Thank you Penguin for this book in exchange for an honest review.
Synopsis:
Meet Tamsin, the Glittering Court’s hard-angled emerald. Her outsized aspirations make her a fierce competitor, rising to the top of the ranks. But when the ship she boards for the New World is tragically lost at sea, she is quite literally thrown off-course.
Review:
The Emerald Sea is the final book in the Glittering Court series and each book is centred around a girl and their studies to find themselves a wealthy husband. This particular book is based on Tasmin Wright, who you learn from the previous books, is a bit of a determined and rude woman. Tasmin, like most of the girls that attended the Glittering Court, comes from nothing besides a poor family and rises through the lessons of nobility to sail across to the new land and seduce herself a husband. As you would expect the voyage doesn’t go as planned as Tasmin and a few other girls of the court are left stranded and have the struggle of getting to their final destination on their own. Tasmin, with the help of Jago the trader and Gideon a minister, hurry to get to the court in time.
I have to admit I wasn’t a fan of the world building in this book. Though The Emerald Sea had an in depth description of this world rather than the previous books, however I believe that a great deal of the book was wasted on the world building, it was over described to be honest. To be honest the world had a UK/Europe feel about it.
Ever since I powered through Mead’s Vampire Academy I have had a soft spot for her writing and her sassy characters. I mean can’t all female characters just be like Rose and the males just as hunky and mysterious like Dimitri? We can hope right? I wasn’t a massive fan of this series, don’t get me wrong though, I enjoyed the first one. The Glittering Court was enticing and introduced you to a new story and new characters and I loved this. Midnight Jewel was exactly the same as The Glittering Court but from a different perspective and I despise this, there was no originality, nothing captivating. When I heard about The Emerald Sea being released with a new perspective and a thrilling storyline I knew I had to read it. After all it couldn’t be as repetitive as Midnight Jewel right? Or so I thought.
The pace of the book was also another element I couldn’t deal with. For such a thick book there is so much repetitive talking, barley any action and some aspects of the book we have already seen in The Glittering Court and Midnight Jewel. It dragged on. And on. Even when Tasmin ends up in the wrong area and even when she struggles to get back to the court. Though I do like it when villains push women of balconies into the ocean. I may have chocked on my coffee. Actually I did.
I liked Tasmin. Once I got over her stuck up attitude I grew fond for her. I think she would be awesome to have coffee with and if she got too annoying the food fight would be incredible and one sided. Proper girls don’t throw food. Instant victory. Besides Tasmin, I wasn’t fond of any of the other characters. They did nothing for me.
Overall it wasn’t a thrilling end to the series and dragged on a fair amount which I found disappointing, but I still am a fan of Richelle Mead. If you love your romance than this is book that will probably sweet of you of your feet.
Rating: 3/5
ISBN: 9781595148452
Publisher: Penguin