But the note she leaves Kindred suggests this was not an act of suicide. Something waits in the depths, and the Marchess has set out to find it.
To follow in her grandmother’s footsteps, Kindred must embroil herself in conflicts bigger than she could imagine: a water war simmering below the surface of two cultures; the politics of a mythic pirate city floating beyond the edges of safe seas; battles against beasts of the deep, driven to the brink of madness; and the elusive promise of a world below the waves.
Kindred finds that she will sacrifice almost everything—ship, crew, and a life sailing in the sun—to discover the truth of the darkness that waits below the Forever Sea.
I don’t tend to make actual TBR’s these days. I have…ideas? Notions? Vague chaotic little plans that I never bother to share with anyone, because they change on a whim.
But as it gets closer and closer to summer, I’m starting to crave nautical stories! I’m hoping to maybe start the TEMERAIRE series by Naomi Novak, and like every summer, I’m thinking of finally starting Patrick O’Brian’s AUBREY-MATURIN books!
But first up is one I’ve been super eager to read, Joshua Phillip Johnson’s debut novel, THE FOREVER SEA! This is the first book in a series called TALES OF THE FOREVER SEA.
That Marc Simonetti cover is the first thing that pulls you in, no? That palette of colors is just mesmerizing and 100% captures the vibe of the book. Gah, it’s BEAUTIFUL!
Kindred Greyreach is our protagonist. She’s a young hearthfire keeper aboard The Errant. Ships in this world sail on the Forever Sea, which is made of grass. Magical hearthfires keep the ships afloat. The role of hearthfire keeper is a critical one, and one that Kindred is both new to & destined for: she’s the granddaughter of a legendary captain and hearthfire keeper known as The Marchess.
Kindred learned as much as she could from her grandmother before they had a falling out. Her approach to keeping the hearthfire is unconventional, and a bit esoteric. At least compared to the methods that other hearthfire keepers learn in more formal school settings.
Although Kindred no longer sails with her grandmother & their relationship has fractured, news of The Marchess’s disappearance sets the story in motion.
While this world is dangerous, the grass sea being filled with both pirates and terrifying beasts, there’s a gentleness to THE FOREVER SEA that really made me want to savor this story. There’s such a sense of wonder and awe as the story progresses & we, along with Kindred and the colorful crew of The Errant, explore this strange world.
There’s also a painfully sweet & awkward sapphic romance between Kindred and a character named Ragged Sarah. There are some stops and starts for these two, but it really felt there was an inevitability for them. Since this is a nautical book, it feels a little on the nose to say that I ship Kindred and Ragged Sarah, but well. There it is.
I really adored THE FOREVER SEA & I’m so looking forward to the second book in the series, THE ENDLESS SONG (which comes out in January). The writing in this book is gorgeous, and there’s such a strong cast of characters backing up all the thrilling nautical escapades. If you’re looking for a beautifully written & heartfelt seafaring fantasy novel to add to your summer TBR, this is it!
Grimdark Dad 