BOOK DESCRIPTION:
Nine moons have passed since the devastating battle against the cauldron-born.
In exile along the sea, Cerridwen gives birth to her supernatural child. Upon beholding his sublime radiance, she is unable to kill him, as she’d vowed to do. Instead, she casts him adrift, leaving his fate in the hands of the Great Mother.
Bran convinces the survivors of the battle to gather their families and live under his leadership as one clan. They settle near the Sacred Grove and take the Oak as their new sigil.
Lucia has returned to the isle to train among the Sisterhood, but Bran has not forgotten her. Once the new settlement is well-established, he asks her to return and be his queen, leaving her with a difficult choice to make – will she abandon her training, or ignore her heart?
All of their destinies intertwine, leading them on challenging paths that border otherworldly realms.
LINKS TO BUY:
I received a copy of Across the Sea in exchange for an honest review. What follows is my opinion and mine alone. There was no compensation made for this review.
Across the Sea is the continuation of J.M. Hofer’s fantasy series that began with Islands in the Mist. It is set about one to two years after the first book. Bran is the leader of all the clans that joined together to fight off Cerridwen and her Cauldron-born. They all live under the Oak banner. Lucia is on the island with the other priestesses, learning to hone her gift of sight. But as this is happening, our story begins with Ula.
The first thing that hit me upon reading this book is the stark difference in emotion I felt. The first book was easy to get into and grabbed my attention, but this one had the chokehold. My guess is that it’s because I listened to the audio version of this book, whereas in the first one, I read the ebook. Apparently, my inner voice does not lend itself to being a good storyteller. The audio narrator, however, is a master.
Imagine sitting in a circle at a fire, listening to a story about selkies, golden children who can breathe underwater, and a king forced to find a woman, or his people would be killed by a sea giant. The person telling you the story is a man, calm yet forceful. The prose seems to lilt in different ways, making the story almost song like, even though there isn’t music to it. This is how it felt to listen to Across the Sea.
It was like listening to a bard’s tale.
Now, it wouldn’t have worked had J. M. Hofer’s writing has not been that way, but the delivery really hit home how this book is supposed to be read. It shows Hofer’s further attention to detail. Not only do we see the historical elements of the Iron Age and the folklore elements of magic and fantasy, but the way the books are written also calls to that era. It’s very well done, and it makes me want to listen to the first book’s audio. To see what I could have missed in the more emotional side of things.
This is definitely a series that all ages would love. And I would say it’s a great audio to listen to on a trip for your own adventure.
Casia's Corner 