These Rebel Waves (Stream Raiders #1) by Sara Raasch - Restarting April 6th 2020

[Maddie]

Adeluna is a soldier. Five years ago, she helped the magic-rich island of Grace Loray overthrow its oppressor, Argrid, a country ruled by religion. But adjusting to postwar life has not been easy. When an Argridian delegate vanishes during peace talks with Grace Loray’s new Council, Argrid demands brutal justice—but Lu suspects something more dangerous is at work.

Devereux is a pirate. As one of the outlaws called stream raiders who run rampant on Grace Loray, he pirates the island’s magic plants and sells them on the black market. But after Argrid accuses raiders of the diplomat’s abduction, Vex becomes a target. An expert navigator, he agrees to help Lu find the Argridian—but the truth they uncover could be deadlier than any war.

Benat is a heretic. The crown prince of Argrid, he harbors a secret obsession with Grace Loray’s forbidden magic. When Ben’s father, the king, gives him the shocking task of reversing Argrid’s fear of magic, Ben has to decide if one prince can change a devout country—or if he’s building his own pyre.

As conspiracies arise, Lu, Vex, and Ben will have to decide who they really are . . . and what they are willing to become for peace.

[Laura]

Chapter 3 (view spoiler)[ This is the second time I have read this book. Still hate Lu. I love Vex!! I don't mind Ben, that much either. (hide spoiler)]

[Laura]

Chapter 10 (view spoiler)[ I like Ben more than I did last time I read this. I love Vex and Teo, they are so funny!! I don't like Lu... still. She just annoys me to no end. (hide spoiler)]

[Jennifer]

Ch 8 - (view spoiler)[ I think it will be interesting to see how these characters cross paths in the future. I mean, it is obvious that Ben will need Lu's help with the plants/magic at some point, and it seems like Vex is already growing an attachment to her - will he need to rescue her at some point? I can't wait to find out how it all plays out. My thoughts so far: Ben is definitely being set up to take a fall by his father, and Milo definitely was responsible for his own abduction. (hide spoiler)]

[Jennifer]

Laura wrote: "Chapter 3 [spoilers removed]"

Uh oh! (view spoiler)[ Why do you hate Lu? Oh no, don't tell me! (hide spoiler)]

[Laura]

Chapter 22 (view spoiler)[ I see why I liked this book so much the first time I read it! It gets so much better and exciting at about the half-way point. So, Jakes is a traitor. I am not all that surprised. I am wondering what the holy crusade is. Hiding the hemlight in shoelaces was a smart idea! No one would have reason to suspect that.

Ok, Lu's not all that bad. I kind of wish she was a bit less angsty. I liked her reaction to the Tuncians rebelling. It was well done and exactly what I would expect of a mentally scarred child soldier. There is no way she would want to suffer through another war.

Can't wait to see how the rest plays out again. (hide spoiler)]

[Laura]

Jennifer wrote: "Ch 8 - [spoilers removed]"

Glad someone else is reading! I was just wondering if I would be the only one making comments! :D

(view spoiler)[ I agree with Ben needing Lu's help. She has an extensive knowledge of all the plants and was seeking a cure for shaking sickness. (hide spoiler)]

[Laura]

Chapter 25 (view spoiler)[ For a minute there I thought Lu wasn't going to tell Vex about the cure. That would have been cruel!! (hide spoiler)]

[Jennifer]

Ch 16 - (view spoiler)[ Ok, I'm not really understanding why a syrup is that different from a liquid tonic, but ok. Ben will still need to figure out the right combination of plants to get it to work on Shaking Sickness, right? (hide spoiler)]

[Jennifer]

Laura wrote: "Jennifer wrote: "Ch 8 - [spoilers removed]"

Glad someone else is reading! I was just wondering if I would be the only one making comments! :D

[spoilers removed]"

Nope, I'm reading it too. Although, I am not one of the original people that set up this BR - I'm a crasher! I've had the book for a while and always seem to get distracted by other things. I'm glad I'm reading it now.

[Laura]

Finished (view spoiler)[ I had forgotten that Lu's father was a traitor. That is a huge twist, that I didn't see coming!

I still really enjoyed this book! The only problem I had was that I read the Rapid Meander as the Rabid Meander , which was kind of frustrating!

Can't wait to get into the next book!!! :)

(hide spoiler)]

[Laura]

Jennifer wrote: "Laura wrote: "Jennifer wrote: "Ch 8 - [spoilers removed]"

Glad someone else is reading! I was just wondering if I would be the only one making comments! :D

[spoilers removed]"

Nope, I'm reading..."

I had just bought the second book when it was released and decided it would be a good idea to re-read the first.

[Jennifer]

Ch 25 (74%) - Ok, so I'm starting to see why Lu annoys you.
(view spoiler)[ I think it is because she is so confident that she is the only one that can solve this problem. She thinks everyone else are idiots, even the people she likes.

I am intrigued that she now knows how to cure the Shaking Sickness and that the answer is so easy. What I don't understand is why she is keeping that knowledge to herself. She's already in a dangerous situation with people trying to kill her and nations waring over magic - wouldn't it be wiser to tell everyone she knows how to solve the problem and it would take that issue off the table? I just don't get it. (hide spoiler)]

[Jennifer]

Finished - (view spoiler)[ Well that didn't end like I thought it would at all. I really thought they would all get away at the end and go off and make the cure and bring Ben's father down. Now Vex will have to figure out how to rescue the two of them. (hide spoiler)]

[Sarah Elizabeth]

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Date changed. Restarting April 6th 2020. Happy Reading ☺

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[Aly]

ch 8 (view spoiler)[ Ben's dad is a POS, ugh. He had his own brother and nephew killed and now he's making his son do research on magic and doesn't care if he's found out. Ben needs to get away from there.
Vex is funny and I like how cocky he is. And that Lu isn't impressed with him is great. Her parents are kind of shitty for using her in the war when she was a child. (hide spoiler)]

[Aly]

ch 18 (view spoiler)[ I'd like more of Ben, but I guess he's not doing much right now. I like that when Lu is presented with evidence that the things she believed in are wrong, she processes and accepts it instead of arguing and sticking to what she knows. Teo is super cute too (hide spoiler)]

[Aly]

ch 26 (view spoiler)[ well, that slowed down, I thought I'd never get here lol. I'm glad Ben is fighting back against his father and I feel awful that his bf was spying and reporting to the king.

It's great that Lu figured out what the shaking sickness is and hopefully she can cure people (hide spoiler)]

[Aly]

finished (view spoiler)[ I forgot that Vex is Paxben! And Lu stays with Ben because she needs to get him out. Even though I thought the middle dragged, the ending is so good that I want to read the second one (hide spoiler)]

[❀ Crystal ✿ -]

Ch 1-11 (view spoiler)[I love that the heroine is such a badass. It’s so true that everyone would overlook a young child as a spy. I hope she gets to the bottom of this before war breaks out. It was clear that milo guy was going to try something this outrageous. (hide spoiler)]

[❀ Crystal ✿ -]

Aly wrote: "ch 8 Ben's dad is a POS, ugh. He had his own brother and nephew killed and now he's making his son do research on magic and doesn't care if he's found out. Ben needs to get away from there.
Vex i..."

(view spoiler)[His dad is definitely garbage. I love how Ben skirts the line of what’s acceptable and not as his form of rebellion though. (hide spoiler)]

[Aly]

❀ Crystal ✿ - wrote: "Ch 1-11 [spoilers removed]"

Yes, she's awesome!

[❀ Crystal ✿ -]

Ch. 19 (view spoiler)[Holy shit she just got her leg mangled by a flipping crocodile. All because they were looking for Vex, wtf. I’m glad Theo is ok but I’m pissed she was basically chased into the arms of an enemy that’s not even hers. Also I’m really worried for her parents. Please don’t let them die, I’m so worried. (hide spoiler)]

[❀ Crystal ✿ -]

Ch 27 (view spoiler)[Damn I feel so horrible for Ben, his lover was essentially a spy for his father. I get why he had to let him go, he can’t be trusted 😢 And dangit I knew her parents weren’t safe, they need to plan a rescue mission for them pronto. (hide spoiler)]

[❀ Crystal ✿ -]

Aly wrote: "ch 26 well, that slowed down, I thought I'd never get here lol. I'm glad Ben is fighting back against his father and I feel awful that his bf was spying and reporting to the king.

It's great tha..."

(view spoiler)[It’s crazy she cured herself all this time and had no idea, she really needs to hook up with Ben. But I guess they need to get rid of his father first. (hide spoiler)]

[❀ Crystal ✿ -]

Finished (view spoiler)[Well I can see what the urgency is in reading the next book. Holy hell that got intense in the end. And now Lu is in the hands of her torturer, ughhhhhhhh. And what’s gonna happen to Ben 😱😭😱😭 I hate cliffhangers lol (hide spoiler)]