Of Mountains and Seas by Emily Renk Hawthorne was one of those reads that just pulls you into another realm and lets you stay there for a while—exactly why I love fantasy. The writing felt lyrical and rich, but not too over-the-top, and the world had this quiet kind of magic that lingered. I liked that it wasn’t all action and drama; it gave space to the characters and their emotional journeys, which made it feel more personal. The timelines took a bit to settle into, but it was worth sticking with. If you enjoy fantasy that feels thoughtful and immersive, with a strong emotional core, I’d definitely recommend this one.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to listen to the audiobook for OF MOUNTAINS AND SEAS.

Hawthorne created a world of magic and intrigue, and the narrator does such an incredible job of telling it. Mythological creatures living among humans, god-like powers gifted to the next generation, and a generational mystery create one amazing novel. The story was so intricate, weaving multiple timelines throughout. The plot goes back and forth from present to past following multiple POVs, each of which holds a mystery. Bits and pieces become clear to the reader, but you only get the full picture toward the end of the book, a feat in and of itself. I was so impressed with how carefully planned this novel was, and I’m extremely excited to see what happens next!

I really wished this was a book for me but unfortunately, it did not catch me st all. Most of the times I was disinterested and had a hard time to follow. In the best moments I was confused. There are simply too many POVs ans timelines for my taste and therefore I lost track. Afterwards i honestly have a hard time remembering what this book was even about.

"Of Mountains And Seas" is an intricate weave of stories throughout time that explore the conflict between Shifters and non-shifters called "Statics." As readers dive into the individual narratives, they are able to piece together different parts of each character and slowly the picture comes together.
Unfortunately, I think this ensemble style narrative with so many POVs makes it a bit difficult to follow all of the stories through the audiobook format. As a result I was not able to finish the book. Still, its a spectacular concept and a rich world with interesting characters, so I will be revising in ebook format.

I received this audiobook as an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley, Emily Renk Hawthorne, and Hawk Ridge Press for the opportunity to review this book. This review has been posted across my socials under the username @tinynightingales, check out my GoodReads profile https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/62314863
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I had mixed feelings about this 🎧 The beginning - mid was kinda slow and then towards the end everything started happening & I was just like 😵‍💫
I felt like, as good as the Mystery/Thriller aspect of it was, the timeline situation + all the different POVs & characters was a bit everywhere. So I didn’t really get to wholeheartedly connect w/ any of them. It’s not that I was lost, but it was just a lot lol. The Magic situation was lowkey unclear as well, nothing was super set, I just kinda rolled w/ it lmfao. Like ok 😀
It was a fun storyline though once you finally see everything finally connect at the end!! Natalie Naudus did well so that I was able to differentiate all the different characters.

Thank you NetGalley and Hawk Ridge Press for the ARC of this audiobook for my honest review

In audiobook form it was quite confusing, so I’m definitely excited to read this physically. I felt like the jumping around is easier to physically read then listen to. The plot itself though was so unique and interesting, it felt like a fantasy mystery and I really enjoyed it if only I wasn’t like wait what most of the time.

A sweeping epic that keeps you guessing along. It's imaginate and fresh and so new. I recommend it to folks to read and listen!!

Davis was so desperate for his father’s approval he became the biggest villain of the story. He manipulates Iris and destroyed his sister and father.

At first it was hard to follow along because the story was jumping back a forward in time. From Navy’s grandmother to her mother to herself. And the same for Iris.

After the story went on for a bit I was able to price together what was happening and the relations to each character.

Over all it was enjoyable and would love to read the second book to find out more.

Of Mountains and Seas by Emily Renk Hawthorne masterfully weaves multiple timelines and perspectives into a generational saga of power, prejudice, and transformation. The story begins following Randall, a shapeshifter determined to purify his kind by eliminating "statics," humans without magic. When his wife—chairperson of the shifter council and a proponent of integration—is murdered in a political attack, she transfers her power with her dying breaths to their static son, Davis, sparking his descent into a grab for power. Later in the timeline after a fire-related mystery at school occurs involving her friend Naeve, Amber and Arif stumble upon a cave of mysterious stones, unknowingly entangling themselves in the fate of shapeshifters.

The novel cleverly incorporates modern-day issues into its traditional Chinese fantasy framework. While the worldbuilding could have been more immersive and there were a lot of characters and multiple timelines, which at times did become confusing. The way the timelines and generations interweave culminates in a great climax.

The audiobook is particularly engaging, with a narrator whose character voicing enhances the storytelling—her performance first captivated me in Daughter of the Moon Goddess.

I look forward to more from this Author. 3.75 rounded up to 4

Of Mountains and Seas is an absolute gem an enchanting mix of Chinese mythology, a unique magic system, and fantasy with a touch of mystery. This multi-POV, multi-timeline story spans decades, following a dynamic cast of characters whose lives intertwine in fascinating and unexpected ways.

Natalie Naudus does an incredible job of narrating the audiobook. Since the story jumps between different POVs and timelines, you have to pay close attention at first, but once everything clicks into place, it’s such a rewarding listening experience.

I was completely hooked from the very beginning and could not put this book down. Emily’s writing is so immersive, bringing this fantasy world to life with rich lore and deeply emotional family dynamics especially between parents and children.

The shifts between timelines and perspectives are handled so well, creating an intricate yet easy-to-follow narrative. I do think I might have found the timeline easier to track if I had read the book instead of listening, but that’s more about my personal issue than any fault of the story itself.

One of the most intriguing parts of the novel is its exploration of power who has it, who doesn’t, and how far people are willing to go to keep it. In this world, there are shifters, who wield magic, and statics, who don’t. The story follows Davis, a boy born into a powerful shifter family but without any powers of his own. His journey is both heartbreaking and gripping as he tries to navigate a society where power determines everything.

The structure of this book is absolutely brilliant. You often see the effects of events before understanding their cause it’s like spotting smoke first, then slowly piecing together the fire and who started it. This adds so much intrigue and keeps you constantly engaged, making it a fantastic read for anyone who loves uncovering mysteries bit by bit.

Overall, Of Mountains and Seas is beautifully written, deeply engaging, and packed with magic, mystery, and complex characters. Some parts may feel a little intricate, but the payoff is absolutely worth it. If you love rich world-building, multiple timelines, and a bit of a thriller vibe, you’ll love this book.

Listened to this beautifully written debut novel in one sitting! A solid 4 star book-could be a 5 star if I didn't get in
my own way 😂
I will say I don't do well with non-linear timelines, I haven't since I started back reading, so I prefer to put the chapters in order and read that way because with the amount of timelines and POVs my brain just can't keep up-but since this was originally an ALC from NetGalley I wanted to listen in the order it's published.
I also bought the audiobook and special edition and I don't regret it..
Now you may ask yourself why did you buy the audiobook when you had it from NetGalley? And to that I say-the audiobook would t play, but since it has been archived I still wanted to give a review so I bought the audiobook and here we are.. again-No regerts (IYKYK)
Back to the review- Non-linear timeline, beginning in the early 1930s and ends (in this book) in 2000. We follow, what I would say is 3 main characters, but you get about 5 POVs total. It's a book about "monster people" and statics (non-shifters) trying and failing to co-exist, a magic stealer, and a murder mystery- there's other things but this is what I got from it. I love it, though I do wish there was just something a little bit more! More magic or shifter action.. something.. I'm hoping that will emerge in the next book.

I loved this book so much, I couldn't put it down. I enjoyed the retelling of a classic tale through a modern lens, and I really liked how it played out through multiple timelines over the last 50 or so years.

This book was a faster read than I wanted it to be, when I got to the end I wanted to spend more time with these characters.

Thank you for the ARC!

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

I listened to the audiobook and the narrator did a great job! I enjoyed the intertwining of the different stories, the author did a really good job bringing it all together. Highly recommend this one!

This was such a great read! I was quickly swept away by this story, of these different characters in different times as their stories came together, learning more about this world-and finding out just what the heck was going on!

I knew ahead of time, that the beginning of this book was chock full of time jumping around, but even knowing that, I was a bit confused at the beginning, but that's more of a me problem then a book problem, because while most of my thing about hearing someone speak who isn't in the room has gone away as I've increasingly gotten used to audiobooks, for some reason, I have a hard time remembering numbers, and the years were a big part of the story, in nailing down the timeline, which was a big reason why I was confused.

But oh, once I had things straightened out in my head, all these different characters and how their stories were coming together, it was so fantastic! There were 3 main threads, and it was pretty surprising how they all connected, and I loved seeing how they all intersected in the end!

It doesn't have a series listed yet, so I'm putting it as a standalone, but the end of this book had a mention of a sequel, so I'm fairly certain one is coming. While the way things ended could have, and currently technically is, a stand alone, the little teaser about how not everyone is happy with the changes, is causing waves, and I'd love to read htat!

Loved reading this book, and I do hope we really get the sequel that was mentioned!

Unfortunately this one simply wasn’t for me
I did not at any point care for any of these characters and their backstories. I usually like having different pov’s, I find that it can really add so much to a book to see the story progressing through the eyes of different character’s, in this case the many different pov‘s made it kinda hard to follow. And the characters really quickly started to be indistinguishable.

I listened to the audiobook version of this and loved the narration by Natalie Naudus. I liked the premise of modern fantasy novel mixing magic and Chinese mythology. There is a LOT going on and the book jumps backwards and forwards in timelines with different point of views and it was difficult to keep track of the different characters and storylines. The book cleverly knits these all together although the ending felt a bit sudden, convenient and quick for me, a clear setup for the next instalment. Intrigued to see where this series will go. Overall 3/5

This book was interesting....
Don't get me wrong I liked it, but I am unsure how I feel about the flow. Since we were jumping back and forth in the timeline, it was more annoying than interesting in the beginning. I felt as if they explained the difference between shifters an statics way too many times. Every time someone came of age it was explained all over again.
I know that if we didn't have the weird timeline this book would have been significantly less interesting. I am glad that we finally got somewhere by the end but I am not sure I am happy with the ending. I know there is still another book coming out but I am unsure I am invested enough to read it.
All in all, It was a fun ride and a great debut novel for Emily!

I adore mythology of any kind, although I’m not super familiar with Chinese mythology I really enjoyed this novel.

It took me a little while to get into it, but I think that’s because I was listening to it while driving and didn’t realize it was flipping back and forth to different time periods. I think Emily did an incredible job of setting up this incredible series and interconnecting the characters throughout.

I love a book that keeps me on my toes and most of the plot twists I did not see coming. I can’t wait for the next book to see what happens next for these characters.

(Thank you NetGalley for the audiobook ARC)

a solid 3.5

I loved the idea of a fantasy with Chinese mythology fantasy but this book really didn't deliver on the promise :(

In short there was just too much nonsense politics that we really even didn't get into , just a repetition of the same old problem, also not enough fantasy I would have loved to read more about how it was to live or grow up in shifter community and how they integrated with in the "normal world'.

I really didn't understand the need for 'multi generation story'. We jump back and forth between multiple years majority of the book, though without a surprise everything is connected, in the end it just confusing makes the story hard to follow and doesn't really add any value in the end (as with in the chapters you really can't understand if there has been a 50 year gap or not every this is 'the same old stuff just different chatper'.)

There were just too many characters add that to jumping between year and its just disorienting and doesn't give room to understand and connect with the characters or even see growth in them.

The 'final boss battle' for me was underwhelming and a bit too convenient, ( i understand this was meant for teens, but still it ) and not satisfying my reaction for it was ' That's it?'