The Winter Sea Trilogy

I don’t know what the weather is like where you are but in my little corner of the world, it’s a sunny day, the skies are blue and a slight breeze is blowing through the trees.

It’s been Spring for just over a month and there are signs of new life appearing but, here, Winter sure has had a hard time saying goodbye. More days than not, the morning greets me with a chill and then I’ll have the fans turned on in the evenings.

The winds have whipped heavily just about every other day.

That could all be cause for some complaining and there are days I have wished the temperature would make up it’s mind but today, I am choosing to hear a drum beat on that wind, close my eyes and imagine I am sailing the seas.

Sail North – Against The Tide (Official Lyric Video)

Hopefully you clicked that link and let yourself drift along with me.

I’ve always had an affinity for a pirate adventure. Being from North Carolina, Blackbeard is apart of our lore but I’ll fully admit that it was The Pirates of the Caribbean franchise that sealed the deal for me. I know it’s a wild, scandalous and dangerous existence but I’d like to think if I were faced with the same choice as Elizabeth, I’d have jumped into the water (and out of that dress/arranged marriage) also 😉

A few months ago, my friends at Titan Books sent over their own pirate adventure series penned by the fantastic H.M. Long and I consumed it in record time.

The Winter Sea is made up of Aeadine, Tithe, Mere, Utsi, Kalsank and The Cape

Dark Water Daughter introduces us to Mary Firth, a Stormsinger (able to control wind/water with their voice), who has no choice in life but to ally into servitude in exchange for protection. Once revered for their gift, as her mother was, Stormsingers in her day/age are often used/abused. But Mary is special in ways that she doesn’t realize, though her dreams begin to point the way.

Her ally, Samuel Rosser has his own reasons for keeping Mary safe and going after her would be captor/Master, Silvanus Lirr to restore his good name and his sanity, are high on the list.

This journey takes them to the top of The Winter Sea, beyond the Storm Wall, where under the ice lies treasure and a magic more ancient then all of them.

Samuel and Mary can both walk in the Dark Water, an ethereal plane containing the monsters of the world. Alongside the ghistings (spectral creatures that inhabit the ancient forests and figureheads made of that wood) they must not only defeat Lirr but also save the heart of all held together by the magic flowing through them.

Black Tide Son continues the story of Mary and Samuel, navigating life as privateers, continuously trying to keep Mary from being traded to the highest bidder. Together they are seeking to establish a better way to live on their own terms.

Samuel’s backstory includes his tenuous relationship with his brother Benedict but when they hear he’s been captured and imprisoned by enemy forces, they are left to decide if they are to continue forging this better way with the free peoples of the sea or if they will try to save Benedict.

An aspect of Samuel/Benedict’s upbringing adds a layer of danger and impossibility of escaping alive. The Black Tide is rising and it’s fast on their heels, both on land and in the Dark Water.

Red Tempest Brother puts Benedict Rosser at the helm of his own ship, full of a less than savory crew. They are searching for someone carrying something that he needs but they are leaving devastation in their path. He’s numbed/jaded by what he’s been through but there may be hope for him in the bond with his brother. Is it enough to redeem him?

Meanwhile Samuel and Mary have sought refuge on a southern island, ran by a few familiar faces from Dark Water Daughter. They are reeling from the revelations of the events of the Black Tide and what they have discovered has the potential to alter the lives of everyone/everything around them.

War is brewing all around the sea. What they know could escalate it all.

A rumor reaches them that a new Ghistwold is sprouting in the Mereish sea.

Faced again with uncertain choices, Mary, Samuel, Benedict and the crews they have acquired along the way, must decide what the ultimate cost of peace is and if they are willing to pay it.

******

I was immediately captivated by Mary Firth, whose voice is squelched from an early age, for her own safety. Something within her wants to be free, free to sing and free to commune with the voice deep inside of her, although she doesn’t fully understand it. She’s feisty, brassy, brave, loyal and vulnerable, around the right people. It was an absolute joy to witness her character development across three books.

The addition of the Rosser twins added the contrast, tension and passion that had me turning pages more quickly with each book consumed.

The remaining cast of characters was strong and it was easy to get attached to them. I am partial to the ghisting lore and found that my favorite characters were the ones that were combined with that magic at some point, although I know that’s a bit of a dual fate situation.

On top of it all the books themselves are absolute stunning. It was a nice touch to be able to revisit the cover at the end of each book and recognize the attention to detail that was given. These are headed to the bookshelf as soon as I finish this post.

In case you couldn’t tell, the pendulum swing of the weather here lately has mirrored this trilogy well. Starting with the icy peaks of the north and ending in the sunbaked southern isles.

If you are in need of a new, magical, largely sea based adventure, I hope you will let the wind lead you to The Winder Sea 🙂