Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this ALC.

Rating: 4.5 stars

I honestly cannot believe this is a debut novel because WOW. This is an urban fantasy inspired by Chinese mythology told in a multigenerational narrative over multiple timelines.
To be honest you’ll need to be really attentive while reading because especially in the beginning it’s easy to loose track of all the different povs and dates but once you get the hang of it, you’ll just love it.

This is a story of magic, immigration, family and greed. The politics in this were mind blowing.
If you want a story that solely focuses on the lore and character building as well as some super smart twists, this is it. No romance is involved and I know how some of my fantasy girlies crave that sometimes.

I don’t think I have ever read such a complex story wrapped up so so well within 360 pages like wow. This woman knows how to write a book and I cannot wait for the sequel to come out!!

I am usually an audiobook lover but for this one I would say pass. It actually made it harder for me to work through this book and I fear took down the overall rating.
Overall for a debut this was pretty good. I enjoyed the story overall but I will admit that the characters were hard to keep track of.
Usually by 25% in I have a decent idea of who is who but with this one I was struggling through out most of the book. Maybe it with the multi-POV's or maybe the time jumping, but something didn't completely click.
I am interested to see where this author goes and how her writing could evolve.

Of Mountains and Seas takes its name from an ancient collection of Chinese Mythology and focuses on the politics of a magical shape shifting population that lives hidden alongside the nonmagical population. I attempted to begin reading this book three times. As an avid fantasy reader, it is unusual for a fantasy novel to have me quite so turned around, but this book has a few issues that detract from what could be an interesting tale of political aspirations and familial loyalty. First, there are too many character POVs, and they all have at least partially, if not entirely purposefully hidden identities that take the reader a lot of time to parse out. Hiding relationships between characters (from the reader but also among characters themselves) only serves to obfuscate reader comprehension, and I resorted to making a list of the main characters and timelines (1932-2000) in order to follow the story. This made it a lot less fun to read. The status of a person as a Static and Shifter, which forms the basis for the political strife, should not be something so easily changed. That detracts from the legitimacy of the strife between the two groups, especially if one barely knows the other exists.
I read the ebook and audiobook versions, and I really loved the narrator, Natalie Naudus, though I think it would have benefited more from having more than one narrator to help distinguish the multiple POVs.
Thanks to NetGalley, the author, and Hawk Ridge Press for this advanced copy to review.

2,75 / 5 stars
audiobook narration: 5/5
I love Natalie Naudus’ narration style and will listen to anything she´s a part of.

Sadly, the story itself didn´t grrab my attention as much as I wished it would.
The cover is STUNNING and the premise is really interesting. But sadly, I didn´t really care for the characters for most of the book.
It might be because we have a lot of time jumps in the beginning, so even though there is a reason for them, you don´t spend enough time with the characters in that timeline to really get invested.
It might also be because there are just so many POVs. You constantly switch POVs which makes it hard to keep track of everyone. And yes, there is also a reason behind that - and the mystery how everything fits together is done well imo, but I´d rather have been more in the head of fewer characters and get to experience their emotions better.
Instead, a lot stays surface level, especially the magic system and magical abbilites. I would have loved to get more in depth with the chinese inspired magic. The villain is given to us right away as well and there is never any deeper reflection on his character.
By the end, I wasn´t invested.

This book was an intricate and detailed shifter urban fantasy based on Chinese mythology. I'd probably recommend a physical or ebook over the audiobook, as the multiple timelines and point of view sometimes made it hard to follow. I only sorted out the timelines about an hour and a half from the end.

This story masterfully weaves together multiple timelines and perspectives, creating a rich and immersive narrative. Inspired by Chinese mythology, it is a beautifully crafted story filled with unique elements that make for a compelling read. I was fortunate to receive approval for both the audiobook and the e-ARC. The beginning was a bit confusing due to the multiple POVs, but being able to read along as I listened really helped. As I got through a few chapters and became more familiar with the characters, following the narrative became much easier. Occasionally, I found myself referring back to the e-ARC for clarity, but overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the audiobook—Natalie Naudus, you were amazing and I love you!!! The blend of Chinese mythology, intricate world-building, and a well-developed magic system was absolutely captivating. This story wasn’t just engaging—it was beautifully written and left a lasting impression. I’m definitely eager to read more from this author in the future.

I really dislike Natalie Naudus as a narrator, so... that was tough for me with this one. I'd probably recommend physical or ebook versions, but not audio.

At first I didn't like the constant jumps in timelines and POVS, but it did actually weave together nicely in the last 20%. Still felt a little unnecessarily over-complicated.

It ended up being a decent enough story line, I like the magic system a lot in theory, but I struggled tremendously to connect to any of the characters.

It was all in all a good story with a lot of layers, I just had a tough time hanging with it in the first half, and likely in big part due to the specific audio narrator.

“Of Mountains and Seas,” by Emily Renk Hawthorne

This was my second read thru of this story but audiobook version this time. I initially rated it 3 stars, but now it's 4 stars. I stand by what I originally said that this book is good for people who love to annotate because it was confusing with time jumps and the amount of POVs. It made way more sense the second time thru and I picked up way more information than the first time. I really liked the story plot, and the mystery mixed in with modern type political intrigue. I love the cultural differences with the Chinese lore. Of Mountains and Seas was plot and character focused and not a lot of romance for readers who want that. Tons of character development, whether good or bad, which I really liked.

The narration was perfect. It helped make more sense to the story and brought the entire book to life in my mind. I preferred listening to the book versus the e-book, it really made it magical for me.

The cover is initially why I wanted to read the book; it is so pretty. 4 out of 5 stars.

-Shifters
-Magic
-Chinese Lore
-Political Intrigue
-Multi POV

Thank you for the ARC, Netgalley.

Thank you Netgalley and Hawk Ridge Press for an ARC audiobook copy of Of Mountains and Seas by Emily Renk Hawthorne.

In Of Mountains and Seas we follow Davis who in a family with magical abilities he has none. Wanting to win his parents approval he strives to set himself apart. We also meet Iris who has a mysterious illness and must take her medication at very precise times of day in fear of blacking out. The two cross paths and neither of their lives are quite the same.

I loved the premise of this book and was so excited to see what happened when magic stones entered the picture and it took quite a different turn than I had originally thought! This audio books narration was really well done and easy to follow with clear pronunciation’s and it really made the story pop at the right moments!
Overall I enjoyed this book though did find it a little hard to follow towards the end with so much happening at once. For this reason I gave the book 3.5 stars but rounded up to 4.

I really enjoyed the world building and the Chinese mythology used in the book. The audio narrator was quite good as well. I think the thing that kept it from a five Star read for me was how long it took to get to the actual action of the story! Overall I would definitely recommend to fellow fantasy readers!

A debut novel with incredible world building is a rare sight, but Emily Renk Hawthorne did it. I thoroughly enjoyed learning about the universe throughout the book. As someone who had no prior knowledge of Chinese mythology, I never felt confused or like I have to research anything, the author did a great job of explaining the nooks and crannies of the magic system.

The reason this book is three star is because, in my opinion a lot of the book is a lot of so much happening but nothing happening. There seems to be so much action but truthfully a lot of it feels as though it’s there for shock factor and isn’t that interesting if I’m honest. I was also very interested in Amber’s and Nivi’s relationship but it usually got pushed aside for the older characters (which in my opinion were much more boring and I don’t really care for them) . Sometimes the POV jumping was way too sudden and felt a bit like the author hadn’t figured out what comes next, so they end the chapter. This was also a bit confusing in audiobook form because catching onto all the years and characters was difficult for the firsy 30-40%.

I think there is a lot of potential in this storyline and the author and I am awaiting the second book.

I picked this up because I love Chinese Mythology.
This was good.. I absolutely loved the narration. I love the mythology and the characters.
I did have a hard time with the POVs and Timelines but that is because I am not that smart.
I will defiantly read more from this author.

Thanks NetGalley for the audio arc!

Read this one if you love intertwined multi-generational stories about the pursuit of power, acceptance and the harsh consequences of not being loved by the ones you trust much, combined with an utterly original magic system based on creatures of Chinese mythology.

In this one, we follow a cast of characters with very different fates. They share a story, but how this one interconnects is quite hazy at first. Over time every puzzle piece falls in place and creates a clever, intriguing story. Our characters are quite complex and following their stories is a delight. There are certain quite interesting questions of inclusive politics, seeing that the main fractions of the shifter society mostly debate about the Integration of statics in shifter society or if they should stay separated.

This book did not really work out for me. Partly it was the historical aspects which i severely underestimated and, of course, my inability to really connect these stories in the most cohesive way. Listening to the audio book, I became confused quickly by the switching POVs and timelines - something that could have been prevented by using different voices for different characters, even though the narrator did a great job presenting the story overall. To be honest, I also started this book under a false pretense; based on the summary I expected Iris and Davis to be the main focus and thought that they would solve their problems and feelings of not being accepted in their own company. Unfortunately, to me the generational aspect really took away from meaningful interactions and certain plot points that could have really shined in a more concise storytelling, for example Davis' political career and his relationship with his family. Furthermore, I was a little disappointed to learn so little about shifter communities and this college/boarding school. Overall, the concept of the story really was not for me, but that was kinda on me (and the summary). Still, I think the story would have benefited from another editor to streamline the story a bit more.

Also I want to give a shutout to the absolutely stunning prose and narration, especially for a debut novel!

Thank you so much for letting listen to this audiobook. This story is brutal and tragic and suspenseful.

Excellent debut novel. If you love fantasy and shapeshifters then this book is for you. A twisting tale expertly moving between time periods to slowly unravel the plot.
The relationship between Shifters and Statics(normal humans) has always been tenuous. The Shifters are divided within themselves and the politics are tearing them apart. Davis was born into a powerful shifter family but lives as an outcast due to his static condition. All he wants is to be accepted. A magical cave may be the answer to his problems or destroy the fragile peace. Two young girls who know knowing of Shifters may just hold the key to saving everything.
Beautifully weaving Chinese mythology and folk tales this book is a delightful adventure.

I discovered Mountains and Seas through its audiobook version, and I’m afraid it wasn’t the best way for that. Don’t get me wrong. The audio production is flawless and I loved the narrator who did a great job to bring the characters to life.
But this story is told by using a lot of different POVs and timelines and it makes it sometimes difficult to follow as all the stories are weaving into each other, mixing generations and family secrets, and adding politics that feel sometimes a bit messy. That’s a shame because the core idea was super nice with a magical society which doesn’t know if they have to hide or mix or reign (and is a great metaphor for communities), a different magical system (especially regarding the stones that are at the core of the plot), a lot of magical creatures/shifters coming from Chinese Mythology.
I’ll probably try a reread with a book this time, and will read the second book anyway, as it piqued my interest enough for me wanting to continue this series.

Thank you NetGalley and to the author for the ALC. My opinions are my own.


Rate 3.5/5

I found this world of magic and shifters to be super interesting. The story spanned generations and developed the politics of this magical world with gusto.
As a fan of multi-pov narratives, I loved the way the story progressed throughout the years and the family trees. Again, the politics between the magically-inclined and the statics were richly described both through personal vendetta and wider political motivations.
I liked the way secrets were kept and erevealed through the progression of the plot.
If anything, given the premise of the book and the number of characters involved centrally, I could not get to connect with any of them and found that I wasn't much invested in what happened to them. The usual good wins over evil plotline also made the storyline pretty predictable.
I would have loved a bit more world-building and more insight into characters to get to know them better. I did like the writing style overall and would love to read more by the author.

I loved the intercollecting storylines and characters throughout time and the Chinese mythology. Overall it was good but not a memorable read.

You need to pay attention with this book! There are time jumps and perspective shifts. The writing was well done and I enjoyed the pacing of the story. I have always been a mythology nerd and I really enjoyed these Chinese themes throughout. Wonderful book and story overall!

I think this book will have a big readership. It's a really cool mix-up of Chinese mythology and a multi-point-of-view mystery. For me, the book maths was X-Men meets Borgen but with the pacing of a crime procedural like Law and Order. There's friendship, coming of age stories, family relationships, political intrigue and the dynamics of "integration" and whether shapeshifters should be allowed to mix and live with non-powered people. At times, I found the different overlapping narratives hard to distinguish and had to relisten to a chapter near the end but I really enjoyed how the book comes together. I didn't see YA about multigenerational Chinese American characters when I was young and I think lots of people will vibe with this.