Thank you to Sparkpress for providing an ARC of Stacey L. Tucker’s Ocean’s Fire.

Yeah... I don’t know what happened. The beginning chapters were... slow. Painfully slow. And then, everything was a whirlwind. I don’t know what happened and did I go wrong or what. I’m confused. The characters are plain and there is something on the premise but it was not effectively executed and it’s a loss.

I had to abandon this one because the story-telling was borderline ridiculous, the narrative voice was immature, and I couldn't connect with characters that were fake. There was so much "oh my, you are a literal god in human form" descriptions and teenage hormones ruining around that any possible plot was obliterated.

This is an honest review in exchange for a digital ARC - thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity

It took me a long time to read Oceans Fire, mainly because I struggled to be fully gripped. I was piqued and hopeful at some of the themes; I was a fan of Buffy and True Blood and I kept hoping it would pick a solid direction and just go with it. I felt like I was given a pile of threads that didn't really go anywhere, although some of it could have been very interesting and would deserve a multi-book series. Unfortunately, I was just left with the feeling this was a girl who wasn't that interesting that had interesting things happen around her but she just didn't seem to know what was going on. The author has talent and there's good stuff there, it just needs to be re-sorted, polished and given a little bolt of lightning. It was a 2/5 from me, but I will keep an eye on the author to see how she develops.

Not for me unfortunately. It didn't grip me, I found myself finding excuses for not reading. A little disappointed.

Firstly I’d like to thank SparkPress and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book.

This book starts with a great looks in the form of Skylar Southmartins Mum. She loses her battle with cancer. Skylar delves into finishing her veterinary degree but soon discovers family secrets, an unknown link between 4 other women and a love triangle. Not to mention a mystical book all about Skylar’s past, present and even her future.

The books lore seemed to be well researched and as someone who has never heard of Akashic lore before it has made me want to learn more about it.

There is nothing in the synopsis about the possibility of sexual scenes. So this could have been mentioned, especially as it’s a young adult book.

My favourite character wasn’t the main character but someone that came into Skylar’s life when she went on to finish her degree. That person was Ronnie, she seemed strong willed and to me, a bit of a heroine on her own. I won’t go too much into her as I’d end up giving away spoilers.

I’m going to give this book 3/5 as although in a lot of respects it was good and worth the read, I felt like you didn’t really get to know characters and then before you know it, you’ve learned all the secrets you need to and it’s the end of the book. I’d still recommend reading though.

Initially this books synopsis excited me but once I began reading it diverged from that path so much. It does have many triggers and I wish it was the Greek mythology based book promised. Disappointed...

Contrived plot, awkward writing. I'm sorry, I really tried to like this but it just wasn't my jam.

***This book was reviewed for the San Francisco Book Review and via Netgalley

****Trigger/ age warning for explicit sexual situations

Ocean’s Fire, by Stacey Tucker, is the first in the Equal Night Trilogy. Young Skylar has recently lost her mum, Cassie, to the relentless ravages of cancer. In the maelstrom aftermath of such loss, Skylar learns of her family’s legacy, and the true power of the Book of Akasha. Is she ready for the responsibilities newly thrust upon her? It is time for the power of women, and women's mysteries, to reclaim their rightful place in world cosmology. Thankfully, Skylar has help along her path in the form of Ocean, Beatrice, and others.  

This book had a strong theme of loss which hit me hard. My paternal grandmum raised me much of my formative years, shaping a great deal of my spirituality. Even well-prepared, her passing was a harsh blow to me. Skylar struggled with the loss of her mum through much of the book, making it easy for me to be invested in her and her growth through the novel.

I enjoyed the lore behind the book. It came across as well-researched. I love when books incorporate known mythology, bringing it forward for new audiences, and interpreting it in new ways. It rarely fails to get people interested in the ancient lore as well. Greek mythos, and lore of the Akashic Record have been of interest to me for a long time, as an anthropologist, a lorekeeper, and one interested in the magickal side of life. Women's mystery cults and women's mysteries today are sadly lacking in many stories, as they are lacking in society as a whole. As a whole, we've chosen to cut off half of what makes us human. If writers today can help shepherd that neglected half back into the mainstream of our modern mythology, perhaps that change can filter to the rest of society.

Oh, and horses! I loved the horses. Especially on the beautiful cover. I must say, this cover ranks as a favourite for the artwork. While the main lore is Greek, the horse symbology reminded me of Rhiannon of Welsh myth, and, of course, the horse goddess Epona.

There are explicit sexual situations throughout the book. Nothing in the description suggested this might be contained within. It would be just as well served with implied sexual scenes, than those bordering on the erotic. If this is to be part of the draw of the book, as with books by Laurell K Hamilton, some mention is needed in the book blurb/synopsis. Several of said scenes did feel contrived, and not as necessary to the story.

There also seemed a theme of casual cheating. Now, I'm not a prudish person. I function in an open relationship. But we chose that, and are up front. If people agree to function in a monogamous relationship, and easily break that, I find them very untrustworthy. No one just 'finds themselves in that situation’. You can always say no. If you are weak-willed, either own up to that and accept the consequences, or make sure to avoid, or remove yourself from, temptation.

There were also times when the dialogue felt too stilted and formal, especially from twenty-odd college students. I would expect more contractions in speech with this age range. Most of the time I was able to gloss over it, but sometimes I got jarred from the story.

Overall, this was a decent read. Sure, there's room for growth, but I did find it enjoyable, and will likely check out the next in series, once available.

📚📚📚

Lyrical and powerful, this is definitely one that I am going to buy a copy of when it's out. It's writing is strong, the characters are relatable and this is easily one of my favorites. Five stars!

DNFing at 30%

When I first read the synopsis of Ocean's Fire, I was pretty excited to pick up this book. Greek mythology woven into a present-day setting is always intriguing, or at least, in my opinion. However, when I got into the read, it was more like a contemporary novel than anything, and it didn't really match the blurb provided. The story starts out fine and has a strong undertone theme of horses (which I loved!) But when the main character Skylar begins her sexual escapades, I couldn't keep interested.

I don't necessarily mind sex in a story. However, I want what I read to be wholesome and not explicit. I don't want to read a detailed description of someone else's "experience."

Second, can we stop with the mindless cheating? I truly don't believe these characters can just be so utterly powerless to their emotions that they "find" themselves in the act.

It's true; humans are pros at making excuses for their actions. But...think! Anyways, not to get into a morality conflict. I stopped reading this book because I was seeing a lack of character development across the board, the cheating, and the all-too-prominent theme of sex.

Vulgarity: Quite a bit.
Sexual content: Up until 30%, there was a moderate amount.
Violence: None.

I will not be assigning a star rating as I did not finish reading this book.

A big thanks to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book!

.Title: Ocean’s Fire
Author: Stacey L. Tucker (http://staceytucker.net)
Publisher: Spark Press (http://gosparkpress.com)
Genre: General Fiction (adult), Fantasy, Sci-Fi
Release date: 10 October 2017
Original review available at http://eatreadexplore.com/2017/09/30/book-review-oceans-fire-by-stacey-l-tucker/

Nemee’s rating: 3.5/5



First thoughts
I want to know what happens next! Ocean’s Fire is the first novel of Stacey L. Tucker’s Equal Night Trilogy. Most of my questions at the end of the novel were answered, however, like any well written novel series I’m still left with questions about how the story will unfold. How will allegiances change? Which characters wills survive the series and which will not? Which relationships will survive the series and which ones will not? Tucker’s enrapturing writing has left me wanting more.



Plot
Skylar Southmartin is a twenty-one year old veterinary student entering her final year of university. The past summer has been a hectic one with Skylar’s mother, Cassie, succumbing to cancer and perishing (their relationship is a central motif of the novel). Before her death, Cassie and Skylar used to practice Cassie’s resurrection out of the Book of Akasha, a written manifestation of all the experiences of Skylar’s life. As the story unfolds we learn about the significance of the Book of Akasha as it relates to Skylar and humanity, and about Skylar’s changing duties not only to her mom, but to the world. With the help of Ocean, Beatrice, Vivienne, Ronnie and Rachel, Skylar learns secrets about her family and the world that she could never have imagined, and takes on a responsibility she could never have conceived of.



What I Enjoyed
The balance between real-life and fantasy. Personally, I’m not the biggest fan of science fiction or fantasy literature, however, Tucker’s writing was mightily impressive. Tucker’s ability to meld real-life struggles such as balancing university, the strains of professional life and the even greater strains of dating, with the mystical experiences of magic, monsters, otherworldly occurrences, and other fantastical features makes the story not one simply of plot, but one of sympathy and compassion.

The relationship between Skylar and her mother, Cassie. Central to the novel is the theme of coming to terms with losing a loved one. Tucker’s own experience with losing her mother gives her a compassionate vantage point with which to relate her experiences with her characters, and more importantly, her readers. The nature of Skylar and Cassie’s relationship offers a depth of insight into Skylar’s personal growth that seems absent in many other novels. Through this particular relationship, we see Skylar at her most vulnerable and are able to sympathize with her on a genuine and honest level.

The way everything ties together. Various characters are introduced at various times, however, by the end of the story everything comes together to form a coherent whole. Despite the numerous characters and their sometimes suspicious behaviour, I never felt lost about who was who. Although it can be difficult to understand the purpose of a particular character, Tucker has specifically written in that way to create suspense and mystery. By the end of the novel it’s clear that Tucker has maintained a strong sense of how she wants her readers to react to particular characters in various areas of the novel.

Character descriptions. Tucker has a knack for describing the physical features of characters so you can vividly imagine them in your head. I appreciate when authors do this so you can imagine the scenes playing out and imagine what a certain action-packed event might be visualized as.



What I Didn't Enjoy
At times, Tucker’s writing can be overly formal. The dialogue between characters is, on the whole, quite casual. However, the dialogue is not always written casually. For instance, there are times in the novel when Skylar is out with her boyfriend or university friends but the conversations seem too formal and unbelievable. If some of the “it is” and “I am”s were simply replaced with “it’s” and “I’m”s the dialogue would read more smoothly.

Explanation of family secrets. I can’t go too in-depth into this one because it would require far too many spoilers, however, I really wish that a particular secret involving Skylar’s birth were given more explanation. Why did the events unfold particularly as they did? Why did one woman take on much more responsibility than the other woman? Why were certain secrets withheld from Skylar, and why was the time at which they were revealed the right time? Although I felt that other explanations were sound and well-timed, the secrets relating to Skylar’s family were glossed over too quickly, especially for how shocking and significant they were.



Favourite Quotes:
Ocean sighed. “When will we accept that we are all connected? It is your book, but it also records the lives of those you touch. And because we all touch all, it is an exponential web encompassing everyone. At some level, we are all everyone. We are one. That is why the Book of Akasha has been many times called The Book of One.”

“Fear is false, created by the dark parts of your mind to keep you trapped. Your anger is your ego’s power over your heart. Remember the love you have inside. It is your best guide, always.”

“Pain is a tool for transformation. Humans rarely grow out of pleasure.”



Overall
Ocean’s Fire was a fun and easy read. It took me three days to get through and I enjoyed every moment of it. The plot was interesting, the character development was easy to follow, the narrative was smooth, and the intermingling and coming together of various subplots was impressive. I would definitely recommend this novel to anyone looking to begin a series and anyone interested in a well-balanced General Fiction and Sci-FI novel.

Unfortunately, this book was not for me and did not hold my interest.

So Ocean's Fire initially grabbed my interest as I enjoy anything that has a strong female lead and that is on the mystical side, this promised a look into that. Skylar Southmartin is a girl trying to get her life back on track after her mother's death so do this she moves out to a stables to finish off her veterinary degree and along the way she begins to discover alot about herself including the powers that she has inside her.
I really did enjoy this book and while the writing felt a tiny bit weak in places it made up for it with vivd place descriptions which helped for someone who knows nothing about horses and stables. The descriptions of a couple of the horses really gave you a look into their personality. The author's character descriptions and the way she describes the abilities of Skylar and those around her allow the reader to really visualise what's happening.
There is also a great theme throughout the book of personal strength and group strength, this is mostly female. Skylar is surrounded by storng women who know what they want want and how to go about it, and while there are strong men in Ocean's Fire they take a definete second place to the ladies in their life. The only thing that derails this is the men she gets romantically involved with, they derail her efforts to learn about herself and she really lets herself get off track around them.
The only issue I have with the book is that Skylar tends to tell everyone she knows about her life secrets without having known them for very long, she relies alot of intuition which is great but it feels like everyone knows her story and what's going on in her life. At one point she hands over something very precious to someone she has known for about 2 days. This is really the only thing I found that I didn't like about the story and I am very interested in reading the next in the trilogy as I feel it has alot of potential.
I've given Ocean's Fire 3 out of 5 stars and it is being published on 10th October 2017.

This is a book that includes mythology with struggles of a modern college student. But more than anything else, it focuses on the power of female friendships and mentorships and how important they are. The writing isn’t amazing, but it’s not a big issue, and I couldn’t put the book down. The story itself is amazing and done as realistically as a book based around mythology can be. I finished it in one afternoon!

I requested to read this book as the blurp seemed interesting. After a couple of chapters I was already dragging my feet. The characters are so poorly developed. The main character Skylar's motivations are unclear, her emotions flat and one-dimensional. After reading the first 25% properly I started skimming. After 55% I gave up.

I hate not finishing books, but I really did not get on with this one.