Author: Kelley Armstrong
Number of Pages: 406
Publisher: Harper
Date Read: 9.26.15
Rating: <3 <3 <3
“Then we must be prepared for a war unlike any the empire has seen.”
– Emperor Tatsu
They hear the spirits.
They must obey.
In the Forest of the Dead, where the empire’s worst criminals are exiled, twin sisters Moria and Ashyn are charged with a dangerous task. For they are the Keeper and the Seeker, and each year they must quiet the enraged souls of the damned.
Only this year, the souls will not be quieted.
Ambushed and separated by an ancient evil, the sisters must journey to find each other, sending them far from the only home they’ve ever known. Accompanied by a stubborn imperial guard and a dashing condemned thief, the girls cross a once-empty wasteland, now filled with reawakened monsters of legend, as they travel to warn the emperor. But a terrible secret awaits them at court – one that will alter the balance of their world forever. – Book jacket
“Curiosity is what lets a young mind grow and keeps an old mind young.”
- Master of the Library
I was initially interested in the book because it was something different from what I normally read. I haven’t read a story about spirits and those that can hear them. I was curious what Armstrong had planned for this kind of story. The description on the inside jacket flap really had me curious.
“Night was her time. The Keeper. Bond-mate of the cat. Protector of the night. Daughter of the moon.”
Despite that we experience the viewpoint of the twins – Moria and Ashyn – I was not that vested in them. They both were polar opposites (not a new thing in YA) and each wished they had the other’s experiences/strengths/outlook, etc. Out of the twins, I think I liked Moria better. Ashyn just seemed too childlike for me. Maybe it’s because she empathizes with everyone/everything and romanticizes things. Something just struck me a still mentally childlike. Moria seemed the more mature of the two – the one who understood the world a bit better.
I was definitely more interested in the male characters in Sea of Shadows. I think because we really didn’t know much about them. Gavril, Ronan, and Tyrus seem to be shrouded in mystery and we’re only given bits and pieces of their lives when the girls seems inclined to worry about something other then themselves. That sounded cold – they had just lost their entire village – but you’d think it’d be important to learn about the people traveling in your party or playing host to you. Just saying.
Also, I will be keeping my eye out for Belaset. That was just too abrupt of a parting with tensions unresolved. I have a feeling she will be resurfacing. Same goes for the Seeker and Keeper of the imperial city – Ellyn and Thea. They were just too aggressive in wanting to keep Moria and Ashyn out of the city. I get the whole “the spirits can’t handle it”, but there was something more hostile than that. I have a feeling they may be in on the coup.
I also liked the creatures. Shadow stalkers, thunder hawks, and death worms; they were all so horrible and intriguing. I will have to research if there are myths around these kinds of creatures or if Armstrong created her own mythology to go with the culture(s) in the empire.
Speaking of the empire … way not to delve into this new world. The empire is only ever referred to as the imperial city (from my recollection) and not much is known about it. No politics, religions, social class. Castes are mentioned, but we don’t even know which ones. I am hoping Armstrong delves more into the world in the sequel so we get a better understanding of why some things are taboo and so forth.
Overall, I liked the book. It kept my interest throughout. I just wished there was more insight to the other characters and I would definitely like to see more world building. It kept a lively pace and didn’t really drag anywhere, which is a big thumbs up for me. I will be reading the sequel.
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