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Ocean's Blood
“He looked newly born, as if the ocean spat him out of its womb, naked and wet, a creature made of waves and tides, of liquid and darkness, something that would slip through his fingers as soon as he tried to grasp it.”
Vindt’s tranquil life as a lord’s son comes to an abrupt end when his homeland is overthrown. Friends, family, his freedom—he loses it all to Singers and their dark song magic. Human in appearance, Singers are a different species. Their powers only fail against the demons hunting them. But even this flaw has a patch: humans with a rare and valuable “trait”. It allows Singers to take over their voice and use it like a weapon. Vindt turned out to possess this trait, and was bound to a Singer by blood. Ever since, he has struggled to break free.
Unexpectedly, a chain of events binds him to a new master, the sly and enigmatic Asche. From day one, their egos clash. Only, their encounter was no coincidence; Asche needs him—but for what? To free the Singers from the curse that plagues them? Or because Asche is on a quest for power, as the Singer’s brethren believe, who are determined to bring him down? Caught in the middle of their fight, Vindt gets yet another unexpected opponent: his wayward feelings for someone he’s supposed to hate.
When Asche’s enemies offer Vindt freedom in exchange for delivering Asche into their hands, Vindt has to make a choice.
CAPTIVE PRINCE meets INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE in this dark, queer fantasy novel about corrupted hearts and the fine line between hatred and obsession.
Vindt’s tranquil life as a lord’s son comes to an abrupt end when his homeland is overthrown. Friends, family, his freedom—he loses it all to Singers and their dark song magic. Human in appearance, Singers are a different species. Their powers only fail against the demons hunting them. But even this flaw has a patch: humans with a rare and valuable “trait”. It allows Singers to take over their voice and use it like a weapon. Vindt turned out to possess this trait, and was bound to a Singer by blood. Ever since, he has struggled to break free.
Unexpectedly, a chain of events binds him to a new master, the sly and enigmatic Asche. From day one, their egos clash. Only, their encounter was no coincidence; Asche needs him—but for what? To free the Singers from the curse that plagues them? Or because Asche is on a quest for power, as the Singer’s brethren believe, who are determined to bring him down? Caught in the middle of their fight, Vindt gets yet another unexpected opponent: his wayward feelings for someone he’s supposed to hate.
When Asche’s enemies offer Vindt freedom in exchange for delivering Asche into their hands, Vindt has to make a choice.
CAPTIVE PRINCE meets INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE in this dark, queer fantasy novel about corrupted hearts and the fine line between hatred and obsession.
408 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 29, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 113 reviews
June 5, 2024
I was provided an e-copy of the book by the author in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
✅ World building and descriptions
✅ Magic system
✅ Interesting concept
✅ Slow burn / Hate to love
✅ Captor / Captive vibe
✅🆗 Plot
🆗 Characters
🆗 Pace
❗️❗️Trigger warnings: dub-con, mention of past suicide attempt, blood drinking, and whipping
I want to start by saying that this is a case of “it’s not you, it’s me”, and it saddens me not to be able to give this book a higher rating because I was all in for a dark MM angsty romance with a captor/captive vibe, and I all the Goodreads friends who read this book loved it, but sadly it missed its mark with me.
There is nothing wrong or bad about this book, I just couldn’t get into it for some reason. I kept putting it aside and I didn’t feel compelled to continue reading it, even though the magic system and world-building were interesting, and the concept of Singers and Thyds was original.
Vindt is a Thyd who was captured 10 years ago and has been enslaved to a Singer ever since. While he despises his position and wants nothing more than to see his master dead and be free again, the rest of the slaves think he is lucky to hold such a position among the Singers. When his master dies and Vindt miraculously survives, despite the blood bond between them that means he should have died too, he is taken by another Singer, Asche, who takes him to The Haven so the Council may decide what will happen to Vindt.
The world-building and magic system are interesting, and the descriptions are colorful and vivid. Still, I would have liked to know more about the lands and the politics, instead of just being thrown into the middle of a war between two countries I knew nothing about. That being said, there is a lot of potential and ideas there to build a wonderful world with magic and dark creatures, and it left me wanting more of this world.
Here is a little summary of the powers of the Singers and Thyds. I found it hard at first to understand this world, because there are not many details given, we are simply thrown into it. Once I understood the relationships between the characters and the creatures though, it fell into place and it became more enjoyable.
- Singers are a race similar to humans but with magical powers in their songs.
- Verdurs are shapeless creatures/demons whose goal is to kill the Singers.
- Thyds are humans that can act as conduits for a Singer’s song and are the only ones able to protect the Singers from the Verdurs.
- Thyds share a blood bond with their assigned Singers. The blood bond acts almost like a drug, and Thyds have to go through withdrawal if they don’t receive their regular dose of Singer’s blood. It also means that if a Singer dies, hit Thyd dies too.
The main reason I wasn’t invested in this story is my lack of attachment to the characters.The fact that the story is told in the third person though didn’t help me connect with the main character. While I like Vindt, I didn’t care about him that much, and I didn’t care that much either about what happened to him in the end. As I said at the beginning of my review, there is nothing wrong with him or the way he is developed, I just struggled to connect with him for some reason, and because since this book is character-driven more than plot-driven, I struggled to get invested in the story.
I also feel that Vindt was in the dark for most of the story, trying to figure out what was happening or where they were going, and it means that we were left trying to catch up on what was happening, just as Vindt was.
Overall, I am still feeling a little bit conflicted about my rating of this book. I struggled to finish it, and it took me forever to read it, but besides my lack of interest in the characters, I can't really pinpoint what was missing for me to truly get invested in this story…
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✅ World building and descriptions
✅ Magic system
✅ Interesting concept
✅ Slow burn / Hate to love
✅ Captor / Captive vibe
✅🆗 Plot
🆗 Characters
🆗 Pace
❗️❗️Trigger warnings: dub-con, mention of past suicide attempt, blood drinking, and whipping
I want to start by saying that this is a case of “it’s not you, it’s me”, and it saddens me not to be able to give this book a higher rating because I was all in for a dark MM angsty romance with a captor/captive vibe, and I all the Goodreads friends who read this book loved it, but sadly it missed its mark with me.
There is nothing wrong or bad about this book, I just couldn’t get into it for some reason. I kept putting it aside and I didn’t feel compelled to continue reading it, even though the magic system and world-building were interesting, and the concept of Singers and Thyds was original.
Vindt is a Thyd who was captured 10 years ago and has been enslaved to a Singer ever since. While he despises his position and wants nothing more than to see his master dead and be free again, the rest of the slaves think he is lucky to hold such a position among the Singers. When his master dies and Vindt miraculously survives, despite the blood bond between them that means he should have died too, he is taken by another Singer, Asche, who takes him to The Haven so the Council may decide what will happen to Vindt.
The world-building and magic system are interesting, and the descriptions are colorful and vivid. Still, I would have liked to know more about the lands and the politics, instead of just being thrown into the middle of a war between two countries I knew nothing about. That being said, there is a lot of potential and ideas there to build a wonderful world with magic and dark creatures, and it left me wanting more of this world.
Vindt had come across only a few Singers in his life, five at most. They were all arrogant bastards, oozing the belief in their superiority from every pore, treating humans with either indifference or cruelty. As if to make up for their shitty personalities, the gods had gifted them with stunning beauty.
Here is a little summary of the powers of the Singers and Thyds. I found it hard at first to understand this world, because there are not many details given, we are simply thrown into it. Once I understood the relationships between the characters and the creatures though, it fell into place and it became more enjoyable.
- Singers are a race similar to humans but with magical powers in their songs.
- Verdurs are shapeless creatures/demons whose goal is to kill the Singers.
- Thyds are humans that can act as conduits for a Singer’s song and are the only ones able to protect the Singers from the Verdurs.
- Thyds share a blood bond with their assigned Singers. The blood bond acts almost like a drug, and Thyds have to go through withdrawal if they don’t receive their regular dose of Singer’s blood. It also means that if a Singer dies, hit Thyd dies too.
The main reason I wasn’t invested in this story is my lack of attachment to the characters.The fact that the story is told in the third person though didn’t help me connect with the main character. While I like Vindt, I didn’t care about him that much, and I didn’t care that much either about what happened to him in the end. As I said at the beginning of my review, there is nothing wrong with him or the way he is developed, I just struggled to connect with him for some reason, and because since this book is character-driven more than plot-driven, I struggled to get invested in the story.
I also feel that Vindt was in the dark for most of the story, trying to figure out what was happening or where they were going, and it means that we were left trying to catch up on what was happening, just as Vindt was.
Overall, I am still feeling a little bit conflicted about my rating of this book. I struggled to finish it, and it took me forever to read it, but besides my lack of interest in the characters, I can't really pinpoint what was missing for me to truly get invested in this story…
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July 7, 2024I’m on BookTube now! =)
I absolutely loved this book!
Asche was such a complex, mysterious and morally grey character! I totally lived and breathed for this. Also the world building! Amazing! <3
What happened at the ending totally blew my mind and I’m still reeling from … everything?!
I want to understand what happened there?!?!
Anyway! Full review to come soon! I’m looking forward to the next book in the series!
_______________________________
At the end of January, Thelma asked me if I wanted to read an ARC of “Ocean’s Blood” and I was more than just happy to say “yes”! I already saw the book all over my IG feed and got extremely curious about it. So Thelma Mantey asking me to read it was perfect timing!
It took me a while to get to it, but here I am, totally ready to dive into this enemies-to-lovers story that promises “Captive Prince” and “Interview with the Vampire” vibes.
The world building already sounds so unique and I love the concept of Singers that use their voices to bring down entire empires! Not to mention that I can’t wait to meet Vindt and Asche and all the intrigues they’ll have to face!
Can you already tell I’m excited?
Boy, I’m so here for this!
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I absolutely loved this book!
Asche was such a complex, mysterious and morally grey character! I totally lived and breathed for this. Also the world building! Amazing! <3
What happened at the ending totally blew my mind and I’m still reeling from … everything?!
I want to understand what happened there?!?!
Anyway! Full review to come soon! I’m looking forward to the next book in the series!
_______________________________
At the end of January, Thelma asked me if I wanted to read an ARC of “Ocean’s Blood” and I was more than just happy to say “yes”! I already saw the book all over my IG feed and got extremely curious about it. So Thelma Mantey asking me to read it was perfect timing!
It took me a while to get to it, but here I am, totally ready to dive into this enemies-to-lovers story that promises “Captive Prince” and “Interview with the Vampire” vibes.
The world building already sounds so unique and I love the concept of Singers that use their voices to bring down entire empires! Not to mention that I can’t wait to meet Vindt and Asche and all the intrigues they’ll have to face!
Can you already tell I’m excited?
Boy, I’m so here for this!
Find me on:
My Blog
January 29, 2024
Final Review: The blurb was so intriguing that I knew I needed to give this book a go. I am not familiar with the Captive Prince, but adore picking up the occasional Anne Rice-style vampire book. The concept of the Singers is just captivating. This book immediately plunges you into the action, perhaps a tad common to open to a battle sequence but fun nonetheless. A lot of the world-building is left unsaid early on, but that allows for exploration later in the chapters. I personally prefer a narrative where you are thrown into a whole world system without these annoying run-on paragraphs of explanation. This has such interesting world-building, quite unlike other things I have read. In truth, I tend to stick more to the paranormal, vaguely our world side of fantasy romance.
Let’s chat about characters, namely their romance. Okay, so this is SLOW burn with a whole lot of tension building up. Not only sexual tensions but a genuine enemies-to-lovers arc. Vindt was so strong and defiant. I mean within the first few chapters he is captured for breaking free and trying to escape! Despite this strength, he felt wholly human and showed fear, like many fantasy heroes fail to do. Asche is ruthless, but oh-so interesting. I mean he is part of the oppressive regime of Singers exploiting humans so he definitely had his not-good moments. I was a bit iffy with this relationship after he legit tortured Vindt for information. I love how the author explored more about the Singers through his character. Definitely the bad guy, but I mean… we definitely were expecting to fall for the bad guy. And I most definitely did.
You can feel their chemistry. For someone who reads a lot of romance/smut, I don’t care for those scenes. I tend to skip or skim them. This was a situation of skimming then rewinding because what the duck? Imma stop talking about that scene because I don’t wanna spoiler tag a whole paragraph in GR.
While I very much enjoyed this story and its expansive world-building; some of the pacing felt a little off. At times it felt like the narrative was magickally teleporting places (a valid mode of transportation, but not the one in use in this story). I know stupidly long journey sections are annoying, but adding some information about changing venues would have been appreciated. Of course that would have made this book quite long… but in fantasy going over 400 pages shouldn’t stop someone from writing enough. This wasn’t just an issue of teleporting places, but what felt like some missing scenes.
At times early on certain relationships are just kinda glossed over. For example the line: Sometimes, I felt lost in the narrative and would have benefited from a glossary of terms. By the end I felt more comfortable with the world, but early reading would have really benefitted from more focus on acquainting the reader with the world.
Overall, I am so happy that I picked this up. Doubly so as it is both an author’s debut and my debut of reviewing arcs. I will be on the watch for the sequel to the duology. I really fell into this story, when I had time. Christmas preparations aside, I would have read this in just a couple days but instead I really slowed down so I could process this book. What I found was a novel that is dark, gritty and atmospheric! Most of my issues can absolutely be fixed going forward; it is easy to tell this is a debut but still quite enjoyable. ALSO, I have to say the ending is my favorite bit! I am hyped for book two.
4.5 stars which is rounded up to 5!
I received an ARC copy via BookSirens and am reviewing this book voluntarily. This book could have been edited since December when I read it.
Initial Thoughts: I have an absolute load of thoughts, but I cannot review without some spoilers so I'll throw the full review up closer to the release date.
This was so, so intriguing! A wonderful debut that I hope some of y'all grab a copy of when it releases. A dark, fantasy that doesn't misuse the label comparing it to Anne Rice.
4.5 stars
Let’s chat about characters, namely their romance. Okay, so this is SLOW burn with a whole lot of tension building up. Not only sexual tensions but a genuine enemies-to-lovers arc. Vindt was so strong and defiant. I mean within the first few chapters he is captured for breaking free and trying to escape! Despite this strength, he felt wholly human and showed fear, like many fantasy heroes fail to do. Asche is ruthless, but oh-so interesting. I mean he is part of the oppressive regime of Singers exploiting humans so he definitely had his not-good moments. I was a bit iffy with this relationship after he legit tortured Vindt for information. I love how the author explored more about the Singers through his character. Definitely the bad guy, but I mean… we definitely were expecting to fall for the bad guy. And I most definitely did.
You can feel their chemistry. For someone who reads a lot of romance/smut, I don’t care for those scenes. I tend to skip or skim them. This was a situation of skimming then rewinding because what the duck? Imma stop talking about that scene because I don’t wanna spoiler tag a whole paragraph in GR.
While I very much enjoyed this story and its expansive world-building; some of the pacing felt a little off. At times it felt like the narrative was magickally teleporting places (a valid mode of transportation, but not the one in use in this story). I know stupidly long journey sections are annoying, but adding some information about changing venues would have been appreciated. Of course that would have made this book quite long… but in fantasy going over 400 pages shouldn’t stop someone from writing enough. This wasn’t just an issue of teleporting places, but what felt like some missing scenes.
At times early on certain relationships are just kinda glossed over. For example the line: Sometimes, I felt lost in the narrative and would have benefited from a glossary of terms. By the end I felt more comfortable with the world, but early reading would have really benefitted from more focus on acquainting the reader with the world.
Overall, I am so happy that I picked this up. Doubly so as it is both an author’s debut and my debut of reviewing arcs. I will be on the watch for the sequel to the duology. I really fell into this story, when I had time. Christmas preparations aside, I would have read this in just a couple days but instead I really slowed down so I could process this book. What I found was a novel that is dark, gritty and atmospheric! Most of my issues can absolutely be fixed going forward; it is easy to tell this is a debut but still quite enjoyable. ALSO, I have to say the ending is my favorite bit! I am hyped for book two.
4.5 stars which is rounded up to 5!
I received an ARC copy via BookSirens and am reviewing this book voluntarily. This book could have been edited since December when I read it.
Initial Thoughts: I have an absolute load of thoughts, but I cannot review without some spoilers so I'll throw the full review up closer to the release date.
This was so, so intriguing! A wonderful debut that I hope some of y'all grab a copy of when it releases. A dark, fantasy that doesn't misuse the label comparing it to Anne Rice.
4.5 stars
February 3, 2024
"The silver threaded through the black gleamed in the moonlight. This time, however, the pattern didn’t inspire dread; to the contrary, the Singer looked newly born, as if the ocean had spat him out of its womb, a creature made of waves and tides, of liquid and darkness, something that would slip through Vindt’s fingers as soon as he tried to grasp it."
What an absolutely fabulous debut from Thelma Mantey!
Where do I start?!
Ocean's Blood is one of the most unusual and unique dark(er) fantasy books I've read in a long while. I understand the comparisons to the Captive Prince series from a true enemies-to-lovers type of perspective and also given that Asche is a beautiful, manipulative, long-game player MC, but he is no Laurent clone. Asche is other-worldly, a Singer, a vampire of sorts and he is his own scheming, duplicitous, enigmatic character. He stands alone as a fictional character of stature and is a credit to the author.
As a Thyd, a human tied to a Singer to be their conduit and destined to die when their Singer dies, Vindt has a deep hatred of Asche and will stop at nothing to break their bond. Morally grey, single-minded, defiant but oh so conflicted too, I loved Vindt's character and his struggle to be more, to be better, to resist, to do the right thing.
Whilst there is an undercurrent of possessive, obsessive, yearning, lusting want between the main characters running throughout the story, which is slowwwww burn to the nth degree, this is not your typical MM fantasy romance book. If you're after the standard, mediocre, storyless MM smut-fest, then this is not the one for you. But let me tell you when the slow burn finally combusts into flames it is soooo worth it! The dynamic between Asche and Vindt is on a permanent knife's edge throughout the book, but you really get a sense of "before" and "after" from a power perspective.
The world-building is amazing, the magic system is so cleverly imagined and brought to life and the descriptions are all superb - from the MC's and the side characters' characteristics, to the landscapes, the buildings, the elements, the sounds, the violence (and yes, you probably need to check the author's TWs because this fantasy is dark in parts) - the writing has an almost poetic quality but not in an overly flowery, verbose way; it just sucks you in.
"With my blood, I bind you. I bind your body and your soul. My blood will fulfill your destiny. You will be my shield and my sword. You will be my voice. You will depend on me as I will depend on you. You will defend my life with yours, and I will do the same for you. This Bond is sacred. It shall only be broken by death."
Fair warning, Ocean's Blood doesn't end in a HEA or even a HFN, it is most definitely a continuing series and I am totally here for it!
Honestly, you need to read this.
5 stars
What an absolutely fabulous debut from Thelma Mantey!
Where do I start?!
Ocean's Blood is one of the most unusual and unique dark(er) fantasy books I've read in a long while. I understand the comparisons to the Captive Prince series from a true enemies-to-lovers type of perspective and also given that Asche is a beautiful, manipulative, long-game player MC, but he is no Laurent clone. Asche is other-worldly, a Singer, a vampire of sorts and he is his own scheming, duplicitous, enigmatic character. He stands alone as a fictional character of stature and is a credit to the author.
As a Thyd, a human tied to a Singer to be their conduit and destined to die when their Singer dies, Vindt has a deep hatred of Asche and will stop at nothing to break their bond. Morally grey, single-minded, defiant but oh so conflicted too, I loved Vindt's character and his struggle to be more, to be better, to resist, to do the right thing.
Whilst there is an undercurrent of possessive, obsessive, yearning, lusting want between the main characters running throughout the story, which is slowwwww burn to the nth degree, this is not your typical MM fantasy romance book. If you're after the standard, mediocre, storyless MM smut-fest, then this is not the one for you. But let me tell you when the slow burn finally combusts into flames it is soooo worth it! The dynamic between Asche and Vindt is on a permanent knife's edge throughout the book, but you really get a sense of "before" and "after" from a power perspective.
The world-building is amazing, the magic system is so cleverly imagined and brought to life and the descriptions are all superb - from the MC's and the side characters' characteristics, to the landscapes, the buildings, the elements, the sounds, the violence (and yes, you probably need to check the author's TWs because this fantasy is dark in parts) - the writing has an almost poetic quality but not in an overly flowery, verbose way; it just sucks you in.
"With my blood, I bind you. I bind your body and your soul. My blood will fulfill your destiny. You will be my shield and my sword. You will be my voice. You will depend on me as I will depend on you. You will defend my life with yours, and I will do the same for you. This Bond is sacred. It shall only be broken by death."
Fair warning, Ocean's Blood doesn't end in a HEA or even a HFN, it is most definitely a continuing series and I am totally here for it!
Honestly, you need to read this.
5 stars
January 30, 2024
okay. dang. lots to unpack here. i...frankly expected this to be maybe a 4 star or so? but well, this exceeded expectations. this basically acted as a series starter imo. there's no clear plot here but to slowly construct the society and politics of the Singers; and to establish the true intentions of Asche, outlining the overall arc of the series. it's gradual, it gets confusing at times (some things are still unclear), but it's intriguing.
speaking of the worldbuilding, i'd consider that the sole pitfall of the book. we're plunged straight into the book, in the middle of a battle scene, no questions answered. the book only slowly pans out to reveal aspects of the world, and there is still things left to clear up about the gods and Thrithid and the history of the Singers. but honestly what i've seen so far is nice. the little bits about the thousand-years-gone Xixit, the religions, and the braids are fascinating side bits.
i wouldn't even say this book has a romance. it's enemies-to-lovers, but for most of the book they're just past the enemies stage. they still don't completely trust each other yet. in this, romance is not the main focus, neither will it be quick.
the plot is interesting. Asche's end goal is revealed only at the end, and it would be a long, drawn-out battle for him and Vindt. i assumed this was a trilogy before starting, but hey, it's probably gonna be longer than that at this rate.
onto the characters. they are not without depth. Asche is more the calculating, long-game part. he's manipulative, he's secretive, he's unlikable (especially through Vindt's lens). yet he's gained loyalty, supporters, cos he isn't without a heart. he's morally better than some of his brethren (ahem...Silhorveen) with a strong sense of justice and vengeance. perhaps that's what makes him such a juxtaposing character.
Vindt, on the other hand, has more simple motivations and a less layered facade. he wants freedom. he hates Singers. he hated Asche (not unreasonable). he misses his dead family. he's lonely. he's a bit battered by Silhorveen, yet he still has an "insolent", defiant streak. and he's soft-hearted to a fair extent, what with carrying and coming back for Asche. they're a good pair; i look forward to seeing them together :P
the side characters - i love how Asche's trope is slowly becoming a found family for Vindt it's so heartwarming to see. the Singers on the High Council - well, i'd like to see more of them, certainly, to just figure out who's on who's side.
have i included everything? i'd probably think of more to add on but this book is so astonishingly fabulous i've reverted to essay-writing mode(how rarely does this happen?? wow this is ~500 words what am i doing). i'm definitely here for book 2 pleaseeee i need more.
speaking of the worldbuilding, i'd consider that the sole pitfall of the book. we're plunged straight into the book, in the middle of a battle scene, no questions answered. the book only slowly pans out to reveal aspects of the world, and there is still things left to clear up about the gods and Thrithid and the history of the Singers. but honestly what i've seen so far is nice. the little bits about the thousand-years-gone Xixit, the religions, and the braids are fascinating side bits.
i wouldn't even say this book has a romance. it's enemies-to-lovers, but for most of the book they're just past the enemies stage. they still don't completely trust each other yet. in this, romance is not the main focus, neither will it be quick.
the plot is interesting. Asche's end goal is revealed only at the end, and it would be a long, drawn-out battle for him and Vindt. i assumed this was a trilogy before starting, but hey, it's probably gonna be longer than that at this rate.
onto the characters. they are not without depth. Asche is more the calculating, long-game part. he's manipulative, he's secretive, he's unlikable (especially through Vindt's lens). yet he's gained loyalty, supporters, cos he isn't without a heart. he's morally better than some of his brethren (ahem...Silhorveen) with a strong sense of justice and vengeance. perhaps that's what makes him such a juxtaposing character.
Vindt, on the other hand, has more simple motivations and a less layered facade. he wants freedom. he hates Singers. he hated Asche (not unreasonable). he misses his dead family. he's lonely. he's a bit battered by Silhorveen, yet he still has an "insolent", defiant streak. and he's soft-hearted to a fair extent, what with carrying and coming back for Asche. they're a good pair; i look forward to seeing them together :P
the side characters - i love how Asche's trope is slowly becoming a found family for Vindt it's so heartwarming to see. the Singers on the High Council - well, i'd like to see more of them, certainly, to just figure out who's on who's side.
have i included everything? i'd probably think of more to add on but this book is so astonishingly fabulous i've reverted to essay-writing mode(how rarely does this happen?? wow this is ~500 words what am i doing). i'm definitely here for book 2 pleaseeee i need more.
December 20, 2023
(I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.)
I am rounding up my review from 4.5 stars to 5 because despite a few small criticisms I had, I consumed this book in about 2 days and am desperately clawing for the sequel.
The book's description does not do it justice. My eyes honestly glazed over the first time I read it, and I only stopped from backing out of the page when I noticed the comparison to Captive Prince at the end. Which filled me with dread, because despite being one of my favorite series to this day, the few dark gay romances Capri has inspired have failed, in my eyes, to hit the marks that make it so special. But my curiosity got the best of me. What if Ocean's Blood understood the marks? What if /this/ was the book that could finally touch the same vein that Capri first awakened in me, and has been starving ever since?
I can't accurately say how glad I am I gave this book a chance. It delivers on every front, and so much more. It goes beyond its own comparison to Capri and delivers wholly unique lore that always had me fully gripped, despite being relatively exposition heavy (the first of my criticisms). Ocean's Blood delivers vampires under its own name, with enough solid and distinct lore to make that name stick. Singers are terrifying, and the dread they instill from the very first chapter had me enthralled. So did the story, which pulled no punches, and had me feeling gored and helpless as I followed Vindt's painful story.
A lot of dark fantasy, in my experience, tends to shy from going too dark, or loses itself in gratuitous misery at the expense of other elements. Ocean's Blood hit a perfect balance for me. Violence, pain, and blood, yes, but also the careful undercurrents of something more. Something that has no business blossoming under these grim conditions, and I can't wait to see how that thread will no doubt continue in the sequel. Because another thing this book throws itself into wholeheartedly is its /slowburn/. Which, in this day and age, seems to be a dying genre, at least in its fullest form. As well as enemies to lovers (truly enemies!), and oh how delightful it is to find a book that not only understands the assignment but loves it, and wields it to tear at my heart like a singer's own song.
As for Vindt and Ashe - I feel like we've only scratched the surface of their personalities, and knowing that the story isn't finished yet makes me wary of giving an assessment too early. But I'm excited for what was set up for them at the end of this book, and my curiosity for what will happen to them (and between them) will eat at me every day. If it wasn't already obvious, I'm deeply invested, and will sing this book's praises every day if that's what it takes to get the next book released.
My only other criticism is a few minor points where the language broke my immersion ('braincells'? 'vibes'? what year and world does this story take place in, again?) but they were very easy to overlook. For a debut novel this is extremely promising, I have already begun to tell all my friends about it, and anyone else who will listen. This is an author to watch and support by any means.
I am rounding up my review from 4.5 stars to 5 because despite a few small criticisms I had, I consumed this book in about 2 days and am desperately clawing for the sequel.
The book's description does not do it justice. My eyes honestly glazed over the first time I read it, and I only stopped from backing out of the page when I noticed the comparison to Captive Prince at the end. Which filled me with dread, because despite being one of my favorite series to this day, the few dark gay romances Capri has inspired have failed, in my eyes, to hit the marks that make it so special. But my curiosity got the best of me. What if Ocean's Blood understood the marks? What if /this/ was the book that could finally touch the same vein that Capri first awakened in me, and has been starving ever since?
I can't accurately say how glad I am I gave this book a chance. It delivers on every front, and so much more. It goes beyond its own comparison to Capri and delivers wholly unique lore that always had me fully gripped, despite being relatively exposition heavy (the first of my criticisms). Ocean's Blood delivers vampires under its own name, with enough solid and distinct lore to make that name stick. Singers are terrifying, and the dread they instill from the very first chapter had me enthralled. So did the story, which pulled no punches, and had me feeling gored and helpless as I followed Vindt's painful story.
A lot of dark fantasy, in my experience, tends to shy from going too dark, or loses itself in gratuitous misery at the expense of other elements. Ocean's Blood hit a perfect balance for me. Violence, pain, and blood, yes, but also the careful undercurrents of something more. Something that has no business blossoming under these grim conditions, and I can't wait to see how that thread will no doubt continue in the sequel. Because another thing this book throws itself into wholeheartedly is its /slowburn/. Which, in this day and age, seems to be a dying genre, at least in its fullest form. As well as enemies to lovers (truly enemies!), and oh how delightful it is to find a book that not only understands the assignment but loves it, and wields it to tear at my heart like a singer's own song.
As for Vindt and Ashe - I feel like we've only scratched the surface of their personalities, and knowing that the story isn't finished yet makes me wary of giving an assessment too early. But I'm excited for what was set up for them at the end of this book, and my curiosity for what will happen to them (and between them) will eat at me every day. If it wasn't already obvious, I'm deeply invested, and will sing this book's praises every day if that's what it takes to get the next book released.
My only other criticism is a few minor points where the language broke my immersion ('braincells'? 'vibes'? what year and world does this story take place in, again?) but they were very easy to overlook. For a debut novel this is extremely promising, I have already begun to tell all my friends about it, and anyone else who will listen. This is an author to watch and support by any means.
December 21, 2023
i received this book as a free ARC so here's my review and im not being paid etc etc
i think my long journey with MM romance has been digging through a shit ton of shitty '''''slow burn''''' romances with superficial characters and their weak excuses of hating other for the sake of the coveted enemies to lovers tag. however, while digging through a lot of mediocre muck, I do come across some rare jewels.
and Ocean's Blood is one of those jewels
tl;dr:
- fantastic and well-written magic system/worldbuilding
- convincing and realistic enemies to lovers
- intricate and detailed writing
- characters that feel real, not the traditional icy + grumpy dude/cheerful + playful dude trope
- REAL SLOW BURN, BABY
now here's the longer version:
-an incredibly well-thought-out and intricate magic system. You can feel the lethal beauty of the Singers woven through the entire story. The way the author describes the ease with which the Singers can just sing to kill and heal and inflict their will onto the world around them is just incredible. And the added intensity with bonds and fangs and the intimacy of sharing blood scratched the shit out of that itch for a good vampiric story.
- vindt and asche were captivating in their relationship. THIS BOOK IS ACTUALLY A SLOW BURN. Any hint of sexual or romantic undertones was slow to seep its way into the pages of Ocean's Blood but let me tell you: it was so fucking worth it. There were no "oh ive just met this guy i hate but my dick's hard anyway" or flimsy excuses for hatred that quickly turn into insatiable lust. vindt's hatred for asche is real and it is deserved. The Singers are not kind and vindt has every excuse to despise them. Even after feelings of a more intimate nature arise in vindt, his hatred never disappears, it rises and falls.
-Vindt: what a fantastic lead character. One of my favorite aspects of him is his incessant defiance and strength. but at the same time, the author does an incredible job of naturally blending his strong-willed nature with the need to be subservient to survive. living a decade under the total control of a cruel and lethal Singer would change anyone no matter how strong-willed. so im glad he has moments of genuine fear when he oversteps boundaries. additionally, i feel like a lot of fantasy MCs will scorn/want to overthrow/ignore gods. vindt actively worships Gaal which adds more depth to his story. also the braid lore is great.
-Asche: i genuinely expected the Singer to be a complete edgelord. but he's not. it feels like he actually smiles and laughs more than vindt, which i love. the author takes care to show his care for for others, exerting much of his own energy to heal humans and providing expensive weapons of protection for his servants, and also sneaking his horse treats. however i would definitely not describe him as "kind" as the author makes clear that Singers will do what they must to achieve their goals, even if it means murdering thousands with their song. nonethless, asche is a compelling character who gives feral energy. love it.
- this book is dark in a fantastic way that doesn't feel overly edgy or plain dumb. i know a lot of people don't like 'flowery writing' but i love how the author describes pain and pleasure. i loved reading intricate descriptions of the horrific pains and suffering vindt undergoes. it's great stuff. this book gets quite dark and strange which i loved.
- my eyes glaze over sex scenes in most books. i just dont give a shit. i think my philosophy for sex scenes is similar to musicals: it's useless to me if it does not propel the story forward somehow. i don't care if two characters bang unless some significant change is occurring as a result and i dont mean like a "omg theyre together now they can fuck !" moment.
i literally have one gripe that i noticed some other reviewers take note of as well:
there are some word choices that are immersion-breaking. reading about asche blowing a kiss sarcastically and him saying he "couldn't find his favorite eyeliner" just didn't fit the feel of the universe the author had set up. but this issue is one i don't find significant enough to deduct a star.
overall, Thelma Mantey knows how to write a good fucking book. i thank them wholeheartedly for sticking through and delivering us Ocean's Blood. like genuinely. the MM genre NEEDS more books like this. my skin itches for the second book and the author makes it clear they have a chronic illness that makes it difficult to write so i hope they don't feel any pressure to pump out a second book soon. i will wait as long as it takes as im sure this quality of work takes a lot of time, even without illness. best of luck to you Thelma and thank you again for blessing us with your works.
i think my long journey with MM romance has been digging through a shit ton of shitty '''''slow burn''''' romances with superficial characters and their weak excuses of hating other for the sake of the coveted enemies to lovers tag. however, while digging through a lot of mediocre muck, I do come across some rare jewels.
and Ocean's Blood is one of those jewels
tl;dr:
- fantastic and well-written magic system/worldbuilding
- convincing and realistic enemies to lovers
- intricate and detailed writing
- characters that feel real, not the traditional icy + grumpy dude/cheerful + playful dude trope
- REAL SLOW BURN, BABY
now here's the longer version:
-an incredibly well-thought-out and intricate magic system. You can feel the lethal beauty of the Singers woven through the entire story. The way the author describes the ease with which the Singers can just sing to kill and heal and inflict their will onto the world around them is just incredible. And the added intensity with bonds and fangs and the intimacy of sharing blood scratched the shit out of that itch for a good vampiric story.
- vindt and asche were captivating in their relationship. THIS BOOK IS ACTUALLY A SLOW BURN. Any hint of sexual or romantic undertones was slow to seep its way into the pages of Ocean's Blood but let me tell you: it was so fucking worth it. There were no "oh ive just met this guy i hate but my dick's hard anyway" or flimsy excuses for hatred that quickly turn into insatiable lust. vindt's hatred for asche is real and it is deserved. The Singers are not kind and vindt has every excuse to despise them. Even after feelings of a more intimate nature arise in vindt, his hatred never disappears, it rises and falls.
-Vindt: what a fantastic lead character. One of my favorite aspects of him is his incessant defiance and strength. but at the same time, the author does an incredible job of naturally blending his strong-willed nature with the need to be subservient to survive. living a decade under the total control of a cruel and lethal Singer would change anyone no matter how strong-willed. so im glad he has moments of genuine fear when he oversteps boundaries. additionally, i feel like a lot of fantasy MCs will scorn/want to overthrow/ignore gods. vindt actively worships Gaal which adds more depth to his story. also the braid lore is great.
-Asche: i genuinely expected the Singer to be a complete edgelord. but he's not. it feels like he actually smiles and laughs more than vindt, which i love. the author takes care to show his care for for others, exerting much of his own energy to heal humans and providing expensive weapons of protection for his servants, and also sneaking his horse treats. however i would definitely not describe him as "kind" as the author makes clear that Singers will do what they must to achieve their goals, even if it means murdering thousands with their song. nonethless, asche is a compelling character who gives feral energy. love it.
- this book is dark in a fantastic way that doesn't feel overly edgy or plain dumb. i know a lot of people don't like 'flowery writing' but i love how the author describes pain and pleasure. i loved reading intricate descriptions of the horrific pains and suffering vindt undergoes. it's great stuff. this book gets quite dark and strange which i loved.
- my eyes glaze over sex scenes in most books. i just dont give a shit. i think my philosophy for sex scenes is similar to musicals: it's useless to me if it does not propel the story forward somehow. i don't care if two characters bang unless some significant change is occurring as a result and i dont mean like a "omg theyre together now they can fuck !" moment.
i literally have one gripe that i noticed some other reviewers take note of as well:
there are some word choices that are immersion-breaking. reading about asche blowing a kiss sarcastically and him saying he "couldn't find his favorite eyeliner" just didn't fit the feel of the universe the author had set up. but this issue is one i don't find significant enough to deduct a star.
overall, Thelma Mantey knows how to write a good fucking book. i thank them wholeheartedly for sticking through and delivering us Ocean's Blood. like genuinely. the MM genre NEEDS more books like this. my skin itches for the second book and the author makes it clear they have a chronic illness that makes it difficult to write so i hope they don't feel any pressure to pump out a second book soon. i will wait as long as it takes as im sure this quality of work takes a lot of time, even without illness. best of luck to you Thelma and thank you again for blessing us with your works.
February 5, 2024
Review originally on
JamReads
Ocean's Blood is the first book in the dark fantasy romance series The Drowning, which also marks the debut novel of Thelma Mantey. A queer proposal that contains a great enemies-to-lovers relationship, exploring the limits between love and obsession; the fine line that separates between intense and toxic.
Vindt's life changes forever when the Singers appeared and overthrown his homeland; everything was lost to them. When it is revealed that he possesses the trait that allows the Singers to use his voice as a weapon, he's stripped of his freedom and bound by blood to a Singer, getting his life totally in control of them. However, a chain of events ends with him changing master and binding to the enigmatic and powerful Asche. A relationship of power that soon clashes because their egos are too similar.
But with the time, Vindt starts to feel a sort of attraction to this Singer he should hate with the power of all his soul; for reasons he cannot explain. Maybe it's the enigmatic quest Asche has for power; or compassion because Asche is fighting against the curse that afflicts all Singers after they pass a certain age, but it's impossible to negate. However, Asche is still the chain that keeps Vindt apart from freedom, and when Asche's enemies offer Vindt a way to recover it just by betraying him, Vindt is put between the wall and the rock. Mantey's portraits a complicated relationship, a slow-burn evolution in the classic enemies-to-lovers with touches of obsession and control.
Outside of excellent characters, Mantey has created a vast world, with several fantasy races and a mystery which propels part of the plot; the power of the Singers is interesting to see in use, and some of the scenes portraying it are really intense.
Pacing is slightly slow for my taste, but I think it would be appreciated for those that prefer more romance elements in their fantasy.
Ocean's Blood is a solid debut, a great M-M enemies-to-lovers romantasy which leaves the door open to a sequel that concludes with the Drowning series; excellent job by Thelma Mantey.
Ocean's Blood is the first book in the dark fantasy romance series The Drowning, which also marks the debut novel of Thelma Mantey. A queer proposal that contains a great enemies-to-lovers relationship, exploring the limits between love and obsession; the fine line that separates between intense and toxic.
Vindt's life changes forever when the Singers appeared and overthrown his homeland; everything was lost to them. When it is revealed that he possesses the trait that allows the Singers to use his voice as a weapon, he's stripped of his freedom and bound by blood to a Singer, getting his life totally in control of them. However, a chain of events ends with him changing master and binding to the enigmatic and powerful Asche. A relationship of power that soon clashes because their egos are too similar.
But with the time, Vindt starts to feel a sort of attraction to this Singer he should hate with the power of all his soul; for reasons he cannot explain. Maybe it's the enigmatic quest Asche has for power; or compassion because Asche is fighting against the curse that afflicts all Singers after they pass a certain age, but it's impossible to negate. However, Asche is still the chain that keeps Vindt apart from freedom, and when Asche's enemies offer Vindt a way to recover it just by betraying him, Vindt is put between the wall and the rock. Mantey's portraits a complicated relationship, a slow-burn evolution in the classic enemies-to-lovers with touches of obsession and control.
Outside of excellent characters, Mantey has created a vast world, with several fantasy races and a mystery which propels part of the plot; the power of the Singers is interesting to see in use, and some of the scenes portraying it are really intense.
Pacing is slightly slow for my taste, but I think it would be appreciated for those that prefer more romance elements in their fantasy.
Ocean's Blood is a solid debut, a great M-M enemies-to-lovers romantasy which leaves the door open to a sequel that concludes with the Drowning series; excellent job by Thelma Mantey.
June 1, 2024
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of the ebook from the author
Actual rating: 3.5
Ocean's Blood is an interesting high fantasy novel wherein supernatural beings, Singers, can kill people simply by, well, singing. Our MC Vindt is a human and a Thyd which is a person who enhances the singers abilities to protect themselves against attacks from deathly creatures.
While I was very impressed with the world created in this book, I mostly was also incredibly confused. That's largely to do with how Vindt is also confused, left out of plans, and doesn't know what's happening for most of the book. This quote made me laugh because it summarizes how I felt for the first half of the book: "Vindt had no idea what anything that had been said meant." Even the title of the book and the cover, which is very pretty, had me confused until close to the end because I couldn't figure out where the ocean creature came into the story.
The new Singer Vindt's assigned to, Asche is as intriguing as he is mysterious, and he was probably the character I liked best, though I would've liked to have gotten to know him more. However, this is book 1 out of however many, so I'm sure that'll come later.
The plot is clearly meant to be an epic battle that will span across the series and so it's a little hard to judge this book without reading the rest of the series.
Ocean's Blood uses Captive Prince as a comp, and I can see the likeness in that this is also a dark fantasy book, with a kind of fucked up slowburn. Plus, the handsome man that the MC is enslaved to is mysterious and always thinking 3 steps ahead of everyone else, and is probably not a baddie but actually one of the good guys.
Overall I'd say that Ocean's Blood is a super intricate and interesting fantasy book that had me fairly confused for most of it, but that I'm still very intrigued by. I'll probably be picking up the second book whenever it's out to see how everything evolves.
Actual rating: 3.5
Ocean's Blood is an interesting high fantasy novel wherein supernatural beings, Singers, can kill people simply by, well, singing. Our MC Vindt is a human and a Thyd which is a person who enhances the singers abilities to protect themselves against attacks from deathly creatures.
While I was very impressed with the world created in this book, I mostly was also incredibly confused. That's largely to do with how Vindt is also confused, left out of plans, and doesn't know what's happening for most of the book. This quote made me laugh because it summarizes how I felt for the first half of the book: "Vindt had no idea what anything that had been said meant." Even the title of the book and the cover, which is very pretty, had me confused until close to the end because I couldn't figure out where the ocean creature came into the story.
The new Singer Vindt's assigned to, Asche is as intriguing as he is mysterious, and he was probably the character I liked best, though I would've liked to have gotten to know him more. However, this is book 1 out of however many, so I'm sure that'll come later.
The plot is clearly meant to be an epic battle that will span across the series and so it's a little hard to judge this book without reading the rest of the series.
Ocean's Blood uses Captive Prince as a comp, and I can see the likeness in that this is also a dark fantasy book, with a kind of fucked up slowburn. Plus, the handsome man that the MC is enslaved to is mysterious and always thinking 3 steps ahead of everyone else, and is probably not a baddie but actually one of the good guys.
Overall I'd say that Ocean's Blood is a super intricate and interesting fantasy book that had me fairly confused for most of it, but that I'm still very intrigued by. I'll probably be picking up the second book whenever it's out to see how everything evolves.
January 17, 2024
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.
I loved this book! It had intricate world building and complex characters. I was shocked at how well I could feel the character's emotions and connect to them in such a short amount of time. There isn't romance in this book, just some sexual tension and one smut scene - it is a verrrrry slow and subtle burn, but I expect the next book will have some very interesting romance and more sexual tension. The relationship between Vindt and Asche is so frustrating and intriguing in the perfect way. The only complaint I would be able to give about this book is that I expected the world or the storyline to revolve much more around water or the ocean, considering the cover and title. It just made me confused about the world building for a moment. I would probably give this book 4.5 stars, but I am rounding it up to 5. I would recommend this book to any fantasy reader!
I loved this book! It had intricate world building and complex characters. I was shocked at how well I could feel the character's emotions and connect to them in such a short amount of time. There isn't romance in this book, just some sexual tension and one smut scene - it is a verrrrry slow and subtle burn, but I expect the next book will have some very interesting romance and more sexual tension. The relationship between Vindt and Asche is so frustrating and intriguing in the perfect way. The only complaint I would be able to give about this book is that I expected the world or the storyline to revolve much more around water or the ocean, considering the cover and title. It just made me confused about the world building for a moment. I would probably give this book 4.5 stars, but I am rounding it up to 5. I would recommend this book to any fantasy reader!
April 9, 2024
First of all i would like to thank to the author for the earc, even though i swear that the review isn't influenced by that fact.
Now on the review
This is a debut novel and it's also 1st book from series which is really big commitment when author doesn't have any experience, but Them made it work somehow. It's not perfect. There is lots of blind spots, mainly on the 1/2, but it's better that way, because it's new world and i was able to orient pretty well, although when i got more in to the story the blind spots were really irritating and i would for sure cut them. But that doesn't count for 2/2 of the book there was more action and character interaction so i could really get into they're life and get attached to them.
We're following story of Vindt who is warrior attach to the Singer which name for the magicians in this world, because there magic is based on song and elements. To be honest i didn't like Vin that much as Asche (Singer) at least not in the first half, i was irritated with his thoughts which were mostly about the same things, but when he was forced to travel with Asch it started to be better, because he started to talk to the crew and the thoughts weren't so intense, also i loved the way he treated his horse and other animals and that he didn't left and decided to help his 'enemy'.
Asch was great character! I don't like dual pov's chapters but in this case it would be sooo good, i would really love to know more about them (they're nonbinary btw). Also they sweet when it comes on their horse❤️. They're character was not just black and white which is why i need they're pov asap.
In this point i would give it propably just 3 stars but the end was so good which is why I'm giving 3,5* and now i will be waiting on the second book which could be out till end of the year.
Now on the review
This is a debut novel and it's also 1st book from series which is really big commitment when author doesn't have any experience, but Them made it work somehow. It's not perfect. There is lots of blind spots, mainly on the 1/2, but it's better that way, because it's new world and i was able to orient pretty well, although when i got more in to the story the blind spots were really irritating and i would for sure cut them. But that doesn't count for 2/2 of the book there was more action and character interaction so i could really get into they're life and get attached to them.
We're following story of Vindt who is warrior attach to the Singer which name for the magicians in this world, because there magic is based on song and elements. To be honest i didn't like Vin that much as Asche (Singer) at least not in the first half, i was irritated with his thoughts which were mostly about the same things, but when he was forced to travel with Asch it started to be better, because he started to talk to the crew and the thoughts weren't so intense, also i loved the way he treated his horse and other animals and that he didn't left and decided to help his 'enemy'.
Asch was great character! I don't like dual pov's chapters but in this case it would be sooo good, i would really love to know more about them (they're nonbinary btw). Also they sweet when it comes on their horse❤️. They're character was not just black and white which is why i need they're pov asap.
In this point i would give it propably just 3 stars but the end was so good which is why I'm giving 3,5* and now i will be waiting on the second book which could be out till end of the year.
January 29, 2024
I don’t even know how to sum up the adventure this book takes you on, it’s truely such a great start to a new fantasy series - but if you’re after some smutty fiction with a HEA, this ain’t it. It’s a slow burn more focused on world building and the ending is definitely not what you expect, but it’ll leave you wanting more in the series. Asche is a singer - otherworldly and beautiful in his ferocity (he gives the good manipulative vibes). Vindt is a Thyd, essentially a human tied to a singer and he’s damn right pissed about it most days. Please read this if you love fantasy worlds, unique magic systems and books that are heavy on the plot with just a touch of “I hate myself for this” lusting- true enemies, it’s so much fun. I know this review doesn’t tell you much but honestly, I don’t know how to sum it up - it’s just fantastic and such a whirlwind adventure, with beautifully thought out characters and a landscape so unique it had me hooked from start to finish.
January 8, 2024
4.5/5 stars
Ocean’s Blood is a mysterious and seductive dark fantasy that is entirely unexpected. Ten years ago, Vindt’s homeland was defeated and he was taken captive by the Singers, a humanoid species whose voices have the ability to do magic and kill. When it is discovered that his blood carries the Gift (a vocal ability that can be forcefully harmonized with in order to kill the Singer’s only vulnerability—the Verdurs), he is made a Thyd and bound to a Singer. But after mysterious life-ending event, he finds himself bound to a new Singer, the enigmatic Asche, and an unwitting pawn in Asche’s machinations for power.
This was a slow meandering fantasy that had me completely enthralled. It doesn’t have a defined narrative that you can feel it build towards, but rather reads like a slice-of-life journey as Vindt learns about his new circumstances, bound to a new Singer after 10 years of slavery to another. He is inexplicably drawn to Asche who seems to know more than he should and wants something from him. Told entirely from Vindt’s perspective, we are drawn into the mystery of his seeming resurrection and to his growing internal struggle with his own desires. This is accompanied by a haunting atmosphere and descriptive prose that really paints a picture of tension and conflict as it flows slowly and steadily without ever knowing where it’s going.
Vindt and Asche are both complex men with complicated feelings and conflicting wants. There’s an undercurrent of hatred, lust, forbidden desire, and confused wanting in their many interactions. I can understand the comparison to Captive Prince, but I would not go so far as to call this a romance. There is an enemies-to-lovers aspect, but a romance it is not. It does really work as a dark fantasy with its dark story of a slave bound to the vampire/siren-like Singer and the issues of consent and agency that come with that. There’s blood play, body horror, and dubcon as well.
Ocean’s Blood delivers a dark and enthralling story in this fantasy disguised as a queer romance.
*I was provided an eARC by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Ocean’s Blood is a mysterious and seductive dark fantasy that is entirely unexpected. Ten years ago, Vindt’s homeland was defeated and he was taken captive by the Singers, a humanoid species whose voices have the ability to do magic and kill. When it is discovered that his blood carries the Gift (a vocal ability that can be forcefully harmonized with in order to kill the Singer’s only vulnerability—the Verdurs), he is made a Thyd and bound to a Singer. But after mysterious life-ending event, he finds himself bound to a new Singer, the enigmatic Asche, and an unwitting pawn in Asche’s machinations for power.
This was a slow meandering fantasy that had me completely enthralled. It doesn’t have a defined narrative that you can feel it build towards, but rather reads like a slice-of-life journey as Vindt learns about his new circumstances, bound to a new Singer after 10 years of slavery to another. He is inexplicably drawn to Asche who seems to know more than he should and wants something from him. Told entirely from Vindt’s perspective, we are drawn into the mystery of his seeming resurrection and to his growing internal struggle with his own desires. This is accompanied by a haunting atmosphere and descriptive prose that really paints a picture of tension and conflict as it flows slowly and steadily without ever knowing where it’s going.
Vindt and Asche are both complex men with complicated feelings and conflicting wants. There’s an undercurrent of hatred, lust, forbidden desire, and confused wanting in their many interactions. I can understand the comparison to Captive Prince, but I would not go so far as to call this a romance. There is an enemies-to-lovers aspect, but a romance it is not. It does really work as a dark fantasy with its dark story of a slave bound to the vampire/siren-like Singer and the issues of consent and agency that come with that. There’s blood play, body horror, and dubcon as well.
Ocean’s Blood delivers a dark and enthralling story in this fantasy disguised as a queer romance.
*I was provided an eARC by the author in exchange for an honest review.
January 28, 2024
I enjoyed Ocean's Blood and put everything on hold to read it in one day. This book was more complex than I was expecting, and it has a very unique take on vampires and a fantasy world. I really enjoyed reading about the world in which this book was set, and I like that the author took the time to fully describe and immerse the reader in it. Ocean's Blood features non-human (though human looking) beings called Singers that have their own loose government system and can be hired to help humans win wars. However, each Singer needs a human to help them channel their magical singing which is where the main character comes in.
The main character in this book has a complex, traumatic past and seeing him start to become more in control of his life and make his own choices was one of my favorite parts of the book. I also really appreciated that the book is a very slow-burn. For these characters, one who hates being bound to a Singer and one who is the new Singer bound to him, I would not have felt that the relationship was real if it had not taken a long time to build up to it.
That being said this book is not quite enemies to lovers. It is definitely the first in a series, and it will take longer for these characters to potentially reach a HEA. I am just sad about waiting until the next book.
ARC received in exchange for an honest review.
The main character in this book has a complex, traumatic past and seeing him start to become more in control of his life and make his own choices was one of my favorite parts of the book. I also really appreciated that the book is a very slow-burn. For these characters, one who hates being bound to a Singer and one who is the new Singer bound to him, I would not have felt that the relationship was real if it had not taken a long time to build up to it.
That being said this book is not quite enemies to lovers. It is definitely the first in a series, and it will take longer for these characters to potentially reach a HEA. I am just sad about waiting until the next book.
ARC received in exchange for an honest review.
January 3, 2024
My Rating: 4.5 Stars
I received a free ARC of this book and here's my honest review.
CW: blood, blood drinking, sexual content, dub-con, torture, war, mentioned suicide attempt
My thoughts:
I love the world building. It is one of the more unique ones I've recently read and I love the concept. There was also no info dumping on the magic system or the world (nor that many explanations of it in general) which sometimes left you a bit confused but I didn't mind. I prefer this way over having too much information to remember. And you could definitly work out what you need to know (the MC doesn't know that much himself tbh).
I also very much liked the pacing: it started out rather slow and then really sped up towards the end.
The MC's are both assholes and morally very grey. I love them. I love their relationship/their interactions with each other. Vindt hates Asche in the beginning and it's not much better at the end. And Asche is a manipulative dick. But somehow I still like them both.
I !! need !! the sequel !!
I received a free ARC of this book and here's my honest review.
CW: blood, blood drinking, sexual content, dub-con, torture, war, mentioned suicide attempt
“With my blood, I bind you. I bind your body and your soul. My blood will
fulfill your destiny. You will be my shield and my sword. You will be my voice.
You will depend on me as I will depend on you. You will defend my life with
yours, and I will do the same for you. This Bond is sacred.
It shall only be broken by death.”
My thoughts:
I love the world building. It is one of the more unique ones I've recently read and I love the concept. There was also no info dumping on the magic system or the world (nor that many explanations of it in general) which sometimes left you a bit confused but I didn't mind. I prefer this way over having too much information to remember. And you could definitly work out what you need to know (the MC doesn't know that much himself tbh).
I also very much liked the pacing: it started out rather slow and then really sped up towards the end.
The MC's are both assholes and morally very grey. I love them. I love their relationship/their interactions with each other. Vindt hates Asche in the beginning and it's not much better at the end. And Asche is a manipulative dick. But somehow I still like them both.
I !! need !! the sequel !!
January 30, 2024
4.5/5 I thought this was great! Good world building, good characters, good tension! It felt very real emotionally in that there wasn’t always just good or just bad feelings but very gray areas that Vindt lived in. Overall this is a darker/moody noveI but it was nuanced and i liked that. Definitely not a romance more maybe enemies to lovers. The story was very compelling and did not pan out the way I was expecting based on the blurb which was exciting.
I thought that the prose was strong and the differences between Vindt and Asche speaking were very clear and enjoyable. I could hear Asche speaking in my head. I cannot wait for the second installment and am really excited for this to release!
Thank you to NetGalley for access to the ARC!
I thought that the prose was strong and the differences between Vindt and Asche speaking were very clear and enjoyable. I could hear Asche speaking in my head. I cannot wait for the second installment and am really excited for this to release!
Thank you to NetGalley for access to the ARC!
December 21, 2023
If novels had tags:Enemies to begrudging allies, vampirism, soul bonds, too pretty to be human, us vs the world, mc has confusing angry erections on the regular, non-traditional magic system
Ocean’s Blood is one of those stories that I had a bit of trouble getting my head around early on in the story, but then by the time I finished it I had to stop reading entirely for a few days because every time I tried to start a new book my brain just kept going back to it. It’s a novel that begins at a steady pace, and then ramps up to a hundred so quickly that you’re left surprised that the novel has come to and end. And it’s left me desperately wanting a sequel, because while it’s not entirely a cliffhanger, it still ends at a point that left me with the bookish equivalent of the bluest of blue balls.
Vindt is a Thyd, a man bound to the whim of a Singer by blood, forced to serve however he is told and forced to die when his master dies. When his Singer, Silhorveen, is taken by demons, Vindt is blindsighted by his own survival. Out of the frying pan and into the fire, he is then bound to the mysterious Asche; an ethereally beautiful Singer with the tongue of a whip and as trustworthy as a snake. Asche needs Vindt, and Vindt finds himself conflicted; torn between the Singer he’s supposed to hate (but doesn’t…not at all) and the impossible offer being given to him by Asche’s enemies, in exchange for Vindt’s betrayal.
THE YEAHS
The big things things that nailed it.
THE NAH’S
The little things that missed the mark. Potential spoilers ahead!
Ocean’s Blood is a strong start to this series, and a powerful debut novel for Thelma Mantey. Once it had my attention, it kept it, leaving me feeling bereft once I’d finished because there was nothing for me to follow on to. It lives up to the claim that it’s a Captive Prince meets Interview With The Vampire novel; a bold claim that caught my attention in the first place and encouraged me to continue reading early on.
4 stars.
I was generously provided an ARC of this novel, and am leaving my review voluntarily.
Ocean’s Blood is one of those stories that I had a bit of trouble getting my head around early on in the story, but then by the time I finished it I had to stop reading entirely for a few days because every time I tried to start a new book my brain just kept going back to it. It’s a novel that begins at a steady pace, and then ramps up to a hundred so quickly that you’re left surprised that the novel has come to and end. And it’s left me desperately wanting a sequel, because while it’s not entirely a cliffhanger, it still ends at a point that left me with the bookish equivalent of the bluest of blue balls.
Vindt is a Thyd, a man bound to the whim of a Singer by blood, forced to serve however he is told and forced to die when his master dies. When his Singer, Silhorveen, is taken by demons, Vindt is blindsighted by his own survival. Out of the frying pan and into the fire, he is then bound to the mysterious Asche; an ethereally beautiful Singer with the tongue of a whip and as trustworthy as a snake. Asche needs Vindt, and Vindt finds himself conflicted; torn between the Singer he’s supposed to hate (but doesn’t…not at all) and the impossible offer being given to him by Asche’s enemies, in exchange for Vindt’s betrayal.
THE YEAHS
The big things things that nailed it.
Asche: Novels that proclaim to be the next Captive Prince often fall short in one particular way; the authors just never quite have the skills that CS Pacat possesses in order to create a character like Laurent. Asche is probably the closest I’ve encountered in the countless novels I’ve read that use Capri as a selling point (which this novel does). Sly, beautiful and wickedly smart, Asche has the game pieces moving in several directions at once, leaving you wondering what his plan is in every single scene. He is a formidable character, and his moments of vulnerability around Vindt bring with him a humanity that are essential to his likeability; without those, he would just be a cruel asshole. It’s the blend of ruthlessness, calculation and unwavering humanity that makes characters like Laurent so successful, and Asche captures the same traits despite not being human himself. Even though he’s positioned as the antagonist (or perhaps anti-hero) for most of this novel, I delighted in every moment he pulled some Shenanigans.
Singers: I’ll go into more about the magic system below, but the Singers themselves, and the idea of bonding by blood, was quite intriguing for me. Singers are human in appearance, but non human species who use their voice and the power of song as weapons. They bind humans to them by blood to use as weapons, and are intimidatingly powerful; capable of felling entire armies. I quite liked this twist on the traditional vampire.
The writing: The writing style and prose in this novel are absolutely divine. Descriptive, flowing and emotive. I think the prose and the authors skill at weaving imagery together is what encouraged me to continue reading while I was struggling early on. Any weaker author would have had me DNF this before I’d hit 20%. Absolutely beautiful work.
THE NAH’S
The little things that missed the mark. Potential spoilers ahead!
The worldbuilding/magic system: As beautiful as the prose was, the main thing that I struggled with early on in this novel was the world at large. There is little explanation to the events we are introduced to, and the magic is never really delved into beyond being ‘shown’ when situations arise that warrant certain magic tricks. I think this is an example of where ‘show don’t tell’ falls flat; I absolutely needed to be told some things about this world, especially early on when I was struggling to understand what exactly was going on. Any explanation that was given was weak and a bit confusing, to the point that I just disregarded it entirely for the sake of continuing to read. Once the story found its feet things were easier to follow, but the jumbled mess of the first half a dozen chapters could very well be a death knell for some readers who may not want to persevere through the confusion.
That one scene that should have been there: I’m talking about the scene when Asche wakes up. No more detail due to spoilers, but this scene went from Asche was asleep, to suddenly days later. Time and scene jumps are a common occurrence in this novel; a stylistic choice and one I didn’t mind too much as it was bulky enough, but this one…it needed to be there. I needed to see Asche wake up and his reaction to learning what Vindt did for him. Being deprived of that was a major disappointment.
Ocean’s Blood is a strong start to this series, and a powerful debut novel for Thelma Mantey. Once it had my attention, it kept it, leaving me feeling bereft once I’d finished because there was nothing for me to follow on to. It lives up to the claim that it’s a Captive Prince meets Interview With The Vampire novel; a bold claim that caught my attention in the first place and encouraged me to continue reading early on.
4 stars.
I was generously provided an ARC of this novel, and am leaving my review voluntarily.
January 30, 2024
3.5
"golden boy"
In a word, Ocean's Blood is a complicated book: the characters, their actions, and their moral views all had my head spinning.
Let's start with the things that I liked: first and foremost, I absolutely loved the world-building. I really enjoy reading about worlds where the author has obviously spent a lot of time and thought: although there were a a whole lot of details provided about Singers, Verdurs, local customs and other various aspects of the world where the novel takes place, it did not feel like information dumping at all and I could easily follow along; explanations were offered in small doses and only when relevant. The pacing was generally consistent and the plot's flow was quite natural. I also loved the characters to bits, their dynamics especially, and a certain sassy drama queen Kvahad-thed specifically. I had mixed feelings about the narrative, but mostly, I thought the prose was rather beautiful: though some might call it elaborate, I do not think flowery writing should inherently be considered a bad thing.
As for the things I did not like about this book: Still, the worst thing about this book is that it's barely out, but I already want the next one XD.
All in all, Ocean's Blood is truly an enjoyable read with a promising plot and just the right amount of angst, banter, and sexual tension (the holy trinity of quality MM). After taking into consideration the trigger warnings, if you enjoy dark fantasy and morally grey characters, this might be for you.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
"golden boy"
In a word, Ocean's Blood is a complicated book: the characters, their actions, and their moral views all had my head spinning.
Let's start with the things that I liked: first and foremost, I absolutely loved the world-building. I really enjoy reading about worlds where the author has obviously spent a lot of time and thought: although there were a a whole lot of details provided about Singers, Verdurs, local customs and other various aspects of the world where the novel takes place, it did not feel like information dumping at all and I could easily follow along; explanations were offered in small doses and only when relevant. The pacing was generally consistent and the plot's flow was quite natural. I also loved the characters to bits, their dynamics especially, and a certain sassy drama queen Kvahad-thed specifically. I had mixed feelings about the narrative, but mostly, I thought the prose was rather beautiful: though some might call it elaborate, I do not think flowery writing should inherently be considered a bad thing.
As for the things I did not like about this book: Still, the worst thing about this book is that it's barely out, but I already want the next one XD.
All in all, Ocean's Blood is truly an enjoyable read with a promising plot and just the right amount of angst, banter, and sexual tension (the holy trinity of quality MM). After taking into consideration the trigger warnings, if you enjoy dark fantasy and morally grey characters, this might be for you.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
January 27, 2024
“ʜɪs ɢᴀᴢᴇ ғᴀsᴛᴇɴᴇᴅ ᴏɴ ᴀsᴄʜᴇ, ᴄᴀʀᴇʟᴇssʟʏ ᴅʀᴀᴘᴇᴅ ɪɴ ʜɪs ᴄʜᴀɪʀ, ᴛʜᴇ ᴇᴘɪᴛᴏᴍᴇ ᴏғ ᴄᴏɴғɪᴅᴇɴᴄᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴘᴏᴡᴇʀ, ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴀʟᴇ ғᴀᴄᴇ ᴏғ ᴜɴᴇᴀʀᴛʜʟʏ ʙᴇᴀᴜᴛʏ, ᴛʜᴇ ᴇʏᴇs ᴀ sᴇᴀ ᴏғ ʙʟᴀᴄᴋɴᴇss.”
“ᴀ ᴋɪɴɢ ᴏɴ ʜɪs ᴛʜʀᴏɴᴇ, ᴀ ɢᴏᴅ ᴏғ ᴀʀʀᴏɢᴀɴᴄᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ʙᴇᴀᴜᴛʏ.”
“ᴏᴜʀ ʙᴀʙɪᴇs ᴅɪᴅɴ’ᴛ ᴜsᴇ ᴛᴏ ɢʀᴏᴡ ᴏɴ ᴛʀᴇᴇs, ʏᴏᴜ ᴋɴᴏᴡ. ғᴇᴍᴀʟᴇ sɪɴɢᴇʀs ᴅɪᴅ ᴇxɪsᴛ. ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴋɪʟʟᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴇᴍ, ᴊᴇᴀʟᴏᴜs ɴᴏᴛ ᴏɴʟʏ ᴏғ ᴏᴜʀ ᴘᴏᴡᴇʀs ʙᴜᴛ ᴏᴜʀ ᴀʙɪʟɪᴛʏ ᴛᴏ ᴘʀᴏᴄʀᴇᴀᴛᴇ, ᴛᴏ ᴇᴠᴏʟᴠᴇ, ᴡʜɪʟᴇ ᴛʜᴇʏ sᴛᴀɢɴᴀᴛᴇᴅ.”
“sᴏ, ɢᴏʟᴅᴇɴ ʙᴏʏ, ɴᴇxᴛ ᴛɪᴍᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛʜɪɴᴋ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀʀᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴇᴘᴇɴᴅᴇɴᴛ ᴏɴᴇ ɪɴ ᴏᴜʀ ʀᴇʟᴀᴛɪᴏɴsʜɪᴘ, ᴛʜᴇ sʟᴀᴠᴇ— ᴛʜɪɴᴋ ᴀɢᴀɪɴ.”
When I originally picked up Ocean's Blood, it was purely because of the stunning cover I had seen floating around, and the taste for something different from my usual read. Thelma Mantey definitely delivered with Vindt and Asche's story, which is enriched in plot and lore; without stunting the stories overall flow.
Vindt begrudgingly finds himself once again trapped in servitude—a Thyd to a Singer—without any means of an escape that wouldn't result in an eternity of inflicted pain in the pits of Thithid, a hell, of a different kind to his current one. And even that option has been stripped from Vindt, and by a Singer, adding gasoline to his already burning hate for the breathtakingly beautiful beings, whose songs have immobilised enemies in their tracks.
All the burning antagonism on display, and core manipulation, makes this ensnaring power play unputdownable and has me begging for their return, as we have only superficially breached its surface, and I can't wait to see what Mantey serves up from the depths of The Drowning. And the morally gray characters that you will loathe to love. Love them I did, especially game loving Asche with his underwater octopus decorated—outwardly monstrous looking home. I think he will be the most complex puzzles to piece together.
“ᴀ ᴋɪɴɢ ᴏɴ ʜɪs ᴛʜʀᴏɴᴇ, ᴀ ɢᴏᴅ ᴏғ ᴀʀʀᴏɢᴀɴᴄᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ʙᴇᴀᴜᴛʏ.”
“ᴏᴜʀ ʙᴀʙɪᴇs ᴅɪᴅɴ’ᴛ ᴜsᴇ ᴛᴏ ɢʀᴏᴡ ᴏɴ ᴛʀᴇᴇs, ʏᴏᴜ ᴋɴᴏᴡ. ғᴇᴍᴀʟᴇ sɪɴɢᴇʀs ᴅɪᴅ ᴇxɪsᴛ. ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴋɪʟʟᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴇᴍ, ᴊᴇᴀʟᴏᴜs ɴᴏᴛ ᴏɴʟʏ ᴏғ ᴏᴜʀ ᴘᴏᴡᴇʀs ʙᴜᴛ ᴏᴜʀ ᴀʙɪʟɪᴛʏ ᴛᴏ ᴘʀᴏᴄʀᴇᴀᴛᴇ, ᴛᴏ ᴇᴠᴏʟᴠᴇ, ᴡʜɪʟᴇ ᴛʜᴇʏ sᴛᴀɢɴᴀᴛᴇᴅ.”
“sᴏ, ɢᴏʟᴅᴇɴ ʙᴏʏ, ɴᴇxᴛ ᴛɪᴍᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛʜɪɴᴋ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀʀᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴇᴘᴇɴᴅᴇɴᴛ ᴏɴᴇ ɪɴ ᴏᴜʀ ʀᴇʟᴀᴛɪᴏɴsʜɪᴘ, ᴛʜᴇ sʟᴀᴠᴇ— ᴛʜɪɴᴋ ᴀɢᴀɪɴ.”
When I originally picked up Ocean's Blood, it was purely because of the stunning cover I had seen floating around, and the taste for something different from my usual read. Thelma Mantey definitely delivered with Vindt and Asche's story, which is enriched in plot and lore; without stunting the stories overall flow.
Vindt begrudgingly finds himself once again trapped in servitude—a Thyd to a Singer—without any means of an escape that wouldn't result in an eternity of inflicted pain in the pits of Thithid, a hell, of a different kind to his current one. And even that option has been stripped from Vindt, and by a Singer, adding gasoline to his already burning hate for the breathtakingly beautiful beings, whose songs have immobilised enemies in their tracks.
All the burning antagonism on display, and core manipulation, makes this ensnaring power play unputdownable and has me begging for their return, as we have only superficially breached its surface, and I can't wait to see what Mantey serves up from the depths of The Drowning. And the morally gray characters that you will loathe to love. Love them I did, especially game loving Asche with his underwater octopus decorated—outwardly monstrous looking home. I think he will be the most complex puzzles to piece together.
December 15, 2023
I was an ARC reader for this book.
Honestly, I couldn't put it down. I stayed awake all night reading it and then again into the next day after a couple hours sleep. I've read almost 100 books this year and rarely do I read during the day. I needed to know what happened with Vindt and Asche. It is a *slow* agonizing burn of a book. If you want quick build up or instant love or anything like that, it isn't happening in this book. Nevertheless, it keeps you hooked, waiting, hoping for something to happen between the two main characters. For me, when it finally did I was interrupted by a phone call and wanted to throw my phone across the room. The chemistry between Asche and Vindt is palpable and leaves you on the edge waiting to see what happens next. I love the use of the aura in this story and the conveying of emotion and feelings that way. In the beginning Asche has an overpowering dominant aura but toward the end it is reaching, caressing, softened. It shows what I think are yet unsaid feelings for Vindt. He is begging Vindt at the end to stay with him whereas in the beginning I don't think Asche would've been like that.
I hope this story will continue. I know how hard it is to have a chronic illness as mine is very similar to the author's, so I have to say that yes I did read the acknowledgements and that I'm proud of the author for making it through writing this book. That's a huge accomplishment for having ME/CFS and the struggle that entails.
Of note since I don't know how to reach the author to let them know, there are still some typos in the book. Not many at all, just two or three. This is one of the most well written books grammatically that I've read all year.
I kind of don't know what to do with myself now. Prior to this I was reading alien fated mates books and while those are good, the writing style of this book beats them by a lot. I was getting tired of the instalove thing. This story was just what I needed.
Honestly, I couldn't put it down. I stayed awake all night reading it and then again into the next day after a couple hours sleep. I've read almost 100 books this year and rarely do I read during the day. I needed to know what happened with Vindt and Asche. It is a *slow* agonizing burn of a book. If you want quick build up or instant love or anything like that, it isn't happening in this book. Nevertheless, it keeps you hooked, waiting, hoping for something to happen between the two main characters. For me, when it finally did I was interrupted by a phone call and wanted to throw my phone across the room. The chemistry between Asche and Vindt is palpable and leaves you on the edge waiting to see what happens next. I love the use of the aura in this story and the conveying of emotion and feelings that way. In the beginning Asche has an overpowering dominant aura but toward the end it is reaching, caressing, softened. It shows what I think are yet unsaid feelings for Vindt. He is begging Vindt at the end to stay with him whereas in the beginning I don't think Asche would've been like that.
I hope this story will continue. I know how hard it is to have a chronic illness as mine is very similar to the author's, so I have to say that yes I did read the acknowledgements and that I'm proud of the author for making it through writing this book. That's a huge accomplishment for having ME/CFS and the struggle that entails.
Of note since I don't know how to reach the author to let them know, there are still some typos in the book. Not many at all, just two or three. This is one of the most well written books grammatically that I've read all year.
I kind of don't know what to do with myself now. Prior to this I was reading alien fated mates books and while those are good, the writing style of this book beats them by a lot. I was getting tired of the instalove thing. This story was just what I needed.
January 16, 2024
The world of Ocean’s Blood felt as wide and varied as our own, which was super refreshing, and I’m an absolute sucker for the song and blood-based magic system that was explored. I think the world-building was also handled well since we’re following an MC who has just as little grasp of the world around him as we do, so we were able to learn about things right alongside him at a fairly easy-to-understand pace.
Although the pacing at the start of the story dragged a little for my taste, it picked up around the middle and end of the book. I ended up reading the last third in a single sitting cause I couldn’t put it down.
The thing that really sold me about this novel though was the two MCs! If you are looking for morally perfect characters, this is not the book for you. HOWEVER (!!!) if you enjoy characters that are willing to lie, cheat, and manipulate to get their way- characters who are certain that the ends will always justify the means- Ocean’s Blood is going to be right up your alley!
I’m really looking forward to revisiting this world and finding out how Ashe and Vindt manage to twist their relationship in new and awful ways in the second book of The Drowning series ❀◝(⁰▿⁰)◜❀
Although the pacing at the start of the story dragged a little for my taste, it picked up around the middle and end of the book. I ended up reading the last third in a single sitting cause I couldn’t put it down.
The thing that really sold me about this novel though was the two MCs! If you are looking for morally perfect characters, this is not the book for you. HOWEVER (!!!) if you enjoy characters that are willing to lie, cheat, and manipulate to get their way- characters who are certain that the ends will always justify the means- Ocean’s Blood is going to be right up your alley!
I’m really looking forward to revisiting this world and finding out how Ashe and Vindt manage to twist their relationship in new and awful ways in the second book of The Drowning series ❀◝(⁰▿⁰)◜❀
April 1, 2024
When I first marked this as "Read" I gave it four stars. It's awesome, but I found Vindt to be frustratingly unlikable.
After a bit of reflection, though, I have to come back and give it five stars instead. This book deserves it for the world building alone.
After a bit of reflection, though, I have to come back and give it five stars instead. This book deserves it for the world building alone.
January 20, 2024
So, I'm obviously going to read a lush dark fantasy that's pitched as Captive Prince meets IWTV. Anyway...I need Book 2 now.
March 24, 2024
[review copy received from the author in exchange for an honest review / Rezensionsexemplar, erhalten von der Autorin im Austausch für eine ehrliche Rezension]
3.5 stars
synopsis: ocean's blood is the first book in a series set in a world where humans live together with singers, ethereal, beautiful beings whose deadly magic manifests in song. singers are commonly paid by humans to help them in wars, killing the enemy with their song. despite their powers, singers are hunted by malicious demonic beings. the only way to defeat them is for the singers to work together with humans, humans who have a gift that allows them to amplify the voice of a singer. they are bound to their singers in a blood ritual, to serve them until death. ocean's blood follows vindt, a human born with the gift, and the singer asche.
as first book in a series, ocean's blood sets up a rich fantasy world and magic system. both were super interesting and unlike anything i’ve read before - it is clear how much thought the author put into developing it aswell as naming places, characters and rituals.
despite there not being a clear-cut plot - large parts of the book are spent traveling - ocean's blood is an engaging read. i kept wanting to understand the singer's magic better and unravel asche's plans.
asche is a great character, extremely clever and well-versed at manipulating a situation until it benefits him - he knows he's smarter than you and he's not afraid of showing you exactly how much smarter he is. it's a joy to see his sharp mind at work.
a big part of the plot is the relationship between vindt and asche. while vindt hates being bound to a singer and he most certainly hates asche, he developes a hesitant, fragile peace with him that turns into a possessive obsession he doesn't seem to understand himself. ocean's blood is (kind of) pitched as a dark romance fantasy book, and it kind of is - it's fittingly compared to captive prince, and similarly the romance seems to be a sloooow slow burn. personally i enjoyed the exploration of the characters' dynamics a lot (you know me, i love some unhealthy obsessiveness in my books), but don't go into this expecting a full-on romantic relationship, especially since vindt also has some internalized homophobia going on which he doesn't really work out over the course of the book. in general i couldn't connect to vindt as much as i hoped to, and asche carried a lot of the story for me.
i quite enjoyed the writing (especially impressive considering this is a debut and english is not the author's first language!!) though some word choices seemed a bit repetitive. also, some choices regarding skipping over certain parts of the plot were confusing to me. there aren't many time jumps, but with those i found myself wishing that we as the reader would've actually seen "the thing" go down while with other parts of the story a time jump would've maybe helped to streamline the plot.
despite that, ocean's blood is a promising debut with an original magic system, and I'm very curious to see more from mantey in the future!!
content warnings (taken from the book's content note): blood-drinking, mild body-horror, dub con, mention of torture in dream-like flashbacks, mention of past suicide attempt
3.5 stars
synopsis: ocean's blood is the first book in a series set in a world where humans live together with singers, ethereal, beautiful beings whose deadly magic manifests in song. singers are commonly paid by humans to help them in wars, killing the enemy with their song. despite their powers, singers are hunted by malicious demonic beings. the only way to defeat them is for the singers to work together with humans, humans who have a gift that allows them to amplify the voice of a singer. they are bound to their singers in a blood ritual, to serve them until death. ocean's blood follows vindt, a human born with the gift, and the singer asche.
as first book in a series, ocean's blood sets up a rich fantasy world and magic system. both were super interesting and unlike anything i’ve read before - it is clear how much thought the author put into developing it aswell as naming places, characters and rituals.
despite there not being a clear-cut plot - large parts of the book are spent traveling - ocean's blood is an engaging read. i kept wanting to understand the singer's magic better and unravel asche's plans.
asche is a great character, extremely clever and well-versed at manipulating a situation until it benefits him - he knows he's smarter than you and he's not afraid of showing you exactly how much smarter he is. it's a joy to see his sharp mind at work.
a big part of the plot is the relationship between vindt and asche. while vindt hates being bound to a singer and he most certainly hates asche, he developes a hesitant, fragile peace with him that turns into a possessive obsession he doesn't seem to understand himself. ocean's blood is (kind of) pitched as a dark romance fantasy book, and it kind of is - it's fittingly compared to captive prince, and similarly the romance seems to be a sloooow slow burn. personally i enjoyed the exploration of the characters' dynamics a lot (you know me, i love some unhealthy obsessiveness in my books), but don't go into this expecting a full-on romantic relationship, especially since vindt also has some internalized homophobia going on which he doesn't really work out over the course of the book. in general i couldn't connect to vindt as much as i hoped to, and asche carried a lot of the story for me.
i quite enjoyed the writing (especially impressive considering this is a debut and english is not the author's first language!!) though some word choices seemed a bit repetitive. also, some choices regarding skipping over certain parts of the plot were confusing to me. there aren't many time jumps, but with those i found myself wishing that we as the reader would've actually seen "the thing" go down while with other parts of the story a time jump would've maybe helped to streamline the plot.
despite that, ocean's blood is a promising debut with an original magic system, and I'm very curious to see more from mantey in the future!!
content warnings (taken from the book's content note): blood-drinking, mild body-horror, dub con, mention of torture in dream-like flashbacks, mention of past suicide attempt
January 14, 2024
“Ocean’s Blood” by Thelma Mantey
Vindt life is altered when his home is taken over and humans with a trait to be controlled by the Singers are enslaved. The Singers are magical beings that use their enslaved humans’ voice as a weapon to fight with their dark song magic. Vindt struggles to break free from his master Singer, Asche, even as his feelings toward him are becoming more muddled every day.
I didn’t like this book very much. The concept was interesting and held promise, but it just didn’t deliver for me. The last chunk at the end was the only part I thought was okay. The world building was confusing, and the time spans just left me unsure of what was happening. The slave and master relationship thing going on would have worked and usually I like morally great characters, but it really didn’t work here. The characters that are morally grey can be evil people and all, but they need some relatable traits or reasons behind them to make readers forgive bad behavior, but I didn’t feel any connection to these characters. I didn’t care what happened to anyone in the book and so the story plot just really didn’t work for me. 2 out of 5 stars.
Vindt life is altered when his home is taken over and humans with a trait to be controlled by the Singers are enslaved. The Singers are magical beings that use their enslaved humans’ voice as a weapon to fight with their dark song magic. Vindt struggles to break free from his master Singer, Asche, even as his feelings toward him are becoming more muddled every day.
I didn’t like this book very much. The concept was interesting and held promise, but it just didn’t deliver for me. The last chunk at the end was the only part I thought was okay. The world building was confusing, and the time spans just left me unsure of what was happening. The slave and master relationship thing going on would have worked and usually I like morally great characters, but it really didn’t work here. The characters that are morally grey can be evil people and all, but they need some relatable traits or reasons behind them to make readers forgive bad behavior, but I didn’t feel any connection to these characters. I didn’t care what happened to anyone in the book and so the story plot just really didn’t work for me. 2 out of 5 stars.
January 25, 2024
Vindt is a slave, a Thyd, bound by blood to a Singer and destined to spend the rest of his life magically tied to his side. Singers look like humans, but Vindt considers them to be demons, holders of powerful song magic that can be amplified by rare humans who hold a special genetic trait. Vindt is one of those humans and was plucked, half dead, from a battlefield and then pressed into the service of the Singers. It is considered an honour to be a Thyd, but Vindt sees it as a curse, even a decade later he still dreams of his freedom and returning to his homeland.
Asche is a Singer and a member of the Singer’s High Council, he’s massively powerful and most likely very dangerous. When war and a demon attack brings Vindt to Asche’s attention, it is clear that there’s a lot going on that Vindt has no idea about and being thrust into Singer politics is the last thing he wants. Especially when Asche’s enemies offer Vindt his freedom in return for betraying Asche.
This is the debut novel by Thelma Mantey and what a way to start your writing career. I love dark fantasy and this is dark in places, our heroes are not all that heroic. In fact, you could cut the heroes open and morally grey would be written right through them like a stick of rock and I’m totally here for it. I want to shout at them when they make terrible choices and commiserate with them when things go wrong, it brings them to life. I completely get why this book is compared to The Captive Prince there’s quite a few similarities between Vindt and Damen’s situations although the way it plays out is completely different, and this book is better for it.
The slow burn between Vindt and Asche is like one of those fires that creeps slowly underground through the tree roots before bursting out in destructive flame and it really does fit the story as Vindt absolutely loathes the Singers, he’d rather have died on the battlefield than have been saved by them and Asche is fascinated by Vindt, but it’s like he sees Vindt as a pretty but dangerous bug.
Asche was quite a surprise too, from Vindt’s descriptions of the Singers I was expecting a cold, unfeeling monster, and yes, Asche does have those tendencies, but there’s also a hidden softer side that leads to a couple of really sweet scenes in the book.
The world building is great with just enough information to feel this is a massively expansive world, filled with different human cultures and landscapes but not feeling like an exposition dump, you’re seeing the world through Vindt’s eyes and he finds the world quite lacking I think. There are a great cast of secondary characters too, from the other Singers and their varying agendas to the different humans that Vindt comes into contact with (I particularly loved Narr and Risi) all of which helps bring the world alive, and you actually worry about some of those secondary characters, are they ok? Are they still alive?
Is this an enemies to lovers romance? Not really, more enemies to enemies in a different way, there’s no HEA or even a HFN, but the book ends in such a way that I’m desperate for book two because I need to know what happens next!
I received an ARC of this book and this is a totally honest review.
January 21, 2024
I received this book as an advance review copy for free and am leaving this review voluntarily!
Overall, I found this to be a worthwhile read with developed, interesting characters and incredibly fascinating world-building. I appreciate the pacing with respect to the characters' relationships to one another and the actual depth that is written into the central characters' motivations and behavior. A friend of mine recommended that I read this book and promised me good slow-burn--and I would concur that is what I got! Ocean's Blood avoids some pitfalls I've seen with other slow-burn stories; rather than something contrived or overly manufactured, I feel as though the reasons for the tension and conflict between the characters were really well-incorporated into both the characterization and backstory of the central characters, as well as what expectations are set by the world itself. I appreciate its pacing in this regard especially. I had a few nagging criticisms in my mind regarding the pacing of other story elements, however, which made it hard for me to rate this book five stars. With the excellent world-building at play, I was really eager to jump into the conflicts of this world and the forces within. And then… for the first half or so of the book, I felt as though I didn't get the chances to be gripped by it that I wanted to. The inciting event of the story introduced an exciting plot-line to be explored about the upending of what was established as a natural law of how this world works, but it took time to get really into the meat of what it meant to do that, and how it was going to relate to the central characters. By the second half of the book, it began to take off and I was certainly hooked into it, but there were certainly moments in the beginning where I was struggling to stay on board. The strength of the characterization and the world-building itself, even when it was taking its time to build up to the most engaging parts of the plot, made the read nevertheless enjoyable. Ultimately, I really do think it was a worthwhile read, and I am certainly looking forward to the next book of The Drowning!
Overall, I found this to be a worthwhile read with developed, interesting characters and incredibly fascinating world-building. I appreciate the pacing with respect to the characters' relationships to one another and the actual depth that is written into the central characters' motivations and behavior. A friend of mine recommended that I read this book and promised me good slow-burn--and I would concur that is what I got! Ocean's Blood avoids some pitfalls I've seen with other slow-burn stories; rather than something contrived or overly manufactured, I feel as though the reasons for the tension and conflict between the characters were really well-incorporated into both the characterization and backstory of the central characters, as well as what expectations are set by the world itself. I appreciate its pacing in this regard especially. I had a few nagging criticisms in my mind regarding the pacing of other story elements, however, which made it hard for me to rate this book five stars. With the excellent world-building at play, I was really eager to jump into the conflicts of this world and the forces within. And then… for the first half or so of the book, I felt as though I didn't get the chances to be gripped by it that I wanted to. The inciting event of the story introduced an exciting plot-line to be explored about the upending of what was established as a natural law of how this world works, but it took time to get really into the meat of what it meant to do that, and how it was going to relate to the central characters. By the second half of the book, it began to take off and I was certainly hooked into it, but there were certainly moments in the beginning where I was struggling to stay on board. The strength of the characterization and the world-building itself, even when it was taking its time to build up to the most engaging parts of the plot, made the read nevertheless enjoyable. Ultimately, I really do think it was a worthwhile read, and I am certainly looking forward to the next book of The Drowning!
January 29, 2024
ARC REVIEW
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️
A huge thank you to Thelma Mantey for sending me this ARC in exchange for my review!
"With my blood, I bind you. I bind your body and your soul. My blood will fulfill your destiny."
Let me start by saying I loved Anne Rice growing up, so for me this was an instant like already! Also - please check the TW on this as it is a dark fantasy and there are sensitive topics.
We meet Vindt, a Thyd, a human tied to a Singer to be the conduit when using their powers, bound to them for life, when their Singer dies, they too die. He has a deep hatred of his Singer, bound to them with no choice for the rest of his life, it's not the story he wanted for himself. He is single-minded with a deep, deep hatred of the bond, he will stop at nothing to free himself or he will die trying.
Our Singer in this story is Asche, a cunning and devious character, charismatic in his own right, he is an amazing character, very well written as you truly cannot read him in some scenarios, which adds to his mystery. Singer's are a vampire of sorts, they have a magic voice in which they can evoke chaos, killing millions or heal an entire army, using the Thyd for help and protection. They bind themselves to the Thyd's through a bond forged through blood, that cannot be broken.
This is not your typical MM fantasy book, the burn is so slow, you don't realise it until at last 50% in, but what we get is incredible world-building, plot driven events, with a carefully constructed and super imaginative magic system (which I love!), and violence. The lust and tension between our MC's at times is overwhelming, it makes you think is this as a result of the bond or is it something more?
I am absolutely here for this and for the next book, I cannot wait to see what happens, will we get a HEA?
What to expect:
• M/M
• Morally grey men
• Only one horse
• Demons, magic, violence and blood!
• Enemies to chaos
I would like to thank Thelma Mantey for the opportunity to read this advanced digital copy in exchange for an honest review! All opinions expressed are my own.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️
A huge thank you to Thelma Mantey for sending me this ARC in exchange for my review!
"With my blood, I bind you. I bind your body and your soul. My blood will fulfill your destiny."
Let me start by saying I loved Anne Rice growing up, so for me this was an instant like already! Also - please check the TW on this as it is a dark fantasy and there are sensitive topics.
We meet Vindt, a Thyd, a human tied to a Singer to be the conduit when using their powers, bound to them for life, when their Singer dies, they too die. He has a deep hatred of his Singer, bound to them with no choice for the rest of his life, it's not the story he wanted for himself. He is single-minded with a deep, deep hatred of the bond, he will stop at nothing to free himself or he will die trying.
Our Singer in this story is Asche, a cunning and devious character, charismatic in his own right, he is an amazing character, very well written as you truly cannot read him in some scenarios, which adds to his mystery. Singer's are a vampire of sorts, they have a magic voice in which they can evoke chaos, killing millions or heal an entire army, using the Thyd for help and protection. They bind themselves to the Thyd's through a bond forged through blood, that cannot be broken.
This is not your typical MM fantasy book, the burn is so slow, you don't realise it until at last 50% in, but what we get is incredible world-building, plot driven events, with a carefully constructed and super imaginative magic system (which I love!), and violence. The lust and tension between our MC's at times is overwhelming, it makes you think is this as a result of the bond or is it something more?
I am absolutely here for this and for the next book, I cannot wait to see what happens, will we get a HEA?
What to expect:
• M/M
• Morally grey men
• Only one horse
• Demons, magic, violence and blood!
• Enemies to chaos
I would like to thank Thelma Mantey for the opportunity to read this advanced digital copy in exchange for an honest review! All opinions expressed are my own.
February 20, 2024
Rating: 3 stars
All in all, I found this story to be engaging. At no point was I bored and the world's magic intrigued me. that being said, I found a couple of issues with it:
Reading the first few chapters, I felt like we skipped a couple of chapters and put in the thick of things. I say this figuratively because not much is actually happening.
I felt that the plot meandered a little. it didn't feel substantial to me until after the climax- Ha ha-hit.
We are basically playing catch-up along with the protagonist for 80% of the entire thing. Which isn't exactly bad per se. It just didn't suit my taste at present.
I had issues with the Singers, their attitudes and personalities. I didn't think a bunch of centuries-old beings would behave so... unbefitting of their ages. Like a bunch of mean girls... if they were hundreds of years old and could kill with their voices alone... Wait. Scratch that last part.
I also felt the dialogue between characters could be a little...stilted at times. Clunky.
Other than these, I quite liked the characters just fine. The main character, Vindt, took a little getting used to but I loved Asche and his snarky attitude.
With what was revealed at the end, I am curious to know where the next book would lead our protagonist. And hopefully, more details to patch up some weak areas in established lore. I look forward to the next one.
**Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review**
All in all, I found this story to be engaging. At no point was I bored and the world's magic intrigued me. that being said, I found a couple of issues with it:
Reading the first few chapters, I felt like we skipped a couple of chapters and put in the thick of things. I say this figuratively because not much is actually happening.
I felt that the plot meandered a little. it didn't feel substantial to me until after the climax- Ha ha-hit.
We are basically playing catch-up along with the protagonist for 80% of the entire thing. Which isn't exactly bad per se. It just didn't suit my taste at present.
I had issues with the Singers, their attitudes and personalities. I didn't think a bunch of centuries-old beings would behave so... unbefitting of their ages. Like a bunch of mean girls... if they were hundreds of years old and could kill with their voices alone... Wait. Scratch that last part.
I also felt the dialogue between characters could be a little...stilted at times. Clunky.
Other than these, I quite liked the characters just fine. The main character, Vindt, took a little getting used to but I loved Asche and his snarky attitude.
With what was revealed at the end, I am curious to know where the next book would lead our protagonist. And hopefully, more details to patch up some weak areas in established lore. I look forward to the next one.
**Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review**
February 19, 2024
5⭐
I was lured in by the cover and the dark fantasy world and boy I wasn't disappointed. This is just wildly magnificent debut novel with enemies to lovers and slow burn done right. I can't wait for the continuation though on the other hand, this is so good I will wait for a decade if I need to.
I really enjoyed the setting, it is dark fantasy but it doesn't try to be edgy and overly gruesome, yet it does feel bleak and real enough. And it's also not an excuse for rape. There is a dubcon scene but it's an important moment and not gratuitous. The Singers are intimidating siren-vampire-demon creatures, and the magical world here feels rather original even though it certainly borrows from many places.
The reader only gets Vindt's point of view. His hatred, defiance and despair is addictive. I was completely hooked on Baldur's Gate 3 here but I still wanted to continue this book. I just love the complex characters and many mysteries, magical and political.
The ending is not a cliffhanger, but it's also just a slight stopping moment in a larger saga. There is no happy ending yet, not even a tentative one. But I would recommend this book anyway, it's worth the experience even if the conclusion might still be years away.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I was lured in by the cover and the dark fantasy world and boy I wasn't disappointed. This is just wildly magnificent debut novel with enemies to lovers and slow burn done right. I can't wait for the continuation though on the other hand, this is so good I will wait for a decade if I need to.
I really enjoyed the setting, it is dark fantasy but it doesn't try to be edgy and overly gruesome, yet it does feel bleak and real enough. And it's also not an excuse for rape. There is a dubcon scene but it's an important moment and not gratuitous. The Singers are intimidating siren-vampire-demon creatures, and the magical world here feels rather original even though it certainly borrows from many places.
The reader only gets Vindt's point of view. His hatred, defiance and despair is addictive. I was completely hooked on Baldur's Gate 3 here but I still wanted to continue this book. I just love the complex characters and many mysteries, magical and political.
The ending is not a cliffhanger, but it's also just a slight stopping moment in a larger saga. There is no happy ending yet, not even a tentative one. But I would recommend this book anyway, it's worth the experience even if the conclusion might still be years away.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
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