I think this may be a case of expecting too much from a book. When I read the description, I got excited about this world of pirates, mermaids, and magic. And while the book delivered all three, the execution was not always great.

One thing the book really excels in is world-building. Grace has created an interesting, island-based world in which everyone has magic that is expressed in different ways. I enjoyed her descriptions of the different islands and the politics of the kingdom. In the early parts of the book, there are a lot of descriptions of how soul magic––the magic that only the main character's family is allowed to practice-- is accomplished, and it is quite gruesome. This took me a bit by surprise early on but I went with it.

The story is told through the perspective of Amora, the princess of the island kingdom of Visidia. She's one of the more unlikeable main characters I've read and it was really unclear throughout the book whether or not we were supposed to root for her. She's a spoiled brat, who is incredibly self-righteous and yet very naive (the latter of which is not really her fault). She improves as a character as the book goes on but not by much. The secondary characters, particularly Bastian and Vateae the mermaid, save the story, but are often too secondary. Vateae is an especially interesting character but often gets demoted to simply be an elaborate plot device. I wanted more for her and her journey.

The ending of the book clearly sets it up for the sequel but also left me feeling discourages for Amora. While the book sets her up a strong female character, her fate at the end––without giving anything away––dismantles that impression.

Overall, this is a case of an interesting premise with a story that let me down. I think it will certainly appeal to younger readers, or those who are more avid readers of YA fantasy. But for me, it missed the mark.

2.5 stars, rounded up.