Review: Sweet Black Waves by Kristina Pérez

Summary

Not you without me, not me without you.

Two proud kingdoms stand on opposite shores, with only a bloody history between them.

As best friend and lady-in-waiting to the princess, Branwen is guided by two principles: devotion to her homeland and hatred for the raiders who killed her parents. When she unknowingly saves the life of her enemy, he awakens her ancient healing magic and opens her heart. Branwen begins to dream of peace, but the princess she serves is not so easily convinced. Fighting for what's right, even as her powers grow beyond her control, will set Branwen against both her best friend and the only man she's ever loved.

Inspired by the star-crossed tale of Tristan and Eseult, this is the story of the legend’s true heroine: Branwen. For fans of Graceling and The Mists of Avalon, this is the first book of a lush fantasy trilogy about warring countries, family secrets, and forbidden romance.

Goodreads

Purchase here:

Amazon | B&N

REVIEW

Sweet Black Waves by Kristina Pérez
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Title: Sweet Black Waves
Series: Sweet Black Waves #1
Author: Kristina Pérez
Release date: May 5, 2018
Cliffhanger: Yes

    Time stood still. There was no blood or fire, no Iveriu or Kernyv. There was only this-only this kiss.

I've been trying to figure out what to rate this book ever since I finished yesterday, and I think that deep down I want to rate this one star, but I can't bring myself to do it. The writing is truly captivating and masterfully done, and for the quality alone it deserves five stars. This is what keeps bouncing back and forth in my brain, and I can't seem to come up with a decision for either that seems fair. What I do know is that you can't read this book and feel nothing. It's a tragic nightmare wrapped inside of a heavenly dream. It's royalty, pirates, magic, secrets, ill fated love, and icy foreboding like a chill down your spine. With each page, the tension ratchets until you're at an unbearable level. It's not a matter of if something bad will happen, it's when.

The story starts out innocently enough, with a blissfully romantic attraction to a stranger who washes up on shore. Delivered by those deceptively sweet black waves. This attraction quickly turns to despair after discovering that this dashing man who recites poems and looks at her with longing is her kingdom's enemy. He is from Kernyv, whom her people bitterly feud with. His countrymen were responsible for her parents' murder, so you can see why she is torn about helping this man who hides out on her shores. But after some time, there is a softening of her pride and barriers. She sees beyond prejudices and long standing hatred, and he fills her with a pure love that she never could have anticipated. And I felt their passion. Their desire to let the world fall away and sit in their own private corner and pretend that tomorrow wasn't going to bring heartache.

    Tantris brought something alive inside her. Something that couldn't be contained. True love was more powerful than death or dishonor.

In the beginning, Lady Branwen was the most mature out of the two cousins, always watching over her princess Eseult and trying to keep her out of trouble in a maternal way. However, as the book wore on, I began to get very frustrated with both girls. Eseult most of all, as her childish and self-centered behavior was revealed in full color. You would see glimpses of a loyalty and love that she tried to express, but they were short and insufficient to convince me that she deserved the devotion that Branwen bestowed upon her. She was bratty, churlish, and unable to forgive anyone for the duty she was expected to fulfill. At one point, she was even willing to sacrifice her life in order to save Branwen, but even that didn't redeem her. She proved with her defiant actions in the end that her own happiness was the only thing of importance.

As Essie became the symbol for uniting their two kingdoms in peace, her impulses threatened that fragile tie to snap at any moment. Branwen progressively started to make rash and foolish decisions as she tried to keep the engagement from falling apart. So much heartache and despair could have been prevented if she had just decided to trust the man she supposedly loves and was honest with him! Her secrets, her plotting to solve everything all on her own (despite being strongly advised NOT to) made me scream at my kindle in frustration. Her unbending loyalty to her cousin was like an albatross weighing down every decision she made. And as she was entrusted with powers from the Otherworld, there were hints of darkness fighting to come out.

Here's the thing: I was along for this ride and loving every minute, even when times started getting tough. The angst and suspense was pulling me along by my shirt collar, and I was running trying to keep up. And then the ending happened.

That.

Ending.

That ending that ripped out my heart, threw it in a blender, and made a milkshake of destruction out of it. I was enraged. I'm STILL raving mad and wishing I could rewind time, and smack myself silly for doing this to myself. WHY?! THIS COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED! Truth, honesty, transparency...TRUST! And yet the one victim who had their free will taken away was blamed and discarded! Out of everybody, only Tristan was pure of heart and caught in this tempest that he had nothing to do with. From the beginning to the end, I loved him. In the end, his loss hurt me the most.

Not one book comes to mind that came close to making me as angry as this one, and yet it would be wrong of me to say I hated this story. That would be careless and simply untrue. But I think it's going to take me a long time to get over this ending, and right now as I'm still recovering in this moment...my rage wins out. With the revelations that were unearthed, Wild Savage Stars promises to be another bumpy ride. Do I really want to willingly seat myself into the madness again? This is a trilogy, and for once, I'm thinking that all three books will be necessary in order to complete this story. The hopelessness we were left with seems insurmountable. Call me crazy, but I don't think I'm going to be able to resist seeing how this all plays out.

FOLLOW SMOKIN HOT BOOK BLOG ON: 

View all my reviews