This was a nice atmospheric read. I enjoyed the aspects of it that were true to the original story and how the author twisted it to make it their own. I really enjoyed it and look forward to reading more of the series.

***Review not posted on blog***

This book was comped with Kristin Cashore's series, which was an instant hook for me. Unfortunately I am unable to post a review of this book on my blog at this time. I am excited to read more by Kristina Perez and this publishing imprint. Thank you so much for the opportunity.

The Eater of Books!

Thanks for the review copy. I was not able to read this one, so I did not leave a review on social media.

I had such high expectations for this book, and Sweet Black Waves blew them all out of the sweet black water! Loved everything about this book, from the characters to the plot.

That ending!! It's quite frustrating, so beware and have the next book ready to go. Great characters, fantastic setting! My only real complaint is that this book is huge, and didn't have to be. The pacing was a bit slow for me in the beginning. but I'd still recommend it.

DNF @ 45%

Took me  a long time to finally admit this to myself. But I think it's time I do. I was super excited when I received an e-arc of the book but it just wasn't as great as I hoped it to be. I think I built it so high up on my head that all I felt was disappointment when it didn't live up to that expectation. I feel horrible.

I really enjoyed this book and found it very interesting with this take on this romance. I enjoyed the description of the romance interests and the different point of views . Overall I enjoyed this book and loved the cover. I can't to read other books by this author.

This book. I honestly am having trouble writing a review for it. This is one of the most polarizing books for me. I’ll admit that I was pulled along from page one; completely invested. And I think that’s why I’m having a difficult time. I loved the two main characters. I was rooting for them. But, if you’ve ever read any version of Tristan and Isolde than you’ll know, that there’s bound to be heartbreak.

Only in this story, I wasn’t sure how it was going to happen until about three quarters of the way through. I was hoping and praying for a decent ending, I really was. But, it killed me.

Ms. Perez’s writing is, quite simply, superb. It’s not always easy to write retellings and make them compelling and unique but this book was full of its own charm and prose.

You also don’t need to know the story of Tristan and Isolde. But, knowing it, helped me not to be blindsided into thinking that this book would have a fairy tale happy ending.

The side characters weren’t as intriguing for me. Princess Eseult made me want to throat punch her half the time. Problem is, our heroine, Branwen, truly loves her cousin, the princess. And I’m still not convinced there’s any coming back for this character.

All I can hope is that, since it’s a trilogy, things will come full circle and all will work out.

It was a good start to a series. The writing was good and the pacing was good. Not great, just good. The relationships were infuriating. So much loyalty to an insufferable brat. The ending was... rushed, in my opinion, and still, I think this book could've been 100 pages shorter. So it was a good beginning.

This was a pretty cool twist on the Tristan and Iseult legend, with Princess Iseult's cousin and lady-in-waiting Branwen as the main character and Tristan's love (until, well, you know how it goes...). It was refreshing that the main character WASN'T the princess, that the queen was actually a powerful AND kind person, and that the young female main character embraced her power and <spoiler>actually walked away when the dude treated her like crap</spoiler>. I liked how as the book went along it got more and more into the mythology/magic, following Branwen's own journey into her belief and power. And that cliffhanger...GAH. Going to reserve the next book from the library RIGHT NOW.

Sweet Black Waves by Kristina Perez is a stunning read where you basically know the outcome but still hope against hope that it won’t come to pass. You see, Sweet Black Waves is the first in a trilogy that retells the story of Tristan and Eseult from the perspective of Branwen, Eseult’s cousin and maidservant with a magical twist. On the whole, I genuinely enjoyed this book and was SO invested that I did not want to read the ending (because I was rooting for Branwen).

Sweet Black Waves is about two kingdoms at war, they both keep raiding each other and making orphans of children. However, one day, a man washes ashore while Branwen is gathering plants. So, Branwen saves him. Turns out he’s from the enemy kingdom. Still, she is compassionate and nurses him back to health. They fall in love. The man, Tristan, is the nephew to King Marc and competes in a tournament to win Princess Eseult for King Marc. Eseult wants to pick her own husband but of course, the marriage of Eseult will cement peace between the kingdoms and must happen at all costs.

On the whole, I loved Branwen as a character, even when she’s making questionable choices. Whereas, I thought Eseult was so aggravating and would not have minded if she fell overboard during the journey to King Marc. I think it’s tough because you do end up rooting for Branwen and Tristan but know that it ends up being Eseult and Tristan who get together based upon the legend – that’s not exactly a spoiler. What a trip to get there though. I think to enjoy Sweet Black Waves you need to be patient and know that it’s going to be a long read but also quite enchanting. I actually find myself excited to read the sequel and then eventually the final book even though I’ve got no review obligation to do so.

Disclaimer: I bought this book! Support your authors!

Book Series: Sweet Black Waves Book 1

Rating: 5/5

Publication Date: June 5, 2018

Genre: YA Fantasy 

Recommended Age: 16+ (slight gore, war, witchcraft, sex, and love. I also can’t remember if it’s in book one or two but there is a little cutting scene)

Publisher: Imprint

Synopsis: 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.

Review: Holy cow this book was so good. The writing was near poetic and the world building was fantastic. I loved seeing this classic tale told through the eyes of someone not in the original tale and I loved how the author filled in the details left behind in the tale!

However, the book is really slow. It’s really good, but really slow. You’re also going to be confused if you’ve never read the original tale, so Wikipedia it.

Verdict: It’s worth the read!

I give the book 3 stars. I had trouble getting into the story and liking the characters. It’s not the first I would recommend to a patron.

Ok, WOW. This was totally not what I was expecting... in a really good way. I thought this was just going to be another YA fantasy retelling that was just like every other book I've read. BUT IT WASN'T AT ALL. It starts out a little innocent and juvenile, but it quickly turns into an amazing drama filled and entertaining read. I absolutely loooooved Branwen's character and Essie, eh I could take her or leave her. She was pretty annoying to be honest, but that's how her character is supposed to seem so, I'll let that one slide. Tristan was also such an interesting character and he always gave me that "too good to be true" feeling. I let you find out if that feeling was accurate or not! 

All in all, Sweet Black Waves was a wonderful surprise and I can't wait to read book two in this series. I would highly recommend this novel to readers who love YA retellings and YA fantasy. Thank you to Fierce Reads and NetGalley for sending this novel in exchange for an honest review. 

Rating 4/5

This book started off really well. Plot was interesting and I was engrossed enough to want to see it through. I might have felt that the pacing is a little too slow though because most of it is fixated on the protag's narrative on her dedication to her duty. Other than that it was a passable first book. I am still hesitant to read the second one because of this damn princess. I was already pissed off at how annoying she was and then... ta-da! Goodness! I have never hated a character as much as this stupid brat of a princess! I have to admit that I am curious as to how this will play out but I cannot stand how idiotic that character was. Look at me getting riled up over a fictional character, but then maybe that is a good thing. LOL

There were things that I liked and things that I didn't about this story. I do believe that this was a case of me and not the book because I do feel that it has people that will really love it.

I tried so desperately to like this book, but I barely finished it and even that was a struggle. It his is what Perez’ writing is like, I don’t see myself reaching for any of her works anytime soon.

Loved reading this! I wasn't sure what to expect, but this book is so much more than I first thought! So good!

This book did not capture my full interest, so I set it aside. The writing was good, but I did not connect with the characters. I am still curious. Just wasn't the right story for me at the time when I read it, but maybe one day I will pick it up.

This was a fun retelling of Tristan and Isolde but told from the perspective of Branwen, Isolde’s cousin. Ms. Perez truly made the novel come alive. It was full of rich and historical details. Branwen was a mature character, and I found her very relatable. I love how it gave us a spin on the classic characters and made them real. Isolde, who is called Essie in the novel, is a flawed character. Overall, this was a realistic and beautiful novel about these star-crossed lovers, and I’m excited to read the sequel!