ARC Review: These Rebel Waves (Stream Raiders #1) by Sara Raasch
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Series: Stream Raiders #1
Author: Sara Raasch
Published August 7th 2018 by Balzer + Bray
Goodreads Synopsis
Adeluna is a soldier. Five years ago, she helped the magic-rich island of Grace Loray overthrow its oppressor, Argrid, a country ruled by religion. But adjusting to postwar life has not been easy. When an Argridian delegate vanishes during peace talks with Grace Loray’s new Council, Argrid demands brutal justice—but Lu suspects something more dangerous is at work.
Devereux is a pirate. As one of the outlaws called stream raiders who run rampant on Grace Loray, he pirates the island’s magic plants and sells them on the black market. But after Argrid accuses raiders of the diplomat’s abduction, Vex becomes a target. An expert navigator, he agrees to help Lu find the Argridian—but the truth they uncover could be deadlier than any war.
Benat is a heretic. The crown prince of Argrid, he harbors a secret obsession with Grace Loray’s forbidden magic. When Ben’s father, the king, gives him the shocking task of reversing Argrid’s fear of magic, Ben has to decide if one prince can change a devout country—or if he’s building his own pyre.
As conspiracies arise, Lu, Vex, and Ben will have to decide who they really are . . . and what they are willing to become for peace.
Goodreads
Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher. This in no way impacted on my view.
Sara's debut series, Snow Like Ashes, is one of my favourite all time fantasy series, and when I heard she was coming back with a pirates series, I was desperate to get my hands on it. When my trade for These Rebel Waves came through, I dropped everything, and dove right in.
In These Rebel Waves, we have a few different main characters. We have Benat, who is the crown prince of Argrid - where the book is set; Adeluna, whose parents are prominent Council members on Grace Loray; and Devereux, an infamous Stream Raider (pirate) who isn't tied with any other gang. Although piracy is a large part of the book, political intrigue also plays a large part, which I loved.
From Ben's story, we see him struggling with the laws that his father has brought in banning all magic from Argrid, especially when it led to the deaths of this uncle and cousin. He was always interested in learning about the botanical magic from the island of Grace Loray, but since it's been outlawed, he's had to hide anything to do with it, lest his tyrannical father find out about it. Anything that might subvert his power and control over Argrid is met with severe and harsh punishments, and even his son is not immune. Another this that Ben has to hide is his sexuality as well, though many know the truth about his feelings. As he learns more about the real world, and just why magic has been so cruelly outlawed, he finds himself questioning everything that he thought was true.
For Adeluna - or Lu - we see how hard it has been for her to grow up in conflict, since the Argrid Empire have sought to seize control of Grace Loray. Since a very young age, she's had to be both spy and soldier, and has been a secret weapon for her parents, who have prominent positions on the Grace Lorayan council. She believes in the council, and everything that they do, but slowly, she learns the truth.
Devereux, otherwise known as Vex, is a very secretive character. He has been tortured bu the Argrid church, and the empire has a hold over him, that he doesn't really want to talk about. He has his crew, but is not affiliated with any other syndicate in Argrid, which leaves him vulnerable from attack. He meets Lu when she hires him to find a missing diplomat, whose disappearance has come at the very worst time for relations between Grace Loray and Argrid. While working together, they soon realise just how naive they've been - Lu, in particular - about the hold that Argrid has over the world.
The world building in this book was hands down one of the best I've seen, ever. There are the two main areas of Grace Loray and Argrid, and as the book progresses, we learn more about the world, seeing it through the eyes of the characters. Each of the syndicates are tied to a country, but as Vex is unaffiliated with any, he comes and goes from them all. Class and race are large themes in the book, especially the plight of refugees and immigrants to Grace Loray. Through this, Lu learns that what she thought was true, really isn't, and realises that just because her life is somewhat decent, it doesn't mean everyone's is.
Because of how much action there is in the book, romance is on more of a back burner, but there are still two prominent relationships that begin to flourish. Firstly, is between Ben and Jakes, one of the Argrid Empire's soldiers, who works in the palace and very close to Ben. I loved the dynamic between the two, but as the story continued, and Ben grew to understand more, they drifted apart, as Jakes was a staunch believer in the Emperor's control. The other relationship was between Lu and Vex, and it was such a slow burn that I wanted to scream at times, but was also so cute. I need more in book 2 by way of romance, especially between these two!
Overall, this was a fantastic review, and while writing this review I've realised how much I adored it, and how much I want to re-read it before These Divided Shores is released! For fans of YA fantasy, and strong characters are world building, this is one for you!
Dates Read:
August 15-19, 2018Rating
5 Stars
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