Yesssss Branwen! She is seriously the best character. I loved the first book in the series and the second definitely matched the first! The characters and setting keep you flipping the pages quickly and I couldn’t get enough! I can’t wait to pick up book 3. Thank you netgalley for my copy.

I received this free eARC novel from NetGalley. This is my honest review.

This book was better. I think because Branwen stand up for herself and not let everyone run all over her. Though her viewpoints on life have definitely taken a turn.

I'm very curious to see how this all gets revealed. There is obviously someone in the inside sabotaging this city. I have a few ideas but nothing solid or concrete yet.

I still very much hate Essy. She needs to grow up and learn that life isn't always fair. What would she have done without Branwen's love all of these years? I would have left that spoiled brat a long time ago, not being able to deal with that.

Tristan is annoying. I can't help it. I don't like him. I much prefer Marc or Ruan. Those two I love. Tristan? He can leave for all I care.

So I'm committed now. I'm reading book 3 to see how this all ends. I just hope I don't end up regretting this decision lol.

I DNFed the first book, therefore won't be picking up the sequel. Many thanks to the publisher for sending me a copy of this book!

I wasn't too sure about this book going in. This is the second book in the series, the characters and the stroyline is a wild ride and its definitely something to pick up.

It was intense but slow at times. The characters were amazing and for a second book it was definitely worth it especially if you loved the first one.

This is such an underrated series that deserves more love. The world-building is expanded and the reader manages to fall more in love with the endearing characters. Highly recommended.

Beautiful lyrical historical fantasy - definitely read Sweet Black Waves first, but this is a great continuation of the story. It's slow (but not too slow, just right!) and character-focused, and really builds on everything set up in the first book. Gorgeous. I can't wait for book 3!

Unfortunately, I did not get the chance to read this ARC prior to the book's publication, but we did end up buying it for our library collection.

A well-researched feminist story with a lot of questioning about how society tries to control women. The first book was already good, research-wise especially, but this book blew its prequel out of the water.

closer to 4.5 - this might actually be better than the first one, which was really good. I'm looking forward to book three very much. this was super intense and the ending had me asking WHAT JUST HAPPENED? violent, romantic, dark, and dangerous - everything I love in a good story.

Wild Savage Stars is the eagerly awaited second instalment in the Sweet Black Waves trilogy, a beautiful tale of magic and romance inspired by the legend of Tristan and Eseult. I completely fell in love with the first book in the series and I was incredibly excited to find out what was in store for Branwen in book two. I absolutely devoured this book and book three is definitely one of my most anticipated releases.

The story follows Branwen, cousin to Princess Eseult as she embarks upon a journey across the sea, where Eseult will be married to the King of what was once an enemy kingdom. Tensions are fraught and the two best friends have difficult relationship following the Essy’s betrayal. As political tensions rise in their new homeland, Branwen embarks on a dark quest to understand her magic and save the ones she loves.

I honestly just adore everything about this series. In this instalment we are treated to a new land, and I loved the vivid descriptions of the castle and the land. The magic system is fascinating and I really enjoyed seeing Branwen learn more about her powers and carry out magic that was beyond her wildest imaginings. There is definitely more political intrigue in this instalment and I found myself fascinated watching Branwen and Essy attempt to manoeuvre court life.

For me the thing that really makes this book are the characters. Branwen is without a doubt one of my all time favourite characters. She’s strong willed, stubborn and not afraid to make hard decisions. She sometimes makes the wrong choice, but she sees it through. I also really like Ruan and Tristan, the cousins have a fascinating relationship and I loved that Perez gave us the chance to learn more of their backstory. Essy is probably my least favourite, I sometimes find her a bit on the childish side, but she is still a vivid and well fleshed out character.

The story has so many twists that I just didn’t see coming, moments where I just could not stop reading because I just had to know what was coming next. It’s an addictive, beautifully written tale and definitely a new favourite series of mine.

I loved this so much. It's both beautifully written and magical to read. Perez has done such a marvellous job of continuing the story on from sweet black waves.

I was recommended the first book in this series by a fellow reader, and loved it. I was excited to read this one, but it was so much more exciting to read than I'd even hoped!

I really liked Wild Savage Stars!  It's a great follow-up to Sweet Black Waves, and I can't wait to see what happens next.

This book picks up where the first book left off, and in this book, we see Essy and Branwen in Kernyv.  We spend quite a bit of time with Tristan's family- especially Marc and Ruan.  Branwen's relationship with Marc was particularly interesting, and I hope they're able to move past everything.

I will say, though, that a lot of the characters have messy and complicated relationships with each other.  Branwen and Essy's relationship has changed a lot as well, and there is one moment in particular that I'm really curious about.  I won't give it away here, but it is a moment that really changes things between them.  There are a few things that change their relationship over the course of the book, and they all stand out, but this one really stands out, and I'm not sure why.

With those moments between Branwen and Essy, I did find myself wanting to see things from Essy's point of view.  I would love to get inside her head, even for a chapter or two, just to see what's going on in her head.

I really love the world, and I really felt immersed in it.  I don't know what it is about this world but I really like it, and I can picture everything so clearly.  There's just something about the world and the magic and the characters that keep me reading.  I would love to see this as a movie or tv show, especially if it focused on Branwen.

Something else I really like about this book is that it does focus on Branwen, and how she sees the story of Tristan and Isolde unfold.  It is great to see their story from someone else's perspective, and I'm getting more interested to see how everything is going to end.  I'm assuming this series is going to be a trilogy, because the story is far from over, and I honestly can't see how it's going to be more than three books.

With the first book, I was a little concerned how the story would work over the course of a series, but I was worried about nothing.  Perez has broken up the story in books really, really well, and so far, the two books have ended in a pretty good place.  I want to keep reading, and even though they don't end on cliffhangers, the endings are still really great endings that make me interested to see what will happen next.

My Rating: 4 stars.  I really liked Wild Savage Stars, and I can't wait to see what happens next.

I will preface this review with the fact that I read this during my YA slump (somewhat ongoing), where I just couldn’t quite find the same enjoyment in YA as I had previously. With that in mind, I think I might have rated this book higher and enjoyed it more if that hadn’t been the case, you have to be in the mood for romance-heavy YA and I just wasn’t. This may warrant a re-read when I’ve got my groove back.

That’s not to say this was a bad book, or that I had a bad experience reading it! On the contrary, I like the story, the characters, the setting and so forth. I think Branwen manages to be simultaneously her own woman and at the mercy of her situation throughout this book which is a very difficult thing to balance. I would have liked to have seen more magic from Branwen but I understand why that wasn’t the case. I definitely like her as a character, however, and the way that this book has her be so free and sex-positive definitely made an impact on me.

Worth noting, this book isn’t one that really focusses on women supporting other women. I got the feeling that this book intentionally makes it clear that, were it not for the circumstances Branwen and Essy would be best pals, and in some ways it is them and in others, it is useless men that keep them apart. It’s almost maddening the way things keep coming between them, though I wouldn’t say it feels unbelievable – it’s just not the happy story I think I needed – I cannot stress enough that that was a ‘me’ problem. I don’t think you go into a Tristan and Iseult story expecting a happy ending!

I liked the writing in this book, I think the descriptions of the landscape and the various settings are very evocative, you really get the sense of the connection Branwen has with the land, and the way that she appreciates her surroundings. I found this was particularly prevalent in the times where Branwen goes out of the castle and experiences nature. Just lovely descriptive writing!

As I say, this is a romance/romantic-conflict driven story and I do think that I have to be in the mood to read something like that, in this case, I just wasn’t in the right place but I would definitely still recommend both the books in this series, particularly if you love light fantasy romance and want something that is a little slower.

I definitely intend to add this to my ‘re-read when in better mood’ list and I’ll be sure to update you when that happens!

My rating: 3/5 stars

I received a free digital copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

I'd been intrigued by Wild Savage Stars since I met Kristina Pérez at the recent Comic-Con event put on by Tor. Her premise? The myth of Tristan and Isolde, retold in a YA format through the eyes of Isolde's handmaiden, Branwen. So when I requested this book on Netgalley- and it was accepted- I sat down to read it almost immediately.

I did this without realising it was the second in a series, but as it turns out, it didn't matter. This book was where all the juicy action lay, where all the character dynamics set up in the first instalment, Sweet Black Waves, paid off. The result was a gorgeous and messy explosion of magic, angst and thwarted love.

The mythology

I'm a sucker for good retellings, and this is definitely one of the best I've read recently. It's actually stunning that nobody has adapted the Tristan and Isolde legend before- forbidden love, the two conspiring and meeting under the nose of King Mark, Isolde's husband? Sign me up!- and Pérez does a great job updating the story for today's audiences, making Branwen the most powerful person in the room and introducing some complex politics to the story.

The (tortured!) relationships

Hooray for Branwen! She's by far the most complex person in Wild Savage Stars, and she's wrestling with her love for both Tristan and Eseult, and her self-loathing at having been the person that caused them to fall for each other. Branwen's slow descent into darkness and the lengths she's willing to go to in order to fix her mistakes is fascinating and warped, and it was that more than anything else that had me hooked.

As you can imagine, this is a book that's heavy on the angst. Wistful glances, heavy sighs and tortured outbursts abound, and while it's very satisfying watching Branwen lay into Tristan and Eseult with one hand and protect them with the other, the dynamic does grow a tad tired as it gets repeated again and again. It's hard to feel for the star-crossed lovers: they seem vapid and shallow, unable to see beyond their obsession for each other.

I also feel that a shout-out should be given to newcomer Ruan. But that's just because I think he's great, and that I want him and Branwen to work it out in the next book.

The worldbuilding

The final thing I want to ramble about is the worldbuilding in this book, because it's fantastic. I love how Pérez has put a spin on ancient Britain, including the complicated politics between Kernyv- or Ancient Cornwall- and Branwen and Essy's home. The politics of court is also given a significant amount of airtime, making for a book where everybody is a potential enemy and Branwen must scheme and plot to make sure that she, and the people closest to her, survive.

Finally, the magic. The magic in Wild Savage Stars is dark and malicious, and feels unique in the mythology behind it. Watching Branwen learning how to control it- and destroy with it- is something that I'd be really interested to see how Pérez develops in the next book.

This reader's thoughts

Dark, wistful and torn, Wild Savage Stars is a riot of broken relationships and broken promises. I loved it, it's easy to pick up, and it boasts a very compelling main character. For somebody looking for their next YA kick (with bonus cultural points for ancient mythology) this is it!

Wild Savage Stars is the second installment in author Kristina Perez's Sweet Black Waves trilogy. Sweet Black Waves is a retelling of the star-crossed tale of Tristan and Iseult, from the perspective of Branwen. The story is a tragedy about the adulterous love between the Cornish knight Tristan and the Irish princess Iseult who either on purpose or by mistake, drank a love potion. Wild Savage Stars begins shortly after the events of Sweet Black Waves.

Branwen, Tristan and Eseult have landed on the Island of Albion (Kingdom of Kernyv) with trouble on the horizon. Essy is less than thrilled to meet her future husband, especially after what happened on the ship over. Tristan is heartbroken that he would do what he did to Branwen, and Branwen is livid at both of them and is blaming herself for putting others in the path of treason. Although Eseult marries Mark, she and Tristan are forced by the potion to seek one another, as lovers over and over again.

I realize that this series is based on Tristan and Iseult, but I really want a happy ending for Branwen. Branwen deserves more than what she's gotten from this world and from both Tristan and Eseult. Yes, yes, let's put the world on her shoulders because she wanted to cease the cycle of war between her country and Kernyv. Yes, she did use some magic in order to ensure that her beloved cousin would fall in love with King Marc. But, she's not responsible for Essy stealing something that didn't belong to her, or her and Tristan's shenanigans.

Her desperation and pain was tangible throughout the book and I was rooting for her so hard to find a solution and her own love if possible. The connection between Branwen and Marc, as well as Prince Ruan who really isn't a bad character at all, was pretty good. Ruan isn't the perfect beau, but I liked him much more than Tristan who was broody, whiny, and frustrating always finding himself trying to make up for his mistakes and his desires for Essy.

Marc is trying to do the impossible. Marc, like Branwen, wants peace and no more pirates stealing people from Branwen's country. He has his own crosses to carry for his own actions as part of the invasion force. Branwen also has to stop fearing her own magic and learn how to deal with it if she wants to keep her new country from war, or for her to lose control and hurt the wrong people.

For the of preventing spoilers, I will only say this: Essy and Tristan continuously made stupid decisions throughout the novel that very easily could have comprised their nations. If not for Branwen fixing messes over and over again, so much more pain and suffering would have happened. There's a point in the book where I finally gave up on any hope of Essy's self-absorption, and Tristan's puppy dog behavior. I wanted Branwen to end them both, but then there wouldn't be another book.

There is a pivotal moment in the book that I almost stood up and cheered. Branwen finally decides to put herself ahead of everyone else. She's tired of cleaning up Tristan & Essy's messes which will lead them all to being hanged for treason when/if discovered. But, that cliffhanger ending tore me apart. If you hate cliffhanger endings, might I suggest reading all three books once the final one is released?

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. I always try to keep my reviews spoiler-free and my opinion was not affected by the free copy.

I was so beyond excited when I was approved for this ARC. The first book was a wonderful surprise by how good it was so I really wanted to know what would happen next. I was not disappointed! I do regret not re-reading the first book to refresh my mind on everything that happened, but I think this book does a decent job of summarizing events so the reader is caught up.

This book is fascinating to me because whenever I get annoyed with a character, I thought of how this is supposed to be reminiscent of a tragic play. For example, Branwen holds onto this bitterness and anger toward Tristan and Eseult for a long time, and I was starting to get annoyed by how repetitive the narrative was about it. But I understood it as part of her tragic character that she's stuck in this spiral of blaming them while also blaming herself for what happened to them. Whenever Eseult was being annoying or stupid, I reminded myself that was part of her tragedy as well.

I don't remember if the first book did it as much, but this book goes into depth with choices and sacrificing oneself and one's desires for peace and the good of their country. It also examined women's rules in such things and the unfairness of what they were expected to sacrifice or live up to compared with men. It does make sense for the time period and I love that whenever a man tried to speak for Branwen, she would immediately assert herself. I also love how she took control of situations and was constantly fighting to protect her cousin and Tristan from themselves.

The only criticism I can think of is that a lot of things weren't fully explained. Either that or I missed the explanation. I feel like there were a lot of conspiracies and subterfuge going on that the reader never got the full picture on. Maybe it will be explained in the next book or maybe the reader is meant to interpret the situation for themselves. I don't mind if it's the latter since I do have my theories on what was going on, but I also wouldn't mind more solid explanations.

This book is a lot to take in. Its pacing is very good, and it's dripping with some amazing atmosphere. The last third of the book actually had my heart racing with all that was going on. I already can't wait to see how this ends!

WILD SAVAGE STARS is compulsively readable. I stayed up late and snuck in reading time just to find out what happened next. Characterization shines once again—the cast will infuriate and intrigue you in equal measure. One of the most pleasing aspects for me was not knowing where Perez was taking the story next, despite my familiarity with this particular story. Political intrigue features more prominently than magic and mysticism for the majority of the book, but the ending ties both together. An absolutely wonderful sequel. Highly recommended.

I loved this book just as much as the first and am so glad we did not have as emotional and harsh if a cliffhanger ending as book 1. I can not wait for the final book although I fear I may need a tissue box.

Essy is such a brat that I wanted to smack her so many times during this book. Like why are you stabbing your cousin in the back. Do you not care that Tristan was the love of your cousins life. Then she just kept rubbing in that he had moved on.

I love how strong and fierce Bronwyn character is. My favorite part was when Tristan told her he thought about what there daughter would be like and knew she would be Fierce and have freckles like her mother.

This is such a magical and fun retelling that also pulls at the heartstrings.

Absolutely loved it. Ms. Perez gives wonderful examples of consent and taking responsibility. I cannot wait for the next book.