Wow, I love how this series takes off to greater heights with each and every instalment so far. We get to see more of the world of Elan as our favourite duo travels to southern regions of Delgos and Calis on a ship for which the book is named after.
I typically do not enjoy naval settings and sailing jargons often just fly right over my head. However, as Hadrian and Royce are both portrayed as sailing noobs, the reader gets the benefit of some form of ‘education’ such that it’s a lot easier for me to breeze through these sections of the book.
We got to see Hadrian’s shadier past when we reached Calis, where he had once gained fame with his fighting skills. I have to say that since Book 1, I was literally dying to see Hadrian use the 2-handed sword on this back (which we later learnt is called a spadone, a knight’s weapon). I am still swooning over the notion that he carries 3 swords and the covers of these books didn’t help because they are awesome!
There is a really amazing secondary character introduced in this book, which I won’t elaborate too much about save for this quote from said character:
”My father used to say, ‘A knight draws his sword for three reasons: to defend himself, to defend the weak, and to defend his lord,’ but he always added, ‘Never defend yourself against the truth, never defend the weakness in others, and never defend a lord without honor.’ --> RESPECT!
The other set of POV came from the female characters, Arista, Modina and Amilia. I have to say that I liked every single one of them (which is very rare) – all strong characters in their own right, yet never overly so. A sense of vulnerability or insecurity still pervades and this makes them believable. Modina is getting back on her feet and Arista, oh my, this princess has truly come to her own.
As the plot progresses and the world expands, the overall tone also gets darker. While there are still some pockets of humour, there are more deaths and brutality, and of course, the omnipresent theme in most fantasy books, betrayal. In conclusion, thoroughly enjoyable and addictive, and needless to say, I've started on the next book already.