Book Review: Sargassa by Sophie Burnham

   I'm starting this post off with a huge thank you to DAW books  for sending me a copy of Sargassa in it's new cover!  This is an exclusive edition which will go with the second book- Bloodtide- which is due out in October 2025. 

I was OVER THE MOON  when this arrived.  

The old cover was fine:

But I have to admit the new cover has a finesse and luxe appearance that the first one is missing.  

 That said, I really had not picked up this novel before.  The Roman Empire- is not my Roman Empire- if you will!  but of course, I pulled out the trusty audiobook,  and started on an immersive reading journey. 

This book grew and grew on me.  Initially, I was overwhelmed by the moving time line, and multiple multiple characters.  I admit, I also started reading at a time which for me, personally- has been pretty bleak, which made it a bit hard to concentrate. That said,  I was able to stay on track with the audiobook- which would be fantastic as a multi-cast production! All of a sudden, I was immersed in a society that grew up as the Roman Empire never fell- adventure, high- and low- society, action, complicated messy relationships that we all love, powerful semi-magical kind of weapons and more. This is an adventure to savor. My absolute favorite character is Theo Nix.  The ending is a gentle cliff- hanger with a promise of more to come, without the dreaded jolt that many cliff hangers give. 

The only thing missing - and I can't believe I'm writing this- is a map.  I desperately need a map for this one. 

I will be picking up the next book Blood Tide as soon as it's out!  I'm excited to see what happens to all the characters, but especially Theo Nix! 

 

First Published : 10/2024 

Pages: 416

Available as an Audio Book :YES

Trigger Warnings: death, parent death, drug use, blood, medical situations, violence, murder, mental health situations. 

Not a full TW list, please read responsibly.