BOOK REVIEW | The Sea King by C.L. Wilson

Title: The Sea King
Author: C.L. Wilson
Series? Yes, the Weather Mages of Mystral (unknown if it's a trilogy, duology, etc.)
Publisher: Avon
Publication Date: October 31, 2017
Source: I received The Sea King in exchange for an honest review via Edelweiss! All opinions are my own. :)

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Winter King comes a breathtaking new tale of love and adventure set in the mystical land of Mystral...

He wasn't supposed to choose her...

Seafaring prince Dilys Merimydion has been invited to court the three magical princesses of Summerlea. To eradicate the pirates threatening Calberna and to secure the power of the Sea Throne, Dilys vows to return home with a fierce warrior-queen as his bride. But politics has nothing to do with unexpected temptation.

She didn't dare wed him...

A weathermage like her sisters, Gabriella Coruscate's gentleness exemplifies the qualities of her season name, Summer. Yet her quiet poise conceals dangerous powers she cannot begin to wield. Better to live without excitement, she reasons, than risk her heart and lose control— until an irresistible Sealord jolts her awake with a thunderclap of raw desire.

Until evil threatens everything they hold dear...

When pirates kidnap Summer and her sisters, Dilys is in a desperate quest to save the woman he loves. Only by combining his command of the seas with the unleashed fury of Summer's formidable gifts can they defeat their brutal enemies and claim the most priceless victory of all: true love

Goodreads

I had high expectations for The Sea King, and it was ultimately by demise. The previous book in this series (which you don't need to read before this one!) is one of my favorite fantasy romances I've ever read. The Sea King takes place after the events of The Winter King, and follows Khamsin's sister, Gabriella (aka Summer) and her love interest, Dilys Merimydion.

My biggest complaint with The Sea King was...the romance! I know, I know! Literally the biggest part of the book was the romance, and I didn't like it that much. First, I thought there was too much emphasis on the romance and not enough on the action.  In the Winter King, romance was a big part of the book, but I also thought there was a good balance with action. For me, the Sea King reads more like a romance novel with hints of fantasy, until the very end of the book. There were no thrills when I read Sea King; I was never worried for the characters.

I also thought the romance itself was a bit weird. I did overall like Dilys and Summer together, but there were times when the relationship just rubbed me the wrong way. Dilys is an alpha male, but he seemed excessively controlling at times. If you're thinking of reading this through a feminist lens, I suggest not because the romance will get on your nerves. I wasn't trying to read this through a feminist, lens but it was hard to ignore Dilys' dominating nature. Don't get me wrong, I'm fine with alpha males, until they start trying to take away someone's free will, and Dilys toed the line sometimes. 

I also thought that the pacing was off the whole entire book. The Sea King felt slow; Summer and Dilys just went back and forth with their relationship for over half the book and I was tried of it. I mean, get together already! Then, the last 10 percent of the book was so quick I got whiplash. All of these loose ends got tied up so quickly, and it felt too perfect. I wish more time was given to the fantasy and action part (which was really only 20 percent of the book), and less to the romance.

Although I had all these problems, I was still invested in the story. Yes, I didn't like the pacing or romance that much, but there was that x-factor that just hooked me in. Even when I was extremely over the back and forth narrative, I couldn't stop reading. I had to know how it ended, even though I wasn't that thrilled with the action.

There were some chapters with Khamsin and Winter as well, which I'll admit, were my favorite parts of the book. I absolutely love Khamsin and Winter, and seeing little tidbits of them were the highlights. The fact that my favorite parts of the book were of  Khamsin and Winter are telling of how well done the first book was done. Even when they were just background characters, they stole the show!

I would recommend this book to you if you really loved The Winter King. I personally don't think this sequel is as good as the first, but it is a worthwhile read. At the end of the day, I'm glad I read this even though it was a disappointment. Don't read this with super high expectations. That way, you won't be disappointed or you'll be amazed with what you read!

With that, I give this book
3 out of 5 Stars!

Have you read anything by CL Wilson? What did you think?

Thanks so much for stopping by and I'll see you soon with another post!

Happy Reading!

Genni @ Ready, Set, Read!