Monday, June 9, 2025

Review: Awakened by Roseanna M. White

About the Book
Where sea and land meet, two worlds clash in a fury of wind and waves.

Arden Bleu has always known that her stepsister, Jade, was destined for great things. In a world where beauty follows magic, she has no doubt that their upcoming Awakening ceremony will reveal that gorgeous, kind, compelling Jade is far more than a mere mortal. But when Jade is kidnapped by a mysterious sect of mer on the eve of the newly-returned king’s ball, Arden will do anything to save her sister. Even face down the man she’s always dreaded meeting because of the power he holds over her family, the man to whom her father swore loyalty long before she was born. The Sea King.

Seidon, the Sea King of Daryatla, has grown only more powerful as the centuries have gone by, but lifetime after lifetime have failed to give him what he most yearns for: a family. He knows that it will take a woman of extraordinary power to match him enough to create a child, and no such woman seems to exist…until he feels her magic calling to his one day in the water. And when Arden Bleu, daughter of his most trusted official, arrives to tell him about her missing stepsister, he knows this Jade, with a new magic so coveted that the mer would risk war with his kingdom to steal her away, may be the one he’s waited centuries for. But how can he and the determined Arden ever hope to find one young woman trapped beneath the waves? Perhaps the Great Golden Sea Hawk who has guarded the sisters all their lives holds the key.

In a world on the brink of war between the mer and the land-dwellers, friendship, faith, and love demand the ultimate sacrifice as both kingdoms seek to unlock the prophesied magic waiting to spring forth: the magic of wind and sky. To the mer, it would mean the freedom to return to the land. To Seidon’s court, it would mean safety from every storm. But how can any human hand wield the wind?


MY THOUGHTS

I think this is my new favorite Roseanna White book! I loved it so much! It was easy to fall into this book and get lost in its pages. It’s been a while since a book has so completely immersed me in it.

The worldbuilding was great! So detailed but never overwhelming. So imaginative and unique, yet slightly familiar.

The characters were wonderful! So likeable and easy to root for. They were relatable and three-dimensional.

I loved that there was tech in this fantasy world. You don’t see that too often, but it worked so well! More, please!

I loved this book and highly, highly recommend it to fans of clean romantasy. I also think it’d be a good intro into the fantasy genre for people who’ve never read it before. I can’t wait for more books set in this world!

I received a copy of this book and voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and comments are my honest opinion.

FIVE STARS


ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Roseanna M. White is a bestselling, Christy Award winning author who has long claimed that words are the air she breathes. When not writing fiction, she’s homeschooling, editing, designing book covers, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna is the author of a slew of historical novels that span several continents and thousands of years. Spies and war and mayhem always seem to find their way into her books…to offset her real life, which is blessedly ordinary. You can learn more about her and her stories at www.RoseannaMWhite.com.

6 comments:

  1. It does sound like great worldbuilding. And nice that it's a clean romantasy! :D

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  2. It's a new to me book and author so thanks for sharing.

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  3. It is so weird to me that she did this one, I am used to her historical fiction :)

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    1. Right? It's very different than her historical fiction, but just as good! I loved it! :D

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