I was hooked originally by the cover, which is absolutely gorgeous. I thought the representation of Chinese mythology was really well done and had such great stories interspersed in the characters.

For me, I think the multi-POV along with all of the time jumps was super disorienting for the first part of the novel. I don’t think it gave ample opportunity for enough character building with this many POVs, and a character arc at the end doesn’t make sense because of this.

I did think a lot of the dialogue was very impersonal. There would be parts where someone was like, “well, I should just let them die because they killed so and so”, which just seemed weird at the passiveness of the dialogue.

I think if this is improved on for the sequel, I would definitely rate it higher. I do love the idea for this novel.

“Of Mountain and Seas,” by Emily Renk Hawthorne

I have an e-book and audiobook version, so I decided to read the e-book first and write a review and then listen to the audiobook and revise my review after that. So as far as e-book goes this book was so confusing. The amount of POV’s and time jumps made it hard to figure out what was going on in the book. The cover is so beautiful, it was initially why I picked the book up. The Chinese lore was absolutely amazing especially mixed with the shifter, magic aspect of the book. I liked the idea of the plot with it political intrigue but I wasn’t expecting it to be so confusing. I wish going in that this book would be great for readers who love to annotate so I could’ve done it from the start and had an easier time making sense of what happened. So, e-book version first read thru is a 3 out of 5 stars.

-Shifter
-Magic
-Chinese Lore
-Political Intrigue

Thank you for the free copy, Netgalley.

Wow this was such an amazing read alla the way.
I didn't expect it.
Engaging characters and plot.
Highly recommend.

Didn't understand the plot...at all dnf'd a little bit throught the book. The story hopped from place to place and time period to time period. i didn't understand like at all.

31/01/2025
3.75 ⭐

> For some, the only way to possess magic is to steal it from others.

Of Mountains and Seas is a YA fantasy that is based on Chinese Culture. Something I have less knowledge about myself but am all too keen to delve into by book.

Normally you should not judge a book by its cover but wow, what a beautiful cover this book has! The fact that the special edition is also so gorgeous convinced me to physically add this book to my bookshelf as well.

It is mostly about the bonds people have across generations and the way events are intertwined through time. In this magical story, we follow the PoVs of different character which makes you discover bit by bit more about what is really reality. In addition, you also see the views of several characters that showed what power and family really is. In addition, it ensures that the characters are dynamic and also each of them draws you into this story.

Although I was a little confused at first with the years and PoVs in this story, I enjoyed how every detail is related and how slowly but surely the puzzle pieces are falling together.

I hugely love the political power plays that were woven into this book.

This is a YA fantasy that jumps between different points of view and eras to tell a politico-magical story with Chinese mythology inspiration.
Sadly, this didn't really hook me in and I gave up trying to finish it.
This doesn't mean others won't like it, as the plot seemed quite interesting - but the characters and magic system wasn't very developed.
While I love multiple points- of-view books, I usually expect each section to have a different "feel". It wasn't the case here. The style is overall very clear and simple, which makes it easy to read, but not particularly captivating. I've noticed more and more that I can read just about anything if I like the voice. And this book stayed too neutral for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for allowing me a digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

Of Mountains and Seas introduces us to the story of Davis, a child without powers born in a family of Shifters, people who can shift into magical creatures and have the ability to use other powers related to the creature they can turn to. Davis's parents are involved in Shifter's politics, which will bring the whole family catastrophic consequences. We also read from different perspectives, Iris is a LA girl with a strange medical condition whose parents claim the cure will be found soon, and Nivi is a girl living in one of the smallest towns in California who excels in her studies and in violin practice, but who's tired of trying to meet all expectations.

Overall I liked the book. Not gonna lie, the cover caught my eye (it's so so pretty) and I read a bit of the description and requested it without realising it was YA, and when I found out I was a little bit skeptical, but after all the book didn't end up having some of the YA tropes that bother me, so it was fine.

What I liked about the book is how it all ties together little by little. I felt a bit stupid because it was right there and I didn't realise until the author literally told us. I also really liked the integration of Chinese mithology and culture and the ambientations. Some of the creatures and the landscapes were so cool it would make for really good illustrations. I liked the images the book created in my mind.

What I didnt't like was how little tension I felt in the action scenes, like there was little build up and so when something dramatic happened it felt a bit anticlimatic. (view spoiler) Everything happened so quickly it was like 'oh, ok'. The story took a bit long to start developing as well. The author did a very good job with the set-up, in my opinion, but once the events started to unfold it all happened rather quickly. Also, there's this little thing that bothers me and it's that in the prologue we are told that Davis's mother was 60 and then later (view spoiler), I guess it doesn't matter much, but after that every little detail that was contradicted I was like I see you, but those were explained later in the story so that was the only mistake I noticed.

Well, the thing about this book is I liked it, but I'm not sure I will remember it that much in, say, a year.

Fascinating retelling of Chinese mythology with all characters interconnected over 70-80 years in the story. I loved the political aspects as well as the fantasy elements. This book is filled with characters to love, hate and have mixed feelings about. My one criticism would be the usage of words incorrectly in the text - I know that most people would gloss over this, but I am sadly not one of those as some phrases did not make sense unless you thought of the required word (example: use of extradite instead of extricate in Ch .54).

Of Mountains and Seas decides to do something we don't see often enough in modern literature and that is magical realism. I love connecting fantasy and for example., California and politics. How fun!
Where this book fell short for me was it just seemed to take a long time to get going. We got a good fraction through the book before we learn about shape shifters etc. However I did enjoy the overall story!

This is my first arc book review.

I really enjoyed the book for the mythology aspect of it. I am a really well written story, but some aspects of it are hard to follow initially as the timeline jumps around quite a bit. Once you get used to that aspect of the book, it is a fantastic read.

This book has magic, shape-shifting, and drama, among other things that bring this story to life. One aspect I like about it is the use of geology to harness magic, and I would definitely have loved to see more of that in this book. The other real aspect i loved about the book is the explanation and way the shifting happens within the story it happens in a way I haven't seen or read about which is a really nice change to how it's normally done.

I read it in epub format and had i not had the privilege of reading it early by Emily Renk Hawthorne if I would have seen it in the store I would have definitely picked it up based on the beautiful cover alone.

I definitely need this book to add to my shelf and collection.
I can't wait to see what happens in the second book.

Amazing job with the book Emily Renk Hawthorne. Keep up the amazing work.

While this was an interesting story I was very confused by the timeline. I understood eventually that it was a generational storyline spanning several years (centuries even?) but the amount of time it took me to figure that out was too long. I was torn between liking several of these characters and disliking them as they grew older. I don't think I ever fully connected with anyone except Anna who disappeared from the narrative after she lost her powers. The main girls Iris and Nivi weren't really my cup of tea and I didn't like Amber at all. I didn't appreciate how she would suddenly distrust her friend. I was also confused by the fact that she didn't realize she was good at school? At the end of one of her chapters it sounded like she didn't realize she was getting passing grades, like she'd blocked out the memory or something. I don't understand how or why that would have happened though. Regardless, I don't think I want to read the next book in the series.

Lets start off by saying: Wow! Of Mountains and Seas was a story woven with many threads. We follow 5+ different perspectives in this story told across multiple timelines. Hawthorne masterfully ties all of these little components together in a way that keeps the reader engaged and begging for more. This was a great introduction and set up for a series so I hope that is where this story is headed!

DNF at 31%

I am disappointed to be DNFing this book but we are not pushing through mediocre books in 2025.

I would like to preface this review by emphasising that a) my opinions are based on the first third of the book, things may or may not have improved in the latter thirds, and b) this is a YA fantasy and I am an adult.

Now, my decision to DNF does not mean, by any means, that this is a terrible book. I just didn't personally gel with the storytelling, didn't feel hooked or enamoured by the story, therefore, didn't feel any urge to continue.

Unfortunately, everything about this book felt underdeveloped - from the world building and magic system to the characters. This book follows several timelines, ranging from 1932 to 2000, with several character POVs within those timelines (I have a count of 5 POVs in the first 30%). I found these POVs to be indistinguishable - there was little to no world building or descriptions to distinguish the time settings, whilst the characters felt flat and samey. If it wasn't for the name and date heading every chapter, I would have been lost.

I wish the synopsis had been clearer about the multiple POVs and time settings to better convey what this book was about. I prefer a historical setting in fantasy and wrongly assumed (my bad) that because this is based on mythology that it would have a historical setting (and no, the 1900s do not make the cut).

However, you may enjoy this book if you are looking for a YA fantasy based on Chinese mythology that has multiple POVs and no romantic plot (as far as I know).

Thank you to NetGalley and Hawk Ridge Press for the opportunity to review this book.

An absolutely wonderful book based on Chinese mythology. The worldbuilding in this novel is delightful. In a story that spans over decades, the world is inhabited by Shifters -- those with powers who can transform, and Statics -- those who cannot, or have lost their powers. The villain of the story is acutely aware of this power struggle, and their motivations become apparent as you get further into the book.

The book is not linear; it jumps through periods of time giving us vignettes out of sequence with different sets of characters. I do feel as though the book struggles to connect the reader to the characters due to this, as I found it hard to remember who was who with the constantly changing points of view.

The antagonist characters were very well written, and again the worldbuilding is excellent. The author even delves into a bit of the politics of this fictional version of our world which added more depth to it as well.

A very enjoyable read and I'm looking forward to the next installment.

Thank you to Emily Renk Hawthorne, Hawk Ridge Press, and NetGalley for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

The premise of Of Mountains And Seas intrigued me and the book cover art is beautiful. Unfortunately, the writing style was too juvenile and underdeveloped. The jumps between POV and eras should have worked more seamlessly too. I had to dnf.

The book had a good storyline, but sometimes I had some trouble following all the different character POVs and timeline. I found myself having to try to remember who each person was and what they were doing before every chapter for about the first half of the book. Other than that, it's definitely a fun read.

"Of Mountains and Seas" is a captivating and richly imagined novel. The premise of magic theft immediately grabs the reader's attention, and the story unfolds with a compelling blend of adventure, mystery, and political intrigue. The multiple perspectives and interwoven timelines create a complex and satisfying narrative, while the characters of Davis, Iris, and Nivi are well-developed and relatable, despite their fantastical circumstances. The author masterfully crafts a world full of both wonder and danger, leaving the reader eagerly turning pages to uncover the dark truths hidden within. A truly exceptional read.

3. 5 stars rounded up.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. The non-linear narrative was well-done and engaging. The plot was interesting (if a little predictable)-- I read most of it in one sitting. The world building and magic system were super cool to read about and I loved the incorporation of Chinese mythology.

The only thing that missed the mark for me was the writing. It fell short in terms of description and didn't flow in the way I would have liked for an otherwise beautiful book. The dialogue also felt a little stilted and cliche at times. Nonetheless, the novel is pretty easy to read and highly enjoyable. I will definitely be reading the second book when it comes out.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Of Mountains and Seas is a story of complicated family relationships and politics with a dash of Chinese mythology. I would've liked to see more in the way of world building and expanding upon the gods referenced. The chapters jump around between timelines and points of view, to the point where I needed to pause or flip back to align the characters. Although it was a very slow paced book until the last 15%, it set up a lot of plot for a sequel. Hopefully future books will fill out what felt missing in this one.

Ａｕｄｉｏｂｏｏｋ & Ｅｂｏｏｋ Ｒｅｖｉｅｗ
2.5 ☆
For some, the only way to possess magic is to steal it from others. Born without magic, Davis is an outcast in his own shapeshifter family. Yearning for his father's approval, he sets down a path that intertwines with Iris, a girl whose own ambitions are hindered by a mysterious illness.

This cover art is gorgeous! The storyline was intriguing, but it was extremely slow-paced and confusing to me with the dual timeline and multiple characters the story switched between. I think if it were a dual timeline with maybe just two characters, I would have loved this story, but I DNF'd at 40%.

The audiobook is good; the narrator did a good job telling the story. It was easy to listen to and understand. I listened at 2x speed.

Thank you, Netgellay, Hawk Ridge for the audiobook and the ebook for my honest review.