The Seahorse Legacy by Serena Chase

The Seahorse Legacy by Serena Chase

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Goodreads Summary

A Pirate, bound by a centuries-old oath -- a Knight, determined to prove her calling -- a Legacy, demanding surrender

As Keeper of the Seahorse Legacy, Cazien de Pollis is a King among pirates, divinely appointed to dispense justice on the seas. Bound by the sacred oath of a long-dead ancestor, he must fulfill a contract to wed the green-eyed Oracle’s Daughter named therein—or risk losing everything he and his people hold dear. But at nineteen, with the identity of his betrothed only recently revealed, Cazien resents the contract—and the urgency within him to see it satisfied.

Erielle de Gladiel returned from the quest for the Remedy, changed. Not only are her formerly-blue eyes now a brilliant shade of green, but she must don gloves to hide inky evidence that her prophetically-bestowed title, the Oracle’s Daughter, demands more from her than the task already completed. Erielle’s dearest-held dream is realized when she is knighted by her King, but unbeknownst to her, that very honor jeopardizes the prophesied purpose to which she and Cazien have been called.

Just as Cazien summons the courage to collect his bride, dark rumors and darker deeds crawl up the coasts, calling its guardians, the Seahorse Pirates, into action—and Cazien away from Erielle. But even though the Oracle’s Daughter knows nothing of the contract to which she has been consigned, Cazien’s enemies have somehow learned of his interest in Erielle. And if they reach her before his ancestor’s weighty oath is executed, the Seahorse Legacy will be forfeited . . . and darkness will be given reign.

The third book in this series-within-a series, The Seahorse Legacy begins an epic re-imagining of the classic Grimm fairy tale, The Twelve Dancing Princesses which will conclude in Eyes of E’veria, Book 4: The Sunken Realm , coming in 2015.

Want to dive deeper into the world of E'veria? Look for the first two-book set in the Eyes of E'veria series by Serena Chase! The Ryn (book 1) and The Remedy (book 2) retell the classic Grimm fairy tale Snow White & Rose Red on an inspirational and epic scale.

My Review

(Fair warning this is going to be a long review)

I completely fell in love with the first two books in the Eyes of E’veria series, The Ryn and The Remedy, so I was really excited to return to E’veria! I was also very curious to see what Serena Chase would do from the perspectives of Cazien and Erielle, and let me tell you, I was far from disappointed! Surprised? yes! Shocked? Yes! Thrilled? Pretty much! Disappointed? Definite no way!

It was very intriguing to get in the heads of Captain Cryptic, better known as Cazien de Pollis reigning heir of the Seahorse Pirates, and the Lady Knight, or Erielle de Gladiel Regeant of Mynisbyr’s daughter. We met them in the first two books, but now they are the main characters, and it was quite a big difference from Julien and Rynnaia, whom I was glad to revisit;)

This time we get to know the insider info from Cazien instead of his oh so cryptic answers, how interesting it was! A second prophesy, a betrothal contract, and the mystery of missing boys? And the fantastical fantasy world that we get to revisit? Yes, we need all the info we can get! And if you want more you’ll have to read the book! I enjoyed the sailing setting and Seahorse Pirates very much!

Erielle, on the other hand, is struggling with her Knightly duties and responsibilities. Though being a Knight was what she had dreamed of her entire life, it’s not quite everything she thought it would be. The code of conduct and chivalry of her fellow (literally fellow) Knights makes Knighthood very hard because of their inability to treat her as an equal.

Erielle and Cazien both had a lot of character growth to make and problems to overcome. I enjoyed their journey’s, both faith and moral wise. I think that Erielle had the toughest time, and it was really hard to watch her go through all the things she had to go through. I was cringing and may have lost a few tears at the treatment she received during the (especially) the last half of the book. It was so sad, and I felt so bad for her. This novel definitely took learning a lesson the hard way to the extreme, but I understand that life isn’t always as clean cut as we would like it to be. While it may not always look like it, The First always has a plan, even when we can’t see it, and He is always there for us. We need to follow the plan that The First has laid out for us, even when we don’t understand or want to. I really enjoyed the way that was expressed so well and purely through even the dire circumstances that the characters saw. It was really emotional and very beautifully written. Well done Ms. Chase!

Erielle and Cazien both have an inner strength that is inspiring and delightful. It was evident through watching them overcome the obstacles, and circumstances placed in their way.

I really, really enjoyed the fantastic banter between Cazien and Erielle, and I can see that even if they don’t completely know it yet, they are perfect for each other. I laughed out loud, and quite a few times I might add. They can both stand on their own! I can’t wait to see what Ms. Chase has in store for them in The Sunken Realm.

This third book is a lot heavier and more gritty than the first two. Though I normally don’t do gritty, Ms. Chase does a fantastic job balancing the dire occurrences with light, witty banter, and beautifully entwined spiritual elements, and moral strength making the book overall very enjoyable. Though some of the events in this book were hard to read, it was well done, and flowed into the pure beauty and magic that Serena Chase is so wonderful at putting in books. I recommend this book to those fifteen and up.

My only disappointment was that it ended, and I have to wait so long for The Sunken Realm. I can’t wait! I need book four!

So, please read books 1 and 2 first, because they are phenomenal and all time favorites of mine, and I’m sure you will enjoy them too! Trust me, you want the full experience! Even if you don’t normally like fantasy or fairy tale retellings (and who doesn’t like those?), read these anyway because this series is the best created fantasy ever!

And now I stop before I spoil something!