Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

this was a great read, I loved the young adult scifi novel, I liked getting to know Seraphina and the other characters. I'd love to see more from this universe.

This book had the very bad luck to fall victim to some really bad advertising. Like many other people, I got this book because it was promoted as LGBTQ. What did I get? A token lesbian best friend, a gay villain (and what a gay villain, though!) - and an allegedly bisexual MC. The problem was - it was never mentioned. Not even hinted. It doesn't have to be in your face or done in such a absolutly lame way like a certain author did, just to push the diversity of her cast (*cough* Sarah J Maas *cough*) - but some casual flirting? Some remark? Just... Anything at all, really? The reader only knows what the author decides to tell them - there was (at least in my opinion) no way of reading the MC as bisexual. I have read books who handled that issue much better; where there was actually romantic/sexual interaction between the bisexual character and people of the male and female gender.
Another reason I did not like this book: It reads like a semi-queer rip-off of A Court of- I-have-no-damn-idea-what-those-books-are-called-anymore-because-I-hate-them - whatever it's called by Sarah J Maas. Court of Thorns and Flames or something like that. Anyways, yes - I had a lot of flashbacks while reading this - which does not put the book in a good light, because I do not like Sarah J Maas's books.
So, yeah... I heard there will be a sequel - maybe the MC will explore her bisexuality more then? I don't know and I probably won't find out because as of now, I don't intend to continue reading this.
Read this if you enjoyed Sarah J Maas's writing and want some more queer representation than she did. Slightly better done, too.

I received a free ARC by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Unfortunately this book just didn't really capture my interest. The characters and writing were well done but we just didn't click.

I wasn't a fan of this story. It seemed the writing wasn't well written, the story doesn't give you any history on it at the start, and it just wasn't a book I liked sadly.

Fairies! Need I say more?

Sea and Flame is an adventure you won’t want to miss. Magic? Check. Dragons? Check. Faeries? Check. Castles? Check. Evil? Check.
Debut author, Tallie Rose has created a mystical world that surpasses my wildest dreams. Every piece of it is so enchanting. The descriptiveness made me feel as though I were actually there. The plot- so engaging! I couldn’t wait to see what happens next. And the supporting characters were in-cre-di-ble! I can say without a doubt, I would want to meet every single one of them!
The only part I wasn't hooked on was the romance aspect. While romance is always a fun addition to a plot, the way it was portrayed in this novel felt superficial.

Oh, the queerbaiting... the queerbaiting...

This book was a victim of poor marketing. Whoever promoted this novel... never actually read the novel.

The reason why I requested this from Netgalley was that it was labeled as LGBTQ+ and it was being featured in Pride Book Tours. Pride Book Tours pitched it as an "f/f romance that is sure to capture you."

All the above? Not true. I am begging publishers, don't promote books as LGBTQ+ if the book's main character isn't LGBTQ+.

The LGBTQ+ rep in question is... you probably guessed it... the token gay best friend. Or in this case, the token lesbian best friend. At the beginning of the novel, she is in an off-page relationship with a girl and that's... all the f/f romance in the book. If there were any more, I must've missed it because honestly, I skimmed the last half of this book. What's even more harmful?? It's insinuated that the said lesbian character dies at the end of the book.

I wanna pull one quote out of this book that really struck me the wrong way.

"Every day I pray to the Brethren to remove my terrible attraction to men and every day they deny me."

The above problems I could label under bad marketing but another issue I had with this book was the utter lack of originality.

This book was a complete copy and paste of A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas. With the fae bat boys and seasonal courts... Our human main character befriends the fae lord of the "Forest Court" and has to find the mysterious "Mountain Court." I can't make this up.

I'm almost done ranting, I promise but I gotta add one more thing. The love interest says- in multiple instances "Oh cousin, I could kiss you." I don't know if the term "cousin" is a slang term in this book but it just... rubbed me the wrong way.

Anyhow, my rant is over, have a lovely day <3

Disappointingly, this was archived before I had the chance to read it. I hope to read this sometime in the future.

A decent story for lovers of fantasy and dragons as well as romance and adventure. A bit hard to get into at first but picks up after the 5th chapter. Well written and fun ; perfect for young teens.

I really enjoyed SEA AND FLAME by Tallie Rose. The characterizations within the story were well written, and I was able to relate to the characters, which always holds my attention. Why? Because then I want to stay and know what happens next. Seraphina has this liking for stories until she realizes that she's a descendent from one of the characters from a story. The story has magic, intrigue, and high stakes. I can't wait to see what's next for this author.

With an ending like that, I’m looking forward to reading more from this author! The story started a bit slow for me and was hard to get into initially, but eventually it picked up and I was thrown on a roller coaster ride!

Overview: THE ENDING! I am still shocked by it and need someone to read it so we can talk about it! I hope she makes this a series. This was an impressive debut novel for Tallie Rose. I did not like this cover though.
Writing: Tallie Rose took the fae world and completely made it her own. I loved the idea of them being hidden in the human work, wanting to get back to their own world. The backstory and history of the fae was a fun new addition. She created a whole new original world.
Plot: This book reminded me of the Vampire Diaries, with Sera being Elena, Shevard being Damon, and Casmyn being Stefan. The love triangle was a little rocky, but it could have been a lot worse like in TVD. I think Sera and Casmyn's relationship was completely unnecessary. Sera could have found a way to the fae world without her "dating" him. Sera's family background and connection with Shevard should have been explored more with why she was the only one who could help them. Overall, I was captivated by the plot and really want more.
Setting: I was hooked from the beginning when Sera ran to fix her garbage cans from the dragons; I loved that! I hope we get a book two where we see Sera and Shevard explore the fae land.
Characters: I did not love Seraphina, but I was impressed by her willingness to help the fae. I wish we got more of her friendship with Astrid; I felt like she was a little mean to her. However, I loved her and Shevard's relationship. I was swooning when they were at the inn together and that he broke the no human rule for her; I liked his character; he was a classic wannabe "bad boy" with a soft spot for his mom and his lady. I was worried about his relationship with Casmyn but thankfully it was okay. I need more of the Sea King and Queen!

I really quite liked this story, it started slow but then I finished it in a bit over one night once I really got into it! I was thrilled at first by what seemed a fairly modern universe (with cigarettes and sandwich shops and women wearing pants) with added tiny dragons rummaging through the garbage. I mean, what isn't improved by the addition of dragons?
But then, I was a bit taken aback by the seemingly insta-love between Sera and Casmyn. But I was in for a surprise as Casmyn ended up not being the main love interest. Without spoiling too much, I actually really liked the main relationship, but also all the side ones, especially with the MC's best friend, Astrid. I was actually hoping to see more of that relationship but I guess it's left to my imagination! There's a wide cast and I did struggle a little bit with remembering some of the minor characters'names but I really enjoyed the fact that it was not just about Seraphina but about a whole lot of people, with their differences and disagreements, coming together to work towards a common goal. It made the dynamics between characters work really well and allowed for 1)quite diverse characters and 2) lots of women which are two things I really love in a book.
For the plot itself, I thought it was well-crafted, a lot happens in little time and Sera, the main character, has to deal with major changes in her life: learning that the Fae are real to finding out that she's got way more magic than most people, and that her world might literally break apart if she doesn't do anything. I think her reactions were pretty believable, she was not always reasonable but that's how people are, right? And she was clearly struggling with what she had to do to save her world, and the risks to her loved ones. There's a bit where they all go to ground in some kind of safehouse and everyone starts getting cabin fever, and this was interesting to read in 2021, after what, 10 months in lockdown? yeah it was all very believable.
It does end on a cliffhanger, which aaaaaargh!! why!! but in a good way, as in when can I get my hands on the next one?
There were some formatting issues which I'm going to assume were down to the ARC and won't be in the actual book, but honestly it was a very minor problem and I easily got over it and enjoyed the book so much!
Overall it's a cozy romance mixed in with high stakes fantasy and that was just what I needed!

Beautifully written with an air of magic, adventure, and charm, this book checks all the boxes for those looking for a book that will help them escape to a new world. The characterization, imagery, and writing style in this book are simply stunning, and I'm so grateful I had the opportunity to read it.

I seriously loved reading this book and would recommend it to any fan of stuff like Holly Black's Folk of the Air or Seanan McGuire's October Daye series. I wanted to pick it up every night until it was done, and stayed up way too late the last night to finish. The world building is unusual and really cool - basically, a world where everyone has a low level of magic, and there are historical/religious accounts of the fae, but the full reality of the fae's existence is still a big reveal for our protagonists. Rose draws you right in from the very beginning (racoon like mini-dragons!) and builds steadily from there. Nearly all the characters have a certain spark, including those who are fairly minor. Part of me wishes there had been a bit of a slower burn for the main romance, but the circumstances the characters are in may preclude that, and their intense experiences do help explain why they would fall so quickly. The ending is quite something - as I got to 95% done, I had no idea how it was going to wind down, and the end definitely delivered in a somewhat surprising way. I truly hope Rose has more in store for this world & characters!

I received an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this book. The characters were multifaceted and had wonderful character development. If you love YA fantasy and are looking for something more adult you will find it here. Tallie's world building was just spot on for me with just the right amount of detail to build the world as I read. The plot kept me guessing and was woven beautifully. I enjoyed the romance in the book with a little bit of passion sprinkled in to hear things up.

Sera must be one of my favorite characters. She's fiery and has a temper but is also funny and has a great sense of humor. You really feel like you're riding the emotions with her which is a testament to the writing from Tallie.

Must importantly the ending was AMAZING and I also REALLY need to know what happened next! Cannot wait and everyone needs to read this book! It's a must have/read! I don't want to include spoilers but the end is incredible. I hope to read many more books from this author!

***Thank you to Netgalley and GenZ for the chance to read the ARC for my honest opinion**

Sea and Flame is the first book of what’s sure to be an epic series. Set in a magical world where dragons exist and fairies walk among us, Tallie Rose created a beautiful world with love interests and steamy hook ups that will make you feel forced to pick a side, Casmyn or Shevard... but be prepared for the cliffhanger!

This had an interesting plot, but I feel that it just wasn’t for me. I liked the writing style and the characters, but the delivery just felt off. I might try this again, but otherwise this was not for me.