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Emerald of the Sea is a wonderful fantasy adventure that combines swashbuckling pirates and finely finished debutantes. Which seems like a highly unusual combination, but it worked really well in this novel. We have two different perspectives here: Emma, who has been raised aboard a not-exactly-legal merchant ship and knows nothing of her past or identity; and Maggie, a young noble who has been raised in a manor, friendless but for a kitchen boy.

Two very different stories, equally compelling. How will they tie together?

I was invested in both stories. There was tension and laughter, joys and sorrows to be had through both plotlines. I found Emma’s adventures delightfully madcap, while I was rooting for Maggie’s star-crossed love to find a way to buck societal expectations. Both Emma and Maggie experience a slowburn, first love romance that I found incredibly sweet.

Because this is a book that relies so heavily on twists and reveals, there’s not much I can say about it in this review without giving something vital away. Did I figure out the twists and tie-ins fairly early on in the story? Yes I did. But did that impede my enjoyment in any way? Absolutely not. Even if I had figured out how the two were linked, I was still excited to see though ties come to the fore.

I thoroughly enjoyed Emerald of the Sea, and recommend it to anyone looking for a light, clean romantasy that still has substance. However, I would recommend also getting your hands on White Rose Rising, the sequel, as Emerald of the Sea leaves you with a bit of a cliffhanger and some unanswered questions. I’ve been told that White Rose Rising provides a satisfying conclusion for this particular cast of characters, and I’m excited to see what that entails.