Thank you @netgalley and Emily for letting me review this book in exchange for a spoiler free and honest review!

What a refreshing reading experience. I was able to listen to this as an audiobook where the narrator Natalie Naudus had the most soothing voice for this book.

Chinese Mythology, dual POV in different time lines (which I’m a sucker for), LGBTQ+ representation, magic stones and such intricate and beautiful world building! This book taught you lessons while also keeping you enthralled within the plot line. Not only are you seeing how far these characters go to be accepted but HOW they get there within themselves regardless of society or beliefs.

I loved listening to this, and I am looking forward to reading more work from Emily!

First of all, this cover is absolutely gorgeous—the artist did a fantastic job! Secondly, this is a beautiful debut novel. The book features multiple points of view (POVs) that span various timelines, each of which converges into a significant event that has impacted many people across generations. This structure can be confusing, as each chapter presents a different POV and timeline, and some timelines feature the same POV as others. There are many characters to keep track of, but I found that the more I learned about the story, the easier it became to manage the complexity. However, I still have some confusion about certain characters.

I love how the novel explores the familiar line between the magical and the mundane. In this world, we encounter shifters and statics. The story combines a non-linear timeline, magical realism, political issues involving magical and non-magical beings, a mystery that spans generations, and elements of Chinese folklore with intriguing twists. Additionally, the narrator does an amazing job of bringing the story to life, giving each character a distinct voice and personality. This is an amazing fantasy debut that captures the beauty and mystery of an epic fantasy world.

I really wanted to enjoy this work but the audio does not play for me. Awaiting a response from support. Hoping to get the ebook instead soon.

The narrator has a very lovely voice, I'm actually going to listen to this tonight before bed, and wednesday at work.

Of Mountains and Seas is really unique take on Chinese mythological creatures and the shapeshifting trope. The world is like ours, except Shifters (people who can shift into mythological beasts and have magical secondary powers) live hidden amongst society (Statics - non shifters). The story covers several, multi-generational POV's in a non-linear timeline. The narrative voices were distinct enough that I could remember who I was with, but as I was listening to the audiobook, it was a little difficult at first to remember where I was in the timelines - usually I'd flip to the start of the chapter to remind myself if I forgot. The various POV's examined the effects of having to fight for your place in a society that isn't ready to accept you, and the lengths some people will go to achieve it. As I'd hoped, as the story progressed it was revealed how all the characters lives were intermingled and how the actions some of them had made in the past had totally changed the present for others. The book ended satisfyingly enough, and I'm intrigued enough to read the sequel!

Natalie Naudus does a great job of the narration - the pacing is nice and the character voices are unique without being distracting or off-putting.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hawk Ridge Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for the audiobook arc, unfortunately the download file does not work. I’ve tried reaching out and haven’t got a response back.

This is a fresh entry to the epic fantasy genre, geared around Chinese mythology but set in modern times. Unlike others, I wasn't a fan of the nonlinear narrative, at least in audiobook format. I kept losing a sense of what and when. Still, we have an interesting new take on "shifter" lore, an intriguing plot ... and a cliffhanger.

The narration by Natalie Naudus was superb. Natalie has an impeccable ability to switch between characters and accents on a dime. Despite embodying a range of characters of all genders, ages, and cultures, I never felt it was strange.

Magic-less in a family of shapeshifters, Davis is desperate for approval and power. Enter Iris, a girl with dreams as big as her mysterious illness is debilitating. Their paths cross in Yuras, a sleepy California town with a not-so-sleepy secret: a cave full of magic transferring stones. Jackpot, right? Not so fast. With locals snooping around and Davis’s skeletons threatening to burst out of the closet, their quest turns into a rollercoaster of secrets, magic, and a whole lot of drama.

This is a multi POV, timeline hopping adventure, shifting between the perspectives of the main characters across different points in time. It’s a perfect blend of shapeshifters inspired by Chinese mythology, strong female leads, and villains you’ll love to hate. The political intrigue surrounding magical folks blending in with the normies adds a juicy layer to the already rich plot. Think magical realism with a side of suspenseful drama.

I listened to the audiobook, which was pretty solid overall, though I did find myself wondering “Wait, which timeline are we in now?” a couple of times. But hey, the smooth narration made it easy to dive back in after those minor hiccups.

Verdict: A magical, multi layered tale that keeps you hooked, even when you’re not quite sure what decade or character’s POV you’re in.

Posted on Instagram, storygraph, and good reads on 1/12/2025

Folks might be aware of my fondness of myths from around the world. "Of Mountains and Seas" by Emily Renk Hawthorne really scratched that part of my brain.

There are Shifters hiding from the non-magic folks in the world. Some have a couple of abilities and can turn into various creatures that is the inspiration for many legends. Davis has no such powers and is rather poorly treated by his father about it. But there are stones that allow someone to take another's powers, but they degrade. When Davis obtains one of these and gains power, his twisted desires to prove himself will create a decades spanning plot. Families are ruined, lives cut short, and some catharsis is going to occur.

Narrated by Natalie Naudus, the way those final lines were delivered so normally, like it was perfectly ordinary, was just real ominous.

Reasons to read:
-Creatures based of the contents of Classic of Mountains and Seas
-Generation and time spanning story and diverged and intersects beautifully
-The ideas we hold from our youth can really mess us up
-Just some messed up use of powers

Cons:
-Alive for that long and was so close to the period when therapy became socially acceptable

I thought this was a little clunky at first with all the character POVs but I was drawn in by the story nonetheless. I very much enjoyed how each characters intertwined by the end though! I also really enjoyed the use of Chinese mythology and a different set of fantasy than the currently popular fae.

4.5⭐️

Thank you so much to Emily Reno Hawthorne and NetGalley for this audiobook. This book was something else. It was so unique yet with familiar elements. I loved that it was a shifter story, but done in a way that I’ve never seen before. I loved how Hawthorne wove bits and pieces of Chinese mythology throughout.

There were multiple POVs in this story AND in different time periods. At times it was a tad hard to follow, but once you get the flow of it, it all starts to make sense. Watching the evolution of Davies and Iris was wild.

I appreciated the complex relationships that develop throughout the story with families and friends. It brings a different tone to the story than the vast majority of other stories that focus so heavily on romance. It was a breath of fresh air!

I highly recommend this book. It’s such a unique story and was written in such a creative way. I’m definitely looking forward to the second book!