I’ll always excited when I get the chance to discover a new fantasy author, so you can imagine how happy I was when Victoria Ravenwood reached out to me and offered me a free copy of her debut novel, Jade and Tar, in exchange for an honest review. I immediately fell in love with its cover and its summary and I’m happy to say it met every expectation!
Thanks again, Victoria!
PS: Isn’t “Victoria Ravenwood” THE BEST name for a fantasy author?
Jade and Tar
Jade and Tar tells the story of Calitha, a young woman who is part of an elite group destined to become the leaders of their people. Together with the other girls, she is being trained by the Academy, and her skills are being tested and evaluated constantly to determine which role would suit her best. There’s one role in particular she has her eye on, as it would allow her to fulfil her travel dreams: the Emissary. Because Cali is not your traditional stay-at-home, be-a-good-girl type of woman. She wants adventure beyond what her privileged upbringing can give her and she’s prepared to risk everything to get it: at night, she uses her magic to conceal her identity and meets up with her best friend, Dagwood. With him, life is easier and she finally feels free. But how long will she be able to hide the truth about who she is from him? How long will she be able to keep her two lives apart?
A great new world to explore
I was thoroughly impressed by the worldbuilding in this story. You can easily lose yourself in this world and the bigger picture makes sense perfectly. At the same time, you don’t get an overload of details like you do in some other fantasy novels, so in my opinion, Victoria Ravenwood found the perfect blend. The story is very much dialogue and plot driven, while still taking enough time to create a world that feels real.
The concept of the Academy and the different roles the girls train for also sparked my interest as of chapter 1. It’s intriguing and gave me some Cruel Prince vibes in a sense (remember when Jude was still at school and was trying to find the right role for her at court?). Strangely enough, I was also frequently reminded of The Little Mermaid. I cannot put my finger on it precisely, but I assume it’s related to Cali’s connection to the water and her Part of your world-like dreams.
As you might know, I’m a character-oriented kind of reader and I must say that I enjoyed the way the different characters were written a lot. They seem very realistic and even though I didn’t fully connect with Cali or Dagwood yet, their interactions were very cute. I’m usually more into enemies-to-lovers, but I did also enjoy this friends-to-lovers storyline. The romance is definitely a smaller part of the story than I typically would prefer, but I found that the action, mystery and unexpected events were more than enough to keep even a romance-obsessed-reader satisfied.
At the back of the book, the author also included a useful glossary with names of places, characters etc. I love this! I think it was smart to include it at the end AND mention it at the start. Too often, it’s included at the start (and spoils the story), or mentioned at the back without saying anything (not very useful if you discover it only after finishing the novel). I don’t think the story was complicated enough to say you will need this during book one, however, it can be a nice tool to dive into the world again when starting book two!
Are you into tales filled with secret identities, magic, pirates, and a friends-to-lovers subplot? Then definitely check out this first book in The Water-folk Saga! Four out of five gemstones:
Age Category: Young Adult
Trigger Warnings (click here, may contain spoilers)
Mild. Warnings for violence with mild gore.Do you want to discover more?
If my review inspired you to pick up the book, don’t hesitate to check it out at Goodreads or at the below online stores.
Amazon.nl: eBook
Amazon.nl: Paperback edition
Similar to this
Are you eager to know what Cali and Dagwood get up to next? Then I have some good news to share! Part two of The Water-folk Saga, has recently been published: Copper and Smoke. I, for one, cannot wait to re-join these characters on their adventures! Edit: my review of part two can now be found here!
As mentioned before, Jade and Tar reminded me in some aspects of The Cruel Prince by Holly Black. This story is filled with Fae courts, magic, twisted truths, politics, and betrayals. Its heroine is a brave young woman determined to fight for the life she desires. Interested? Check out my spoiler-free review of the series here.
I was also reminded of Naiya’s Wish by Astrid V.J., a retelling of The Nixie of the Mill-pond. It tells the story of a water spirit with an impossible wish that sets in motion a chain of events that no one could have ever predicted. Eager to discover this lesser known fairytale? Then definitely read my review to get to know more!
Last but not least, I would also recommend Witch of Ware Woods by Sonja F. Blanco. This fantasy debut takes us to an enchanting forest in which a magical community thrives. My review of this wonderful novel can be found here.
Recap: Jade and Tar
In the following section, you’ll find a recap that you can use to prepare for the next book, Copper and Smoke (already published!). Of course, this is by default full of spoilers, so it is hidden behind a spoiler tag. Enter at your own risk!