Book Title: The Sea King
Author: C. L. Wilson
Length: 598 pages
Genre: Fantasy; Fantasy Romance; Paranormal Romance
Spice Level (if applicable): 3.5 / 5*
Series: Weathermages of Mystral #2
Overall Rating: 8.6 / 10
Overall Thoughts:
I was both excited and terrified by the page count of the Sea King…with 598 pages, I knew this fantasy romance would be an epic story with twists and turns. I was not disappointed. There are two main arcs for this book: the first is the courting phase; and the second is rescuing the Seasons and moving to a new kingdom and facing new challenges.
Prince Dilys Merimydion is invited to the neighbouring kingdom to meet and court the three princesses, the Seasons of Summerlea. Dilys is a proud warrior prince that values honour, honesty, and respect. He is ready to find a brave woman to become his warrior-queen. Man, is Dilys in for a surprise when he meets Autumn, Spring, and Summer.
Gabriella Corscate, also known as Summer, portrays a gentle face to the public and even to her family. Her immense power and ability to control people with her voice causes her parents to train her to hide her true power. This game of hiding means that Dilys is unable to see the true nature of Gabriella…who turns out to be a firecracker, a hurricane, and a siren. The first siren born in a long time.
Dilys is her true mate, the one man that can handle her powers and her emotional fallout. Dilys is in for a challenge when courting Gabriella. She is unable to put herself in a position in which love can be used against her. It takes lots of time, conversations, courting gifts, and actions to prove to Gabriella that Dilys is the right option for her future.
Alongside the romance is a political plot to kidnap the Seasons and to overthrow Dilys. When Gabriella and her sisters are kidnapped, she must hold out against pirates while Dilys works hard to be reunited with her. Gabriella is held captive and sold multiple times before her emotional fire burns too bright…
Dilys and Gabriella, when reunited, must further navigate the challenges of Dilys’ kingdom and challenges that work to kill the future King and Queen. They must use their individual powers, their fated connection, and their connections to their people to help them overcome and succeed.
*Explicit Scenes; Slow Burn
” Tey, clearly it did, and I regret it.” He kept pace with her easily. “I was an idiot. A fool. I spoke without care, out of injured pride. You are not milked tea. You are so far from blandness. I cannot believe the comparison ever entered my mind. You are fire, without a doubt. Not the bright, blazing fire of your sister Autumn, or the controlled burn of your sister Spring. Nothing so small as that for you. You are the volcano deep beneath the sea. A power so vast, yet so well concealed most would never have known of its existence…”
Page 216
Illustration Discussion:
The Sea King’s cover is typical of fantasy romance. A woman and a man in a loving embrace, staring deeply into each other. Nevertheless, I like this cover. The models are similar to the character descriptions, which is not always the case. I do wish that Dilys’ tattoos were depicted on the cover. The cover does its job, it draws the eye and makes people you love mermaids and fated love to be intrigued enough to read the book.
Spoilers Bee-ware!
You have been swarmed. Reading past this post means that you understand that you might spoil the book for yourself.
Stats + Facts:
There are lots of POVs throughout this book: Dilys has 34, Gabriella has 41. There are a few honoruable mentions: Mur Balat has 1, Ari Calmyria has 1, Flint Grumman has 1, Wynter has 2, Khamsin has 1, and Calican Merimydion has 1.
Love is mentioned 11 times.
First Kiss is on page 85.
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