I'm a sucker for fantasy and new sorts of worlds. I'm also a fan of river gods and the magical/mystical elements. This story was a nice, well-crafted journey. I was a bit nervous, as there's the inevitable love interest, but it was kept low-key enough to not be annoying. And I wasn't sure at the start if I was really going to get into the tale, but I did, and it soon kept reeling me back in. A lovely tale that blends a little bit of fantasy, a little bit of magic, a little bit of myth, a little bit of coming of age, and a tiny bit of romance and destiny into a strong story. I'll read more by Tolcser.

Oh, this one was so much fun! I didn't think I would enjoy my time with Caroline and the crew so much, but there you go. It's really hard to believe at times that this was a debut; it was so smoothly written, with such robust world-building and developed characters.

Here were some of my favorite things about this book: first of all, the protagonist. Caroline wants nothing more than to sale the waters with her father. She wants to follow in his footstep and one day inherit the Cormorant. However, her fate will take her down a very different path, and it all begins with the discovery of a stowaway hidden amidst their cargo.

And have I mentioned how much I love pirates? Yeah, I love pirates. I adored the swashbuckling action and adventure that filled these pages. And also hooray for a great romance, plus story that places such a strong emphasis on family. It's so rare for a YA novel to feature parents, but Caro's are very involved and it just warms my heart how close she and all her loved ones are.

Seriously, I was just bowled over by how much I enjoyed this. I am totally sold on Sarah Tolcser and will be looking out for what she does next!

"'Current carry you,' the folk of the riverlands say. It is many things. A greeting. A benediction. An acknowledgement that the river continues to flow around us, no matter what happens." That phrase is featured in SONG OF THE CURRENT by Sarah Tolcser which could be called a "swashbuckling adventure," especially since it features privateers, magic spells and journeys via river and sea. And challenges are many for the heroine, Caro Oresteia, an 8th generation wherryman who sails the cargo boat Cormorant with her father (Captain Nick) and a frogman named Fee. The adventure begins peacefully enough, but soon Caro' father lands in the brig. To save him, she is forced to transport important cargo which puts her own life in great danger.

There's a bit of romance, but Caro is a strong and determined young woman, learning about herself and the world. As one character tells her, "Power is a touchy thing. You can use it to crush those without it, or lift them up." It's been a while since Hunger Games and Divergent were published, but SONG OF THE CURRENT should have similar appeal. I am already looking forward to a film version of this story. Inspired in part by the classic Swallows and Amazons, SONG OF THE CURRENT received starred reviews from Kirkus and School Library Journal.

Originally submitted July 1, 2017.

I started and stopped this book a number of times, but I am very glad I finally got through it. It's a very cool premise and a super interesting mythology upon which some pretty good writing is based. I enjoyed the characters and the fact that they stuck to their roles for the most part...a leopard doesn't change its spots and all that jazz. It bugs me when things are too conveniently adaptable and characters do things they wouldn't normally do just to make the plot flow. Looking forward to the second installment.

I actually started this book twice. The first time I only read a few pages, but life got in the way, and I put it down. Why? From early on, I knew this book was going to draw me in, and I wanted to be able to read it without worrying about distractions. So when I started it again this year, as predicted, I loved the adventure!

I loved the characters in this one, and enjoyed the character growth as well. Caroline, is a strong female lead, but even she has some doubts about who she is, something that is a recurring theme in this story. From birth the Oresteia line are meant to be wherrymen, blessed by the god at the bottom of the river. Only...she hasn't heard the calling.

Likewise, Tarquin knew from birth that he only served one purpose...only that changed the day he was forced to fell his family home. Now he is on the run with Caro as they discover their fate as well as a sense of purpose.

While I love the action, adventure, romance, and of course pirates, I'll admit, my favorite part of this story it the lore and gods of the story. The mythology is unique and yet it fits perfectly with the characters and world created in this story.

Mythological fantasy!
Thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury USA for the opportunity to read and review Song of the Current by Sarah Tolcser! Caroline and her father are smugglers that come across a tragic sight as they pull into a harbor; boats are ablaze and have been destroyed. The port was attacked by a ship passing through and no one understands the purpose of the attack. Papa is arrested for smuggling and Caroline makes a deal with the commander to deliver cargo, contents unknown, to Valonikos in exchange for Papa’s freedom. The cargo box is opened and Caroline finds a young man, Tarquin, inside. He’s supposed to be delivering a message about the assassination of the Emparch, a ruler. Caroline suspects that he’s not telling the complete truth. Eventually, Tarquin explains to Caroline who he really is. Once she hears his truth and they realize what’s at stake, their plans completely change. They now plan on going to a completely different place to save his sister. The danger increases and so does the death toll. The first part of the book shows the characters, their lives and builds the world of The Song of the Current. The second part brings action, intrigue and danger and I became concerned with the characters’ well being. The humor grows in the end also. The story ends with excitement for the future and anticipation for the sequel, Whisper of the Tide. 4 stars for this fantasy built with an author-created mythology!

Gillian (Writer of Wrongs) read Song of the Current early, and she’s the only reason I got to this one pre-publication because I am woefully behind on ARCs right now. As expected, if Gillian calls ship, I’m going to ship it. Song of the Current shines in ship and setting, an altogether delightful debut.

Caro Oresteia grew up with her dad, sailing on his wherry which transports cargo both legal and smuggled through the Riverlands. I love the swampy setting, and the nosy gods of this world. Caro’s a boss bitch who knows what she wants to do; her intense love of sailing and lack of desire to be anything but a ship captain is super awesome. Also, this book is full of totally boss women, and I love it. Like, literally her whole goal in this book is to save her dad by completing a sketchy and dangerous delivery for the government.

So I do think the opening drama was a bit silly because her dad refused to carry the mystery box of danger, and then Caro’s like “I’ll do it” and it just felt a bit unbelievable that they’d send the teen girl off and not use that as leverage to have her dad privateer for them. NBD though. Anyway, one of Caro’s rules is that she’s not supposed to open the box. You can guess where this is going. Of course she opened the box, which turns out to be a wonderful and terrible thing because there’s a hot boy inside but also he’s a pretentious ass. Obviously ship. So very ship.

Caro and Hot Boy View Spoiler » hate each other right off the bat and have to overcome their initial prejudices. That’s my shippy catnip tbh. They both grow up a lot over the course of the book, and they both question their long-held dreams for the future (mostly because they had no other choice). What I love especially about this ship is that, while it seemed like it would be impossible for them to be together long term, it looks like that issue is going to be resolved in a really interesting way. View Spoiler » Also, the talks with her parents about their relationship were SO CUTE.

The plot’s interesting and fast-paced. The plot arc overall is a bit strange, but Tolcser makes it work. Basically, things don’t evolve a long a more typical fantasy plot structure. View Spoiler » For the most part, I also really like the world building with the various nature-god-given magics. However, the “frogmen” made me uncomfortable, with their broken English and servitude.

I absolutely need book two in my life. Bring on the shippy ships!

I really enjoyed this book. The main character was strong and determined. She made for a good lady pirate. Plus the cover is to die for. I hope more books come out of this series or at least more from the author.

This book completely took me by surprise! I loved everything about it, from the amazing characters to the action packed storyline! I'm excited to read more from this author in the future.

An original fantasy novel, with a compelling, well developed world and unique, intriguing characters. Tolcser's novel is fantastic and extremely readable, and I couldn't put it down.

SONG OF THE CURRENT by Sarah Tolcser immerses readers in an epic fantasy world on the sea.

Caro grew up expecting the river god to accept her as a wherry pilot. She hopes that a risky mission with a mysterious cargo will save her father and convince the river god to accept her. When things don’t go as planned, Caro must decide what she really wants out of life.

Librarians will find middle grade and young adult readers drawn into this captivating fantasy world. The sea voyage will be particularly appealing to fantasy adventure fans.

Published by Bloomsbury, an imprint of Macmillan on June 6, 2017. ARC courtesy of the publisher.

Song of the Current is the third novel I'm placing on my best of 2017 list (the other two being Geekerella & The Upside of Unrequited). I am absolutely wholly unconditionally and irrevocably in love with this book (lol). I stayed up until almost 1 am to finish this book. I could NOT put it down! And for those of you who don't know, that's a big deal. I'm in bed around 11:30 every single night like clockwork.

Okay, so you can see the basics of why I love this, but I want to talk a little more in-depth because you know I never stay with just basics. First of all, pirates. There's a veritable treasure trove (pun intended) of recent pirate books, but what I like about Song of the Current is that the pirates are RIVER pirates, which mean they stand out (#notlikeotherpirates). The mechanics of sailing a wherry in a river vs a sea-worthy vessel like your more typical schooner or frigate (yes, I finally looked up the different kinds of sail-powered ships; don't judge me) was absolutely fascinating. Plus, the setting was fairly unique. Unlike on the sea where there's not often lots of land around, Caro & crew were never more than a few hundred feet from shore and frequently hopped among all the river towns. It made for a nice change of scenery throughout the book as they sail to different small backwater towns and eventually to larger, more extravagant cities.

I really like the characters. Caro is a stubborn girl who loves her dad and her life and is desperately trying to both follow in her father's footsteps and save him. She is also biracial, and I found Caro's family dynamics really intriguing—her dad is a river wherryman content with a slower pace of life while her mom is a ballsy businesswoman who is basically head of the family. Tarquin is, admittedly, a pampered, privileged prat for a significant portion of the book, but he absolutely grows over the course of the book, and I appreciate that. I can handle a character who is a bit of a douche as long as they display change, and Tarquin absolutely does. And my favorite part of it is that while the two of them are still getting to know one another and use each other to achieve their means, the snarky dialogue is at its best! When Tarquin finally grows up, though, *shivers* he gets suuuuuuper swoony. And he's a great big brother, which I always love.

One thing that really impressed me about Song of the Current is how it contains so many small details that realistic fiction always seems to execute a little better than genre fic does. Caro's struggle trying to follow in her family's (her father's side of the family, anyway) footsteps felt like a contemporary novel, as well as the adorable weirdness between her parents because no teen, living or fictional in any genre, can deal with their parents kissing and... you know, other stuff. Also, there is EXPLICIT CONSENT during sexy times, plus Caro's mom, who is not very maternal, has a mini sex talk with Caro. It's not a long moment, but she tries and she assures Caro that if she needs help, she can always go to her mother. Both of these things I see frequently in realistic stories but rarely in speculative fiction, and I would very much like to see that changed. This book is proof that you can add moments like these without ruining the mood. If anything, it made it BETTER because both parties wanted what was happening and they each were assured by the other's feelings.

"Caro? Yes?"
"Why do you keep asking me?"
"Because. I made a mistake that other time. I don't want to do it again."
(ARC, page 343)

*sings Hallelujah chorus* *does happy dance* *shoots off fireworks*

Look, this YA boy/man is a complete IDIOT earlier in the book so the fact that he understands CONSENT and ASKS FOR IT EXPRESSLY and can TELL THE GIRL WHY IT'S SO IMPORTANT TO HIM is, quite honestly, astonishing and fantastic. This guy basically goes from the basic level YA fuckboy to the super evolved YA Love Interest as if he's a Pokemon, and honestly, I'm here for this kind of character development. Can we PLEASE have this in more books?!?!?!

In a phrase: fantasy river pirates. This book is fun, adventurous, and full of snark. It's got a bit of a slow start, but the pace ramps up to a spectacular finale! This book is mostly, I think, about Caro and Tarquin discovering themselves. There are enough hints toward bigger events and a bigger world (so many interesting politics! Shadow magic! River and sea and whatever else gods! A F*CKING DRAGON!) that have me keeping a weather eye on the horizon for book 2!

It took me a bit to get into the, but once the plot really got going, I couldn’t read it fast enough

Purchased for my middle school 8th grade section. I enjoyed the writing and setting of the story.

For the life of me, I could NOT remember the title of Song of the Current. I was convinced that it had the word “curse” in the title, and it royally confused me. Aside from that and the fact that I had to read it in short bursts, I loved it. It truly was swashbuckling, filled with action and romance. Because of the sporadic way that I read it, I didn’t follow the politics or groups very well. By the end of the book, I couldn’t remember who disliked who. From what I understand, there will be another book, so I think I’ll need to re-read this one before book two comes out! I’m looking forward to it.

I knew little about Song of the Current going in, other than it’s beautiful cover. What I found was a story full of magic, shenanigans, water, gods, and pirates. Sounds awesome, right? Read on…

I will no repeat the blurb again as it’s on point. Caroline Oresteia has know all her life that her destiny is to live in the Riverlands in her father’s boat. She knows all about sailing and the rivers, but she’s still waiting to hear the river god and it’s very disappointed that she hasn’t. Her knowledge is tested when her first ‘solo run’ turns from a mission to save her father to a web of politics, fast paced adventure, and mysteries aplenty. I really loved the imperfect, honest, reckless, feisty, resourceful, beautiful, loyal pirate Caro.

“Magic doesn’t make a man evil,’ he said. ‘It’s just a skill. It isn’t inherently good or bad. It’s what’s in his heart that makes him evil, the same as anyone else.”

I loved Markos! Without spoiling it for you, Markos has a lot of secrets, a lot of misguided notions, many secrets, and just as many enemies. He finds an indifferent ally in Caro and later a partner in crime (so to speak). Their romance is the love-to-hate kind and I can appreciate it. I think both Caro and Markos grew a lot during their adventure and that made them closer. The romance was no-nonsense, intense, and intimate while still remaining YA. They are also very realistic about their word and the role they play on it. Oh, and the banter between these two is hilarious 🙂

“This isn’t a very good disguise.” Tarquin’s voice came from the depths of the flowered evil. “How many old women more than six feet tall are we likely to see wandering around the riverlands?”

“I reckon just as many as eighteen-year-old boys with Akhaian looks” He bristled and shot me a rude look. I had to admit he made an uncannily funny old woman, with his skirt swishing around his boots. “

All other secondary characters are well developed and well loved. Caro’s parents, who are so different but love her unconditionally; Caro’s cousin Kent é with her secrets, the frogman Fee and her one word sentences that say so much, and mysterious Nereus who seems to know a lot, but won’t share what’s on his mind.

The world building is awesome! So clear, so well though and executed. The river, the boats, the water in general are a big part of the story with a live of their own. The writing is priceless. Clear, easy to understand, insightful, enthralling.

Overall?

For my fantasy lovers out there, Song of a Current is a must read. It’s a story of love, of destiny, of finding your own way and taking chances and grasping what you’re given with both hands. Loved it!

Like a great sea adventure this book is a slow build that crests into brilliance! Pirates, adventure, love and a great female lead! I had a blast reading this one

Before I begin, can we PLEASE have some SERIOUS COVER APPRECIATION FOR THIS BOOK? I know we aren’t supposed to judge books by their covers, but honestly, if a book has a good cover, it makes me was to OWN AND READ it THAT MUCH MORE!

Saying this book looks beautiful is an understatement because the Cover Gods in the Shiny Book Tower have TRULY outdone themselves this time. Combine a beautiful book with a FEMALE PIRATE AND MAGIC and this was a book ALL OF MY BOOKDRAGON TINGLY SENSES WERE TELLING ME I HAD TO READ IT.

I buddy read this book with the lovely Anisha who blogs (tweets and bookstagrams over at Sprinkled Pages) but she was so much faster than me at reading it.

Let’s break this book down:

IDEA:

Female Pirates, Destiny, Magic, Gods and Empires in the balance? It was a no-brainer that I needed to read Song of the Current because EVERYTHING about it sounded so good. Moreover, I heard BRILLIANT things about this book before I began and it had me even more excited.

PLOT:

I’ll be honest, it took a while to get used to the world this was set in. As Anisha and I spoke about while we read the book:

a) The world-building could have been better. We were thrown names of countries and cities, titles and sailing terms with little to no explanation which resulted in a LOT of flipping to the front where the map what and trying to figure out WHAT WAS GOING ON.

b) A glossary for this book would HONESTLY have been much appreciated. It would have really helped in understanding everything.

Since the world building was a little rough, it took me a while to get used to the story. I hoped that Tarquin wouldn’t be the love interest and I hoped that the Black Dogs would be some serious opponents but I was slightly let down on both counts.

At the same time, there were also a lot of things I LOVED, including how Caro was the PERFECT BADASS HEROINE. As she says, she isn’t someone waiting to be rescued like a princess in a tower and moved towards something better. (YES! A FIRST! GO SARAH TOLCSER!) She made decisions on her own and her parents respected them instead of trying to mould her to fit their expectations. (ONCE AGAIN, THANK YOU SARAH.)

I also LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVED that ending. If I was unsure about the book for the first two thirds, the BRILLIANT ending made up for it. (No spoilers)

WRITING:

I’m mostly going to tie this to the world building that could’ve been better and hence by default, the writing could have been too. I loved how the concepts of the Gods and Destiny and Fate were written about, but I just wish the world building had been better.

CONCLUSION:

Be true to yourself, could you TRULY pass up a book with FEMALE PIRATES, MAGIC AND A SPECTACULAR COVER? Song of the Current is definitely worth your time, and your heart! 4 stars.

This was a fun read, about a girl expecting her destiny from one direction, while receiving it from another. It's has a lot of MOANA elements.

Caroline is a wherry captain's daughter in a world dominated by rivers, oceans and trade. She and her father spend their days sailing cargo from one end of their country to another, while her mother's family dominates the larger economy of trade. When her father is imprisoned after a mysterious attack on a dock town, she agrees to free him by carrying illicit cargo to a distant city. She soon discovers the cargo is actually a young man. Waking him from an enchanted sleep spurs a domino effect of events that threaten to over topple both Caroline and boy, who turns out to be royalty.

I really liked the world building and the challenges the protagonist faced. Caroline longs to have a connection to the river god - a connection all members of her paternal family seem to have, and she struggles when that connection doesn't appear. (It does appear, in time to save Caroline from several nasty deaths.)
My main issue with it was the predictable love affair between Caro and the prince. I felt their relationship wasn't well developed, and the feminist ending a bit too perfect. No doubt YA readers will be hugely satisfied by this inventive, if shallow, tale.