The Forever Sea
by Joshua Phillip Johnson
Kindred is a keeper aboard her ship. A keeper keeps the ship afloat as it sails the Forever Sea. A sea that is not made up of water, but a sea of grass and flowers and plants. It’s a sea of life. It goes on farther than anyone has ever traveled and deeper than anyone has dared to venture. Beware sailing the roughs where the pirates live in a moving city and who attack any ships that sail too close. However, Kindred’s grandmother wonders what lies below the sea. Now Kindred will have to decide if she wants to follow her grandmother in discovering the answer.
The Forever Sea by Joshua Phillip Johnson is an amazing start to a great adventure. Every page has something new developing or happening. If you like adventure-based fantasy stories than you will definitely enjoy this novel. It is filled with lots of mystery, wonder, pirates, and danger. As the reader, you will witness battles, raiding, enemies from below, and birds soaring above. It has a little bit of everything, and it is written with such a clear and smooth writing style. Even though it is a third person point of view, the narrator is very close to Kindred revealing her thoughts and feelings.
As for the book’s mystery, Johnson frames Kindred’s story as a telling of historic events by a storyteller in a present-day setting. As the reader, there is the mystery of what is happening in the time of the storyteller as well as mysteries that are presented in Kindred’s adventures. There are several times where I was anxiously wondering what was going to happen to her only to be sent back to the storyteller and to wonder what is going on with him and the group he is talking to. Every page leads to questions and excitement.
The fantasy elements are incorporated so smoothly into the world that it seems so natural for magic to exist. There are magic users that help tame the grasses for the boats to sail on them, call birds from the wild to know the surrounding area, to attack when under siege, and most important, to keep their ships sailing across the sea. Kindred is a keeper who uses her magic to tend the hearth fire that allows her ship to sail. Even with her hands in the fire manipulating the bones required to direct the ship’s speed and stability, she isn’t burned. She connects to the fire. I really found it fascinating to see all the different uses magic and fire have in everyday life on land and on the sea.
Another excellent part of this book is the variety of characters Johnson has incorporated into it. Kindred is our main character, and she is an amazing strong woman who grows and changes throughout her adventuring. But, there are also so many other great supporting characters that add depth and feeling. Even Kindred’s grandmother, who is not really present in the novel, is a dynamic character that helps push Kindred further into her journey. I think anyone who reads this novel will be invested in what becomes of these people and will wonder where Johnson is going to take them next.
Overall, I really loved this book, and have a hard time finding many faults with it. In fact, my main complaint is having to wait until the next book is published. This novel has a lot to offer a multitude of readers. I really hope you give this book a try. If you do, magic, adventure, and freedom await you.
Pros:
- Seamless integration of magic and other fantasy elements
- Great characters
- Adventure and Mystery
- Smooth writing style
- LGBTQ Representation
Cons:
- Waiting for book two
Recommended for readers who like:
- Adventure fantasies
- Strong female main characters
- Pirates
- Mystery
- Third-person point of view
- Magic used naturally in everyday life and society
- LGBTQ elements
- High Fantasy
Book Details:
- Published: January 19, 2021
- Series: Tales of The Forever Sea
- Book Number: 1
- Pages: 462
- Publisher: DAW
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