This took me a while to get into, but I really enjoyed the worldbuilding and magic system after I got into things! This was a unique style of magic that I enjoyed reading.

This was a bit more slowly paced than I like, and I often got confused keeping track of all the characters, especially at the beginning. I read this as an audiobook, but I think this would might have been better for me personally to process as a physical book just because of all the characters and setting changes.

You know what, the book itself might be good but I can't get past the awful narrator. It means I DNFed at 24%, I couldn't put up with the voice anymore. I may have to try again with the print version.

Summary
Being a shifter can make you a target.

Statics (non-magical people) have a tendency to hunt down shifters if they aren’t careful. Being a static in a family of shifters can be devastating.

In a political climate where some shifters are pushing for a complete break from statics, one boy without magic discovers a way to steal power from others. Transfer stones are illegal and hard to come by, but desperation for acceptance motivates Davis to chase the magic they provide and hunt for more.

Steeped in Chinese Folklore, this tale of multigenerational relationships between shifters and statics explores what it means to have power, what people will do to harness it, and what others will do to keep their loved ones safe from it.

What We Like
•Shifter Folklore - A refreshing break from wolves, bears, and hawks; Renk Hawthorne beautifully incorporates mythological creatures from Chinese Folklore. Her descriptions of shifters in the form of Qilin (a unicorn-like deer/lion/dragon creature), white unicorn/fox hybrids, azure dragons, vermillion birds and more-- are mesmerizing. No prior experience with Chinese mythology needed! She paints the imagery of these forms with expertise.
• Shifting POVs - Spanning multiple generations and multiple character arcs, the story is woven together through various flashbacks to different time periods with ease. Jumping timelines can risk muddling up a story, but Of Mountains and Seas remains engrossing and organized for the best kinds of plot reveals.
• The Main Characters -
- We love a humanized villain! Despite the lengths he goes to in order to acquire magical abilities, it’s clear why Davis makes the choices he does. And, as readers, the experience of seeing how humanity (or lack thereof) can have lasting impacts for generations will cause you to reflect on how we interect with others, and explore who is being ostracized in our real-life communities.
- The FMCs: Ling • Meng • Nivi • Amber • Iris What a formidable cast of female characters! Dynamic, strong, loving, flawed people who grapple with their identities, their relationships, and their place in a community gripped by the binary of shifter/static politics.
- The narration: Natalie Naudus is an impeccable, narration queen!

Real Talk
Normally, we reserve this section for things that could have been better in a book, but... we have no improvement notes! Instead, let’s have some real talk about representation.

• Representing the Layers of Tradition - Set in the fictional, coastal, California town of Yuras, Of Mountains and Seas honors the rich history of the many, diverse cultures that make up Californian communities by unapologetically describing the established influence of Chinese immigration, especially in the late 19th century. While there is some brief backstory on one character’s circumstances in immigrating to the U.S., in general, there isn’t a feeling of preemptively needing to explain how these characters with deep connections to the traditions and mythos of their ancestral roots arrived in this setting. The Chinatown depicted in Yuras represents the connections these character have to their traditions, but also to the place their families have called home for generations. We appreciate that even in an urban fantasy set in a fictional town, the reality of diasporic hubs are a representation of real neighborhoods in so many cities across the U.S. that are integral to the fabric of their communities, and are not a novelty of Hollywood dramas.

• AAPI & BIPOC Representation - The characters are primarily Chinese/Chinese-American, with one main character born from a Chinese mother and Black father, and a few characters of South Asian heritage. In our reality, where AAPI/BIPOC authors get far more criticism in both the publishing world and the reader review spaces, we love to see this kind of representation breaking through. AAPI characters written by an AAPI author means we, the readers, are gifted with badass characters full of complex desires, relationships, and the full breadth of the human experience through a cultural lens that connects five and a half million Americans. Renk Hawthorne also takes the experience of the “model minority” stereotype and the impacts & pressures this stereotype can inflict. Walking the line between holding on to your culture but not “standing out” too much, is artfully woven into both the human and fantasy experience.

BonDrac Studios' Book Dragon Rating
This is an easy 5/5 on the Book Dragon Rating Scale. The fantasy aspect is magical, the human aspect is heartfelt, and we will shamelessly beg Emily Renk Hawthorne for a sequel!

DNF at 31%

I am disappointed to be DNFing this book but we are not pushing through mediocre books in 2025.

I would like to preface this review by emphasising that a) my opinions are based on the first third of the book, things may or may not have improved in the latter thirds, and b) this is a YA fantasy and I am an adult.

Now, my decision to DNF does not mean, by any means, that this is a terrible book. I just didn't personally gel with the storytelling, didn't feel hooked or enamoured by the story, therefore, didn't feel any urge to continue.

Unfortunately, everything about this book felt underdeveloped - from the world building and magic system to the characters. This book follows several timelines, ranging from 1932 to 2000, with several character POVs within those timelines (I have a count of 5 POVs in the first 30%). I found these POVs to be indistinguishable - there was little to no world building or descriptions to distinguish the time settings, whilst the characters felt flat and samey. The single audiobook narrator did not help either as all POVs sounded the same. If it wasn't for the name and date heading every chapter, I would have been lost.

I wish the synopsis had been clearer about the multiple POVs and time settings to better convey what this book was about. I prefer a historical setting in fantasy and wrongly assumed (my bad) that because this is based on mythology that it would have a historical setting (and no, the 1900s do not make the cut).

However, you may enjoy this book if you are looking for a YA fantasy based on Chinese mythology that has multiple POVs and no romantic plot (as far as I know).

Thank you to NetGalley and Hawk Ridge Press for the opportunity to review this book.

Shapeshifters have always lived among humans, carefully disguising their magical powers. However, not every member of the family is born with magic – like David, who resorts to stealing it from others to gain his father's approval, a man who has always looked down on him. His path intertwines with Iris, and together they set in motion events that have long been dormant.

The magical elements and the individual powers were a captivating aspect of the book. The way the protagonist meets the antagonist is somewhat predictable, leaving you constantly dreading Iris's potential descent down a similar path. I wish the world-building had been more extensive, as the plot had such great scope. Certain scenes, such as the protagonist's visit to the magical school, could have benefited from more detailed elaboration.

Listening to the audiobook was a good decision for me. The narrator's voice perfectly suited the characters of the book. I suspect I might have DNFed this book if I had read it in ebook/print due to the pacing issues and frequent timeline jumps.

Thank you NetGalley for a ARC in exchange for an honest review

Inspired by Chinese mythology, Of Mountains and Seas explores a world where shifters (those born with magical abilities) are forced to hide in plain sight. At first it was a bit confusing due to setting up the world building and the PoV and time line changes. But as it went on everything started to connect and I was entrapped in what was going on. The magic system was unique and with twist after twist, I loved this book. I cannot wait until the next one comes out!
4.5/5⭐️

I'd like to thank Netgalley for an advanced listener copy. In exchange, I am providing an honest review.

I think I enjoyed the first 80% of this story more than the ending. I felt like the overlapping timelines and the way they connected together was really interesting to see play out. I did get a bit lost with all the different characters however since I was listening to the book, and I feel like I fare better with that many characters in written form. I also did not feel like many of the characters were as distinct and fluhed out as I would have liked them to be.

The ending had a lot going on. I mean - a lot-, and I had a hard time keeping up with everything since so much happened at once.

Overall though, I did enjoy the plot and the connections to the creatures of mythology. I am looking forward to the sequel.

We follow several different timelines and characters in a world where shifters (people who can transform into mythical creatures) and statics (those without powers) co-exist, with statics largely being unaware of the presence of the former.

I enjoyed the Chinese mythology inspiration, the politics, and the way that the stories interweaved. I listened to the audio version, and I think the narrator did a great job.

I feel like my main issue was the mystery didn't grab me quite the way I wanted it to. I would definitely still seek out the sequel though.

My thanks for the ARC goes to NetGalley and Hawk Ridge Press. I'm voluntarily leaving a review, and all opinions are my own.

Genre: Fantasy, YA Fantasy, Asian Literature, Mythology, Urban Fantasy
Format: Multi-POV

WOW! OF MOUNTAINS AND SEAS deserves to be on everyone's fantasy reading list—it deserves awards and accolades!

I couldn't believe how the world OF MOUNTAINS AND SEAS absorbed me. Watch for shapeshifters (and not like you've really seen before), secrets, lies, gaslighting, family drama, politics!

I listen to this on audio and because it's got multiple POVs I really had to pay attention at first to catch the changes. And then you'll figure out one of the characters grows up—and now she's 20 years older. That's when everything starts coming together.

Is this a book strictly for the YA market? I think adults will love this one as much as teens. There really aren't spicy scenes, but there are references to affairs.

Take a look at the cover of this book. I love the artwork.

Happy reading!

(PS: This is a debut! Amazing!)

I had the opportunity to read this book in an audiobook format. Of Mountains and Seas by Emily Renk Hawthorne is based/ inspired by Chinese mythology elements such as creatures with animal forms and also it has the family aspect as its core of the story development.

Along with magic, supernatural powers and family secrets carrying over centuries. However, I didn't find myself fully immersed into the story, it felt a bit slow and flat. This is only my opinion though, and it shouldn't prevent you from reading it. It is a good book full of mythology references, mythological powers and family bond.

You have Shifters (with powers) and Statics (either lost their powers or are mortals), on a battle through the centuries on how to fit in the statics society and what it takes.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGallery for the opportunity to read it.

Such a magical story. I was hooked from the beginning to the end. In fact, I didn't want it to end!

It was a bit confusing at the beginning with the audiobook. The timelines move back and forth a lot. Once you start to get used to the characters and timeline, the story flows easily.

I don't know much about this mythology but the story was so fascinating and magical. I loved seeing multiple generations stories.

The only negative thing, isn't about the book, the synopsis doesn't match the actual story. The actual story is more magical and wonderful than the what the synopsis implies. I recommend this book to anyone who loves magic, mythology and family.

overall rating: ⭒ ⭒ ¾

Of Mountains and Seas by Emily Renk Hawthorne is a Chinese mythology inspired story about power, greed, and family secrets. In theory, this story is complicated, tantalizing, filled with twists and revelations that keep the reader on their toes, but it fell flat in many ways.

The character work felt very one dimensional. Many of these characters had goals that were weakly tied to their childhoods or events in their past. But the logic connecting their development, corruption, or methods of achieving such goals to their past was poorly done, and often the characters felt like they were not grounded, they had no roots, and were simply meant to do the most interesting and crazy thing possible. Further, their connections with one another felt inauthentic and forced.

The writing was too rushed and this created weak relationships, unnatural dialogue, cringe worthy moments, and overall a very underwhelming manifestation of a promising plot.

The ending especially was so incredibly dramatic but the descriptions and dialogue really made it feel like stick figures half heartedly reenacting what should be a cinematic masterpiece. Overall, the execution and writing were disappointing in my opinion. I would have also loved to see more about the mythology, which was the most interesting part of the novel, but rarely explained.

Ultimately, if you want a book about mythology, or powers and family drama, there are better books out there.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Set over different timelines weaving an intriguing tale of a World with statics and shifters. Those with magic hide their true nature and a mysterious stone that has the ability to transfer powers to statics is discovered with devastating consequences. The story follows Davis who seeks power and approval from his father, and Iris who has a mysterious illness. Full of magic, found family, betrayal and suspense, an excellent beginning to a new series.

I really enjoyed the audio and the narrator was excellent at building suspense. I did have some issues with the audio file as others have said, though once I had deleted and re-downloaded, it seemed to fix the issue. More of a download issue than the actual audio.

Thank you to netgalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to listen to the audio in advance in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book once I got into it. Natalie Naudaus does the narration, and I love her delivery of the story.

I did struggled in the beginning to keep the different narratives straight, but once I got used to it, the story flowed and really ramped up. Make sure to listen/read the author’s note to learn about the inspiration for the story! I’m excited for the sequel!

Thanks to NetGalley for a review copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review!

A boy who feels inferior, a girl who doesn't know she is superior.

If you like Chinese based fantasy, reality with magic, LBTQ+ Representation, complex political plots you need to read this book.

This complex political fantasy spans about 100 years of American alternative history. The story isn't presented in a linear timeline.

Step into a world of American Chinese where magic exists and the magical world is torn on a major issue. Should magic people stay hidden from normal people?

While I struggled to keep track of all the timelines (probably due to listening to the audio), the author expertly twisted and knotted this story into an exquisite tapestry. I really enjoyed the complicated relationships and learning more about Chinese mythology.

I liked the narrator and felt she was engaging and versatile.

4.5 stars

I was lucky enough to get an early copy of the audiobook and I’m so glad I did - I loved this book and cannot wait for book two! I love when we meet multiple characters who we know are interconnected but don’t know how and this book absolutely delivered on that in the most satisfying way. I also loved the complex family dynamics showcased here. I also learned so much about Chinese culture and folklore without it feeling like a school lesson. The narrator on the audiobook also did fantastic! I listen at 2x speed and flew through this in less than 48 hours. Thank you for the early copy!

This is the kind of book that quietly pulls you in before hitting you with its full emotional weight. Of Mountains and Seas weaves a multi-generational mystery with fantasy and societal intrigue, and its world feels so vivid, you can almost hear the magic hum beneath the surface.

What stood out to me were the layered timelines and how the perspectives of Davis, Iris, and Nivi intertwine seamlessly. Themes of identity, belonging, and power are explored in ways that feel both fresh and timeless.

That said, the pacing can be a little uneven. While the slower introduction helps ground the world-building, it may feel like a bit of a drag for readers eager to dive straight into the action. Some character arcs—especially those of the supporting cast—could have used a little more depth to match the strength of the protagonists.

The big question—how far someone is willing to go for power—lingers long after the final page. If you’re into thoughtful fantasy with intricate world-building and emotional depth, you’ll want to pick this one up.

Of Mountains and Seas is an imaginative fantasy with a rich world and an intriguing magic system. I loved the way the interwoven stories came together and connected. Keeping track of the many timelines and perspectives was a bit tricky, and the slower pacing might not be for everyone, but this would definitely be a rewarding read for fans of detailed, layered storytelling.

This one was tough for me. I really enjoyed the overall concept of this fantastical world, but I struggled to follow the intermingling storylines across multiple characters and time jumps.

There was a lot happening and I had a hard time following the through lines until about 80% of the way through. It was only then that I saw how it all fit together. It was like the story really started there, and everything else was just background.

With that said, I wanted much, much more world building. There was constant mention of hundreds of years of this world and even significant longevity of characters which was not flushed out. There were ties to Chinese mythology but it was subtle; I wish they’d added to this element as it would’ve added additional depth to the story.

I look forward to reading the sequel to see if more of this fantasy world is unpacked and what happens next for this fascinating society.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to listen to an advanced copy.

Overall Rating: 3.5⭐️
Spice Rating: None
Language Rating: None
Reader Age: 12+
Genre: YA Fantasy
Content Considerations: Murder, death of parents

This was such an interesting read!
Filled with multiple POVs and multiple timelines, this book was a little hard to follow but I really enjoyed how the author was able to weave them together throughout the story.

I really enjoyed how complex the characters were and how characters flaws were a driving force of the plot.

Overall, a pretty good read. I look forward to reading future books by this author!