[Steeplechase and BWF] The Reader by Traci Chee- 3 stars

[Jen K]

Sefia lived in a house on a hill, hidden away but beloved until her father was murdered. Then her "aunt" was kidnapped and she was on her own, safeguarding something so dangerous that she lost her family for it, a book. Then she finds Archer in a cage and she is no longer alone as she reads to him and they seek out her aunt and the hope to stop the people who put Archer in a cage. Along the way they meet pirates and try to stay safe while trying to learn more about and from the book as well as those who want the book.

I enjoyed the growing relationship between Sefia and Archer. I enjoyed the pirates very much as well. The overall concept is good but it was a bit too disjointed with multiple POV and stories within stories and books within books, teetering toward the meta side. It was hard to maintain attention when the story shifted but I did enjoy enough and would considering reading more in the trilogy.

Steeplechase: Pirates x 73; Authors of Color x 13
BWF Tenacious Trailblazers: Letter R bonus