Dark Water Daughter - H.M. Long

Thank you to for the E-ARC

I absolutely devoured this book! Newly released as of July 18!

Dark Water Daughter is the epitome of dark fantasy / pirate vibes with a story that keeps you constantly engaged and enthralled in the action and adventure!

The book follows Mary who is a “Stormsinger”: a woman whose voice can still hurricanes and shatter armadas. We follow her through an intense adventure with lots of magic, betrayal, and a little bit of slow burn romance!

The world building was so intricate and really helped you visualize the books through her writing!

I really enjoyed Mary the main character. I went into the book expecting her to be very headstrong and rash but she was the perfect balance of a character, more level headed instead of shy or too rebellious.

I have never read one of H.M. Long’s books previously but I am so excited for the sequel to come out next year!

Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

5/5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️!

Wow! This was lyrical, magical, and satisfied all my seafaring adventure needs! I LOVED the magical folklore of the stormsingers and the bits and pieces they shared about their abilities. Rich story telling, intriguing characters, and fast paced! Mary was young and mysterious at first and then totally grows into herself! If you’re a parrot head and love pirate escapism, look no further. I can’t recommend diving off the plank to read this book enough, it’s worth the shark infested waters!

I was lucky enough to read and arc of this book but it’s out now! Happy release day @hmlongbooks!!! What a wonderful tale!

Dark Water Daughter is one of my favorite reads of 2023, and I cannot recommend it enough. Thank you so much to Netgalley and Titan books for providing an e-arc of this for an honest review.

When I heard that this book as pirates and weather magic, I immediately wanted to read it. This book follows Mary, a stormsinger who can manipulate the weather through song, as she searches out her long lost mother while trying to evade a villainous pirate that is hunting for her. Meanwhile, Samuel Rosser, a disgraced navel officer and pirate hunter, will stop at nothing to track down that same pirate.... and he wants Mary's help to do it.

This story has high-stakes adventures, vengeance stories, and wonderful intermingling character storylines. I was on the edge of my seat, eager to read more. I cannot wait to see what happens in the next book!

Firstly, a thank you to Titan Books for approving my eArc request on NetGalley, my thoughts remain honest.

Hello again dear reader or listener, it is the middle of summer, I have just moved to Greece for my yearly visit to the fam and the seaside home, and my mood reader calls for pirates and adventures on the high seas. In short, Dark Water Daughter is the perfect read for me these days and, even better news, it is an absolutely phenomenal first entry!!
Now dear reader, I need you to understand that not only is the main trilogy in The Pirates of the Caribbean franchise (we do not speak of entries 4 & 5) my favorite movie trilogy of all time, but that I grew up with them and can quote them all line by line. That also means that by default flintlock or gunpowder fantasy has a very special place in my heart, and I listen to epic pirate fantasy music to study or work. Add to that the fact that I found this book thanks to a rec from another favorite author, Anthony Ryan, and really, there was no way this book was going to fall short for me. Or at least, the chances of that happening were slim to none.
Long has presented us with an incredible adventure that hits the ground running, full of fascinating and interesting characters, that are also so delightfully vivid, to open a series that promises so much more to come. The writing is truly atmospheric, fast paced and flowing, without sacrificing any detail, nor weighing down the story with any needless expositing. It all happens so organically that you are fully immersed in this cold pirate world. That was something I found really fresh, pun intended hah, wherein this story isn’t set somewhere warm, or during a hot season, like we commonly encounter with these types of subgenres. Instead, our protagonists face the unforgiving elements of Winter. There is such a different dimension to everything this way I felt, and I welcomed it!
Now, the POTC comp title is entirely necessary for sure, because the vibes are definitely there and they are chef’s kiss. However!! Long makes sure to distinguish her writing, her story, and worldbuilding, in such a manner that the reader can feel the homages but we are also regaled with something brand new, enticing, and unputdownable. I cannot express to you enough, dear reader, how incredibly beautiful and mesmerizing I found the magic system and the lore surrounding it. This is not a world that is a parallel to our known ones, with a slapped in dash of x fantastical element, but rather a society and history deeply entrenched with and informed by the original magic elements present within. Stormsinging on its own was one badass power and magic but the whole existence of ghistings (sentient woods used for ship figureheads) and their magic, was mesmerising as much as it was enchanting. Not to mention the other kinds of magic within. Long brings it all to life so beautifully and cinematically that I would be willing to sacrifice big things to have a screen adaptation, if only to have an original musical score for it all.
Long’s style unfolds the overall plot, as well as the individual backgrounds of each pov character, so cleverly and in ways to keep you hooked onto each word, creating both intrigue and suspense, inexorably engaging the reader till the very end. Mary and Samuel are excellent leads, in that they each have what makes them relatable, as well as something that separates them and makes them unique. You get to feel for them while also ranting at them for questionable choices or actions. They are both naive in the ways of their world in different aspects but when faced with their shortcomings they do their best to take it in stride.
It’s not just the protagonist character work that shines though, with side characters also having their moments to dazzle and truly give life to the story in various ways. From stalwart and no nonsense second mates (seriously, the women in this book? Perfection), to scoundrel gambling thieves looking to redeem themselves (Charles you are a gem and you have strong Jaskier energy), and finally, mysterious pirate captains whose true allegiances are never quite clear or what they may seem. Long entertains as much as she keeps the reader on their toes with each of them, all the while weaving a pattern of growing camaraderie among characters that you can only utterly love and root for. Also special mention goes to the villains of the story, with the main big one, the infamous Silvanus Lirr, concurrently being this faraway ominous presence throughout, but also occasionally getting too close for comfort. That is something I particularly liked because the sense of suspense and wariness surrounding him never falters while also avoiding something other stories can fall into; which is to build up this faraway Big Bad that is supposed to be horrific and utterly evil but we the reader, never see them until the very end and they end up underwhelming or being removed from the story so much we don’t actually feel their villainy or strongly about them in any way. The secondary villain is on the opposite spectrum almost, where they’re very present and there’s not that much mystery trailing them, but is rather the type of gross villainy that gets all your hackles up and you (me, dear reader, it was me, every time they were on the page) can’t help but swear lots of very improper expletives any time they appear on the page. Simply the fact that Long drives us to that is telling enough, I’d say.

I think I’ve raved enough for now, dear reader or listener, and if you’ve taken anything away from all this, please let it be that you simply need to run and grab yourself a copy of this epic start to a gritty yet entertaining and multilayered piratey adventure! I absolutely cannot wait till we get to read on with this story and its characters, also don’t mind if I go looking back at all of Long’s other books because hers is the type of storytelling I simply can’t get enough of.

Now excuse me while I got put on POTC for the Nth time.
Until next time,
Eleni A. E.

Title: Dark Water Daughter
Author: H.M. Long
Publisher: Titan Books
Publishing Date: July 18, 2023
Pages: 464
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: ☆☆☆

I love pirate books and stories at sea. Instantly the cover and the synopsis intrigued me and I couldn’t wait to DIVE into this book!
I loved that there were little glossaries throughout the book, basically explaining certain creatures/things as they were introduced. Theres pros and cons to this way of making a glossary. Pro: you don’t have to flip to the back of the book to the glossary every time you want to look something up. Cons: if you’re like me, you love reading the glossary and learning all the history and lore and tidbits of the world… having this spread out throughout the book kind of defeats that.
The world building was great and was well written.
Before I get into what I didn’t like… I just want to note that this book definitely could be amazing to a lot of people and my opinions are not at all a reflection of Long’s actual writing or the story itself.
I didn’t feel invested with the story, and didn’t connect with any of the characters. I felt bored through most of the book and felt like it was dragging on (even though there is a plot that makes sense…). I just wasn’t into it. The magic system was kind of annoying, and didn’t really make much sense/ wasn’t explained very well. I have a lot of questions about it.
That being said, I would still recommend this to my pirate loving bookish friends!

Thank you to NetGalley and Titan Books for sending this book for review consideration! All opinions are my own.

I wanted SO badly to love this book like everyone else seems to, but I just can’t get into it. I know it is very well loved and has great early reviews so I do hope to give it another try in the future.

A big thanks to NetGalley and Titan Books for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Arrrrgh! I really need to stop reading pirate books. But at least this was a good one, despite it not being quite my cup of tea.

Dark Water Daughter by H.M. Long is a fantasy novel that follows Mary Firth, a stormsinger with the power to calm hurricanes and destroy armadas. But not everything is fine and dandy for Mary as she is in servitude to the horrid pirate lord Silvanus Lirr. To spite him, she offers her powers to his arch rival, Samuel Rosser is a disgraced naval officer serving aboard The Hart, an infamous privateer commissioned to bring Lirr to justice. He will stop at nothing to capture Lirr, restore his good name and reclaim the only thing that stands between himself and madness: a talisman stolen by Mary.

This novel had a solid start, and a good premise. I liked most of the character. But once again I am fooled by my nemesis of pirate books. I blame Adrienne Young for making me give them another chance.

My gratitude to NetGalley and the publishers for a free eARC of "Dark Water Daughter" by H. M. Long.
This is the first instalment in a new series,"The Winter Sea".
In my experience as a reader my main goal to find new and fresh stories to explore.
Seafering adventures are always exciting for me.
In this situation I do not think I am the right audience and this is not only due to the Romance, a genre that keeps dissapinting me 80% of times.
The main issue for me was that I have seen this magical ellements before. The control of the weather while sailing with the magical powers of singing in Rebecca Roanhorse's "Between Earth And Sky" series and the alive wooden figureheads of ships in Robin Hobb's "The Livrship Traders".
While there are enough differences, this magic system did not motivate me to continue with this book.
But while it did not worked for me, I think this work would be ideal for those who want to transition from Young Adult Fantasy to Adult Fantasy.

This is one of the best books I've read, not just this year, but in my whole life. There's everything you could want: pirates, action, well developed characters, magic, and a dash of romance. WHAT MORE DO YOU NEED TO PICK UP THIS BOOK???

The beginning reminded me of The Pirates of the Caribbean which was when I knew I'd adore this. I kinda knew just from the cover and blurb but that solidified it. It's such a good opening that pulls you in right away.

Mary was a lovable character from the start, we watch her grow from a sheltered girl who never left her village, into a powerful Stormsinger. I so enjoyed taking this journey with her.

Samuel is the other PoV character, who's a disgraced navyman and Sooth. I took a quick liking to him as well and I think his PoV complemented Mary's well.

The two of them together had great tension, and they always seemed like an endgame ship to me, but we'll see. I liked Mary with Charles too, but I won't be upset if they end up as friends.

I also loved all the other characters, Demery, Anne, Fisher, Widderow, Athe, the Ghistings, even Lirr (yes I know, bad guy bad). It's hard not to when they're all so wonderfully written.

I am not a very big fan of Benedict though, he needs to do A LOT to be redeemed in my eyes.

As for the plot, it was so fun, and I love how magic was interwoven with it, if that makes sense. Like the plot wouldn't exist without the magic, they're bound together much like some other things in this book.

And it feels so natural, all of it. The flow of the story, the writing, etc, I felt like I was on a ship, being gently rocked by the sea as I read. Even though the seas here were not gentle, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN.

You can just tell the author put a lot of love in this story, it really comes through. And I CANNOT wait to read the next book(s), I NEED IT/THEM NOW!!!!!

Pleaseeeee go read this book if you like any of the above mentioned things and thank me later.

*Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review*

Ahoy there me mateys!  This first book of a series had pirates, pirate hunters, women that sing to storms, and magic tree dwelling creatures.  Nautical flintlock fantasy should float me boat but this did not.  I abandoned ship at 75% (348 pgs).  I read that much in order to find out the major conflict and answers about the magic but was super disappointed when "answers" start to appear.  The magic system seemed fun but ultimately didn't make much sense.  The world building was also underdeveloped and the politics felt nonsensical.  The pacing was extremely slow with very little action and lots of character angst.  The clothing descriptions seemed never ending and also extremely impractical for life spent in a winter sea.  

The main character, Mary, is the storm singer who doesn't know how to control her talent but seems to have extra special powers.  Everyone is out to have her skills onboard.  She seemed super naïve and in lust with any cute male that came along.  Mary also was a bit flat with no interesting inner dialogue or motivations.  Her eventual love interest, Samuel, was not much better.  He is magically "twisted" and misunderstood.  He doesn't seem to use his skills for any real purpose.  Frankly, they both were hard to cheer for and annoyed me.  The misunderstanding between the two would be resolved by some actual conversation.  Also, in general, the characters all seemed to blend together.

I love a good sea yarn but this wasn't it.  Arrrr!

Wow, the writing in this book was really beautiful. I prefer something with a lot of action right away, instead of a lot of flowery language, but I think a lot of people are going to love this one. Especially because it is about pirates.

I love this author's writing. She is able to describe things in such a beautiful way. I really enjoyed the story and the world that it takes place in. The magical part of this was just so cool and unique. I loved that there was so much lore that we got to learn throughout the entire book. It was just really cool. I liked the characters. They weren't new favorite characters of mine, but they were still really cool to read about. I do wish the book was a bit more romance heavy. I just didn't feel the romantic tension between the two at all throughout the book. Overall, I really enjoyed the book and look forward to the next one.

Before I begin, thank you Netgalley and Titan Books for allowing me the pleasure of reading an advance copy of Dark Water Daughter in exchange for an honest review!

Welcome to my 5 star reads list, Dark Water Daughter!! You are greatly welcomed and sit among some other great titles.

In all seriousness, if you’re looking for an epic fantasy high seas adventure, look no further. Dark Water Daughter will take you deep into her arms and not let you go until long after the last page has been turned. I am completely enraptured by the world H.M. Long has brought us. Its as mysterious and dark as the deepest parts of the ocean, mystical and enchanting as beloved fairytales, and epic and adventurous as our most favorite swashbuckling tales.
Let her sweep you away in this tale. I promise, you will not regret a second of it.

But let’s dive in further to discuss. As a fantasy story, I will look at the world, its magic system, the characters, and the over arching plot and prose. As always, I will strive to be as spoiler free as possible!

The World -
H.M. Long has created a world that feels like Pirates of the Caribbean but in winter. We have multiple established cultures that ring faintly of inspiration the multiple empires and countries that sailed the seven seas and our imaginations. And yet, its unique. This winter take on high seas adventuring gives the tale a fresh and new spirit.

The Magic -
I absolutely love the system H.M. Long has created. It’s not entirely unique, but it fits so beautiful well in this world. The way she describes The Other, its creatures, the magic of Stormsingers, and other gifted characters leaves zero room for confusion on this important part of her story. Its beautiful and fantastical. It sets the tone for the story. I desperately want to come back to this world, just to learn more about what else one can do within the realm of her magic.

Characters -
There’s not a single character I hated. And that’s saying something. I loved them all. Each character had their own mysteries and tales that were expertly unveiled before our eyes, perfectly planned to keep one hooked into this tale. Mary, the main character, has a stunning arc of growth and maturity. From page 1 to the end, her character never felt off or out of line with what we know of her. Her thoughts, actions, and dialogue all make sense and drive the story wonderfully.
Samuel, the second main character, is the same as Mary. Well plot out character arc, nary a deviation from what we know of him. Both of them are so well written it was never an issue for me to switch between their point of views.
The secondary characters filled the world and breathed so much life into it. In a book that can easily feel saturated in blue, the secondary characters brought so much color and support to the main plot - to Mary and Samuel’s stories.

Plot and Prose-
H.M. Long tells this amazing tale through three lenses. The first is Mary’s POV, the second is Samuel’s POV, and the third is little inserts between chapters that tell the tale of a Girl from the Wold. Scattered through out are also excerpts from tomes explaining the magic system, the types of gifted people, and general knowledge about the world. These excerpts are placed strategically to coincide with reveals in the following chapter, helping one further understand the depths of what is happening. The switches between POVs never felt jarring to me and always flowed naturally, allowing the tale to continue without pulling the reader away.
The plot hooks its teeth into you early on and does not let go. H.M. Long does a masterful job of revealing just enough to keep you hungry for more and delving ahead.
There’s never a point that felt dull, or slow. The pacing felt good, solid, never too much all at once and never too little that it dropped me out of the book.

This really is a masterful tale and I highly HIGHLY recommend adding this to your Summer Reads TBR.

Again, thank you Netgalley and Titan Books for gifting me the e-arc for this amazing tale. I will eagerly await more from this author!

⚓️A harsh land ruled by winds and winter. The seas impassable for most of the year. The wold, a land of magic and power. The strength of the earth and the speed of the wind. Where it exists humans can only accept, but they fear it. Mary Firth has grown up flirting with its edges. A wild girl meant to live and roam the land. Her mother - as strong as the wind itself. A stormsinger indentured to the navy. Free until war begins again. Her parting words to Mary - don’t ever sing.

🌊This book is filled with pirates and high seas battle. Both of the POVs were so gripping and the characters felt very real ( which also means very fallible, I definitely was screaming at both of them at some points ) There was a great balance between action and world building, the magic system itself was so beautiful. I definitely would love a movie adaptation of this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and Titan Books for sharing a copy of this ARC!

I have gone back and forth for several days thinking about my review of Dark Water Daughter. This book is an incredibly unique pirate-themed story that involves elements of fantasy, magic, swashbuckling, and treasure-hunting, with a sprinkle of some ghostly side characters. I was immediately hooked on the story after reading the first chapter that sets up our heroine Mary's story. From that moment on, however, I struggled to make it through the book.

The writing is impeccable and H.M. Long is an expert at crafting an incredibly atmospheric story. The book seamlessly moves throughout the POVs of Mary and our main male character, Samuel. The plot has all of the elements that I find interesting...but something just did not connect for me. The romance was not developed fully, and I spent a lot of the book trying to decipher exactly who Mary's love interest was.

Overall, this is still a good book and if you enjoy themes that include pirates and magic with a little dash of romance, you should give it a read.

4.5/5 stars.

The full review is up on FanFiAddict: https://fanfiaddict.com/review-dark-water-daughter-the-winter-sea-1-by-h-m-long/

Listen, this is one of those fantasy books that are going to be a part of my new personality, okay? It is SO GOOD and I cannot wait for this series to continue!

Dark Water Daughter lives up to its premise of Pirates of the Caribbean meets wintery high seas and is chockfull of rich worldbuilding, magic, and a fascinating otherworld. It made me think of Stranger Things more than a few times. The lore within this world is well done, with well placed reveals that coalesced into a thrilling conclusion that has me ravenous for the next book!

4.5/5.0

Dark Water Daughter is everything I dreamed my first voyage into the world of pirate fantasy books would be.

The storm magic, the character development, the world building, the action ?!

First of all… that cover art? Stunning. Simply stunning. I am a total judge a book by its cover person. I will make exceptions but none were needed for this one.
Second of all… the magic system? So unique. So cool. I was obsessed with it. I loved the fact that Nature was so intertwined and a crucial part to how the magic worked. Long did a good job sprinkling in necessary information about the magic and world so that it never felt like we were bombarded and learned as we read.
Ho boy. I love when an author can make me fall in love, hate/despise, root for a character. Sometimes I find it very hard to get behind the characters, and sometimes I just hate how a character is written. I can't even enjoy the dislike for them. Bonus for making it so that I didn’t want to root for the villain of this tale and found nothing redeemable about him.
It was very easy to fall in love with most of the characters. I think James and Fisher were probably my favorite characters. I loved their interactions with Mary and Sam and how their relationships grew throughout the story.
I don’t think I have previously read a seafaring fantasy/adventure story? And even if I had, they got nothing on Dark Water Daughter. The description and imagery Long creates sucked me. To the point where I felt seasick at points. Simply incredible.
This was a solid five star fantasy read and I don’t know what will top it next. I am looking forward to book two in the series.
Thank you to NetGalley and Titan Books for the eARC for an honest review.

A stormsinger and pirate hunter join forces against a deathless pirate lord in this swashbuckling Jacobean adventure on the high-seas.

H.M. Long is a master of her craft and has, once again, delivered a delightful story. I look forward to the rest of the series.