The enemy kingdom of Radha has set their sights on the sea. All hope of alliance is lost. And a forced concoction is limiting her powers.Trapped on a ship with a bloodthirsty royal, a runaway prince, and a black-market swindler, Princess Aviama finds herself headed straight for Ghost’s Gorge—a passage no ship has survived for hundreds of years. Radha’s elite melder guard is haphazard, but strong, and if Aviama doesn’t find a way to turn them or fight them, she’ll be forced to betray a friend and play a role in the exploitation of a siren. But if she makes a deal with a cheat to save herself, will she sell her soul in the process?
Gold and gumption, this book did not disappoint. There was a lot of build up so it was slower in the beginning but the ending was well worth the wait. I love books with the ocean, ships, sailors, sirens, magic, and lots of action and political turmoil and there was plenty of it. Chenzira and Aviama’s relationship grows and we discover more about Onkar. Just when we think we might know who he is, we become even more confused on whose side he’s on. Shiva is a continued self serving annoyance but I’m a sucker for a good antagonist so I loved it. EA Winters pulls a heart wrenching cliff hanger at the end of this book and I’m so here for it. Can’t wait to see what the next adventure for Aviama will be!
I should have expected an adventure on the ocean since the first two books have a mermaid! I love the relationship between Aviama and Makana (the siren/mermaid). There is so much mystery in these books that you have to work to figure out. We get clues here and there but it’s not always plain what will unfold.
The life on the ship is interesting and so detailed, as is the water portion of the story. I felt like I was right there in the middle of all the action. The “battles� and altercations that went on ranged from short to long and intense. There are some horrible events but they aren’t described in great detail so it was easier to not stay focused on them.
Aviama is plagued by the images of the deaths of her parents who were killed by assassins in the first series. During this series, more are added to her nightmares. People she cares about that have lost their lives and those who are threatened who aren’t dead yet. She is smart but reckless and impulsive. Most of the time it ends with more problems even if something else was resolved. She cares so much about others that it gets her into some dangerous situations.
Prince Shiva is even worse in this book. If I had any doubts about his true character and morals, I didn’t doubt them in this book.
Prince Chenzira has continued to prove himself more and more through each book. He’s strong and brave. Yet he can be just as impulsive as the princess. They start keeping tally of WHO does stupid things that put themselves in danger.
There is one of my favorite fantasy series and I can’t wait to start book 4 today.
I was so honored to receive an ARC copy of this book for an honest review, and let me tell you, I could not put this book down! I didn’t know this series could get any better but somehow it does with every new book! The constant peril Aviama is under and the romance had me holding my breath and staying up well into the night! This book was different than all the others because instead of castles as the setting, it’s a ship sailing towards treacherous territory, surrounded by sailors instead of nobles. Just like the other books this one took turns I was not expecting, keeping me on my toes the entire time. The characters continue to be relatable and real, I feel for Aviama in every chapter. She has seriously become one of my favorite characters in any book! She’s feminine and strong, showing how women can love dresses and femininity all the while having their own strength. She makes mistakes, has moments of naive-ness, but learns and grows along the way. Also I seriously love Chenzira, I can’t wait for more of him and Aviama! This book is for anyone who loves high stakes, fast paced action, lovable and relatable characters, romance, elemental powers, adventures on the sea, sirens/mermaids, and wonderful world building! I couldn’t recommend this book, series, and author enough! All her books are pure thrill and adventure and I’ve loved every single one! I cannot wait for book 4! But also sad there’s only going to be one more book of this beautiful series, though I can’t wait to see what E. A. Winters does next!
5 Stars Kindle Unlimited The way this series and these characters have a choke hold on me! I'm excited to finish this series, but at the same time, I don't want it to end! This has been a wild ride!
What can I say, I'm a sucker for books with ships. There's so much tension with powers coming and going, and of course the political intrigue and manipulation. There's also more sirens and slow burn romance, and fast paced action. I'm very interested by that ending!
An exciting read! Aviama is definitely coming into herself in this book. She is becoming stronger with who she is and not being pushed around as much. She still holds her standard of not killing people. This does not mean there is no action or death far from it. The relationship between Chenzira and Aviama is growing beautifully. There relationship will be good to see grow more with the next book. E.A.Winters did a wonderful job keeping the story moving and keeping you on the edge of your seat. This is another book of hers that was spent reading late at night instead of sleeping. Biscuits!
The story picks up where the cliffhanger 2nd book left off. Princess Aviama and Chenzira are aboard a vessel headed who-knows-where with a crew they don't know!
The plot is fast-paced, full of twists and turns, and ends in yet another cliffhanger! E.A. Winters is a master of the well-planned plot twist. She lets you figure out one or two of them, then *wham* out of left field comes a major twist you never saw coming! I both wanted to read through the book quickly, to see what would happen, and slow down and savor the first reading of it.
Aviama experiences significant character development in this book. I was really happy to see the positive changes that were made to her character. She becomes much more relatable in this book! Also, I loved the additional characters that were added in supporting roles. I love the Pirates of the Caribbean vibe of the entire book.
While the backstory of the first two books would be helpful, this book could easily be read as a standalone if it's the first one you've stumbled upon. There's lots of intrigue, adventure, and battles, but no swearing or bedroom scenes, which is such a win. It's a well-written book that has all of the positive elements of fantasy without any of the negatives. There's slow burn romance, but it doesn't dominate the storyline. I'm so glad to have found a fantasy author who doesn't hide behind bedroom scenes instead of actually developing a plot line!
TL;DR: Read the book. She's my favorite author, and you should really go back and read the Blood and Flame Saga too. It'll give you something to read while you wait for book 4 with the rest of us!
(disclaimer) I was provided with an ARC copy of the book, but was not required to write a positive review - that part is all me :)
Holy crap that book is the best one yet from E. A. Winters!!!
Honest ARC Review
I've read all of Winter's fantasy novels so far, and have devoured each one happily. The fact that there's no cursing, sexual content, and good values in each one is great.
If you've read the other books leading up to this, you know how sweet, gentle, and tenderhearted our leading lady is, in this follow-up series to the Blood and Flame Saga. When I first saw Winters teasing about putting Aviama in extreme peril on TikTok, I was one of the first to say noooooooo!! Protect her at all costs!!! Give her a break! But in the true, savage and amazing authoring way, Winters has not only put Aviama and her newfound friends through heck and back, but she makes her grow so much and kick some serious butt!
A psychotic, murderous prince, Aviama kidnapped on a dangerous ship, killer mermaids, a shifty cook, and so much more - this book just throws you into the deep of it and keeps you on your toes the whole time.
Personally, I'm not one for reading romance, especially when I'm going for high-action fantasy or sci-fi, but Winters has this ability to weave slow burn romance into her books that I love! There is a healthy, naturally growing, non-spicy romance that will pull at your heart strings without extra surprises on the page. (I mean, Zephan and Semra had me in tears in the last Blood and Flame Saga book).
I wish there were more than 5 stars for me to give this book. Best one Winters has written so far.
Arc Review ahead: I want to give this 4.5 stars but that's not an option. It's just not a perfect 5 for me.
I want to love it as much as the others, but it wasn't my favorite one. Maybe the first two were just too good that this one didn't quite live up to the hype. I think my main gripe is the completely shift in setting between book 2 and this one was too jarring.
The pros: It's hard to put down. Like every chapter you just want to keep going and keep going and there's action driving the plot on most every turn of the page. Definite character growth in Aviama. The whole out at sea plot line challenged her in many ways and you see how she adapts. You get to see more cracks in Shiva's perfect facade. It doesn't seem like he gets his way at every turn and that's so satisfying. Frizzletwerf Grigglor.
The cons: The aforementioned jarring shift from land to sea. Though, I'm admittedly not sure how I'd handle the transition and it doesn't make the story suffer at all. Chenzira's character seems a little more flat in this one, which is sad because I loved him in book two so I just wanted more for him.
I'm definitely looking forward to the next one, because that cliffhanger! Again!
I loved this book so much. It was definitely up and down and kept me captivated.
I love Chenzira and Aviama’s relationship. It is so stinking cute! 😍😍😍 I live how they fought for eachother. I enjoyed how Aviama just blossomed in this book and just literally made lemonade from a lemony situation, and did what she need to better herself! I love how bad a** Chenzira is!
Shiva can we just say that he is a giant pootakin. He so deserving of what he got, and it is so fitting! I love it!!!!
Onkar/fiddletwerf- i don’t know about him yet, i feel like i don’t like him, but I just don’t know? What is his angle, what does he gain?
Makana- the coolest mermaid ever, she needs some english lessons though lol! Tebuen sister all the way, I want her on my side, just saying.
I love all the twists and turns of this story line, very well done and keeps you coming back for more. I absolutely love the romance and very real and raw feelings. I like how these characters feel real feelings and struggle with real things! I give this book an A+++ 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
This series just has the grip on me and I keep wanting more. The need to jump in this book right after Shadow Caste was unreal. The betrayals, the new found friendships and alliances, and the people that you just wanna chuck over the ship railings! I love how I never know what to expect in Winter's writings. She has a beautiful writing style that just captivates you and makes feel like your living in the worlds she creates right along side her characters. I need to know what happens when they arrive at Keket!!
Give me all the sweet and protecting moments between Aviama and Chenzira that you got!! These two hold a special place in my heart and I am glad to see I wasn't fulling myself in wishing it became more. I love that new found friends that they allow in their circle and that they are able to put their trust in others other than their selves. Sai, Buhmi, Maran, Laksh....I love their loyalty. Even Makana plays a very important role in this book!!! IYKYK!! Onkar orFiddletwerf whoever he really is..I don't know what I think about his actions.
I don’t even know what to say without being spoilerly. Aviama and Chenzira are still great, and you get a bit more romance in this one. The plot/pacing is still moving good, and I can’t wait to see how the next book is going resolve everything.
I liked the air of mystery around Onkar! I want to know more about him in the next book.
This is nothing against the book, it’s completely personal preference, but there is a lot of action and go go go in this book (really the whole series), and at times that gets hard for me read. I’m the type that looks forward to the slower middle book about traveling (that is not this book!) but whenever the action would get to be too much, a sweet romance part would come up and that would reel me back in. So I guess what I am saying is I would have like to see more down time, which realistically probably would not have made sense in this book so it’s a good thing the author is pulling the strings and not me 🤣, but that is why it’s 4 stars for me and not 5. Purely personal preference.
Love the characters, especially all the new ones. A lot of action (sometimes too much-the mermaid coup I could've done without). Aviama's character development is fun. She finally got to learn some good skill (should've happened more in the last book). A really fun read if you don't think too hard about it all.
Glaring plot holes: Chenzira should have never survived past chapter 3. And then again after Aviama was found next to his cell. Or after they were caught dancing. Or after she protected him from Durga. Shiva would have killed him the second he knew Chenzira was on board. 🤦♀�
Also, all the mentions of her being the key to the sea. What was that all about (maybe explained in the next book, maybe not)?
Also, her killing a merman by cutting off his oxygen. MERMAIDS DON'T NEED OXYGEN TO SURVIVE!
There were so many more, but I chose to ignore them because I was enjoying the story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
This book is a real jewel among my summer reading list. It’s a breath of fresh air within the fantasy genre. Aviama is one of the most relatable fantasy MCs I’ve read in quite some time. She’s not a skilled warrior or politician. She’s been outmaneuvered at every turn because she’s been woefully unprepared for this journey she started back in book one. She’s not perfect, she’s made mistakes along the way and she’s haunted by them.
Ever make a mistake that haunts you no matter how many times you try to redeem yourself?
Poor Aviama begins the third installment of the Melderblood Chronicles bearing the consequences of her actions from the first two books. And yet she persists. She learns. She grows. So don’t be disheartened, dear readers! A lot of important character growth happens in the first part of the book and the payoff of this high sea adventure comes in the second half.
So I still don’t understand how everyone came to be on a ship. Like, Shiva wasn’t planning on leaving the city, then all of a sudden he not only had a ship but had also hand-picked his crew. Same with Onkar. It made a little more sense that he’d have his own kitchen crew hand-picked and ready to go, and that he’d heard about Shiva’s impromptu voyage and finagled a way on board, but the twist at the end? With how long it takes to communicate between kingdoms, how the heck did he have time to arrange that? Let alone manipulating the events leading up to it? That said, this was a good addition to the series. It was a little dramatic—like the literal head on a platter was just too much a second time—but it was cool to meet new characters, get to know old ones better, learn about the ocean and the merpeople, etc.
Gone is any hope of security for Aviama as she finds herself aboard the Wraithweaver, en route to a gorge that no one has ever ventured into and survived.
Like the waves Aviama sails through on the ship, the book is full of equally high victories and low blows to our characters. It’s clear Winters has familiarity with ships of old, because the Wraithweaver itself takes on a life of its own through the pages, becoming a highly immersive experience. Gone is the hapless princess from the last two books; Aviama shows she’s got the makings of a queen in Wraithweaver.
Get a pillow ready, because Wraithweaver will have you hanging on the edge of your seat by an inch and have you on the floor by the end!
If you like calm, comfortable, real world, cozy novels....well you're in the wrong place. Biscuits! Kidnapped by a bloodthirsty foreign prince, stuck doing galley duty under the double-crossing black-market swindler, separated from her sworn sister (a death song singing siren), dragged to the last place on earth the two of them should be...yeah. That's just another day for Princess Aviama. Complicating matters, the ship is drugging all of the Melderbloods onboard, so neither she nor the gruff and daring Chenzira can fight back with magic. Cliffhangers, danger, and intrigue abound. If you're looking for a fantasy novel where the relationships are relatable, poetic, and romantic, without getting into adult territory, this series needs to be at the top of your TBR.
Fantastic pacing, realistic peril, character driven relationships, and a healthy understanding of psychology make this series one of the standouts in the genre for 2024.
E.A. Winters has done it again! I absolutely love Aviama. She has gone from a Princess in a palace that loves frilly dresses to a fierce death defying adventurer. Not that she wants adventures. She is loyal and protective of her friends. This book has mermaids, sailors, and scoundrels. And don’t forget Melderbloods. The last part of the book was a wild ride. Just as I thought Aviama and her friends were out of trouble, they get right back into another mess thanks to Onkar. What is up with that guy? Is he working with them or against them? I can hardly wait for the next book. It can’t come soon enough.
I think Wraith Weaver is my favorite book of the series so far. The entire book takes place on the Wraith Weaver which is a ship. Shiva is taking Aviama and other Melderbloods to the gorge to try and kidnap sirens. What follows is an extremely entertaining tale with sailors, mermaids, war, betrayals, and lots of action.
The world building of the undersea was really well done, the character development of new and old characters great, and the action and plot fun!
I’m really enjoying this easy to read series, and look forward to reading book four!
I received an advance reader copy from the author, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This book once again had me shifting in my seat, biting my fingernail, twirling my hair…nervous and anxious. Aviamas character and strength growing but also being swindled and fooled and hurt! I was captivated at all this occurring on a ship with no where to run. Love how vivid the world building is! The characters…oh the characters. Love, hate, not sure, don’t get attached, ooh you were wrong, it’s just a whirlwind of who to trust. Chenzira! Love how this is in a way mirroring the intensity and the slow burn from the Blood and Flame Saga but in its own way. And the end! Ugh man. Hmmmm awww darn it. Wait hope! Come on book 4!
The series continues. Picks up right where we left off in book 2, literally!
Aviama and Chenzira are off on another adventure wrought with danger.
While I'm loving the story, the remembering of all the lost people is really weighing me down. I understand they have lost so many family & friends but let's let the past go and move on. I realize Aviama's past is what holds her back but I'd like to see her grow and move forward.
Disclaimer: gore and lots of blood. Clean, sweet tension, sirens, mermaids, pickpockets, thieves, double-crossing and double-crossing the double-crossers! That was fun to type! On to book 4!
E.A. Winters continues her Melderblood Chronicles with an epic journey that will make your heart pound (with a cliffhanger that might make your head throb-hello, high blood pressure!) I lost a night of sleep due to this book. Holy Schmoly, the characters continue to grow, the world continues to build, and the author just keeps getting better and better, in my opinion. If you haven't read this series yet, I urge you to do it now! It's got the swoon, the action, the plot twists! I highly recommend!
A page turner! I’ve been patiently waiting for the book and absolutely devoured it once it was in my hands. Aviama is such a well written protagonist! Rather than being a perfect character she has flaws and faults and works to better herself. Intricately woven between the political turmoil, the fighting, and the stress of being captive, were budding friendships and a flowering romance. I secretly shipped (lol) the pair back in the first book so this was well worth the wait! Fans of pirates, mermaids, and slow burn romance will definitely like this book as much as I did!
This book was very good! I loved the political intrigue, how Aviama grows and learns, and her relationship with both Chenzira and Makana. I can't wait for the last book.
The only thing is that at times the writing style wasn't my favorite and the plot felt a little chaotic. I also would have liked to see deeper themes.
That said, it was very entertaining and I would definitely recommend it for anyone who wants a fun fantasy to get lost in!
I didn’t know what to expect when I started this book. I loved books one & two, but after the book two cliffhanger I had no idea what would happen. This book was action packed filled with fantastic characters and twists around every corner. We also finally got some of the romance that I had seen forming since book one. I can’t wait to read more of Aviama’s adventures. Bring on book four!!!!
Winters has once again woven a heart stopping tale that is easy to lose oneself in. The next part of Aviama’s journey is out of the frying pan and into the fire, and will leave the reader breathless and anxious for our girl to just get home safely already. If you’ve enjoyed any of Winters’s other works, make sure to pick up Wraithweaver!
If you enjoy adventures, fantasy, mystery or reading at all you will love this book! Another heart pounding, gut wrenching tale I can't stop thinking about. Fun characters that are relatable with rich stories that Winters weaves intricately for beautiful world building. A must read.
I'm at a loss for words. Each book just gets better somehow?? The action is more intense, the romance more swoony, the friendships more heart wrenching, the camaraderie, the betrayal, the mystery, THE ENDING!? Ah!
Such a good story! I love how this series has taken such a turn in the last couple books! I find myself anticipating the twists, but I never guess them right, which I really enjoy. Can’t wait for book 4!!