-character, Mouse. She is Amazing. She is incredibly brave and feisty. She definitely fights back (she has a mean kick) and doesn’t let people get her down. She has big dreams, and will do anything to get what she wants. At times she rushes into things head over heals, and she rarely makes plans:
’What’s your plan now we are here, anyway?’
‘I’m gonna find … and get out of there.’
‘I know that,’ he says, like I’m some slackwith. ‘But how d’yer plan to do it, exactly?’
I squint at him. ‘What bit of “find … and get out” can’t you understand? I’ll do whatever I have to.’
Mouse gets close to your heart. You root for her, you get angry with her for the unfairness of things, you feel happy for her when things go right… She is a joy to read about.
Even though this is a middle-grade story, Driver does not simplify things or takes it easy on the reader. The writing is quite dense at times (and it takes a few pages to get used to the weird way of talking the cast of characters uses), people you care about die, there is blood and slaughter and gore. It deals very well with topics such as death, family, friendship, betrayal, trust…
Because this world is so different from ours, the story takes a bit of time to get started, but after about 100 pages the breaks are of and the story becomes a whirlwind of action.
Overall, this is a great adventure story, technically written for kids but so enjoyable by readers of all ages. I highly recommend picking it up, and I cannot wait to get my hands of the second book.
This book is just lovely. You really enter a whole new world, filled to the brim with magic (but nothing like Harry Potter… this magic is simple, based around nature. There are spirits, weird creatures, folklore and myths), the language and customs are completely different from ours… and none of it is explained. But it isn’t necessary. It is all written in such a believable way that you just take it for granted, it feels so natural. Of course whale song floats through the air shaped like worms.
All the characters in this book are well-developed and have their own background stories as well as motives. This isn’t just a story about the main-character, but about all the side-characters as well. There is Grandma, captain of the ship and tough as nails but with a heart as big as the ocean. Bear, who is like his name suggest just a big Teddy. Sparrow, a young boy who has a special gift of whale-song, with which he can attract the gods of the sea to keep the ship safe, but he also suffers with shaking-fits. Crow, a boy who sometimes does the wrong things but all he wants is just to have a home. And then there is the main-character, Mouse. She is Amazing. She is incredibly brave and feisty. She definitely fights back (she has a mean kick) and doesn’t let people get her down. She has big dreams, and will do anything to get what she wants. At times she rushes into things head over heals, and she rarely makes plans:
’What’s your plan now we are here, anyway?’
‘I’m gonna find … and get out of there.’
‘I know that,’ he says, like I’m some slackwith. ‘But how d’yer plan to do it, exactly?’
I squint at him. ‘What bit of “find … and get out” can’t you understand? I’ll do whatever I have to.’
Mouse gets close to your heart. You root for her, you get angry with her for the unfairness of things, you feel happy for her when things go right… She is a joy to read about.
Even though this is a middle-grade story, Driver does not simplify things or takes it easy on the reader. The writing is quite dense at times (and it takes a few pages to get used to the weird way of talking the cast of characters uses), people you care about die, there is blood and slaughter and gore. It deals very well with topics such as death, family, friendship, betrayal, trust…
Because this world is so different from ours, the story takes a bit of time to get started, but after about 100 pages the breaks are of and the story becomes a whirlwind of action.
Overall, this is a great adventure story, technically written for kids but so enjoyable by readers of all ages. I highly recommend picking it up, and I cannot wait to get my hands of the second book.
April 29, 2018
What am I, without my ship? I hunch over the spiny bump and grip Sparrow's hand. Shooting stars sizzle through the night sky. The sky-gods must be warring with fire and iron spears.
* * *
3 / 5
Reading Sea felt a little bit like reading The Chronicles of Ancient Darkness, with respect to the tribes and the amount of research put into the context and little details, books which I loved (and still do) as a child. Though Sea didn't quite have the scope and originality of those books, it was still a solid, fun read. I was also getting a bit of a How To Train Your Dragon vibe (the books, not the films) which is a very favourable comparison in my book!
"We rove!" "We rove to trade, to meet, for the restlessness in our bones; we rove at one with the sea!"
In the world of The Huntress there are land, sea, and sky tribes. Mouse, our young protagonist belongs to a sea tribe that lives aboard the trading ship The Huntress, under the captaincy of her grandmother, Captain Wren. Mouse also has a younger brother, Sparrow, whom she loves deeply but also finds a touch irritating. Life aboard The Huntress is going as normal until Wren lets aboard an old tribesmember, Stag, who has less than savoury motives towards the ship and the crew.
I particularly liked that Mouse's closest relative was her grandmother, a badass older woman with one eye who captained her ship with an iron resolve. Not only was she super cool, it was lovely to see a slightly different kind of familial relationship captured on paper. Mouse herself is tough, tenacious, and bit stupid, which can be forgiven in a thirteen year old girl!
"Stray whale-song from last night is snagged in the sails, noisy and glowing. Thaw-Wielder swoops at it, chortling when it gets caught in her feathers"
There's lots of nicely utilised fantasy book staples - the missing father, the animal companion, Mouse being able to talk to animals with "beast-chatter". All of these, whilst not particularly original, are fun little additions. There's also my favourite character Crow, who has a couple of little magical secrets up his sleeves, who comes in about two thirds the way through. I'm also curious as to whether all the characters are named after animals, as everyone bar some guy called Hammer is, and whether this leads to lots of people having the same name! Unfortunately, this is never addressed.
"There are ancient songs in the air, waiting to be hooked, like fish," Da tells him. "Shall we sing?"
The universe was intriguing. As I mentioned previously, a solid half of the book takes place on a boat. It felt like Driver had clearly done her research here (at least to me, the non-nautical expert), which helped massively in immersing me in Sparrow's world. The other key themes of this book are whales - there's lots of gorgeous whale-themed illustrations - and music. It's not very well described, but it seems like songs can drift through the air in physical forms, and you can catch them. The idea is quite cool and magical but rather sparse on the details. The same is true of the magic system - Mouse can do some kind of dream-dance and there's kinds of blood magic. Sparrow's magical abilities also aren't particularly well articulated - I'm not quite sure what he can do and why other people would want this ability.
Unfortunately, it felt like Driver was attempting to stretch one book's worth of plot into a trilogy, which ultimately left me feeling a touch dissatisfied. The main arc of the plot revolves around saving her brother, Sparrow, and the collection of three orbs. I presume that in each book Mouse will find an orb and this will be written into a trilogy (although I could be wrong). Personally, I prefer my children's books to be self-contained, multiple standalones set within a single universe, but this is simply a preference. The result of this is a lot of loose ends trailing around - what happens to the crew of The Huntress, for example?
Overall, The Huntress is a good book for children (the target audience!). It's got some pretty cool elements to the universe, the characters are likeable, and the plot is decent if nothing particularly original.
My thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for a copy of this book
Read this review and more on my blog: https://atlasrisingbooks.wordpress.co...
* * *
3 / 5
Reading Sea felt a little bit like reading The Chronicles of Ancient Darkness, with respect to the tribes and the amount of research put into the context and little details, books which I loved (and still do) as a child. Though Sea didn't quite have the scope and originality of those books, it was still a solid, fun read. I was also getting a bit of a How To Train Your Dragon vibe (the books, not the films) which is a very favourable comparison in my book!
"We rove!" "We rove to trade, to meet, for the restlessness in our bones; we rove at one with the sea!"
In the world of The Huntress there are land, sea, and sky tribes. Mouse, our young protagonist belongs to a sea tribe that lives aboard the trading ship The Huntress, under the captaincy of her grandmother, Captain Wren. Mouse also has a younger brother, Sparrow, whom she loves deeply but also finds a touch irritating. Life aboard The Huntress is going as normal until Wren lets aboard an old tribesmember, Stag, who has less than savoury motives towards the ship and the crew.
I particularly liked that Mouse's closest relative was her grandmother, a badass older woman with one eye who captained her ship with an iron resolve. Not only was she super cool, it was lovely to see a slightly different kind of familial relationship captured on paper. Mouse herself is tough, tenacious, and bit stupid, which can be forgiven in a thirteen year old girl!
"Stray whale-song from last night is snagged in the sails, noisy and glowing. Thaw-Wielder swoops at it, chortling when it gets caught in her feathers"
There's lots of nicely utilised fantasy book staples - the missing father, the animal companion, Mouse being able to talk to animals with "beast-chatter". All of these, whilst not particularly original, are fun little additions. There's also my favourite character Crow, who has a couple of little magical secrets up his sleeves, who comes in about two thirds the way through. I'm also curious as to whether all the characters are named after animals, as everyone bar some guy called Hammer is, and whether this leads to lots of people having the same name! Unfortunately, this is never addressed.
"There are ancient songs in the air, waiting to be hooked, like fish," Da tells him. "Shall we sing?"
The universe was intriguing. As I mentioned previously, a solid half of the book takes place on a boat. It felt like Driver had clearly done her research here (at least to me, the non-nautical expert), which helped massively in immersing me in Sparrow's world. The other key themes of this book are whales - there's lots of gorgeous whale-themed illustrations - and music. It's not very well described, but it seems like songs can drift through the air in physical forms, and you can catch them. The idea is quite cool and magical but rather sparse on the details. The same is true of the magic system - Mouse can do some kind of dream-dance and there's kinds of blood magic. Sparrow's magical abilities also aren't particularly well articulated - I'm not quite sure what he can do and why other people would want this ability.
Unfortunately, it felt like Driver was attempting to stretch one book's worth of plot into a trilogy, which ultimately left me feeling a touch dissatisfied. The main arc of the plot revolves around saving her brother, Sparrow, and the collection of three orbs. I presume that in each book Mouse will find an orb and this will be written into a trilogy (although I could be wrong). Personally, I prefer my children's books to be self-contained, multiple standalones set within a single universe, but this is simply a preference. The result of this is a lot of loose ends trailing around - what happens to the crew of The Huntress, for example?
Overall, The Huntress is a good book for children (the target audience!). It's got some pretty cool elements to the universe, the characters are likeable, and the plot is decent if nothing particularly original.
My thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for a copy of this book
Read this review and more on my blog: https://atlasrisingbooks.wordpress.co...
September 18, 2018
Do you enjoy dangerous adventures on perilous, icy seas?
Do you like tales of tribes, beasts, tradition and magic?
Do you like reading about epic quests seeped in folklore and myth?
If you do, then you should definitely read this book!
Reading this was like a welcome flashback to my days of reading Philip Pullman. It definitely has the same feel to it.
Maybe it's all the ice, subtle magic and the fact that our main character, Mouse, sort of has her own 'daemon' in the form of her brave sea hawk Thaw-Wielder?
Maybe it's the fact that Mouse is a totally independent, fierce, loyal and brave character?
(How are 13 years olds always this awesome in books?! I'm pretty sure I was pathetic at that age!)
Whatever it is, this book is wonderful.
I felt like I was really there and experiencing everything alongside Mouse.
I got to sail on The Huntress, dive with merwraiths, cross the seas in the belly of a whale and fight fearsome terrodyls!
As the first book in a trilogy I'm so excited to know that soon I'll be able to travel across the land again with Mouse and her friends.
I can't wait for more adventures!
Do you like tales of tribes, beasts, tradition and magic?
Do you like reading about epic quests seeped in folklore and myth?
If you do, then you should definitely read this book!
Reading this was like a welcome flashback to my days of reading Philip Pullman. It definitely has the same feel to it.
Maybe it's all the ice, subtle magic and the fact that our main character, Mouse, sort of has her own 'daemon' in the form of her brave sea hawk Thaw-Wielder?
Maybe it's the fact that Mouse is a totally independent, fierce, loyal and brave character?
(How are 13 years olds always this awesome in books?! I'm pretty sure I was pathetic at that age!)
Whatever it is, this book is wonderful.
I felt like I was really there and experiencing everything alongside Mouse.
I got to sail on The Huntress, dive with merwraiths, cross the seas in the belly of a whale and fight fearsome terrodyls!
As the first book in a trilogy I'm so excited to know that soon I'll be able to travel across the land again with Mouse and her friends.
I can't wait for more adventures!
March 3, 2017
Sea is a captivating and thrilling magical adventure of underwater mystical creatures and fantasy with a twist of magic
Mouse and her brother Sparrow live on The Huntress, a ship which sails the Trianukka waters with their Nan as the captain.
Mouse is taken on an captivating and sometimes dangerous adventure within the seas of Trainukka where they are to find out the mysteries of the tribes.
Sea is aimed at the younger reader, however I did find the style of writing to be a little complex and confusing at times. It took a while for me to get used to the language.
So I wonder if this may cause a problem for the younger reader to grasp the style.
Once the book gets going it's exciting and your drawn into the magical world of the sea. But it does take a little while to start.
I received this book from the Publisher in exchange for a honest and fair review via Netgalley.
Mouse and her brother Sparrow live on The Huntress, a ship which sails the Trianukka waters with their Nan as the captain.
Mouse is taken on an captivating and sometimes dangerous adventure within the seas of Trainukka where they are to find out the mysteries of the tribes.
Sea is aimed at the younger reader, however I did find the style of writing to be a little complex and confusing at times. It took a while for me to get used to the language.
So I wonder if this may cause a problem for the younger reader to grasp the style.
Once the book gets going it's exciting and your drawn into the magical world of the sea. But it does take a little while to start.
I received this book from the Publisher in exchange for a honest and fair review via Netgalley.
March 24, 2017
It's hard to review a book when you were there the first time the main character spoke.
I can't approach this with anything like objectivity. As I read, I was back in the Saracen's Head holding workshop over vegetarian fish and chips. I was on the shore of Llanelli, reaching out to still Sarah and say, "Listen. It sounds like we're being followed." (It was just the mud filling in our footprints.) I watched the whales surface in Iceland, and the huge grin on Sarah's face when my nieces helped her shoot a bow. All of these things and more are bound into this book for me, and I read it through a film of memories.
I wouldn't clear those connections away for anything, not even to get to enjoy this book again for the very first time. But I venture to say, if I could remove all that sentimentality and approach this like any work of fiction, I would still declare:
This. This is a very good book.
Thanks, Sarah, for taking me along on the adventure.
I can't approach this with anything like objectivity. As I read, I was back in the Saracen's Head holding workshop over vegetarian fish and chips. I was on the shore of Llanelli, reaching out to still Sarah and say, "Listen. It sounds like we're being followed." (It was just the mud filling in our footprints.) I watched the whales surface in Iceland, and the huge grin on Sarah's face when my nieces helped her shoot a bow. All of these things and more are bound into this book for me, and I read it through a film of memories.
I wouldn't clear those connections away for anything, not even to get to enjoy this book again for the very first time. But I venture to say, if I could remove all that sentimentality and approach this like any work of fiction, I would still declare:
This. This is a very good book.
Thanks, Sarah, for taking me along on the adventure.
April 11, 2018
Die dreizehnjährige Maus ist die Enkelin der Kapitänin des Segelschiffes "Jägerin" und verbringt ihr Leben auf dem Meer. Als der böse Elk das Schiff übernimmt und ihr Vater und ihr kleiner Bruder Sperling verschwinden, muss Maus alles ihr Bekannte verlassen, auf der Suche nach Sperling und den berühmten drei Opalen…
Die Geschichte wird in der Ich-Perspektive der Protagonistin Maus in der Gegenwart erzählt. Maus ist 13 Jahre alt, wirkt aber deutlich jünger, ziemlich kindlich und nicht wie eine Teenagerin. Dies mag daran liegen, dass sie in einer ganz anderen Welt als der unseren aufwächst, auf einem Schiff, ohne Mutter und dafür mit vielen Aufgaben. Allerdings müsste sie dann wohl eher älter wirken als sie ist. Jedenfalls hat Maus eine aussergewöhnliche Begabung: sie spricht Tierschnack, was bedeutet, dass sie sich mit allen Tieren unterhalten kann. Sie macht das allerdings nicht zum Spass, sondern nur dann, wenn sie etwas von einem Tier will, eine Auskunft oder Hilfestellung.
Ohne grosse Einleitung wird der Leser gleich mitten in die Handlung geworfen und begleitet Maus beim Kampf gegen die bösen Terrodylen. Was das genau für Tiere sind, konnte ich nicht wirklich nachvollziehen. Auch sonst bleiben viele Fragen offen, wie beispielsweise, was es mit den titelgebenden drei Opalen auf sich hat, was mit Maus' Vater passiert ist oder was genau Elks Plan ist. Aber schliesslich bildet "Über das wilde Meer" nur den Auftaktsband einer Trilogie (ich nehme mal an, dass es eine Trilogie wird, wäre ja nur logisch bei drei Opalen), sodass ja auch einige Antworten für die späteren Bände aufgespart werden müssen.
Der Schreibstil ist für ein Kinderbuch eher anspruchsvoll, mit vielen wenig geläufigen oder gar frei erfundenen Wörtern, wie "Herzensdank", "Arzeney" oder die bereits erwähnten Terrodylen. Mit der Einschätzung für das Zielpublikum tue ich mich daher etwas schwer. Wie erwähnt wirkte Maus auf mich recht kindlich, was für eine junge Leserschaft sprechen würde und Jugendliche abschrecken könnte. Andererseits ist die Sprache für Leseanfänger zu kompliziert und die Geschichte enthält auch einige recht blutige Szenen, die jüngere Leser erschrecken könnten.
Mein Fazit
Zielgruppe unklar
Die Geschichte wird in der Ich-Perspektive der Protagonistin Maus in der Gegenwart erzählt. Maus ist 13 Jahre alt, wirkt aber deutlich jünger, ziemlich kindlich und nicht wie eine Teenagerin. Dies mag daran liegen, dass sie in einer ganz anderen Welt als der unseren aufwächst, auf einem Schiff, ohne Mutter und dafür mit vielen Aufgaben. Allerdings müsste sie dann wohl eher älter wirken als sie ist. Jedenfalls hat Maus eine aussergewöhnliche Begabung: sie spricht Tierschnack, was bedeutet, dass sie sich mit allen Tieren unterhalten kann. Sie macht das allerdings nicht zum Spass, sondern nur dann, wenn sie etwas von einem Tier will, eine Auskunft oder Hilfestellung.
Ohne grosse Einleitung wird der Leser gleich mitten in die Handlung geworfen und begleitet Maus beim Kampf gegen die bösen Terrodylen. Was das genau für Tiere sind, konnte ich nicht wirklich nachvollziehen. Auch sonst bleiben viele Fragen offen, wie beispielsweise, was es mit den titelgebenden drei Opalen auf sich hat, was mit Maus' Vater passiert ist oder was genau Elks Plan ist. Aber schliesslich bildet "Über das wilde Meer" nur den Auftaktsband einer Trilogie (ich nehme mal an, dass es eine Trilogie wird, wäre ja nur logisch bei drei Opalen), sodass ja auch einige Antworten für die späteren Bände aufgespart werden müssen.
Der Schreibstil ist für ein Kinderbuch eher anspruchsvoll, mit vielen wenig geläufigen oder gar frei erfundenen Wörtern, wie "Herzensdank", "Arzeney" oder die bereits erwähnten Terrodylen. Mit der Einschätzung für das Zielpublikum tue ich mich daher etwas schwer. Wie erwähnt wirkte Maus auf mich recht kindlich, was für eine junge Leserschaft sprechen würde und Jugendliche abschrecken könnte. Andererseits ist die Sprache für Leseanfänger zu kompliziert und die Geschichte enthält auch einige recht blutige Szenen, die jüngere Leser erschrecken könnten.
Mein Fazit
Zielgruppe unklar
August 17, 2017
I received a copy of Sea from Hardie Grant Egmont Australia to review. This is the first book in The Huntress trilogy.
It took me a while to get used to the way Mouse and the other characters talked in this book. Some of the things they said were a little weird at first but once I got used to it I didn’t really notice it.
I think this book may have been a little bit too young for me. I mean, I’ve read middle grade books before but I just didn’t click with this the way I have other middle grade books. I mean, I liked the book but I did have some issues with Mouse and Sparrow. Mouse was very stubborn and seemed to think a lot of herself while Sparrow was too whiney for me. Especially because Mouse and their grandmother treated him like a baby a lot and I just can’t stand whining children.
I did find the story interesting though, with this cold or ice or whatever it was that was taking over the world. I think if I hadn’t found Mouse and Sparrow so annoying I would have liked this book more. I did like the magic in the story and it kind of reminded me a little of Northern Lights so I think fans of Philip Pullman may enjoy this.
I am interested in finding out what will happen to Mouse and the rest in the next book. I think it’s called Sky.
It took me a while to get used to the way Mouse and the other characters talked in this book. Some of the things they said were a little weird at first but once I got used to it I didn’t really notice it.
I think this book may have been a little bit too young for me. I mean, I’ve read middle grade books before but I just didn’t click with this the way I have other middle grade books. I mean, I liked the book but I did have some issues with Mouse and Sparrow. Mouse was very stubborn and seemed to think a lot of herself while Sparrow was too whiney for me. Especially because Mouse and their grandmother treated him like a baby a lot and I just can’t stand whining children.
I did find the story interesting though, with this cold or ice or whatever it was that was taking over the world. I think if I hadn’t found Mouse and Sparrow so annoying I would have liked this book more. I did like the magic in the story and it kind of reminded me a little of Northern Lights so I think fans of Philip Pullman may enjoy this.
I am interested in finding out what will happen to Mouse and the rest in the next book. I think it’s called Sky.
July 6, 2017
Fantasy at its absolute best.
Mouse, her brother Sparrow and their Grandma Wren are on a voyage to the great Tribe-Meet. Mouse, who has her thirteenth moon while on the voyage, is Grandma Wren’s apprentice and eventually will take over as Captain of the Huntress.
Their journey to reach this gathering is not easy. The Terrors, fierce bird-like creatures, attack and Sparrow must use his special gift – singing the whale’s song, asking the whales to save them from this attack. This is not the only obstacle put in their way; the and lurking Fangtooth Tribe, accompanied by their polar dogs, attack. Mouse’s search for her father is proving to be impossible, but trouble starts in earnest when Grandma Wren invites Stag, a long-lost member of their tribe, to join the crew. Little does Grandma realise what shocking repercussions this is going to have on all their lives.
This is a perfect book to get lost in. To journey to other worlds. Meet people with names like Mouse, Sparrow, Bear and Crow. It gives you the opportunity to soar with the hawks and swim with the whales while meeting some very nasty characters along the way.
This is my first introduction to Sarah Driver and her extraordinary imagination and hopefully, it won’t be the last because there are sequels to this epic tale. I am off to find the next book, hoping that Mouse will still have the spunk and spirit to fight for the good of her people and other creatures who she meets on her quest to find the truth about her father’s disappearance.
Treebeard
Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review
Mouse, her brother Sparrow and their Grandma Wren are on a voyage to the great Tribe-Meet. Mouse, who has her thirteenth moon while on the voyage, is Grandma Wren’s apprentice and eventually will take over as Captain of the Huntress.
Their journey to reach this gathering is not easy. The Terrors, fierce bird-like creatures, attack and Sparrow must use his special gift – singing the whale’s song, asking the whales to save them from this attack. This is not the only obstacle put in their way; the and lurking Fangtooth Tribe, accompanied by their polar dogs, attack. Mouse’s search for her father is proving to be impossible, but trouble starts in earnest when Grandma Wren invites Stag, a long-lost member of their tribe, to join the crew. Little does Grandma realise what shocking repercussions this is going to have on all their lives.
This is a perfect book to get lost in. To journey to other worlds. Meet people with names like Mouse, Sparrow, Bear and Crow. It gives you the opportunity to soar with the hawks and swim with the whales while meeting some very nasty characters along the way.
This is my first introduction to Sarah Driver and her extraordinary imagination and hopefully, it won’t be the last because there are sequels to this epic tale. I am off to find the next book, hoping that Mouse will still have the spunk and spirit to fight for the good of her people and other creatures who she meets on her quest to find the truth about her father’s disappearance.
Treebeard
Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review
April 11, 2017
This is an amazing book. If you like Adventure novels, with a little bit of Fantasy and Mystery, then why not read Sea?
'In the sky, the fire spirits dance and ripple. Grandma said they showed our Tribe that I'd be a captain, before I was even born.'
Mouse is thirteen, and blessed with the beast-chatter, but she's already taking on responsibilities; fighting Terrodyls, taking care of Sparrow- she has a busy life aboard The Huntress- and she isn't even captain yet. Her grandma: Captain Wren, is a great Captain, but she hides a secret. A big secret. She has one of the famous Opals.
When a traitor; the treacherous Stag, steps aboard Mouse's ship, Mouse can sense something about this man. Not something good.
A few days later, Mouse goes trading, hoping to bring back some goods, when she comes back, she finds The Huntress in ruins. In fact, there is no Huntress any more. Only The Hunter, Stag's 'new' ship. Stag has got Grandma, and all her faithful ones, locked up, sold Sparrow- and there is nothing Mouse can do, imprisoned in the stuffy 'children and animals' quarter. Nothing. Or so it seems... After Stag tries to persuade Mouse to join him, encases a crimson 'H' into her chest, with his knife, and goes pn a 'whale hunt' with the terrodyls, Mouse runs away.
She gets tricked by the slightly annoying Crow, who then helps her find Sparrow when she escapes. She finds Sparrow has been sold, and is being used because of his whale song.
That's all I can tell you- no more about the Opals, or how she rescues him- but it is a really, really good book, and I recommend it to everyone. A definite five stars.
'In the sky, the fire spirits dance and ripple. Grandma said they showed our Tribe that I'd be a captain, before I was even born.'
Mouse is thirteen, and blessed with the beast-chatter, but she's already taking on responsibilities; fighting Terrodyls, taking care of Sparrow- she has a busy life aboard The Huntress- and she isn't even captain yet. Her grandma: Captain Wren, is a great Captain, but she hides a secret. A big secret. She has one of the famous Opals.
When a traitor; the treacherous Stag, steps aboard Mouse's ship, Mouse can sense something about this man. Not something good.
A few days later, Mouse goes trading, hoping to bring back some goods, when she comes back, she finds The Huntress in ruins. In fact, there is no Huntress any more. Only The Hunter, Stag's 'new' ship. Stag has got Grandma, and all her faithful ones, locked up, sold Sparrow- and there is nothing Mouse can do, imprisoned in the stuffy 'children and animals' quarter. Nothing. Or so it seems... After Stag tries to persuade Mouse to join him, encases a crimson 'H' into her chest, with his knife, and goes pn a 'whale hunt' with the terrodyls, Mouse runs away.
She gets tricked by the slightly annoying Crow, who then helps her find Sparrow when she escapes. She finds Sparrow has been sold, and is being used because of his whale song.
That's all I can tell you- no more about the Opals, or how she rescues him- but it is a really, really good book, and I recommend it to everyone. A definite five stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 6, 2017
Oddly enough I found this at times quite difficult to read as I found the language quite dense. The characters are great, you have the plucky, sarky, cannot wait to be grown girl who is saddled with a weaker younger brother who holds her back and who she loves with all her heart. You have the brother who is stronger than he looks and you have the grandma who is tough as nails with a heart as big as the ocean, just don't mess with her.
Oh, and you have Bear, who I think does not have a big enough part. (kinda want to stroke his fictitious face).
A bad thing happens which leads plucky/sarky girl on a quest of sorts and all kinds of shit is thrown at her. But she knows her path, and her pigheadedness keeps her moving forward towards her goal (to free her brother). Along the way she meets all kinds of folk, good and bad and bloody evil. But nevertheless, she persisted.
Like I said, at times I struggled with the denseness of language as this is part sea shanty, part magic, part dinosaur realm, the author mixes all of them up in a wonderful pot of lyricism, mysticism and made up curse words.
I loved Mouse for her drive forwardness even when what she needed was just to take a breath and survey her surroundings. As I said, I have a soft spot for Bear and I think Crow could become a great great ally.
Will definitely read the next of this series, and the next and probably, definitely the next.
Oh, and you have Bear, who I think does not have a big enough part. (kinda want to stroke his fictitious face).
A bad thing happens which leads plucky/sarky girl on a quest of sorts and all kinds of shit is thrown at her. But she knows her path, and her pigheadedness keeps her moving forward towards her goal (to free her brother). Along the way she meets all kinds of folk, good and bad and bloody evil. But nevertheless, she persisted.
Like I said, at times I struggled with the denseness of language as this is part sea shanty, part magic, part dinosaur realm, the author mixes all of them up in a wonderful pot of lyricism, mysticism and made up curse words.
I loved Mouse for her drive forwardness even when what she needed was just to take a breath and survey her surroundings. As I said, I have a soft spot for Bear and I think Crow could become a great great ally.
Will definitely read the next of this series, and the next and probably, definitely the next.
March 5, 2017
A brilliant adventure story, one of the best I have read in a long time. Full of magic, truly evil villains and a sharp witted (and tongued) heroine, there is nothing not to love about this book!
May 23, 2017
3.5 Stars in my Sky!
The story is cute, charming and middle-grade centric. I loved the pirate seafarer theme and quest element. Who doesn't love a big adventure story?
On a side note, one of my best friends nicknames is Mouse, and I could totally see her running her own ship too... Some of the characters reminded me of the sky pirates in Stardust, whilst the plot had a whole The NeverEnding Story 1980s adventure story vibe going on.
The world building is intricate, clever and really fun. I loved all the animal themed names and how the characters back stories/special nuances were woven seamlessly into the story. I did get a little confused at times and found myself questioning who was doing what at certain times.
A lot happens throughout the book so I did find myself having to reread certain parts and I'm still not really sure whats going on with Hammer but I'm sure all will be revealed on due course. Mouse, Sparrow, Captain Wren and Crow will pull you into the story and action.
I received a copy in exchange for an honest review!
The story is cute, charming and middle-grade centric. I loved the pirate seafarer theme and quest element. Who doesn't love a big adventure story?
On a side note, one of my best friends nicknames is Mouse, and I could totally see her running her own ship too... Some of the characters reminded me of the sky pirates in Stardust, whilst the plot had a whole The NeverEnding Story 1980s adventure story vibe going on.
The world building is intricate, clever and really fun. I loved all the animal themed names and how the characters back stories/special nuances were woven seamlessly into the story. I did get a little confused at times and found myself questioning who was doing what at certain times.
A lot happens throughout the book so I did find myself having to reread certain parts and I'm still not really sure whats going on with Hammer but I'm sure all will be revealed on due course. Mouse, Sparrow, Captain Wren and Crow will pull you into the story and action.
I received a copy in exchange for an honest review!
May 14, 2018
Really like the story - very unique and an exciting page-turner.
September 1, 2024
Il était troppp biennn !!!! Il m'a fait pleurer à beaucoup de moments et il mais aussi fait rire c'était magnifique 😍😍 on passe directement au 2eme tome C'EST PARTIII !!!
July 22, 2017
This book had amazing premises so my expectations were a bit high. When I've read that the plot takes place on a ship, with pirates and there are fantastical elements in it, I was really captivated. Except now, I am disappointed by the story and it could have been much greater. The writing style is very confusing because of the pirate language and the story itself didn't made sense most of the time. But I loved the main character Mouse, a girl who was always ambitious and brave in tricky situations. Overall, too bad it was just love at first cover buy.
April 11, 2017
Mouse and her younger brother Sparrow are living on a ship. Their grandmother is the captain. She's taking charge because Mouse's dad is away. Their mother died while giving birth to Sparrow. Because of her grandmother's visions Mouse knows that one day she'll be captain of her own ship. Her grandmother is a fierce woman and Mouse learns a lot from her. One day she'll be ready and this moment is rapidly approaching.
Unfortunately Mouse's life is a lot less certain when someone is being added to the ship's crew who doesn't want the best for the tribe. Stag is looking for power and he's trying to take over the ship and destroy Mouse's world. When Mouse's father goes missing he leaves her a clue and a task, will she be able to do what he asks of her or will the evil Stag, with his large number of loyal subjects, manage to take everything from her?
Mouse is a thirteen-year-old girl. She's tough, she's incredibly brave and she can fight. She promised her mother to take care of Sparrow. He isn't physically strong, but he has interesting magical abilities. Mouse and Sparrow both have a close connection with animals and I loved that about them. While Sparrow is calm and timid Mouse is impulsive and she always shares her opinions. This often lands her in trouble, but she won't let herself be silenced, which is something I admired about her. She's very protective of her family and the animals she loves and she will do anything to save them, which, together with magic, is a great foundation for a fascinating story.
Sea is the first part of a trilogy. Sarah Driver's detailed and colorful descriptions of Mouse's adventures are fabulous. She makes her world come to life in a wonderful vivid way. I liked the battles, the surprising twists and turns and Mouse's determination to fight her way out of her problems. Mouse loves the water and I could easily feel her admiration and respect for the sea and its animals, which is what I liked best about the story. Sea is a promising first book and I can't wait to read the other two The Huntress stories.
Unfortunately Mouse's life is a lot less certain when someone is being added to the ship's crew who doesn't want the best for the tribe. Stag is looking for power and he's trying to take over the ship and destroy Mouse's world. When Mouse's father goes missing he leaves her a clue and a task, will she be able to do what he asks of her or will the evil Stag, with his large number of loyal subjects, manage to take everything from her?
Mouse is a thirteen-year-old girl. She's tough, she's incredibly brave and she can fight. She promised her mother to take care of Sparrow. He isn't physically strong, but he has interesting magical abilities. Mouse and Sparrow both have a close connection with animals and I loved that about them. While Sparrow is calm and timid Mouse is impulsive and she always shares her opinions. This often lands her in trouble, but she won't let herself be silenced, which is something I admired about her. She's very protective of her family and the animals she loves and she will do anything to save them, which, together with magic, is a great foundation for a fascinating story.
Sea is the first part of a trilogy. Sarah Driver's detailed and colorful descriptions of Mouse's adventures are fabulous. She makes her world come to life in a wonderful vivid way. I liked the battles, the surprising twists and turns and Mouse's determination to fight her way out of her problems. Mouse loves the water and I could easily feel her admiration and respect for the sea and its animals, which is what I liked best about the story. Sea is a promising first book and I can't wait to read the other two The Huntress stories.
May 7, 2017
I received this book as a Giveway .I loved this book the moment I saw the cover, the whale drawings and the map..I love the aliveness of the descriptive sentences..such as " the wind whips my hair" .You will encounter this throughout the book. I felt myself absorbed in the main character( Mouse) and she instilled in me a sense of adventure we often lose as adults. As I am already interested in crystals n stones ..I was pleased to discover in my own collection both jet stone and Amber..so I held them as reading..and loved the herbal medicine, the whale wisdom and song..and so looking forward to book 2 and book 3. !!
Also for often referring to the heart space. My heart lurches, keep heart strong , rather than be courageous. Life is meant to Live with Heart..One of the lessons of this beautiful creative book!!
Also for often referring to the heart space. My heart lurches, keep heart strong , rather than be courageous. Life is meant to Live with Heart..One of the lessons of this beautiful creative book!!
April 8, 2017
A drama-filled adventure for younger readers.
Mouse and her younger brother, Sparrow, travel the seas with their nan and her crew. The two children have almost magical powers, and they quickly get caught up in a quest to find three missing sea opals.
The story is full of mythical creatures, strange events and some wonderful writing. There's a complexity to the style that might put off younger readers, but the book explores quite adult themes in an age-appropriate way.
Thanks to NetGalley for the copy in exchange for my review.
Mouse and her younger brother, Sparrow, travel the seas with their nan and her crew. The two children have almost magical powers, and they quickly get caught up in a quest to find three missing sea opals.
The story is full of mythical creatures, strange events and some wonderful writing. There's a complexity to the style that might put off younger readers, but the book explores quite adult themes in an age-appropriate way.
Thanks to NetGalley for the copy in exchange for my review.
March 10, 2018
Maus liebt die Abenteuer auf dem Segelschiff ihrer Großmutter. Eines Tages wird sie die Kapitänin der Jägerin sein. Doch dann kommt ein neuer Steuermann auf das Schiff, ihr Vater verschwindet, ihrem Bruder geht es immer schlechter und das Leben auf der Jägerin nimmt eine drastische Wende.
Ab dem ersten gesprochenen Wort ist das Hörbuch ein Genuss. Laura Maire hat so eine einzigartige und angenehme Stimme. Einigen wird sie als Synchronstimme der Alice Cullen aus Twilight bekannt sein.
In "die drei Opale" konnte sie ihre Stimme die unterschiedlichsten Facetten geben.Ob unserer 13-jährigen Protagonisten, einem kleinen Jungen, einer alten Dame einem zwielichten Kerl oder Tierwesen - es war einfach immer stimmig. Für mich macht Laura Maire das Hörerlebnis erst aus.
Die Geschichte ist kein Kinderbuch! Teilweise wird sie darin gelistet, aber mir ist sie dafür definitiv zu grausam und brutal. Ich würde sie als junge Fantasy ab 13 Jahren einordnen. Mir gefiel Sarah Drivers fantastischer Weltenentwurf. Alles ist so einzigartig und toll durchdacht. Ich mochte das Setting auf dem Schiff und die putzigen Tierwesen.
Die Wahl der Namen ist gewöhnungsbedürftig, bzw. die Übersetzung nicht immer günstig gewählt. So irritierte mich "Oma Schneekönig" schon im Klappentext.
Wichtig zu wissen, ist, dass das Hörbuch mit knapp vier Stunden eine gekürzte Lesung ist! Das merkt man leider auch. So gab es inhaltliche Sprünge, die schon stark auffielen.
"Die drei Opale. Über das tiefe Meer" von Sarah Driver ist eine fantasievolle Geschichte für jüngere Leserinnen. Das wahre Highlight war jedoch ganz klar, die Stimme von Laura Maire, die die Geschichte perfekt vertont.
Ab dem ersten gesprochenen Wort ist das Hörbuch ein Genuss. Laura Maire hat so eine einzigartige und angenehme Stimme. Einigen wird sie als Synchronstimme der Alice Cullen aus Twilight bekannt sein.
In "die drei Opale" konnte sie ihre Stimme die unterschiedlichsten Facetten geben.Ob unserer 13-jährigen Protagonisten, einem kleinen Jungen, einer alten Dame einem zwielichten Kerl oder Tierwesen - es war einfach immer stimmig. Für mich macht Laura Maire das Hörerlebnis erst aus.
Die Geschichte ist kein Kinderbuch! Teilweise wird sie darin gelistet, aber mir ist sie dafür definitiv zu grausam und brutal. Ich würde sie als junge Fantasy ab 13 Jahren einordnen. Mir gefiel Sarah Drivers fantastischer Weltenentwurf. Alles ist so einzigartig und toll durchdacht. Ich mochte das Setting auf dem Schiff und die putzigen Tierwesen.
Die Wahl der Namen ist gewöhnungsbedürftig, bzw. die Übersetzung nicht immer günstig gewählt. So irritierte mich "Oma Schneekönig" schon im Klappentext.
Wichtig zu wissen, ist, dass das Hörbuch mit knapp vier Stunden eine gekürzte Lesung ist! Das merkt man leider auch. So gab es inhaltliche Sprünge, die schon stark auffielen.
"Die drei Opale. Über das tiefe Meer" von Sarah Driver ist eine fantasievolle Geschichte für jüngere Leserinnen. Das wahre Highlight war jedoch ganz klar, die Stimme von Laura Maire, die die Geschichte perfekt vertont.
May 27, 2018
Zum Buch:
Maus steht kurz vor ihrem dreizehnten Lebensmond. Zusammen mit ihrer Oma Schneekönigin und ihrem kleinen Bruder Sperling ist die "Jägerin" ihr Zuhause. Als der neue Steuermann an Bord kommt, ist Maus gleich skeptisch. Hängt das Verschwinden ihres Vaters und der viel zu früh Wintereinbruch mit ihm zusammen? Kann Maus die Opale finden und ihren kleinen Bruder vor der großen Gefahr retten, in der er schwebt?
Meine Meinung:
Das Cover ist sehr ansprechend, es verspricht eigentlich eine abenteuerliche Geschichte. Aber mich konnte es nicht überzeugen, ich hatte zu Beginn meine Schwierigkeiten mit den vielen, doch sehr gewöhnungsbedürftigen Namen. Der Schreibstil ist gut zu lesen, das Buch ist in drei Teile geteilt, was eigentlich nicht schlecht ist. Trotzdem reichte es für mich nicht um mich tatsächlich zu packen. Nachdem ich mich an die seltsamen Namen gewöhnt hatte, erwartete ich eine gewisse Spannung, die aber irgendwie nicht richtig aufkam.
Mir war es dann auch irgendwann einfach zuviel mit den ganzen Wesen, die ich mir nicht richtig vorstellen konnte.
Fazit:
Für ein Fantasybuch fehlte mir das gewisse Etwas, ein nett geschriebener Abenteuerroman, nicht mehr und nicht weniger. Ich denke, ich werde diese Reihe/Trilogie nicht weiterverfolgen. Mir hat es einfach nicht gereicht, was angeboten wurde.
Maus steht kurz vor ihrem dreizehnten Lebensmond. Zusammen mit ihrer Oma Schneekönigin und ihrem kleinen Bruder Sperling ist die "Jägerin" ihr Zuhause. Als der neue Steuermann an Bord kommt, ist Maus gleich skeptisch. Hängt das Verschwinden ihres Vaters und der viel zu früh Wintereinbruch mit ihm zusammen? Kann Maus die Opale finden und ihren kleinen Bruder vor der großen Gefahr retten, in der er schwebt?
Meine Meinung:
Das Cover ist sehr ansprechend, es verspricht eigentlich eine abenteuerliche Geschichte. Aber mich konnte es nicht überzeugen, ich hatte zu Beginn meine Schwierigkeiten mit den vielen, doch sehr gewöhnungsbedürftigen Namen. Der Schreibstil ist gut zu lesen, das Buch ist in drei Teile geteilt, was eigentlich nicht schlecht ist. Trotzdem reichte es für mich nicht um mich tatsächlich zu packen. Nachdem ich mich an die seltsamen Namen gewöhnt hatte, erwartete ich eine gewisse Spannung, die aber irgendwie nicht richtig aufkam.
Mir war es dann auch irgendwann einfach zuviel mit den ganzen Wesen, die ich mir nicht richtig vorstellen konnte.
Fazit:
Für ein Fantasybuch fehlte mir das gewisse Etwas, ein nett geschriebener Abenteuerroman, nicht mehr und nicht weniger. Ich denke, ich werde diese Reihe/Trilogie nicht weiterverfolgen. Mir hat es einfach nicht gereicht, was angeboten wurde.
March 24, 2025
Sea, this book illustrations are very captivating. Not only is the cover welcoming the way the illustrator carries this throughout the book, but it also helps to build the story.
Now, for the writing, once you get last, the wacky spelling the story is an easy read. However, it doesn't seem to go anywhere, possibly due to being a book series separated into 3 novels. Possibly due to me reading this after a Stephen King's novel, and the expectations set weren't met with Sea.
I would say that for a teenager, just getting into reading this book will be a good start. However, not for my taste.
Now, for the writing, once you get last, the wacky spelling the story is an easy read. However, it doesn't seem to go anywhere, possibly due to being a book series separated into 3 novels. Possibly due to me reading this after a Stephen King's novel, and the expectations set weren't met with Sea.
I would say that for a teenager, just getting into reading this book will be a good start. However, not for my taste.
March 10, 2018
I quite enjoyed the Sea. It always had some good twists and turns and was very action-packed. I understood all the characters. I really enjoyed some of the characters abilities because they weren't the usual ones you'd think of. This makes them really unique and interesting.
March 2, 2018
3.5/5 Stars :)
January 7, 2021
Sehr spannendes Buch. Kann nicht auf den 2-ten Teil warten es zu lesen
October 14, 2017
This is a great adventure book. And I would recommend this to all readers. It is an interesting and unusal book. It has a great storyline and is about a girl trying to save her tribe.
November 27, 2018
I've just finished book 1 of a great fantasy adventure trilogy.
I requested Sea from NetGalley so thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read it!
Sea tells the story of Mouse a 12 year old girl when the story starts who's grown up at sea. She has a little brother, Sparrow too that she cares for. Her grandmother is the captain of the Huntress, their ship at the beginning of the book. Mouse is meant to become captain after her grandmother but someone impedes that happening. Mouse has friends on the Huntress that we don't really see in this book. They might come into the story more in future books.
Sea is marketed as a aged 9+ book. I don't think it should be read until age 13 really as there is lots of violence, blood and threatening behaviour. The protagonist is 13 for the majority of this book. I don't think a younger reader should read it.
Sea is written in first person perspective from the protagonist, Mouse's point of view. I really enjoyed reading from her perspective because I could see myself in her in how she stands up for whatever she believes in. She never backed down. These are the sorts of heroines that I love reading about.
The plot of Sea is basically Mouse trying to find her dad to begin with. She looks at a carving he made her and notices that it holds secrets that she didn't know before. The plot then turns to Mouse trying to get Sea Opals, special gems that hold power before the main villain of the story can get them. When the main villain takes her brother, her grandmother, her friends and her ship away from her, all Mouse has are her sea hawk and her brother's Moonsprite to aid her in getting what she owns back.
As I said above, this is a fantasy book. This world has terrodyls in it. I imagined them as pterodactyls, and it also has other evil creatures as well. Another fantasy element is that of "beast talk" which is something that a few of the characters can do. Mouse is one of them. It's how she communicates with her sea hawk and other creatures she meets. The last fantastical element I'll discuss here, is something her brother can do...communicating with whales. This isn't really a huge part of this first book but I'm sure it will come more into play in the next books in the trilogy.
Mouse meets a land dwelling boy as well. He's called Crow and at first they don't like each other. However, when they have to work together they do so, grudgingly. I have hopes that more of a relationship will develop here in the next books. Crow helps Mouse find her brother but do they succeed in rescuing him?
This is a character/plot driven story so the setting isn't really built upon. We know when the characters are on a ship or on land but apart from that the setting is a little left to be desired. This doesn't really matter though because as I've said above it's a character/plot driven story so the world building doesn't need to be that expansive. I think because it's meant for younger readers as well, the setting isn't hugely drawn upon.
I enjoyed the language of Sea. It used a lot of Pirate terms which really immersed me in the story. Mouse has been brought up on the sea so that's why she speaks the way she does.
I really enjoyed Sea. I found the overall story interesting and I'm really excited to see where the next books take us. I'm giving Sea 4 stars because I loved the characters, the relationships, the language, and the fantasy elements that were a part of the book. The main reason I'm not giving 5 stars is because I think the book is marketed for the wrong audience. I think the book is marketed at 9+ year olds just to allow the setting not to be explained as much as it should have been.
Sky is the next book and I'm excited to read and review it for you guys, hopefully...
2nd review: I still highly enjoyed Sea. I need to get the sequel, though!
I requested Sea from NetGalley so thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read it!
Sea tells the story of Mouse a 12 year old girl when the story starts who's grown up at sea. She has a little brother, Sparrow too that she cares for. Her grandmother is the captain of the Huntress, their ship at the beginning of the book. Mouse is meant to become captain after her grandmother but someone impedes that happening. Mouse has friends on the Huntress that we don't really see in this book. They might come into the story more in future books.
Sea is marketed as a aged 9+ book. I don't think it should be read until age 13 really as there is lots of violence, blood and threatening behaviour. The protagonist is 13 for the majority of this book. I don't think a younger reader should read it.
Sea is written in first person perspective from the protagonist, Mouse's point of view. I really enjoyed reading from her perspective because I could see myself in her in how she stands up for whatever she believes in. She never backed down. These are the sorts of heroines that I love reading about.
The plot of Sea is basically Mouse trying to find her dad to begin with. She looks at a carving he made her and notices that it holds secrets that she didn't know before. The plot then turns to Mouse trying to get Sea Opals, special gems that hold power before the main villain of the story can get them. When the main villain takes her brother, her grandmother, her friends and her ship away from her, all Mouse has are her sea hawk and her brother's Moonsprite to aid her in getting what she owns back.
As I said above, this is a fantasy book. This world has terrodyls in it. I imagined them as pterodactyls, and it also has other evil creatures as well. Another fantasy element is that of "beast talk" which is something that a few of the characters can do. Mouse is one of them. It's how she communicates with her sea hawk and other creatures she meets. The last fantastical element I'll discuss here, is something her brother can do...communicating with whales. This isn't really a huge part of this first book but I'm sure it will come more into play in the next books in the trilogy.
Mouse meets a land dwelling boy as well. He's called Crow and at first they don't like each other. However, when they have to work together they do so, grudgingly. I have hopes that more of a relationship will develop here in the next books. Crow helps Mouse find her brother but do they succeed in rescuing him?
This is a character/plot driven story so the setting isn't really built upon. We know when the characters are on a ship or on land but apart from that the setting is a little left to be desired. This doesn't really matter though because as I've said above it's a character/plot driven story so the world building doesn't need to be that expansive. I think because it's meant for younger readers as well, the setting isn't hugely drawn upon.
I enjoyed the language of Sea. It used a lot of Pirate terms which really immersed me in the story. Mouse has been brought up on the sea so that's why she speaks the way she does.
I really enjoyed Sea. I found the overall story interesting and I'm really excited to see where the next books take us. I'm giving Sea 4 stars because I loved the characters, the relationships, the language, and the fantasy elements that were a part of the book. The main reason I'm not giving 5 stars is because I think the book is marketed for the wrong audience. I think the book is marketed at 9+ year olds just to allow the setting not to be explained as much as it should have been.
Sky is the next book and I'm excited to read and review it for you guys, hopefully...
2nd review: I still highly enjoyed Sea. I need to get the sequel, though!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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