This was a strong start to the Wards of Minera series, it was a strong concept for this genre and was invested in the world. I was hooked from the first page and enjoyed the overall package and thought the characters worked overall in this world. I'm excited to read more in this series and from James W. Cutter.

I'm always keen on some original worldbuilding, especially if it's essential to the plot and not just there for decoration, and this book offers some. It takes the approach of not always explaining the world immediately, so for a while you have to just let the unexplained cultural references wash over you. For myself, I prefer a little bit of infodumping to being left wondering what the heck the thing that was just mentioned is and why it matters, but tastes in this regard differ.

We have a world where a group of islands has mysteriously appeared, changing the weather, and also there's a new continent which is in the process of being colonized and which generates a mysterious call for at least some people who go there. The world is filled with lines of magical force or connection which some people can perceive and manipulate, using them both for communication and to pull ships along. All of which is cool and has a lot of potential, though in this book it's more potential than actual; the worldbuilding is relevant a couple of times, but it's not like it powerfully drives the whole book, apart from the new continent being a destination for the characters for various reasons - and that would have worked just about as well without the continent having recently come into existence, as far as this book is concerned.

The blurb did make me nervous that the book would turn out to be dystopian or depict a lot of cruelty and tragedy, and there was some, but not more than I could stand. The main characters are mostly of an ethnic group known as Woads, who are distinguished by having blue hands; they are currently being persecuted by a post-revolutionary government who overthrew a Woad emperor, and two of the viewpoint characters are a Woad brother and sister from an ancient landowning and merchant house, recently in decline, living in a free city near the former empire. They find that their fellow citizens, who they grew up with and dealt with on what they thought were terms of mutual respect, have turned against them under the influence of the post-revolutionaries. I had a moment of disbelief that a family who had been part of the city for a thousand years would suddenly be persecuted like that, but then I thought about the Jews. Though I did have some difficulty with the idea that a genetic difference could have been around for a thousand years (or more) and not spread to the whole population through intermarriage, which appears not to be a taboo.

The author can mostly punctuate, except that he puts commas between adjectives that do not require them (very common - but I haven't seen many people put a comma after the adjective "single," which he does), and sometimes uses a hyphen when he shouldn't, such as between an adjective and its noun; in fact, practically every hyphen he includes is in a place where no hyphen should be. He's also bad with homonyms, committing a lot of the common homonym errors and even one I hadn't seen before (hew for hue). I'll pass on the full list to the publisher in the hope they can be fixed in the ebook before publication, or maybe shortly after. There are a few examples of most of the other common errors that many people make: missing past perfect tense, "may" where it should be "might," and so forth, and some comma splices.

These issues aren't constant, so I was able (mostly) to focus on the story. Unfortunately, this is very much a setup book, introducing the characters and their issues and getting them ready to go to the new continent, where presumably more will happen. They do have obstacles to overcome in getting away from the city, but the book doesn't feel like it tells a complete story or is particularly strong in plot at all, though I wouldn't call the ending a cliffhanger.

I find I'm not sufficiently engaged to quite want to carry on with the series, though I was certainly engaged enough to finish the book. Part of that, as so often happens, is the editing issues wearing away at my enjoyment, and some readers will not notice those, and will be able to focus better on the other aspects. It's an original world with some interesting worldbuilding, though that's not so far strongly incorporated, and the characters are reasonably appealing, but it just doesn't quite grab me hard enough to make me want to continue.

While I expected more of a ghost story with a haunted ghost ship, what I found within this book was a compelling narrative that tackles the insidious creeping nature of racism and xenophobia that turns once loving neighbors into those who would turn their backs on you while you were being assaulted in the street. I was hooked from the first page, and the rest of this book kept me riveted in my seat until I finished reading this in one single sitting.

The worldbuilding in this book is compelling and intricate, and leaves the reader wishing for more when the last page is finally read. We are given glimpses into the world of these characters, and information is sprinkled along like breadcrumbs every time something new happens, and we - as the reader - need to connect the dots and fit together the puzzle.

The characters are compelling, and I enjoyed getting into the minds of those within this book. Figuring out their struggles and goals, while never explicitly telling us in a 1-to-1 fashion, instead allowing the narrative to tell the story and for the book and their actions to compel the reader into wanting more.

A brilliant introduction into this world, I cannot wait to read what happens next on their journey and to find out more of what - exactly - occurred on their father’s ghost ship. Or why it mysteriously showed back up - empty and unharmed - 9 years after his disappearance. Without giving too much away, I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys stories with a shifting political landscape and characters trying to keep their heads above water at all costs, where their circumstances have forced their hands into choosing uncertainty over certain death. Hull and Fire almost feels like an alternate reality historical fiction tale, with a world and characters that feel both real and realistic - and where the reader can see the similarities reflected within our own society, as well.

A huge thank you to the author and Netgalley for providing this e-ARC.

This was a truly engaging read! The author weaves a compelling story with interesting characters and unique magic.

It is a quick read, with great pace and great action. While I wished it had been a little longer, I appreciate how it sets up key elements for the next installment. The history of the world and the political and social tensions are very interesting and well introduced throughout the story. I liked learning about the different characters and seeing how they came together as a crew.
Now, I’m eagerly anticipating the next book. I am definitely intrigued by the mysteries introduced and can’t wait for the second installment to see what happens next!

Hull & Fire, which is james Cutter's 1st entry into the Wards of Minera, follows a High Society Gentleman, Levy, his sister & a ragtag assortment of folks as his crew.

This team isn't piloting just any ship, but his father's lost ship that simply reappears after several years, without a single sign of life! It does however, house a dark and magical artifact.

For information on his lost father & the artifacts role in this diabolical situation, they take off for the shores of Minera.
The strange characters and engaging blend of mystery, magic and politics, gives this story a promising start to the series.

I really enjoyed this quick read by James W. Cutter. The book has a great pace, lots of action, and a couple of great plot twists. Honestly, I think my only complaint is that I wish it was longer - I finished it in 48 hours and now can’t wait to get my hands on the second book.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this incredibly entertaining read!

So so so good! I totally recommend everyone to read this book as fast as they can because it's really good and the characters are fantastic and the story is immaculate.