Beneath the Thirteen Moons

I like the word Kathryne Kennedy created in this book above everything else. She wrote wonderful characters and gripping plot but the love and execution she put into Sea Forest. I think the intricacies of the different caste systems and the magical way the world is brought to life is the crowning jewel of this book.

The take Ms. Kennedy weaves keeps the readers entranced. I enjoyed both Korl and Mahri's characters and I enjoyed watching them get to know each other and fall in love, despite their immense differences. I think that this fantastic romance is simple, clean, and a nice light read for anyone who wants something different than the everyday paranormal romance.

Plot:
Mahri needs a healer for her village and by mistake she kidnaps the crown prince, there is instant lust between these. But he is a royal that has everything and she is just a low water-rat.

My thoughts:
The world she creates is pure magic. Truly something I have not experienced in a while. I want to see it on a big screen, I fear my imagination could only take me so far. The world is hard to describe, 13 moons, trees growing out from the ocean and people living in them, beneath them the ocean beasts. A world is filled with wonders. I do confess that it was not as good as her last book, but then this is an old book that has been re-issued so she has become a better writer, but the book is still good.

Mahri is a strong independent widow show more who does not want to love and loose again. But she and Korl are meant for each other but she fights it with every muscle. He realizes his love and yields to it. But I understand her, she is not him, she lives in a swamp, he in a palace. And even a golden cage would be a cage for her. She is a runner, I will give out that. But I understand her. And I do love a man who will give up everything. Of course these two have one rocky romance, they are so different.

I have already told you the world is pure magic, what a creation. For some reason I thought of Avatar, well had to think of something even though they are nothing alike. It came more when Mahri got the information that her people came from the sky in fire. Therefore the hint of sci-fi, but the technology is long go. Now they use magic they get from a root found in the swamp.

Final thoughts and recommendation:
Ok yes there is the romance, but honestly, the world intrigued me more. So that was my fav part in this book. I am a sucker for good world-building. Cos of that I will give it a 3,5. It was interesting, and something for lovers of fantasy romance, and sci-fi since even if there was not any sci-fi in it I had that alien feeling all way through.

Reason for reading:
Liked her other book show less

I have read Kennedy's book, The Fire Lord's Lover, and was absolutely in love with it so I was very excited to read this one. Unfortunately it did not live up to my expectations. There was no real explanation about what this world was and you are left fumbling through the book trying to figure out what was so important about zabba root,who the river rats were and where this world came from. I almost felt like I had missed maybe another 100 pages that should have been at the beginning of the book. I also found Mahri irritating in that she played the "I hate you" card for so long with Korl yet every time she looks in his eyes she melts like butter. I felt like instead of showing how in love or attracted to him she was it just made her show more seem weak.

My favorite part of the book was Mahri's pet. He was adorable and cracked me up with his entire personality and his love of the food in the royal palace. Once we finally started getting to the interesting part of the story of what zabba root could do and how it could be used to attack one another the story was over. I really would have liked to see more of the conspiracy against Korl by his sister and her co-conspirator. That seemed like it would have been the most interesting part of the book.

All in all this was a disappointment after reading The Fire Lord's Lover but I will say Kennedy does come up with some great ideas and worlds. I just wish this one had been more developed. show less

I picked up this book after Fire Lord's Lover, and it's not nearly as good. Not terrible, by any means, just not great either.

This book takes place on a water planet (no really, it's all water, with forests growing on the sea), and the world-building is pretty decent for a romance novel, but incomplete.

The characters were very flat, and the best character, by far, is the "pet" in the book Jaja.

I picked up this book after Fire Lord's Lover, and it's not nearly as good. Not terrible, by any means, just not great either.

This book takes place on a water planet (no really, it's all water, with forests growing on the sea), and the world-building is pretty decent for a romance novel, but incomplete.

The characters were very flat, and the best character, by far, is the "pet" in the book Jaja.

Disclaimer: I received no compensation from the author or publisher for this honest review.

I couldn't finish this one. I first started reading this book on June 28 and got almost halfway through before calling it quits on September 18.

I tried to like this one, I really did but I just couldn't get into it. I'm not sure it isn't any one thing over another but this book just doesn't do it for me. The main characters drove me nuts and not in a good way. Mahri I found to be kinda whiny and annoying.

Don't get me wrong, I like women who are strong but when they have to spend most of the time whining over how they have to be independent, it takes away from the strength of their behavior.

The male lead wasn't much better but I tolerated his show more behavior a little bit better than hers since he was raised in privilege and didn't have any real life experience.

Yeah, wanted to like but just couldn't.

Would I recommend this book? Not really. show less