By Chapter 2, I was super hooked into this story!

It's always readily apparent to me how much work an author has put into a story and when I was only a few chapters in, I knew how much research and thought Kristina Pérez had put into crafting this world. Not only is the world intricately crafted with its lush setting of magic and politics, but the weaving of the various Tristan and Isolde legends is beautifully done. I know the gist of the various legends but there was still an element of anticipation in this novel as I waited to see how everything would unfold and it takes a great talent to do that with a novel that has been inspired by such a well known tale.

But it really was the characters that sold this story for me. Everyone has so many layers to them, not just Branwen (though she is a fascinating lead to follow). This truly is a character driven story as I found there isn't much else to the plot besides Branwen navigating her role in court as various obstacles appear along the way. Nevertheless, it is entertaining and for someone who loves political intrigue in her novels, I was a huge fan!

The romance also won me over. Talk about SWOON! I became so invested in Branwen's love story and I can't wait to see how it will all resolve!

How did I get sucked into a love story that isn't Tristan/Eseult when I know it won't end well?

That's how ridiculously good this book is. I know this pairing will not last and I was still shocked when bad things started to happen. I'm looking forward to the next part of the story!

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.

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.

**4.5 Stars**

Sweet Black Waves was a hauntingly romantic tale with a femalecentric storyline that deftly captured the struggles of loyalty versus love. With Perez’ affinity for language, the setting for this centuries-old tale came alive and built not just a location and time period, but a people that felt wholly relevant and complex. And though the sweeping romanticism wasn’t without moments of darkness and tragedy, the smoothly blended juxtaposition of those clashing together lent itself to one captivating story.

There was such breadth to Branwen’s personality and the very loyalty she held so dear; how she was willing to make dark sacrifices for her kingdom and yet be so selfless when it came to taking her own piece of happiness. She was simply refreshing—the bleeding heart mixed with the convictions of a warrior in a battle of fealty to her kingdom and her heart. Paired with a forbidden romance set to light the skies on fire, there couldn’t have been a better mix of elements to create a more evocative story. And even as a reader unfamiliar with the old tale of Tristan and Iseult—of which this story is inspired—I felt the trepidation while reading that something monumental was going to happen, that decisions were going to be made that couldn’t be undone, and how that all sat in my gut, growing ever bigger, as the story built. All of which were more viscerally felt due to the excellent pacing and timeline of events—crafted to get the maximum reaction out of me possible at every turn—and I couldn’t look away.

Even with a cliffhanger ending that tore me apart, I can honestly say that Sweet Black Waves hurt so good, in the best way. Branwen was a force of nature, a heroine to root for, and I’m beyond anxious to see how events will unfold in the next installment. This was a thrilling YA historical, with dashes of magic, that’s not to miss.

This book is extremely romantic. I just adored it and found myself dreading the end of the book. This book is broken into 3 parts the first part focusing on the romance, the second focusing a little on romance but more on magic, and the last part is mostly just heartbreaking. My favorite part was the first part, the start of Branwen's and Tristan's relationship is so beautiful. While there is some instant attraction, they really get to know one another. The second part was still really good, but I didn't always agree with what Branwen was doing. By the end of the book, I was cringing at what was happening. However, I still really loved the book. I really cannot wait for the next book to come out. This has a beautiful romance, strong family ties, and lots of magic.

I received an Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review from Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group Publishing via NetGalley.

Sweet Black Waves is the debut novel from author Kristina Pérez. While this trilogy is a retelling of Tristan and Isolde, it is 19-year old Branwen Cualand of Laiginzir that is the series protagonist. Branwen is a character who puts everyone's happiness ahead of her own. That includes her cousin Princess Eseult of Iveriu, daughter of King Oengus and Queen Eseult, who is beyond spoiled unlike her mother. The Queen is renowned for her skills with herbs and healing which she has passed onto Branwen. Branwen's world was rocked to the core when her parents, the Lord and Lady of Castle Bodwa, were murdered by ravaging pirates when she was a child. They continue to invade Iveriu relentlessly killing indiscriminately and leaving families shattered.

By the way, when I say Iveriu, I actually mean Ireland. When I say Kernyv, I really mean Cornwall. While Branwen manages to do things for everyone except herself, she makes a number of questionable choices. Choices that will leave no doubt that her main motivation is to protect the people she loves as well as bring peace to Iveriu. But, when a strange man (who just happens to be Prince Tristan, heir to the protectorate of Liones) washes up on the shore badly hurt, she makes the choice to save his life in secret. This one moment in time is just the beginning of Branwen's becoming more than just the niece of the King and Queen, and the lady's maid to her cousin Essy. Branwen explores her hidden magical abilities as well as giving her the opportunity to expand on her desire to protect her home by aligning herself with a man who should be her enemy.

Tristan has similar goals in mind; peace between Iveriu and Kernyv. He chooses to participate in a champions tournament for the right to marry Eseult and unite the countries in a long desired peace. Meanwhile, Branwen is inching closer to making a life changing choice in order to give her cousin the love and happiness she desires. The fact that much of the story seesaws back and forth between Tristan and Branwen's feelings for the other, and Essy's desire to be her own woman, throws things into disarray when you get to the ending.

I am basing my review on the shocking and soul shattering ending that just was mean spirited. Yes, I do know and have read the story about Tristan and Isolde.Tristan and Isolde weren't that far behind Gweniever, Arthur and Lancelot for the most twisted love story in history. I even watched a really awful remake not too long ago. However, I'm not quite sure what the point was of having the so called heroine of the story, Branwen, be involved if the author was going to stick close to the original tale. My favorite part of this story is the relationship between Branwen and Queen Eseult. There is so much to gather from their conversations about magic, and the old ones, and Branwen becoming much more than just a role player in a romance that has been retold numerous times over the ages.

A Celtic legend gets revamped from a new POV in Kristina Perez's SWEET BLACK WAVES!

Branwen is the niece of the King and Queen of Iveriu, cousin and lady’s maid to the lovely but petulant Princess Eseult. She’s a gifted healer, a kind protector, and someone who feels a deep connection to her homeland. But Branwen is not meant for anything more than a simple life and hopes she can help guide her cousin into the role of a graceful queen.

When a stranger washes up on the shores of Iveriu on the brink of death, Branwen knows he’s from the enemy nation of Kernyv, but she can’t just let him die. In fact, she’s pretty sure the gods are compelling her to save him. Little does she know that saving him is just the first step in unraveling a wild twist of fate. See, the stranger turns out to Prince Tristan of Kernyv, and the sweet enemies-to-allies relationship they form is clever, endearing, and precarious. With a marriage alliance between Eseult and King Marc of Kernyv looming on the horizon, Branwen and Tristan have the tools at hand to finally give peace to their long-suffering kingdoms. The old gods have warned Branwen that she’ll have to sacrifice life as she knows it for peace, but she didn’t realize just how much she’d have to sacrifice…

Sweet Black Waves is inspired by the ancient legend of Tristan and Eseult (sometimes spelled Isolt, Iseult, or Isolde) with places and some names changed. There’s lots of magic in play and I get the vibe that it wasn’t as heavily used in the older iterations, but I’m not really familiar with the original story. IT’S A MOOD. You have to be ready to feel things that aren’t necessarily feel-good before you consume this book. Additionally, this is book one of a trilogy, so you’re only getting a slice of the full scope. You can guess where things are going to some degree just from the title of the original tale, but there are still a lot of curveballs-- the biggest of which being that I didn’t expect to be so emotionally invested in Branwen’s happiness.

Branwen is not in a position of power, but she’s fierce and earns respect. It’s through her healing skills and her cunning that she gets her power. I loved her! As the protagonist, the novel is clearly tilted in her favor, but I do wish we saw a more equitable relationship between Branwen and Eseult. The latter serves as Branwen’s foil and author Kristina Perez goes slightly overboard with it at times, making Eseult selfish and entitled with a venomous tongue. This would be fine if we weren’t also supposed to believe that Branwen is committed to Essy on an unparalleled level and the two are deeply connected. We’re told they’re close, but you don’t really see it in play. While she’s more self-absorbed and stubborn to a fault than truly evil, making Eseult a little less intense probably would have made their close relationship more believable.

Then there’s Tristan. *swoon* I loved Tristan and Branwen’s dynamic, as well as his genuine sense of goodness. He has a way of getting people on his side, even if it takes a little work. I flew through the pages featuring these two together, usually grinning the whole way, despite knowing that eventually, it would get complicated. Really. Freaking. Complicated.

Kristina Perez is a formidable writer who clearly knows her history and folklore, but also adds a unique flair that makes everything very readable. With the exception of Eseult, I grew pretty attached to all of the characters. You feel all of their emotions right alongside them, and while this book has a lot of feelings, there's also fighting and magic and epic voyages.

The end of this book will leave you completely lost in your own mind, scrambling for answers. Perez ends part one at the perfect point to inflict maximum heartbreak. That said, I do think that the last couple scenes happen very quickly and should have taken a little more time to let the consequences sink in.

Now we just want to know how closely this series follows the original tale because man, I could use some storytelling twists in our girl Branwen’s favor, thank you very much!

When I first read the description for this book and heard it was inspired by the classic Tristan and Isolde, it sounded like it was right up my alley. And for the first half of the book, it mostly was. However as the story unfolded I found it to be repetitive at times, both in terms of explaining elements we already knew as well as emotional beats. As I neared the end, it became more and more obvious that this book was written with the intention for a sequel (something I didn't know going into it and prefer to be aware of), and that it was heading in a direction that I wasn't quite connecting with anymore. A one-time read for me.

Inspired by the tragedy of Tristan and Isolde, Sweet Black Waves by Kristina Perez gives you a unique view into the romance we all thought we had known. Branwen, cousin and lady in waiting to Princess Essy, apprentices under her aunt, the Queen. When a man from the enemy’s land washes upon shore, Branwen struggles with herself to heal a dying man but also to heal a man whose colors are the same that killed her parents years before. What she did not expect, however, is to fall in love with the man, Tristan, who is keeping more secrets than she knows. In this gorgeously woven tale of romance, magic, and adventure, Sweet Black Waves is sure to sweep you off your feet.

The story was completely unexpected. Most days, I usually go into books blind, not knowing anything about them. I went into Sweet Black Waves thinking it was a retelling of Tristan and Isolde from Isolde's lady in waiting's perspective. However, this gives the lady in waiting the spotlight and bumps the Isolde character to the sidelines. I enjoyed this take on the tale. Changing the position of the female character—from princess to lady in waiting—removes some conflicts of the original tale, leaving it open to Perez to spin the story differently. Even though I'm familiar with the original tale, Sweet Black Waves is still able to keep readers on their toes.

With most fantasy books, I always have trouble remembering characters’ names. Sweet Black Waves is no exception. As a guide for myself, I created a small character chart on who was who in the palace as the first part of the book seemed to introduce them so quickly. After a few chapters, the names and characters become much easier to differentiate.

The writing was absolutely superb. The imagery fully immerses readers into the story. The gorgeous oceanside setting captures the many fantastical elements riddled throughout the plot. The ship, the palace, and the cave—all the settings of the book—vividly take hold in readers’ minds. The writing was so poetic that I hope to read more from Perez in the future.

There are some magical elements that added a high fantasy vibe to the story that I really enjoyed. It seemed to take the story to the next level. Through these elements, Perez gave us a look deeper into the character’s actions and was able to enhance the setting tenfold. Through it all, Sweet Black Waves was still able to encapsulate you in its fast pace.

Essy, the princess, was unlikable. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t warm up to her. I found her a bit bratty and rude at times. However, I do entirely agree with her reactions to her current situation and do believe that Perez truly captured Essy’s age. Whereas, Branwen seems entirely the opposite. I adored Branwen; she was courageous, reserved and loyal. Next to Essy especially, she was an old soul which truly made the characters distinct from each other. The relationship the two had was remarkably done. Throughout the course of the novel, we got to see the ups and downs of their sisterly relationship.

Make sure to check out the author’s note in the back of the book as Perez discusses Tristan and Isolde, her inspiration of Sweet Black Waves.

The ending was predictable and not only if readers are familiar with the tale of Tristan and Isolde. Perez gives readers several instances where she screams the ending throughout the story. However, just because the ending was easy to foretell, it doesn’t make the book any less entertaining. If anything, the predictableness of the ending was a way to help you prepare to wait for the next installment.

There will be a sequel as this is the first book in a trilogy. I can't wait to check in with all the characters and see how Branwen is doing in her journey. Perez left it off well but it’ll be interesting to see where she leads her characters next as they embark on a new chapter of life.

Sweet Black Waves by Kristina Perez takes you on a beautiful journey with an inspiring and strong female lead. The magical elements, gorgeous imagery, and heartbreaking story makes for a great start to a series. Sweet Black Waves is a magnificent read that will leave you wanting more.

(My review will be posted online at www.thebucketlistbookblog.com on June 8, 2018.)

3.5. "Sea and Magic" Stars

ARC via NetGalley.

Thank you, Imprint

I'm not very familiar with the tale Tristan & Iseult, so I won't comment on that. Still, if you're like me, I'm sure you'll still find plenty to enjoy while reading this story.

For me, Sweet Black Waves gave me its best during the first half, especially the first third of the story. There world was described in beautiful details, the main character (Branwen) struggled with what she thought right and wrong and still managed to do the right thing, the love interest won my heart as he stole hers, the relationship between Branwen and her cousin Essy had some truly adorable moments, and all was well in the world.

Speaking of the world...Despite going with some big fantasy tropes, the author still managed to create a world that felt interesting and rich. The hatred between the people of Iveriu and the people of Kernyv served as a great background not only to the love story, but also to what seems to be the theme for the rest of the trilogy. We didn't get to see much of Kernyv, but Iveriu seemed like a beautiful place. No wonder Branwen was willing to do anything to protect it.

Now, things started getting a little weird for me when the magic system kicked in. There was nothing particularly wrong with the magic, but it influenced the plot and the characters in a way that annoyed me. Branwen started making some dubious choices that were clearly going to come back and haunt her. Her obsession with saving her country and playing with what she judged was her cousin's hapiness went way too far. To make matters worse, her cousin, Essy went from spoiled to OMG, please, someone shake some sense into this girl ASAP. Even the romance lost some of its sparkle, and let me tell you, it was a pretty swoony romance.

Not even pirates coming into the scene had the intended effect on me, which is something I never thought I'd say because PIRATES!

Then the big twist in the end happened and all I could think was, "Well, Branwen, you brought that on yourself, didn't you?", which shouldn't have been my reaction because the thing was pretty heartbreaking.

I'm afraid the second half of the story wasn't as rich, romantic and interesting as the first, but I'm still interested in learning what will happen next in the trilogy.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am pleasantly surprised at this debut novel. I thought this would turn out to be a troupy YA fantasy romance and almost gave it a pass. However, I have not read any Tristan and Eseult retellings before, and I saw that the author has a PhD in Medieval Literature from the University of Cambridge. It gave me some faith that maybe the author would be able to research and write well enough to give a Celtic folktale re-telling justice. (Plus, that cover is just so pretty!) Mrs. Pérez certainly made me take back my doubts and I am very happy I gave this novel a try.

Mrs. Pérez creates a lush and dark fantasy world that centers around a strong female heroine, Branwen. Branwen is Princess Eseult’s cousin and Lady’s Maid, and she cares and loves her cousin dearly. Eseult is a typical, love-struck teenager who does not want to give into her duty to marry for her kingdom. She can be juvenile and times, and it makes you admire Branwen for her dedication and love for her cousin. Her love for her cousin extends to her love for her future queen and her country. Her parents were murdered by the country’s longstanding rival, and she only wants her homeland to succeed in their defeat. Branwen strikes an interesting balance between caring for her cousin and country while also falling in love with the enemy.

Branwen’s love interest is none other than Tristan himself. He’s pretty swoon-worthy as he is a poet and a minstrel. It’s a good romance story in that Branwen doesn’t just throw herself at the guy. She admits her attraction to him, but she is also smart and thinks about how being with the enemy can harm her kingdom and her relationship with her family as a member of the royalty.

Branwen also has to juggle the discovery of her magical power and abilities. All magic has a price. While Branwen can only barely control her power here, I expect other books to involve her thinking deeply as to whether or not her magic is necessary, especially given a few of her unknowingly-made mistakes that happen throughout this novel. It gives Branwen a lot of room to grow as a heroine and she certainly has some struggles ahead. I am looking forward to continuing this series!

I really enjoyed this story and I couldn't put it down. I hope to read more the author in the future

Thank you for approving me for this ARC!

My thoughts on Sweet Black Waves:

So I’m a complete mess right now. I’m stuck between wanting to scream or cry. Maybe I’ll just cry very, very loudly, because I’m angry and so intensely sad. The ending of Sweet Black Waves shattered me. This book is loosely based off of Tristan and Eseult, a story that I’m not entirely familiar with, except for the fact that it’s a tragedy. I knew going into Sweet Black Waves that it wasn’t going to end with sunshine and daisies, but ugh, I still didn’t expect it to hit me so harshly.

Branwen is a complex character, who I loved immediately. She’s got a huge heart, always giving, and putting everyone, especially Essy, first. Sometimes I was mad at her, because she kept harmful secrets and made dubious decisions. I wished that Branwen had been more forthcoming sometimes, and let herself lean on others, instead of always letting them lean on her. But that’s not in her nature. She wants to fix everything, and everyone, herself, and her constant love and sacrifice made me love and care about her even more.

The Tristan and Eseult connection wasn’t what drew me to Sweet Black Waves. I immediately knew I wanted to read Sweet Black Waves, because it was described as being a book that fans of The Mists of Avalon – a huge favorite of mine – would love. I’m also obsessed with the Mabinogion, which some of the characters and their stories in Sweet Black Waves, are loosely based on. I loved Pérez’s new spin on this beloved literature of mine! You can tell that she also really loves the Mabinogion.

I thought the story was dragging a bit during the last third of Sweet Black Waves, but then thankfully two hugely significant things happened. One that thrilled me, because I never ever expected it, and I’m really excited to see how it plays out in the future books. The second thing completely broke my heart. Even though I knew something of the sort was coming, it still caught me unawares.

I read an ARC of Sweet Black Waves, but fully plan on buying a finished copy for myself.

This is truly a story of Tristian and Isolde. The highs and lows are heart wrenching and the love never more doomed. Branwen is the hero every kingdom deserves and the hero no one ever knows is there.
Fans of doomed romances, backstabbing, and love for family will devour this book quickly. The torment and feelings will stay with you long after you have finished reading.

Plot: I have not read Tristan and Eseult so I may have not been the target audience for this book. I have; however, seen the movie and I remember not really liking it. But I digress.

At the very heart of it, Sweet Black Waves was a romance with the introduction to warring kingdoms in the background. Branwen was the lady-in-waiting to her only cousin, Essy. With her budding skill as a healer, she felt compelled to treat a young man who was separated from his people, and coincidentally, her enemy. Looking back on this book, there wasn't a lot that happened that didn't involve the romance and I was surprised by easily the conflict between the two warring kingdoms was resolved. I will say that the ending took a surprising turn that had me curious about the direction the sequel will go in.

Characters: Branwen was a fine female lead, she was unsure of herself and desperate to serve her kingdom. What made her interesting was her magical powers and her lack of control over them. I also liked Branwen's relationship with Essy. There was a clear power dynamic and I was curious about how Branwen would respond to some of the situations Essy's put her in. I believe that there was a bit of discussion on mental illness but it was very minor and not specific.

And then we have Tristan who was one of the dullest male leads I've had the misfortune of reading about. His purpose served to only flirt with Branwen and confess his love to her every other page, mind you, they barely knew each other. I could tell that the insta-love attraction wasn't going to be my cup of tea from Tristan's first introduction, in which he decided to flirt with Branwen, the random woman who found him washed ashore and hid him in a cave. Since the book was mostly about their relationship, I couldn't enjoy this book as much as I had hoped to.

Worldbuilding: The atmosphere of Sweet Black Waves was enchanting and showed off Perez's talent as an author. There was a bit of magic that was introduced that I wanted to learn more about; I'm assuming that the sequel will highlight more of the mythology and Branwen's ties to it.

Short N Sweet: Sweet Black Waves was the insta-love story that I wasn't sold on.

This book isn’t terrible, but it’s not great either. I’ve been anticipating this book for months and months, so I do feel a little let down, because it was not what I hoped for. I never really connected with the characters, they didn’t seem very well fleshed out to me. The romance was very insta-lovey. Which can sometimes still work, but this time I felt it just made me even less invested in the story and characters overall. I would still recommend this book to those who love this story or really want to read it. The writing was solid and it was a good concept. It just wasn’t really my cup of tea.

DNF @ 35%
I grabbed this from the promotion of being one of the "first 200 followers to read this now." Sadly, this wasn't for me. After essentially reading just over 150 pages, I felt no connection to the characters or the romance. While the magical elements and the bit of world building we got was kinda cool, it was swept under the rug to make the romance super dramatic. Tristan has nothing to his personality (much anyway) to make him swoon worthy at all. Branwen is kinda boring and is too accepting of changing her views on some things as well. Not really for me. Review on my blog will come on May 30th and the link will be updated below once the review is live.

You guys, I can't believe this is a debut novel! This book surprised me in the best possible way. I knew it was a retelling of Tristan and Eseult, so I mostly expected a lot of angst. Instead I got a beautifully written, deeply feminist book, full of magic, powerful women, darkly atmospheric settings, incredible world-building, impeccable research, and, yes, plenty of angst as well. Sweet Black Waves tells this classic tale of star-crossed lovers not from the perspective of Eseult, but rather from that of her lady-in-waiting Branwen.

Branwen is a strong young woman who loves fiercely, is intensely loyal, and has experienced great loss. And, through the course of the novel, she takes steps toward becoming a powerful sorceress who can protect her people. But at what cost? I loved Branwen as a character and my heart ached for her at certain points in the book. This book also explores the complexities of female relationships through Branwen's friendship with and love of the women closest to her- her cousin Essy, and her aunt, Queen Eseult. Arguably, female relationships are positioned as even more important than romantic ones, which is quite groundbreaking.

This book swept me away and gave me so many feelings. It is often creepy and atmospheric and, even in bright moments, the dread of what is to come clouds everything. I was so impressed with Sweet Black Waves and I highly recommend it, especially if you like dark, witchy books, strong female protagonists, and ill-fated love stories. I received an early copy of this from the publisher in order to review it.

A wonderful book full of romance, great characters, and magic.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group and Netgalley for this ARC.

Kristina Pérez’s Sweet Black Waves promised to combine a whirlwind romance and breathtaking magic in her novel inspired by Tristan and Eseult. Unfortunately, the romance was barely tolerable and the magical elements did not come into play until the latter part of the novel, but by this time, I had already lost interest in the characters. As a lady’s maid to the princess of Iveriu, Branwen knows all about duty to the crown and her kingdom. She’s grown up hating Kernyv, a rival kingdom, whose people are responsible for the death of Branwen’s parents. When Branwen saves the life of a mysterious stranger, she has no idea that her one act of kindness will change the course of her life and her kingdom’s.

There are a lot of elements of the novel that should have worked for me, but ultimately didn’t. At the heart of Sweet Black Waves is Branwen’s relationship with her cousin Essy, the princess of Iveriu. Though Branwen’s role is to serve Essy, they have grown up as close as sisters. These two characters could not be more different and while I wanted to appreciate each for their strengths and weakness, there were aspects to both of these characters that I could not stand. Essy has never fully embraced all the responsibilities that come with being the next queen on Iveriu. She is at times frivolous and selfish. I never felt that she fully appreciated Branwen and when it came to Branwen, it felt like she would let Essy get away with everything. For most of the novel, this relationship comes across as very one-sided where Branwen would give and give and Essy would take without a second thought. I really wanted to see these two build one another up and help one another grow because it’s these kind of female relationships that I like seeing.

My least favorite aspect of the novel was the romance. If you hate insta-love, stay far away from this novel. Branwen jumps from hating the mysterious man she rescues because he’s from Kernyv to wondering if he will notice her in a pretty dress after a single encounter. Still, I might have been able to get past this if we as readers had gotten the chance to see these two get to know one another. There is, however, a time jump of “weeks” that prevents this. I really wish I could have gotten to know both characters through these off-the-page interactions and I’m sure I would have been more invested in their relationship as well. Later when the novel hinges on Branwen’s feelings for a Kernyvmen and how she struggles to reconcile this with her duty to her kingdom, it was hard for me to empathize with her sense of longing and anxiousness.

It took far too long for magic to make a concrete appearance in the novel. There is a really interesting religious element to this world that is present throughout. Branwen talks of the Old Ones and the Otherworld; the queen herself has a tie to this other realm that influences how the kingdom interacts with outsiders. I found this really interesting and wished the novel had delved in deeper and sooner. By the time Branwen discovers that she may have abilities that far exceed the healing skills her aunt has taught her, I had already lost interest in the novel. In the end, not even the twist could elicit any kind of emotional response from me, save vague amusement.