{Review, Character Post and Giveaway} of Call of the Sea by Rebecca Hart

Call of the Sea by Rebecca Hart
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

GENRE: Fantasy
THEME: Selkie
RECEIVED: Received for review for Tour
AUTHORS BLOG: Rebecca Harts Site

BLURB:

Elysandra Winters has always yearned for a life of adventure on the rolling seas and is willing to do whatever it takes to fulfill her dream. When her Privateer father continually refuses to allow his only daughter to sail, Ellie defies him, disguises herself as a boy, and goes in search of a captain who will give her a chance to prove her worth.

Thanks to the cursed selkie blood coursing through his veins, Daniel O'Rourke needs the sea to survive. After giving up on his humanity and spending three years in seal form, he decides to give his human side another chance. Daniel goes in search of a job and a sense of normalcy, earning himself a position aboard Captain Winter’s ship, The Siren's Call. However, his new captain’s first assignment has nothing at all to do with sailing, and everything to do with his headstrong young daughter. 

Years later, when the leader of a band of bloodthirsty pirates murders Captain Winters, Daniel and Elysandra’s lives come crashing back together with the force of a hurricane. Both experts in deception, they must find a way to trust each other if they are to have any hope of hunting down the captain’s killer.

REVIEW:
I haven’t read many or enough stories based on the legend of Selkies, but every time I do I always enjoy them. Rebecca Hart brings to life a story about two people who are very different but are brought together by their love of the sea.

Elysandra (Ellie) is the daughter of a Captain; her love of the sea at a young age has made her wish for a life like her fathers. But her parents have different plans for her, thus causing Ellie to run away disguised as young boy on another ship. Then there is Daniel who lives with the curse of having Selkie blood and needs to be near the ocean to survive, he meets Ellies father who assigns him a task he couldn’t refused.

Call of the Sea follows both Ellie and Daniel as children all the way to their adult years. After Daniel saves Ellie from drowning, he applies for a job on her fathers ship called the Sirens Call. While Ellie is sent of to school after the incident, which later makes her run away. Years later the two meet up again and their adventure at sea begins.

Ellie at age ten is a strong and very much a tomboy. Just like her father she wants to be at the sea and as she grows older becomes frustrated with not being allowed to be like her father. Ellie disguises herself as a boy at age fifteen and continues on her journey until twenty without anyone knowing. I enjoyed Ellie as the lead character, no matter what she wouldn’t give up on her dream and wanted to prove she could be apart of the crew. The only part I was iffy on was that know one noticed she was a girl for five years.

Daniel is cursed with Selkie blood and he forms a bond with Ellie, little known to her, in his selkie form. As he gets older he becomes very devoted to helping Ellies father find his missing daughter. When they meet again in the future their connection is instant and I enjoyed every scene with them together. I found it interesting how Hart describe Daniels transformation, into his Selkie form, which was very detailed and gave an understanding to what Daniel is.

Overall this story was fun and full of action and lots of romance. My only issue was the ending didn’t feel finished. It definitely was left to show that there is more to come but was almost rushed. Nonetheless I want to know what is next for Daniel and Ellie because now they have a whole knew future ahead of them. I don’t want to give away too much more, but I recommend this as a great summer read.

RECOMMENDATION:
This is a mature young adult story with some sexual content meant for mature readers. Fans of mythological creatures of the sea will not want to miss out on Call of the Sea by Rebecca Hart.

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My Favorite Day as a Pirate

By Ellie Winters

When the author of Call of the Sea, Rebecca Hart handed this question off to me, I had to think long and hard about what my answer would be. There have been a lot of good and a lot of bad days in my years since joining Captain Harris’ crew on The Surf Runner. I’ve come a long way from the waif I was when I came aboard for the first time. But, after some careful thought, the answer became as clear as the summer sky.

My favorite day as a pirate was the first day Nelson trusted me to man the crow’s nest alone. Now, I’m not sure how familiar you all are with the workings of a ship, but the task is not one trusted to many, especially someone as young as I was when I hired on with Harris. The Watch is responsible for keeping an eye on the horizon and alerting the captain of anything unusual -- approaching ships, foul weather, and even the location of schools of fish that could be caught to supplement the food stores. Things on deck move pretty quickly, and there isn’t time for the captain or other crewmen to keep an eye out for danger, so that’s where the Watch comes in. Things can get boring sometimes, especially when there isn’t anything in particular to watch, but staying alert and vigilant is key to ensuring the ship and crew are safe. To be trusted with that responsibility is something to be proud of, a day like no other.

For me, the crow’s nest is by far the best part of The Surf Runner. When I’m in the basket, the worries of the day fade and I get time to me enjoy the beauty of the sea, bask in its serenity. The scurrying humanity below disappears, leaving me alone with the salted air and floating clouds.

There is no more peaceful or perfect place to be.

LINKS: Inkspell | Rebeccas Site | Twitter | Facebook

1 Print Signed Copy
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