Sea of Storms

Ruined Lands #2

by Lindsey Pogue

Mortal Enemies or Fated Mates?

The Reaper’s name is whispered throughout Norseland–the infamous sea captain who visits the frozen kingdom with each rising tide to collect a shipful of unfortunates. No one knows where he’s from or where he takes them, only that he leaves wreck and ruin in his wake.

After a terrible tragedy, Brynn wakes on the Reaper’s ship. Bloody, broken, and with nothing left to lose, she vows she’ll avenge her family before they reach the Reaper’s homeland.

But the gods of old play wicked games, and when the Reaper and Brynn are stranded together, destiny weaves an epic, unforgettable love story of pain, passion, and jaw-dropping discoveries.

Prepare to feel the salt on your skin and the wind in your hair in this heart-pounding, breathtaking Norse-inspired adventure and fantastical romance.

If you like forced proximity, enemies-to-lovers with badass heroines, cocky viking pirates, and plot twists that will leave you gasping, this is the love story for you.

**Contains adult content** Visit author website, Ruined Lands book page, for trigger warnings.


RUINED LANDS RETELLINGS:

City of Ruin (Beauty and the Beast)

Sea of Storms (Skadi and Njord)

Land of Fury (Snow White and the Huntsman) March 2023

Also in the FORGOTTEN LANDS WORLD:

Dust and Shadow

Earth and Ember

Tide and Tempest

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Historical Fiction, Pirates, Forced Proximity, Enemies To Lovers, Dystopia

338 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 8, 2022

About the author

“[Lindsey] mastered what it is to be human, and the connections we build with one another.” - Goodreads Reviewer

Lindsey Pogue is a genre-bending survival romance author, best known for her soul-stirring Savage North Chronicles. With a master’s in history and her passion for apocalyptic landscapes, Lindsey weaves epic adventures where humanity shines brightest in the darkest of times. Her weather-ravaged worlds defy genre boundaries, inviting readers to escape the ordinary and discover the boundless strength of the human spirit.

When Lindsey's not plotting her next storyline or dreaming up new, brooding characters, she's wrapped in blankets, watching action flicks with her own leading man. She and her husband live in Northern California with their rescue cats, Beast and Blue.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ “[Lindsey] mastered what it is to be human, and the connections we build with one another.” - Amazon (Author Unpublished)

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ "Lindsey Pogue is a master storyteller!" -Tome Tender Book Reviews

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ "Lindsey Pogue does it again!! I absolutely love her writing style."



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Reviews

[Nora (NoraLeest) · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was SO MUCH FUN!!!

[Lindsey Pogue]

“A breathtaking adventure!” The Reaper, a notorious sea captain, haunts Brynn’s memories. When she wakes on his infamous ship, battered, broken, and with nothing else to lose, she vows her revenge. But the gods of old play wicked games. Stranded together, destiny weaves an epic love story of pain, passion, and jaw-dropping discoveries in this Norse-inspired adventure.

Perfect for LJ Andrews, Adrienne Young, and Amy Harmon fans!

⚜️ Vikings + Black Sails + Robin Hood mashup
⚜️ Spicy romance
⚜️ Gritty Scandinavian cityscapes
⚜️ Infamous sea captain + ragtag crew
⚜️ Fated mates
⚜️ Scrappy, knife-wielding heroine
⚜️ Norse Mythology
⚜️ Island survival
⚜️ Enemies-to-lovers
⚜️ He falls first
⚜️ Historical Fantasy
⚜️ Dual POV

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ "This is pure, divine escapism and I loved everything about it!" - Obsessed by Books

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ "Draws you in from the first page!"

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ "It's a perfect combination of Norse folklore, an apocalyptic world, and romance."

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ "Brynn the Captain Slayer is a wonderfully deep character. She will delight you with her sassy mouth and feisty spirit."

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ "Impeccable writing, exquisite world-building, and complex characters!"

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ " It is like putting on a VR headset. The transformation is incredible."

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ "I devoured this book. It’s just phenomenal."

An interconnected, standalone installment in the Ruined Lands series.

Support the author! You can buy signed paperbacks, ebooks, exclusive swag, and audiobooks in Lindsey’s bookshop! www.payhip.com/lindseypogue

**Bonus Ruined Lands stories and content are available in Lindsey’s Exclusive Reader Membership: www.reamstories.com/lindseypogue

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

From world building to detailed descriptions of the characters, you are immersed into Sea of Storms, book 2 of Ruined Lands. We follow Brynn's journey of torment, survival, and love. Brynn radiates strength and with a fierce hatred of "The Reaper" she does everything she can to not be captured by him. However little does she know that she will wake up on his ship. This is where we will continue her journey with "The Reaper". I just love how Brynn tells him "Don't worry I still loathe you". Upon further adventures along the North Sea, The Reaper tells Brynn, "Your kindness is showing". As a surprise bonus we hear more from Greyson and Selene from book 1, City of Ruin. This is a perfect read if you have a weakness for enemies to lovers, retelling dystopian fairy tales, and romance. This has all the feels wrapped up in tattooed shavings of dead tree's. If I could give this more then 5 stars I would.

[Suzanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this story! Lindsey Pogue's writing draws you in from the first page and immerses you in the Norse folklore in an apocalyptic world. Plus there's hate to love, slow burn romance between two characters I was drawn to immediately and who really deserve a better life of love and choices. Brynn and Killian were fated to be together.

Plus a glimpse into the lives of Greyson and Selene from the first book. I look forward to whatever comes next in The Ruined Lands world.

[Rhiannon Chillingworth · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5.

This was really well written and surprisingly not too tropey. But where they were done, they were done in a way that felt fresh.

I will definitely pick up the next one.

[Nadia Debowska-Stephens (Obsessed by Books) · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Njord and Skadi, sailing the seas—you and I are woven into life’s tapestry by the gods themselves.”

Seeped in mythology and set in an apocalyptic world, this story is haunting, heart breaking and wonderful. The end of the world has created an unbalance of power where the strong and merciless take and vulnerable sacrifice everything they hold dear to survive another day. With every day filled with life and watch decisions, those in power do all they can to horde more whilst those with nothing have nothing left to give… The Reaper comes and with him fear, violence and death. Already hating the very essence of his soul she tries to run causing her to lose herself once more. Waking up to a whole new reality she must battle her own perceptions, her grief and her head to listen to what her heart is trying to tell her. Not everything is as it appears to be and The Reaper has come to collect…

I love this series, the world building and the echoes of fairytales already told but given new life in a reimagining. This is pure, divine escapism and I loved everything about it. The wheels of change are turning and I can’t wait to read the next book in the Ruined Lands saga.

A five star wind swept god destined love story read.

~*~ Reviewed on the behalf of Obsessed by Books ~*~

[Jennie Mabb · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished this book. Now, I read City of Ruin first. You do not have to, this is a standalone book - but reading City of Ruin first gives more color and background in my opinion. This is a NO SPOILER review.

The characters are well-developed and the 2 main characters are definitely 3 dimensional. What is brilliant about this book is that some of the secondary characters also reach that 3 dimension status - which is a rarity lately. The animosity and struggles the characters face (both primary and secondary) is not frivolous, they all have a resolution, and there are no way out of left field "no that character would never do that" moments.

The setting is beautifully developed. You can envision exactly what the terrain is like, the feel of the air on your own face, and the smells that surround the characters are aptly fleshed out and definitely allow for immersion in the book. The setting is also not overly common, so readers are not going to say, oh this is like the setting in X book I just read. Sea of Storms has a fresh feel to it in this regard.

The plot! We know going in this is a Norse mythology retelling. But the plot twists are fantastic. One or two you may see coming as it is logical for how the story is progressing, but there are a few that caught me by surprise and enriched the plot line tremendously. The romance is slowly building and not in your face. The tension of the romance is also not contrived either, which helps a great deal (see the above comment about characters having believable reactions). As I stated above, having read the City of Ruin, some of the plot makes you think back upon the first book and recall pieces and see how the stories, though standalone, complement each other.

By having the two books, City of Ruin and Sea of Storms, complement each other it is very clear the author is world-building. Each book is vivid in its setting description and is sufficient on its own. But when you consider the arch of the two books together, it is clear there is an entire dystopian world that awaits us, readers, that the author is creating and spinning like a web.

My only minor, very minor, negative I could add is that the book, though complete, definitely leaves enough wiggle room for further development and storylines of the characters. No cliffhanger, but it definitely makes you want to have more of their stories.

Enjoy your read - you won't regret it.

[Jennifer G · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brynn's life was irrevocably changed when she and her sister were orphaned during an attack on their village. Stories of the Reaper and his men terrorizing the countryside were plentiful. Their village was only one of many lost to his destructive visits. So years later when he showed up demanding her employer turn over his people, she and her sister ran. Tragedy followed and she ended up on the Reaper's ship anyway. Blaming him for her life's losses, Brynn declares her hatred and vows to get revenge. But as the two are stranded together, anger turns to passion. Like their gods Skadi and Njord, their souls are woven together but Reaper knows he needs to give his Little Skadi her freedom. He is duty-bound to his family and she deserves control over her own life. So they need to each follow their own path. Maybe the fates will bring them back together. After all, destiny will have her way.

Impeccable writing, exquisite world-building, and complex characters, interwoven with Norse mythology make for a creative, compelling story. It's impossible not to become immersed in this world. You practically smell the sea water and feel the sting of the ocean wind on your face. From the beginning, you're swept up in the storm of Brynn. Reaper may have a brutal reputation but Brynn is the fierce one existing on her pain and anger. Reaper fuels himself with regret and guilt. These two hid behind their walls and expected little from the world. But in the dark, they shared their truths and exposed themselves opening themselves to new possibilities. Together, these two can change the world. They can sail the seas, love each other, save as many as possible, and bring hope to even more. It will be interesting to see the impact the twins and their loves have on the future.

[Rhonna Woodie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great read!

A historic fiction setting with a little bit of ending time struggles, or maybe beginning of time stuggles. This story has a strong female main character that has seen nothing but evil in her short life. The cruelty of man and times makes life nearly not worth living. But having someone worth living for can change the world.

The most feared ship of bandits arrives in town. All Brynn had heard were the horror stories of the band of terrors that sweep into ports, burn down farms, kidnap people and turn them into slaves, including her own family. She had hatred for the Reaper because of what she thought she knew. Her extremely rough life turns for the worse when she loses her only family left and finds herself on a ship bound for New London, the Reaper's ship.

The time on the ship starts to change her mind, about everything. The past, the present, the future, the Reaper. Then, a storm destine both her and Killian, the Reaper, stranded on an island. The need for survival changes everything. Close quarters, finding food and shelter, lots of time to learn the truth of events, and simply the destiny of what is meant to be brings into perspective all the pains of the past for both and changes the outlook for the future.

This story has the love, the anger, the passion, the sadness, the life and death that rounds a story to keep you going to see what happenes next. There was a big surprise I hadn't seen coming about 3/4 into the story, a VERY GOOD surprise! It is also left open for continuing on to the next stage of changing the world!

I read this book as a stand alone story, I have not read book 1.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! It's perfect combination of Norse folklore, an apocalyptic world, and romance. Brynn seems to have lost everything when she wakes up on the ship of the dreaded Reaper, the man she blames for all her losses. Of course everything is not as it appears. I'm looking forward to book three set in this world!

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully written, norse mythology tale that was a real pleasure to read! As always with this writer you are directly transported into the adventure & the excitement of the situation! Loved everything about this story, the characters & ideas as well as a well thought out plot! A brilliant way to pass the time! I do recommend!

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love everything by Lindsey Pogue and this is no different. Dystopian adventure, romance, norse mythology all come together for an amazing experience. I loved reading Sea of Storms! Brynn and the Reaper are perfect together, balancing each other’s strengths and weaknesses. I definitely recommend this book.

[Fred · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mythology in a Dystopian World

I am continually impressed with Lindsey’s ability to take mythology and write futuristic stories. As soon as the reader opens the pages of this book, they are transported into a world that is as real as everyday life. It is like putting on a VR headset. The transformation is incredible.

[Barbara Hohman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dystopian society in Norway. Brynn is the strong leading lady out of necessity after losing it all. The Reaper is the leading man who is not what he appears to be. A sea journey to be remembered. How will they come together or apart.

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brynn is an orphaned worker in a kingdom full of some of humanity’s ugliest. She has lost so much, because of the Reaper. One day, she plans to kill him. One day comes sooner than she thinks. Brynn is a wonderfully deep character. She will delight you with her sassy mouth and feisty spirit. I am absolutely in love with this book, the settings, and the people.

[A Schaeffs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Literally wanted to marathon this book, I couldn't put it down.

I had so much fun with this book, I kept having to force myself to stop reading so that I could get "life" done first.

Where City of Ruin is dark and gritty, Sea of Storms is a vibrant adventure across the vast expanses of ocean and unexplored lands. There is action, there is bloodshed, there are clashes and there is friendship, loyalty, and unbroken bonds.

Lindsey masters her skill as the emotional puppeteer of her readers. If you haven't started this series yet, you really need to get on with it :)

[Tabitha · Rating 3 out of 5]

I hated the beginning with a passion. This book begins with a list of terms, most of which are eminently googleable or common knowledge, e.g. in the age of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla and Marvel movies, I don’t think there are very many people who need Odin or Hel explained to them. Granted, Skadi and Njord are more of a deep cut, but if you’ve got a passing interest in Norse mythology or, again, the entire internet at your fingertips, you don’t need to be told who they are. As the book is (loosely) a Skadi and Njord myth retelling, it makes even less sense to define them for the audience up front. Imagine seeing Snow White and the Evil Queen being explained in the intro to a Seven Dwarves retelling, lol.

There are two prologues before we even get to chapter one. The first is all about the fall of the earth that led to there dystopian ruin that is the setting, which was fine, a little boring, whatever, at least it wasn’t done as an annoying “as you know” exposition infodump. The second prologue quite unnecessarily explains something that happened to the MMC when he was 12. Very little action. Could’ve been summed up in three sentences of dialogue, and I’d rather have the character tell his own tales when it comes up naturally over the course of the story than to deal with this random snippet of why-are-we-even-here? then cut to a different character and oh by the way also it’s 18 years later.

In fact, all of the MMC’s brief POV chapters (snippets as they often are) save for one are pretty much skippable or could’ve easily been rewritten to be from the FMC’s POV, and they reveal little about him that we don’t already know. I prefer a much more 50/50 weighting in a dual POV book, and this was like 90/10, making me wonder why not just go for 100%.

The MMC and FMC have this strange, seemingly magical? bond between them that is never fully explained, except that it causes them to fall in love over the course of 5 days or whatever, and then pine over one another for 14 offscreen months (the romance novel time dilation is real, lol) before finally deciding to stop being such wimps and sail off into the sunset together. Cute ending, still weird that y’all couldn’t have had that conversation a year ago tho.

I didn’t feel a ton of chemistry in their interactions up to the point where they first hooked up, to be honest. It’s like, they met, MMC noticed one unusual thing about her, never explains it to her (hence the need for the aforementioned second prologue), and then he’s weirdly protective and self-sacrificing for her from then on, while she continues to just… exist in a Feyre-like state of bafflement and not knowing things that everyone else seems to know. You gotta spend more time on the butterflies and longing looks and corded muscles and clinging breeches if you’re gonna make me wait until 75% of the way through the book for the first kiss!

[Jenny · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is such a difficult book to rate. I'm going to explain myself the best I can, because I'm still not sure how I feel about it. (Both a good and a bad sign.)
1:
For the first half, this reminded me of His Fair Assassin series, which is a good thing. Then it reminded me of a Marie-Louise Jensen book, totally different, but still a good thing. A combo of the two is gold.
2:
This is so very gritty in the beginning that I nearly stopped reading. Just the first few chapters where there are illusions to graphic survival methods, where no one blinks at murder, etc., it was rough, yet it wasn't explicitly explained, so I kept going.
3:
There was a massive drop in plot/progression once the 'journey' started (Trying not to spoil it...). MASSIVE. Lots of hanging out, grumbling under her breath or in her head and lots of hearing people's thoughts which got a little longwinded. Who am I kidding, a LOT longwinded.
4:
I liked the so called 'solution' at the end of the book, but...I didn't love it. That's a lot of 'what-if' for the future, a lot of bad stuff still waiting to affect them, and yet....it works? Sort of? Meh.
5:
No, no, no on the love story.
We have a man who seems broken and broody (of course we do), which, let's be honest, becomes are harder and harder sell as you get his backstory and see his personality open up. At no point did it feel like they were actually falling in love. It felt like they were tolerating each other. Even learning how to be friends, but that's it. In fact I thought she matched up better with a different character. (Total side thought: her harsh intense personality needs someone a little softer to balance that out.) Also, sometimes, the MMC was a total baby.
6:
This didn't feel dystopian. If you like that, you'll have to remind yourself because it doesn't feel that way, it feels very old world.
7:
Bottom line: I think I would give this a pass. The ideas are good, even great, but the story lags about a third of the way through and never picks back up, the romance is flat and I feel no need to read the others in the series.

Parental Guide: Lots of grit, violence, references to rape, murder, stealing, name it, it probably has that in it.... Slightly open door, but nothing explicit, some swearing, though how the F-word made it to a dystopian society that has been totaled and nothing new was made as a word, is beyond me.

[Sandi · Rating 5 out of 5]

🌟 🌟🌟🌟🌟

I loved this book! I was in need of a good cry and found it several times throughout this book. Dystopian, and not overly predictable. This can be read as a standalone, but reading City of Ruins first adds much more understanding to Killian's backstory. Brynn was an amazing FMC. Strong and plucky, and full of sass...just like I enjoy. If I *had* to critique anything, I would have liked a little more of the brother's story in relation to each other, but that's a minor quibble that doesn't detract from how good this story was. I'm definitely picking up the 3rd book in the series.


I got book 1 and 2 on a past "Stuff Your Kindle Day" and I have often been disappointed in the quality of some of those books, but not this time! Books like these are why I still entertain "Stuff Your Kindle Day" because every now and then, you find a true gem like these 2 have been. Lindsey Pogue has turned out to be a surprise new author for me to look forward to reading more from in the future!

[Stacie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well I now need to read anything this author has ever written. I really enjoyed this story of survival that was influenced by Norse mythology. Brynn is a badass and I'm a sucker for a strong heroine. The banter between her and Killian is excellent and I just loved that she wasn't afraid to tell the world how she felt, damn the consequences. There were definitely some things in the story I did not see coming and what a ride it was!

There are some difficult scenes at the beginning of the book so please check trigger warnings but I promise you, it is absolutely worth the ride and I highly recommend picking this one up. Yes it says book 2 but it's a series of stand alones and there is no need to read them in order. I cannot wait to read more from Lindsey.

Thank you to Linsey Pogue for a gifted copy of this book. You've definitely got a new fan in me!

[Trish R. · Rating 5 out of 5]

As good as the first book was in this series this one was better. I loved Killian and Brynn. It took Brynn less time to stop jumping to conclusions about Killian than it did Selene, in City in Ruin, when it came to Greyson. I can't wait for book 3 to come out.

Some sex but not too descriptive and the F-bomb was used 13 times.

As for the narration: All I can say is PERFECT. Usually I HATE a male and female narrator because when the female reads the man's voice sounds just like a woman. But not so with Rebecca Woods. She did a man's voice perfectly. And Killian's voice, done by Neill Thorne was soooo sexy. I will definitely look for other books narrated by these two narrators.

[Jennifer Ganzberger PureRomance · Rating 5 out of 5]

In a journey to stay alive, Brynn knows 2 things for certain. One, there are no rules on the streets if you work for Von. And two, stay as far away from the Reaper as you can. Run as far away as you can. A twist of fate seems to pull the Reaper to Brynn and he cannot help it.

Such a smooth page turner! Lindsey Pogue is such a Phenomenal writer that you just get submerged in her books. I sat down to try to sneak in the first chapter of the book. Before I knew it, I was 60% through the book! It did not disappoint!

[Heather McCorkle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This superbly crafted Viking dystopian absolutely captivated me from page one all the way until the end. The writing is flawless, the world building is beautiful, and the characters are deeply developed and enthralling. With just the right amount of action, romance, and heart, Lindsey Pogues books are ones I will come back to again and again. Though I read this out of order, the Ruined Lands novels can be read in any order, so it didn't take anything away from the experience for me. Now I'm off to grab the first one!

[Trish Skywalker · Rating 5 out of 5]

another brilliant retelling by LP!

This is the story of Brynn and Killian, a beautiful retelling of the Norse myth of Skadi and Njord.
Brynn’s life has always been a struggle. Her and her sister are alone in the cold depths of Norseland, just getting by however they can. When the notorious Reaper arrives in their town, the girls are so frightened of being taken. But after tragedy strikes, Brynn finds herself bruised and bloodied on the Reaper’s ship.
Killian knows that supporting his family in New London is his duty, but his soul lies with the sea. He knows his journey will always take him home, and though he has a faithful crew, he doesn’t have a person of his own. When he meets Brynn, he knows that may change, but it may not be what she wants.
I loved the setting of this book, and learning about a Norse myth I didn’t know of before. I also love an enemies to lovers tale, and Brynn and Killian are definitely that!! This series is so good and I can’t wait for the next one!

[Maddie Gauthier · Rating 4 out of 5]

SO MUCH BETTER THAN THE FIRST. I love a fiery FMC but sometimes the stubbornness is overdone and they seem ignorant to the rest of the worlds problems (kinda felt that way with the last one). This one was not like that at all in my opinion and it was so much fun to root for everyone in the story.
Also without giving too much away, the ending was just unconventional enough to be refreshing but not frustrating.

[Lily · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 Stars rounded up
The story itself was quite intriguing and a bit emotional at times. I found myself feeling for all the poor cotizens of Northhelm and I was invested in how their fates will unfold. However I felt detached from the characters especially killian and I felt there wasn't really a spark between the characters. All in all it's an enjoyable quick read and I'll probably continue with the series at some point!

[Katie Klinger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful story!

I’m loving these alternative history fairytale retellings! Lindsey was able to draw on her love of Norse mythology and Vikings in this story where not everyone is exactly who they seem to be. I loved the romance, character development, and tie ins to her other novel set in the same world.

[Jennifer Jobe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love

Once again I was transported into another world. This author writing makes it so easy to picture the world you are reading and makes you feel like you are there. Learning about the characters she creates and watching them grow into who they are is absolutely amazing. I will read anything Lindsey writes

[Marta · Rating 2 out of 5]

It started good but got rather boring once the journey started. All the elements that made me pick this book up were almost non-existent or irrelevant to the story - Vikings, fantasy elements, sea adventure. Some plot points were left unresolved. Romance wasn't great either. I reached the end and thought that I should've DNF it.

[Britt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was everything.
One of my top books of the year now.
Just incredible.
The story telling is fantastic and the characters are just wonderful.
Dual POV which I enjoyed as well.
Seriously don’t sleep on this one!