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The Drowning Eyes
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When the Dragon Ships began to tear through the trade lanes and ravage coastal towns, the hopes of the archipelago turned to the Windspeakers on Tash. The solemn weather-shapers with their eyes of stone can steal the breeze from raiders' sails and save the islands from their wrath. But the Windspeakers' magic has been stolen, and only their young apprentice Shina can bring
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Paperback, 134 pages
Published
January 12th 2016
by Tor.com
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3.5 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum http://bibliosanctum.com/2016/01/26/n...
Tor.com kicks off the year with another irresistible lineup of novellas in early 2016, and leading the charge is Emily Foster’s debut release The Drowning Eyes. In this slim little volume, a lone survivor sets off on an adventure in a wind-swept coastal fantasy to retrieve what was stolen from her and her people. With the Windspeakers’ island enclave pillaged and destroyed by the Dragon Ships, villages along the coastlin ...more
Tor.com kicks off the year with another irresistible lineup of novellas in early 2016, and leading the charge is Emily Foster’s debut release The Drowning Eyes. In this slim little volume, a lone survivor sets off on an adventure in a wind-swept coastal fantasy to retrieve what was stolen from her and her people. With the Windspeakers’ island enclave pillaged and destroyed by the Dragon Ships, villages along the coastlin ...more

This was an entertaining story about hip-dialogue sailors and weather witches running from vaguely Viking guys....I guess? The magic system in this world was pretty harsh, which is a plus. And, like I said, the dialogue was pretty snappy, a little Mamet-meets-Whedon. But I didn't really get into it, and the characters didn't really end up giving two shits about each other, so I didn't end up giving two shits about them.
One huge plus though: the main character is LGBT, and.....who cares? There's ...more
One huge plus though: the main character is LGBT, and.....who cares? There's ...more

Fantastic story full of weather magic and swashbuckling! And a whole lot of characters with dark skin *gasp* and women who like other women *double gasp*. The pacing was fantastic though a couple of times I got confused about a time jump. The magic of the world is very cool but has some serious consequences that will leave you wondering if it is worth it. I love fantasy that makes me think!

3.5 stars, now that I've had more time to think on it. I liked the ending the most (unexpected!). Solid writing. Distinct, engaging characters. Running from the nameless invaders' ships...? That was the only weaker part, but the rest of the story was stronger than that one detail.
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The nitty-gritty: A compact story with big ideas, featuring a fascinating magic system and fierce and determined female characters.
I was immediately drawn to this novella by the cover: a beautiful and fierce-looking woman in the middle of a stormy sea. What was happening to her? It is book covers like this that make me want to read a book, and I dove in, hoping to find adventure, danger and an answer to my question. And I was not disappointed. The Drowning Eyes packs a lot of story into such a s
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There’s a lot about this novella that’s fascinating — the image of the Windspeakers having to sacrifice their eyes and receiving stones instead is just, wow; I’m pretty sure that’s going to stick with me. The crew are cool, too; crabby and sympathetic and brave and practical. A mixture, like real people, and able to really get on each other’s nerves like real people, too. There are some awesome descriptions of weather magic, too: of the way the protagonist feels it in her body.
The flipside of th ...more
The flipside of th ...more

I feel, I have to explain my rating.
I'm tumblr-damaged, insofar as American citizens seem to insist on PoC, female writers with PoC female lead characters. I know, you'd insist on giving this the highest rating, based on those two facts alone. Bonus points for the captain being a lesbian.
If that's all you require, then CHECK. This should have been a five star review.
To me, it's not. This novella started out so fine, so perfect. Yes, female pirates. Yes, PoC pirates. But most of all, the fine li ...more
I'm tumblr-damaged, insofar as American citizens seem to insist on PoC, female writers with PoC female lead characters. I know, you'd insist on giving this the highest rating, based on those two facts alone. Bonus points for the captain being a lesbian.
If that's all you require, then CHECK. This should have been a five star review.
To me, it's not. This novella started out so fine, so perfect. Yes, female pirates. Yes, PoC pirates. But most of all, the fine li ...more

Superb and gripping for the first 4 chapters, with excellent worldbuilding which has you hungry for more - okayish for the next 2.5 and then the end leaves you completely dissatisfied.
But this is the author's debut and I'm looking forward to get refining her craft in her future novels! ...more
But this is the author's debut and I'm looking forward to get refining her craft in her future novels! ...more

Slim nautical fantasy with lots of potential though ultimately underwhelming. I enjoyed the characters and dialogue but the plot was on the weaker side. I'd be interested to see what this author can do with more pages to develop her ideas.
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This book was a really pleasant surprise. I didn't know much about it in advance; in fact, I randomly picked it from a list of fantasy novellas (I'm in a novella-reading mood lately) and only skimmed quickly through the synopsis.
For a short book, the characters felt realistic, and I *loved* the always-grumpy Captain Tazir...she made for a great lead, and her interactions with the rest of the cast were one of the highlights of this book.
I'm not a reader who is typically concerned with magic syste ...more
For a short book, the characters felt realistic, and I *loved* the always-grumpy Captain Tazir...she made for a great lead, and her interactions with the rest of the cast were one of the highlights of this book.
I'm not a reader who is typically concerned with magic syste ...more

Tazir has been plying the sealanes in her trade ship for many years, and is facing the same challenges all her competitors are, in these hard days when the Dragonships have started ravaging those some sealanes and the communities near them. She has no interest in anything other than keeping her ship and crew afloat and profitable--even if only barely--and no interest in challenging the Dragonships.
Shina is a young woman fleeing something, probably an unwanted marriage, but she has the money to h ...more
Shina is a young woman fleeing something, probably an unwanted marriage, but she has the money to h ...more

Full review can be found in my blog: http://wp.me/p7a9pe-7q
Strongly recommended for fans of Fantasy. The characters are interesting and diverse, the adventures are dangerous, and the magic is awesome, as in literally awe-inspiring. ...more
Strongly recommended for fans of Fantasy. The characters are interesting and diverse, the adventures are dangerous, and the magic is awesome, as in literally awe-inspiring. ...more

Awesome cover lured me in. Everything else fell flat for me, though.
There are some nice ideas, but the writing is unpolished and the plot thin. There are pirates and chases, but I never felt the suspense, because too much time is spent on the "pirates" arguing around as immature ex-lovers (they talk like bitchy teenagers) and unresolved emotional issues between them. A novella is maybe not the best format for a story that focuses on world-building and character relationships, but certainly it i ...more
There are some nice ideas, but the writing is unpolished and the plot thin. There are pirates and chases, but I never felt the suspense, because too much time is spent on the "pirates" arguing around as immature ex-lovers (they talk like bitchy teenagers) and unresolved emotional issues between them. A novella is maybe not the best format for a story that focuses on world-building and character relationships, but certainly it i ...more

This was really good, the world was really rich and I adored all the characters. My one big problem with it is that I just wanted so much more. I'm typically okay with short stories/novellas, I can dip in and out. But this one I wanted to be 300 pages, I want to walk around and travel with these characters. I'm hoping for more in this world from this writer, she's bumped up to the top of my watch list, I loved this so much.
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I love that cover!!
And nearly 3 years later I finally decided to read this. I loved it. I love the air of mystery and urgency mixed with that down to earth vibe of life in the tropics. I really wish it was longer though. So that we could get a little more depth a little more information on why the Dragon Ships were intent on destroying these people's lives.
And I still really really LOVE that cover!! ...more
And nearly 3 years later I finally decided to read this. I loved it. I love the air of mystery and urgency mixed with that down to earth vibe of life in the tropics. I really wish it was longer though. So that we could get a little more depth a little more information on why the Dragon Ships were intent on destroying these people's lives.
And I still really really LOVE that cover!! ...more

I’m really disappointed with this novella. After hearing so many good things I expected to love it – the premise is exactly what I love reading in a fantasy book. I was confused for most of the novella, although the ending was definitely better than the beginning. Reading the first chapter, I felt bombarded by several characters, like opening a book on a random page. There were too many voices being introduced at once. I actually considered DNF-ing it, but decided to push through, since this is
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The seafaring vibe in the synopsis for this tor.com novella caught my attention, so I picked it up on a whim while I was in between other things. Its story and cast were just the right size for a work of this length; the entire action takes place over a handful of small islands and there are only four main characters.
For some reason, "Shina's caught her eye" in the synopsis made me think there'd be some romance, but anything along those lines is very low-key. So low-key that I didn't realize who ...more
For some reason, "Shina's caught her eye" in the synopsis made me think there'd be some romance, but anything along those lines is very low-key. So low-key that I didn't realize who ...more

A great introduction to a cast of characters. This one feels short even for a novella, in part because the adventure the crew of the Giggling Goat go on feels like the start of something bigger. The world, and the relationships between the crew, don't have full arcs, so much as lovely existences in a story that feels shorter than they are. I wouldn't be surprised if Tor releases a series of these, if the first sells well.
The Windspeakers can swallow storms and control the weather in a world that ...more
The Windspeakers can swallow storms and control the weather in a world that ...more

Nothing too special to write home about on this one. I found it really hard to follow and to differentiate the characters in my mind. The book was pretty confusing because the story wasn't explained that well, and the sections that were more understandable were not all that interesting. So, even though the book is short, I couldn't wait for it to end. It's also rife with harsh and coarse language. I think the book tries to implement too many innovative concepts and just can't sustain it all. I d
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I actually finished yesterday morning but was too busy/tired to update.
I must confess this novella felt incomplete to me. The characters were alright, the world and style worked, the plot had some nice beats. But the emotional connection to anything within it was just missing.
Still, the ideas and the beautiful cover deserve a 3-star rating.
I must confess this novella felt incomplete to me. The characters were alright, the world and style worked, the plot had some nice beats. But the emotional connection to anything within it was just missing.
Still, the ideas and the beautiful cover deserve a 3-star rating.

This story about storm magic was an enjoyable listen, with likable characters, lots of magic, and both drama and a bit of humor, though as always with me and audiobooks I'm left feeling like I probably missed some nuances and I'll probably reread it in ebook eventually.
The novella length shows in the tight scope of the story and the way that a lot of the worldbuilding is done in glimpses and pieces, strictly need to know. I'd happily read another adventure in the setting that shows a fuller pict ...more
The novella length shows in the tight scope of the story and the way that a lot of the worldbuilding is done in glimpses and pieces, strictly need to know. I'd happily read another adventure in the setting that shows a fuller pict ...more

I picked up this book not knowing much about it but I liked the premise and that it was a short book. I'm so glad that I did pick it up because it was such an engaging read and I finished it fairly quickly.
This is the story of a seasoned Captain named Tazir who is traveling along the coast with her young Quartermaster Chaqal who appears younger than she actually is and Kodin who is Tazir's closest friend and occasionally the muscle when needed who all call a fairly small ship named The Giggling ...more
This is the story of a seasoned Captain named Tazir who is traveling along the coast with her young Quartermaster Chaqal who appears younger than she actually is and Kodin who is Tazir's closest friend and occasionally the muscle when needed who all call a fairly small ship named The Giggling ...more

I have a feeling I would have given this one five stars if it was a full-length novel. I was completely sucked in by the story and would have read it in one sitting if sleep hadn't dragged me down, but I was left wanting more depth.
There's some really cool world building and magic and characters in this story, but its short length means there's not a lot of time to get into any of it in depth, so the reader is left to fill in a lot of blanks. And the story itself felt a little rushed, as it trie ...more
There's some really cool world building and magic and characters in this story, but its short length means there's not a lot of time to get into any of it in depth, so the reader is left to fill in a lot of blanks. And the story itself felt a little rushed, as it trie ...more

I really, really enjoyed this, mostly for fantastic worldbuilding and magical system and the vivid, mostly female characters. However—and I don't usually say this because I love the novella length best—it was a novella that needed to be a novel. I couldn't help but feel that there was so much I was missing, so much that could have been more, because the story skipped by too fast.
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Sep 07, 2017
Ariel
rated it
did not like it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
action-adventure,
fantasy
I really wanted to like this because the magic here is very imaginative. I mean, people can control the wind at whim...but they have to get their eyes cut out first? Come on, who wouldn't like to find out why? I just..........really hated every single one-dimensional character here, the disjointed storytelling, and there was really no pay out for me in reading this. Oh, well.
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I'm not sure it made sense, but I liked it
The novella is poetic and beautiful. It does not explain it self much and a lot of things are left unanswered. I do wonder if there are more written in this world as I am intrigued ...more
The novella is poetic and beautiful. It does not explain it self much and a lot of things are left unanswered. I do wonder if there are more written in this world as I am intrigued ...more
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