Title: When The Sea Is Rising Red
Author: Cat Hellisen
Release date: February 28, 2012
Publisher: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux
Pages: 296
Source: Publisher
After seventeen-year-old Felicita’s dearest friend, Ilven, kills herself to escape an arranged marriage, Felicita chooses freedom over privilege. She fakes her own death and leaves her sheltered life as one of Pelimburg’s magical elite behind. Living in the slums, scrubbing dishes for a living, she falls for charismatic Dash while also becoming fascinated with vampire Jannik. Then something shocking washes up on the beach: Ilven’s death has called out of the sea a dangerous, wild magic. Felicita must decide whether her loyalties lie with the family she abandoned . . . or with those who would twist this dark power to destroy Pelimburg’s caste system, and the whole city along with it.
When The Sea Is Rising Red is one fabulous debut novel. I will admit that fantasy is not really my thing but after reading this one, I may be willing to give more fantasy novels a shot.
Felicita seems like your average spoiled, rich, magical girl at first. She’s a snob, she hates working, and she does not like having to ask someone else to save her. Throughout the book she still complains about work but she does become a much better person as she sees how the other half lives. She is a very flawed character though. I mean that in the best possible way. She makes lots of mistakes but she learns from them and she grows. The two mysterious boys in her life, Dash and Jannik, are just that. I felt that Felicita never really connected with either because they both hid so much from her. I had issues with both of them but I did like them. I also felt like the rest of the characters were a little hard to connect with. They all had their secrets.
The world Cat Hellisen created was the best part about When The Sea Is Rising Red. The magic, the legends, the curses; everything was so fantastic. It was a rather dark, sometimes creepy world but that only made it better. It was 100% original and impossible not to be drawn into.
The plot isn’t super action-packed but the story draws you in from the very beginning. This is not one of those stories that takes a while to get into. I dare you not to be hooked from the very first page!
Overall, When The Sea Is Rising Red is one debut that deserves very high praise. I can’t wait to see what Cat Hellisen does next. (And it won’t be a sequel because this one is a standalone!)
Yay! I posted a reviews of this one today, too. I absolutely loved the world building, all the myth and magic, and all those great complicated characters! OH—good to know for sure that it’s a stand-alone! I wasn’t sure. I loved the ending, but felt it left just a tiny opening for a sequel if she wanted to write one!
Great review!
I haven’t read too much about this one so far, so I’m positively surprised that you liked it so much! I think that it’s already on my to-read list, but I’m really thinking about getting a copy of it soon now.
Thanks for sharing!
Carina
Fictional Distraction
eeeee. great review! Dying to read WHEN THE SEA IS RISING RED. Everybody praises it, and man, I want it so badly! One day… it’ll be mine.
I lurve fantasy, so I think this will be a great book for me.
Ashelynn @ Gypsy Book Reviews.
Be sure to read my cover interview with THE LOST GIRL’s author, Sangu Mandanna.
For some reason, the cover struck me as being paranormal something. But, I love fantasy, and a stand-alone? Sign me up!
great review
eeeeep/ hoping 2 read this1 soon
I had no idea it was a standalone! I don’t think I even realized it was fantasy, either O.O
I’m not entirely sure I’ll be reading this one, since it sounds like there’s a love triangle. But great review! A lot of people have really liked this.
This book sounds really good. By what you are saying about Felicita, growing as a character makes me want to read the book more because that is what I personally like in a character. I would have to agree with you on the whole fantasy thing, it’s not what I like to read.
Great review I’ll be sure to add this book to my tbr pile.
I’m am interested in the complexity of the world-building. I love fantasy so this should be a wonderful selection for me 🙂
— Asher
This sounds like an awesome read! I love how the characters are as ambiguous as you often meet in real life but that you still liked them!
She sounds like a strong main character, and I love your description of the world.
They all sound intriguing and like they completely hooked you.
Has the author written anything else that you liked?
Lovely review 🙂