What a brilliant indie fantasy from J.C. Snow!
I found out that this actually started as a kickstarter and I really wish I'd known about it back then.

I <i>think</i> this is a standalone book but set in the same universe as Snow's previous duology The Crane Moon Cycle. Yes! That means I've an extra two books I can read in this world! I can attest you don't need to have read The Crane Moon Cycle before reading The Seaglass Blade.

The book's centred around queer found family - with a core sapphic relationship between a phoenix and a phoenix(ish) woman, and an M/M relationship between another phoenix and a (reformed) demon. Together, these adults founded and run a sanctuary called Crane Moon Sect - where spiritual creatures can come and learn to cultivate spiritual energy from pure sources.

In this world, demons are creatures who cultivate corrupted energy from suffering and pain. And boy is there plenty of it. Extreme pollution, climate change - all these things are causing havoc in our world, and causing pain not just to humans but also to the spiritual creatures who lives in nature.

The adults in Crane Moon Sect, as well as their teaching duties, spend their time hunting down and killing demons and undoing their work. And then one day....they realise the demon leaders have spent a long time forming a plan to bring them down, and it's been set in motion.

I loved all the couples in this book - Liu Chenguang and Aili (who is a human bonded to Chenguang the phoenix, giving her phoenix-like powers). They have a couple of adopted kids - Yisue a dragon who's newly an adult, trying to find his place in the world; and Sanmer, a demon who ran away from her demon clan as a child and was raised by Chenguang and Aili to cultivate pure spiritual energy, but who feels like no matter how much good she does it'll never be enough to make up for being a demon.

There's Zhu Guiren a reformed demon who's partnered with Tainu, another phoenix. I loved them both so much and I so wish we'd gotten so much more of them!

And I can't forget about Majen. I LOVED Majen's character arc and if there's another book I really hope he's in it!

There's a lot of talk of the emotional and physical pain and trauma that a lot of these characters have gone through. But there's also so much love - familiar, platonic & romantic - that to me it almost feels like a cosy book, although there's too much violence for it to be so (but it's still cozy to me).

The pacing was fantastic and especially towards the end, I just couldn't stop reading!

Thanks to NetGalley for this eARC and for helping me discover a new queer author to follow and read!

Thank you very much for the eARC!

Great read! Kept me on my toes, not gonna lie, but I loved the plot and environmental consciousness of it all! Excellent descriptive language, felt a bit like watching a chibli movie in my head.

Will try to not spoil it for anyone, but many main/side characters pairings that you will certainly find a favorite.

New to me author but definitely interested in their work based on this book alone.

The Seaglass Blade completely swept me away with its rich world, high emotional stakes, and deeply found family–centered story. Set in a world where spiritual creatures cultivate power from nature while demons feed on suffering, the plot blends epic fantasy with environmental themes in a way that feels both urgent and heartfelt. At the center is Aili, a formidable leader bonded to a phoenix, who has built a sanctuary alongside her partner to protect spiritual beings and raise their unconventional family. When demon forces begin to retaliate for past victories, the story becomes a fast paced fight for survival that never loses sight of the emotional cost of protecting what you love.

What truly made this book shine for me was the cast. The relationships are layered, queer, and full of warmth, from the central sapphic bond to the tender and complicated M/M pairing and the chosen family they have created together. Their children, especially the dragon coming into adulthood and the demon girl wrestling with guilt and identity, added so much heart and depth. I loved how the book balanced action, trauma, healing, and love without ever feeling heavy handed. The writing is vivid and cinematic, and the pacing kept me glued to the pages. This is the kind of fantasy that feels both expansive and intimate, and I finished it already wanting to stay in this world longer.

TL;DR come from the dragons, stay for the dragons but really stay for layered relationships.

I am not a science fiction and fantasy book fan, but this book is so well written and the imagination is brilliant, the magical world wonderful and otherworldly, the love between the magic beings real and moving. A great distraction from our current daily life.

I was so happy to receive an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Seaglass Blade is breathtaking. It filled my heart so many times I lost count.

This book has beautiful demons, absurdly devoted phoenixes, powerful dragons, a cat spirit (who I adore), and found family. It’s about building a home at the end of the world and then doing absolutely everything in your power to keep it from being torn apart. It’s tender, stressful, magical, and queer *with love so intense that it borders on reckless!

I was INVESTED.

I absolutely adore how alive everything feels, even the water. Yisue’s relationship with the element is deeply intimate. He doesn’t just hear it; he understands its language and its weight.

“He let himself sense the water’s life… Here, just behind the dam, the water was captive.”

Again, I adored Majen (the cat, forever 🐾). My heart went out to him again and again.

Special mention for how this story highlights the importance of environmental care AND how that topic is woven seamlessly into the narrative. The discussion of dams, turbines, and water being taken beyond its limits. Humans take without considering consequences because “their lives are so short.” So many lines rang true for the issues we are facing in regards to Mother Earth.

There’s a line about dragons being intimate with sacrifice and that idea reverberates everywhere in this book. In grief. In love. In what we give up to protect what matters.

As a death doula, I was really moved by the quiet reflections on grief: how every human is a tiny world of their own. Each with a beginning and an end.

There is so much I want to say, and I apologize if this review is a bit all over the place. But after thinking on it, I reckon why this book hit me so deeply is that I struggle with feeling as if I can’t find my place. And this story is about pattern and belonging.

“I don’t feel connected to the world. I’m the most useless dragon that can be, since I don’t have a pattern. I’m just still drifting. More or less.”

I so often feel as if I am drifting ‘until I find the shape of the world that matches me.’

This was a beauty of a novel.

The quotes in this review were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.

I was fortunate to be involved with the Kickstarter for this book, and I am so glad I was. The cover alone is gorgeous!

It's a book that grabbed me in the first few lines, and I was held in rapt attention from there on out. This has elements that make you want to put it as high fantasy, yet also cozy. You want to put it as found family, and have pretty traumatic elements (although nothing too overwhelming and definitely not gratuitous).

You have more than one queer relationship, and each one makes perfect sense and you find yourself immediately able to root where needed.

The family aspect brings it's own dynamic, that shows love in all it's messy forms.

There is the right balance throughout of intruige and plot, that keeps you engaged.

It is definitely a book I will be reading again, probably soon! I will certainly be recommending it as well.

I am more than happy to give it 5/5 stars 🌟

Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Seaglass Blade is a brilliant standalone adventure set in the same world of the author's previous series The Crane Moon Cycle and featuring much of the same characters. Despite this, it's very easy to follow, as relevant old events are mentioned and explained without being infodumpy. It's a wuxia-inspired novel, with cultivation, demons, and shapeshifting dragons and phoenixes. It pulls the reader in with a very cozy atmosphere and a lovely queer found family, but there are also really harsh emotional beats and betrayal. At its core, it is a story about grief, family, and the cost of surviving.

The many PoV characters include the main sapphic relationship, made from a phoenix and her long-time companion, and a nascent achillean relationship. Chenguang and Aili are at the core of the book, their love tested and found true, and the both of them are fantastic, well-rounded characters. A definite highlight is the young dragon's quest for self-actualization against a terrible tragedy, as he matures and reaches a new understanding.

The worldbuilding is phenomenal and really stands out. It's one of my first forays into this subgenre, but the rich imagery and the complex relationships make for a vivid and solid novel. The sections about the dragon and the sea were especially beautiful. The demons are of course not the christian stereotype but a nuanced exploration of the cycle of abuse, and the girl demon especially has a captivating, heartbreaking arc.

The Seaglass Blade is a delightful read.

gorgeously lyrical book with some fantastic vibes and incredible plotting that I really think deserves more intention than it probably will get. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.

This is a beautiful, epic fantasy romance! It is a follow-up to The Crane Moon Cycle duology, but it can be read as a standalone since the story takes place hundreds of years later.

FMC Chenguang is a phoenix healer who merged her life with human FMC Aili centuries ago. Together, they have built a sanctuary and school to help other magical beings learn to cultivate their magic. They have two adoptive children, Sanmer, a demon, and Yisue, a dragon. Both are adults, but they are still learning how to function in this vast magical universe. When danger and demons threaten the sanctuary, Yisue must go in search of other dragons. Along the way, he meets Majen, a cat shifter with secrets, and it’s unclear whether he is friend or foe.

I adored this story. It is beautifully written, and the cultivation based magic system is fascinating. I’ve never read a book quite like this before. I loved the worldbuilding, the variety of creatures, and the way the magic works. I also appreciated that there are really two love stories, the established, older couple and a new, developing relationship. While there are many sweet, heartfelt romantic moments, this is primarily a high-stakes fantasy. The story moves beyond the school setting into travel across a wide range of locations, and even different magical planes of existence.

I’m a little mad at myself for not reading the first two books sooner, because I clearly missed out on something special. Still, I’m glad I now have them to look forward to. This book was fantastic and is a new favorite!

Spice 2/5
Plot: 5/5
Writing: 5/5
My Enjoyment: 5+/5

*** I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving my honest review.