Book Review- Dark Water Daughter by H. M. Long

Book One of The Wintering Sea

Published July 2023 by Titan Books

Print length: 464 pages

Fiction. Fantasy/ Flintlock Fantasy

A case of mistaken identity has Mary Firth facing the gallows. She has two options- die for crimes committed by another woman or reveal the secret she has held her entire life. Refusing to die, Mary opens her mouth and sings, drawing on her hidden magic to summon a hurricane. Mary is a Stormsinger and her voice can calm seas and control storms, an ability sought after by the Navy, merchants and pirates alike. By using her gift, Mary sets herself on a path of magic, danger and high sea adventure.

Dark Water Daughter is a fast-paced maritime fantasy that hooked me within the first scene. Readers are quickly immersed in a world of strange magic that draws inspiration from the Jacobean period, complete with flintlock pistols, ships battling with cannons and uncharted seas filled with pirates and sea monsters. While the world is complex and highly detailed, Long skillfully guides readers into the Winter Sea, slowly revealing the currents of magic and mystery that the characters are immersed in.

The characters of Dark Water Daughter come to life on the page. The two main characters, Mary and Samuel, have depth and complexity. Both must navigate their pasts and family legacies, while mastering their own unique and dangerous magical abilities. The side characters are well rounded with full personalities. The relationships between characters were particularly well written. I especially enjoyed the developing bond between Samuel and Fisher. Too often friendships between men and women are overlooked or are seen as a stepping stone to romance. It was refreshing to see a platonic relationship between a man and a woman.

Dark Water Daughter establishes itself as a unique and exciting first entry in a sea based fantasy series. Fans of Robin Hobb’s excellent Liveship Traders trilogy will find a lot to love in this novel. With high stakes, fascinating magic, swashbuckling adventure and complex characters, Dark Water Daughter is an exciting read. I look forward to the release of the second book in the series, due July 2024 from Titan Books.



For more information:

Author’s website: https://www.hmlongbooks.com/

Publisher’s website: https://titanbooks.com/71206-the-winter-sea-dark-water-daughter/



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