Dark Water Daughter

4.25, but rounding up! I enjoyed the worldbuilding and creatures of this world and how the worlds collide with one another. I'm curious to see what comes next in Mary and Samuel's journey. The writing was just right for me, but I wished we delved deeper into the character's stories.

I think this book is a great bridge book for those coming from YA genre into more adult fantasy. 

I personally wanted a bit more depth and a little less hand-holding in this book. While a lot happened in this book, I found that a lot of scenes in the middle part of the book could have been cut or replaced and the ending still would have been the same so it left me feeling like a lot of it was filler. There were scenes that furthered character bonds without actually furthering the plot and vice versa.
I still really like the world and some side characters in this to pick up the next book in this series as soon as it's released.

I enjoyed this book, but I did end up wanting a bit more from it. The worldbuilding was really cool and the set up of the story reminded me of a more fantastical Pirates of the Carribean (the second lead is basically Norrington, and the first lead is that mermaid played by Kaya Scodelario in the fourth one). The story is about Mary Firth, a stormsinger -someone who can control storms- is taken captive by a fearsome pirate and then released by Samuel, and the two try to A) defeat the pirate and B) maybe find Mary's mother, a famous stormsinger.

I thought the characters were decent but could have used some more fleshing out, but one thing I consistently liked about this book is the same thing I liked about Long's previous books: the atmosphere. I always felt like I was in the midst of a sea faring, swashbuckling adventure. Long has descriptive prose without overweighing the scene. She knows how to make her sentences economical.

I'll read book two but probably not at release.

7/10

I was loving this book right up to the ending.
I love the world H M Long creates. The winter seas the magic I felt as if I had been transported there.

I have seen some reviews say there is a romance plot in this and I don't think there is. Maybe for future books but not for this one.

The plot was engaging. I loved the idea and the villan was well fleshed out. However. The ending. it felt rushed and almost too easy for the main characters to defeat said villain. It felt that instead of the characters using their wits to defeat the villan it was written to that point and came across to easy and rigid.

Otherwise I was really enjoying the book! The writing is easy and loved the characters.

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I've loved pirates and just about anything to do with them since Pirates of the Caribbean came out way back in 2003. I saw that movie more times than I want to admit in theaters, and well........the obsession has stayed with me since then. I loved Black Sails, and am always on the lookout for unique takes on the subject. Upon hearing about Dark Water Daughter...I had high hopes. Extremely high hopes. It sounded like a blend of fantasy and history and just...yes. Yes, yes, yes. Unfortunately, this book didn't really do it for me.

Dark Water Daughter was a resounding meh. There are many characters, and I didn't care about any of them. Except for one — Captain James Demery. He's a side character at best, not on page all that much but he was THE ONLY ONE I remotely cared about. I didn't give two blinks about the main characters, Mary and Samuel. I didn't believe their weird romance-on-and-off-like thing they had going on. I wanted to like these characters, but they were so incredibly blank that there was nothing to like!! The only mildly interesting thing about Mary and Sam was that they could do magic! THAT'S IT. They didn't have hobbies, or cool personalities. They were literally just husks for magic.

That's not to say that the magic wasn't really cool, because it was. There are three different types — Stormsingers, Sooths, and Magni. Stormsingers do literally what it says on the tin — they can change the weather through song. Sooths can see the future. Magni can influence people without them knowing about it. The ideas behind the magic were unique, and cool. It doesn't, however, make me care about any of the characters, or their fates. Something drastic happens to one of them towards the end of the book and I swear to you that I originally thought it happened to a different character because I COULDN'T TELL THEM APART.

Not to mention the overarching plot was a tad bit confusing. They were going for a treasure hoard but also to rescue Mary's mom? But also kill a dangerous pirate and rescue tree spirits? Too many things going on, too much confusion. Needed some streamlining. I might be completely on my own by saying this, but I was disappointed by Dark Water Daughter. I wanted so much more.

Happy publication day!

Dark Water Daughter is an interesting pirate story, set in a world full of magic.

Mary has the rare ability to control the weather when singing, making her very valuable to navy and pirates in general. The use of her talent to survive sets in motion a series of events who will transform her life and identity completely.

The story is duas POV, giving a faster pace to the events. The characters are layered and well developed, and while I enjoyed both main characters, I feel the secondary and villains were the ones making the story shine.

The story is very original and I haven't read anything similar. I've felt it was somewhat a cross between Pirates of the Caribbean and Stranger Things I couldn't predict what was going to happen which is something that always delights me.

I liked it! Recommended for adult fantasy readers, especially those with a soft spot for pirate stories.

3.5 stars

I would like to thank Titan Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.