Sea (The Huntress Trilogy)

Mouse and her younger brother Sparrow are living on a ship. Their grandmother is the captain. She's taking charge because Mouse's dad is away. Their mother died while giving birth to Sparrow. Because of her grandmother's visions Mouse knows that one day she'll be captain of her own ship. Her grandmother is a fierce woman and Mouse learns a lot from her. One day she'll be ready and this moment is rapidly approaching. Unfortunately Mouse's life is a lot less certain when someone is being added to the ship's crew who doesn't want the best for the tribe. Stag is looking for power and he's trying to take over the ship and destroy Mouse's world. When Mouse's father goes missing he leaves her a clue and a task, will she be able to do what he asks of her or will the evil Stag, with his large number of loyal subjects, manage to take everything from her? Mouse is a thirteen-year-old girl. She's tough, she's incredibly brave and she can fight. She promised her mother to take care of Sparrow. He isn't physically strong, but he has interesting magical abilities. Mouse and Sparrow both have a close connection with animals and I loved that about them. While Sparrow is calm and timid Mouse is impulsive and she always shares her opinions. This often lands her in trouble, but she won't let herself be silenced, which is something I admired about her. She's very protective of her family and the animals she loves and she will do anything to save them, which, together with magic, is a great foundation for a fascinating story. Sea is the first part of a trilogy. Sarah Driver's detailed and colorful descriptions of Mouse's adventures are fabulous. She makes her world come to life in a wonderful vivid way. I liked the battles, the surprising twists and turns and Mouse's determination to fight her way out of her problems. Mouse loves the water and I could easily feel her admiration and respect for the sea and its animals, which is what I liked best about the story. Sea is a promising first book and I can't wait to read the other two The Huntress stories.

It's hard to review a book when you were there the first time the main character spoke. I can't approach this with anything like objectivity. As I read, I was back in the Saracen's Head holding workshop over vegetarian fish and chips. I was on the shore of Llanelli, reaching out to still Sarah and say, "Listen. It sounds like we're being followed." (It was just the mud filling in our footprints.) I watched the whales surface in Iceland, and the huge grin on Sarah's face when my nieces helped her shoot a bow. All of these things and more are bound into this book for me, and I read it through a film of memories. I wouldn't clear those connections away for anything, not even to get to enjoy this book again for the very first time. But I venture to say, if I could remove all that sentimentality and approach this like any work of fiction, I would still declare: This. This is a very good book. Thanks, Sarah, for taking me along on the adventure.

I'm rarely reading childrens books but when I do, I know I'm usually in for a good treat. And this story is simply wonderful. I feel in love with the main character and her friends and family. I especially loved her grandmother. Mouse is so brave, fearless, compassionate and has so much courage, I really enjoyed her character. She has big dreams and even bigger steps to fill in. I'm not going to go into the plot, since no matter what I say, I would for sure be giving away some of the mystery and joy of discovering this book's potential. All I can say is that it's a pleasure to read and you won't regret doing it.

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to Egmont Publishing and NetGalley* 2.5 stars Mouse lives on a ship, the Huntress, with her brother and father, grandmother, who is the captain, and the crew. Mouse has been looking after her brother, Sparrow, since Ma died and waits for the day that she will become the captain of the Huntress. Things go downhill when Da goes missing and a new navigator starts causing trouble. Sea was an imaginative middle grade novel. I liked the concept of the book and how stubborn and determined Mouse was. The plot was good overall and I thought the idea of beast-chatter was interesting. My attention did wander once or twice but I found the writing style to be unique. Overall this was a mostly enjoyable middle grade novel.

3.5 Stars in my Sky! The story is cute, charming and middle-grade centric. I loved the pirate seafarer theme and quest element. Who doesn't love a big adventure story? On a side note, one of my best friends nicknames is Mouse, and I could totally see her running her own ship too... Some of the characters reminded me of the sky pirates in Stardust, whilst the plot had a whole The NeverEnding Story 1980s adventure story vibe going on. The world building is intricate, clever and really fun. I loved all the animal themed names and how the characters back stories/special nuances were woven seamlessly into the story. I did get a little confused at times and found myself questioning who was doing what at certain times. A lot happens throughout the book so I did find myself having to reread certain parts and I'm still not really sure whats going on with Hammer but I'm sure all will be revealed on due course. Mouse, Sparrow, Captain Wren and Crow will pull you into the story and action. I received a review copy

Sarah Driver’s The Huntress is a prime example of a book that straddles genre. Marketed as a fantasy, it definitely fits into the ‘adventure’ story box, as well as being distinctly unique, thanks to its quirky, evocative and inventive language. Thirteen-year old Mouse lives aboard the ship The Huntress, which is captained by her one-eyed grandma, a captaincy Mouse is due to inherit according to the destiny bestowed upon her. She promised, upon her mother’s death in childbirth, to look after her younger brother Sparrow, who is both sickly and also imbued with strange powers. But when her father doesn’t return to the ship when they dock, and instead a stranger boards, Mouse must fight to ensure her destiny and family remain intact. Driver’s world-building is immersive and dark - a time of deathly cold and swirling seas, in which strange dinosaur-like creatures called terrodyls plague the skies, and beneath the depths of the sea lurk vicious gulpers and mystical merwraiths. People, named for the most part after animals, journey in tribes on sea, land or in the sky. Mouse’s tribe stays at sea and survive by bartering. Mouse, for example, searches for pearls under the sea, to trade on land. Driver shows particular flair with her knowledge of ships (a topic mysterious to this landlubber reader), and this is enhanced by the wonderful map at the beginning, illustrated by Joe McLaren and Janene Spencer. This is the first of the trilogy, and it seems logical that the second two titles will dwell in the other landscapes, and complete Mouse’s quest - which is not concluded in this first book. There is a murky and stormy atmosphere to the novel, which adds to the mystery of the mysticism that surrounds the tribes. The sea tribe worships the whales, who in turn steer the ship through the sea and respond to Sparrow’s haunting songs, but further religion/magic is merely hinted at rather than fully explained. Moon-gathering for example, with pet moonsprites. But despite some unfamiliarities in the set-up, Driver adds in enough storytelling tropes to keep any reader happy - a mystery surrounding a missing father, a riddle to solve, a quest, a feisty female protagonist and questions surrounding loyalty, family, love and jealousy. There is good vs evil, and plenty of rumbustious action. Mouse is an exasperating if loveable protagonist. She is in constant movement, never stops to plan or think through the consequences, but she shows enormous pluck and heart. And it’s this heart, exemplified mainly by the language (for the novel is told in first person), that distinguishes this book and holds it above the crowd. The language is dense, yet highly readable. It contains many new compound words, which Driver has thrown together to exemplify the simple way of life of the tribes, and the expression of their thoughts and emotions. For example, Mouse travels while asleep in a ‘dream-dance’, she can ‘beast-chatter’ with animals, and gives ‘heart-thanks’ to people who help her. She is, above all, ‘heart-strong’. The language lends a lyricism and rhythm to the book, mimicking the rhythm of the waves. It reflects her abode, being the simplistic language of survival, whilst being poetic at the same time. And because the made-up terminology rings bells for the reader - merwraiths like mermaid, terrodyls like pterodactyls, land-lurkers for land-dwellers, it’s easy to translate. The harshness of the landscape and the ferocity of the violence will thrill many, but it is not for the faint-hearted. Far beyond the ordinary realm of feisty pirates, this fantasy adventure bears out the adage that home is where the heart is - not always the physical place we think it is. See more of my reviews at MinervaReads dot com

I really enjoyed the Huntress: Sea because it is all about a daring girl who goes through several disappointments and mourning. She fights hard to save herself and her brother Sparrow. At the end of the book I felt quite tense because things are not even close to being fixed. After turning a few more pages it turned out that there are 1 or 2 more books following this one. I would quite like to read the other ones because I liked this book and would like to read more.

Great world building

Wow this was fantastic! I loved everything about this book. Brilliant characters in a setting and story that just jump off the page. I love the language (makes me heart-glad) and I couldn't wait to pass it on to my son. I knew it would be right up his street. So glad the next one is out in September so we don't have too long to wait!

I would recommend this book to ages 9-12. It made me scared happy and brave all at once. Sarah Driver has a superb limitless imagination I can't wait to see what she writes next.