Sweet Black Waves (The Sweet Black Waves Trilogy, #1)

by Kristina Perez

In the first book of a lush fantasy trilogy about warring countries, family secrets, and star-crossed lovers, eighteen-year-old Branwen finds an enemy washed up on the shore of her kingdom. Rather than let him die at the hands of her people, she nurses him back to health as they begin to fall in love. Branwen helps him escape with his life - only for him to return during a diplomatic visit under his true identity: Prince Tristan of Kernyv.

In an epic King's Tournament that ensues, Prince Tristan prevails - joining his nation of Kernyv with Branwen's nation of Iverni. As the politics become more complicated and Branwen's power grows, she must choose between her own happiness and the fate of her kingdom.

• ISBN13: 9781250132857
• Publish Date: 25 June 2018
• Publish Status: Active
• Out of Print: 8 May 2022
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: St Martin's Press
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 448
• Language: English

Reviews

[cornerfolds]

Read more of my reviews at Cornerfolds.com!

Actual rating: 4.5 stars

Sweet Black Waves caught my eye as soon as I saw that it was a retelling of Tristan and Eseult. I'll admit, my only other exposure to this story was the 2006 film Tristan and Isolde, starring James Franco... I had a rough idea of what the story was about and knew to expect instalove, so I went in willing to forgive that one trope that I usually despise.

Branwen is the heroine of this story. She's cousin of the princess and a healer-in-training, although she doesn't believe in the Old Ones or their magic. The story really begins once she finds a injured boy who has washed up on the beach, and takes it upon herself to heal him in private. Through a series of events, she finds out that he's her enemy, and their romance ensues. I'm pleased to report, however, that there is SO much more to Branwen's story than her instalove romance! Branwen was a wonderful, strong character, and probably one of the least annoying I've read about in awhile. I loved her relationships with her cousin and aunt, the queen, as well as watching her realize her power. That's not to say that she didn't make any dumb decisions, because she definitely did, but they're understandable dumb choices that I was willing to forgive.

I've mentioned briefly the other characters in this story, and I honestly loved almost all of them. Tristan is the enemy and love interest, and I fell in love with him as soon as he washed up on the beach! He was a little cheesy at times, but his loyalty was heartwarming and I can't wait to see more of him in book two. I also really adored the queen, Branwen's aunt, and loved her portrayal of a strong woman at the helm of a country. Her love for both Branwen and her daughter was unconditional and beautiful. Finally, there's Essy, Branwen's cousin and the one character I really couldn't stand for most of the book. She's young and incredibly selfish and stupid, although she did start to grow on me just a bit towards the end.

The setting of Sweet Black Waves is also fantastic! It felt both realistic and otherworldly, which I suppose fits pretty well with the story. The world the author has created is as easy to picture as a movie and the mythology was very well realized. I'm curious if the stories of the Old Ones and the Otherworld have roots in a real world mythology.

The one thing that wasn't perfect for me in this book was the story and the pace at which it moved. At nearly 500 pages, this book is long. Admittedly, there was a lot of information to fit into this book, but it did seem to drag at times and it took me a little longer than I would have liked to get through. Until the end I would have called it predictable, then the ending happened. There is a twist that literally made me sit up straight and caused my husband to ask what was wrong! I totally didn't see it coming and it immediately moved this book's rating back up to 4.5 stars.

Sweet Black Waves isn't a perfect book, but I loved it! Yes, there's instalove, but that's to be expected in a retelling of this particular story. It didn't diminish the romance in my opinion. I still came out loving both Branwen and Tristan! And there's a bright side: no love triangle! Although the story can get tedious at times, it's definitely worthwhile. I can't wait to read the next book in this series!

[jeannamichel]

Absolute stunning writing that truly captures the tale of Tristan and Isolde with a few unique twists.

Inspired by the tragedy of Tristan and Isolde, Sweet Black Waves by Kristina Perez gives you a unique view into the romance we all thought we had known. Branwen, cousin and lady in waiting to Princess Essy, apprentices under her aunt, the Queen. When a man from the enemy’s land washes upon shore, Branwen struggles with herself to heal a dying man but also to heal a man whose colors are the same that killed her parents years before. What she did not expect, however, is to fall in love with the man, Tristan, who is keeping more secrets than she knows. In this gorgeously woven tale of romance, magic, and adventure, Sweet Black Waves is sure to sweep you off your feet.

The story was completely unexpected. Most days, I usually go into books blind, not knowing anything about them. I went into Sweet Black Waves thinking it was a retelling of Tristan and Isolde from Isolde's lady in waiting's perspective. However, this gives the lady in waiting the spotlight and bumps the Isolde character to the sidelines. I enjoyed this take on the tale. Changing the position of the female character—from princess to lady in waiting—removes some conflicts of the original tale, leaving it open to Perez to spin the story differently. Even though I'm familiar with the original tale, Sweet Black Waves is still able to keep readers on their toes.

With most fantasy books, I always have trouble remembering characters’ names. Sweet Black Waves is no exception. As a guide for myself, I created a small character chart on who was who in the palace as the first part of the book seemed to introduce them so quickly. After a few chapters, the names and characters become much easier to differentiate.

The writing was absolutely superb. The imagery fully immerses readers into the story. The gorgeous oceanside setting captures the many fantastical elements riddled throughout the plot. The ship, the palace, and the cave—all the settings of the book—vividly take hold in readers’ minds. The writing was so poetic that I hope to read more from Perez in the future.

There are some magical elements that added a high fantasy vibe to the story that I really enjoyed. It seemed to take the story to the next level. Through these elements, Perez gave us a look deeper into the character’s actions and was able to enhance the setting tenfold. Through it all, Sweet Black Waves was still able to encapsulate you in its fast pace.

Essy, the princess, was unlikable. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t warm up to her. I found her a bit bratty and rude at times. However, I do entirely agree with her reactions to her current situation and do believe that Perez truly captured Essy’s age. Whereas, Branwen seems entirely the opposite. I adored Branwen; she was courageous, reserved and loyal. Next to Essy especially, she was an old soul which truly made the characters distinct from each other. The relationship the two had was remarkably done. Throughout the course of the novel, we got to see the ups and downs of their sisterly relationship.

Make sure to check out the author’s note in the back of the book as Perez discusses Tristan and Isolde, her inspiration of Sweet Black Waves.

The ending was predictable and not only if readers are familiar with the tale of Tristan and Isolde. Perez gives readers several instances where she screams the ending throughout the story. However, just because the ending was easy to foretell, it doesn’t make the book any less entertaining. If anything, the predictableness of the ending was a way to help you prepare to wait for the next installment.

There will be a sequel as this is the first book in a trilogy. I can't wait to check in with all the characters and see how Branwen is doing in her journey. Perez left it off well but it’ll be interesting to see where she leads her characters next as they embark on a new chapter of life.

Sweet Black Waves by Kristina Perez takes you on a beautiful journey with an inspiring and strong female lead. The magical elements, gorgeous imagery, and heartbreaking story makes for a great start to a series. Sweet Black Waves is a magnificent read that will leave you wanting more.

[chymerra]

4.5 stars

I can’t even begin to explain what I felt about this book. My emotions were all over the place. I can only remember one book that affected me that way and it ended up being my all-time favorite book. Sweet Black Waves is a close second to that book.

I requested and got this book because it was inspired by the tale of Tristan and Eseult. But, as I got to reading it, I realized that the author used a lot of Celtic influence in the book. I was thrilled. I am a huge Celtic mythology buff and to see those influences used in the book made me like it even more.

Branwen was the star of Sweet Black Water. She had suffered so much loss in her life. I was surprised when she decided to rescue the man in the water. I was even more surprised when it was a man from the kingdom that hers were warring with. She hated them with a passion. What also caught me by surprise was when she started to fall in love with Tristan. While I saw it coming, I wasn’t expecting it.

I liked Tristan. I still feel that he is Branwen’s true love. I do think that he should have been more truthful with her at the beginning when he was in the cave. But in hindsight, would that have changed anything? I don’t think so. I do think that he pushed Branwen too hard to acknowledge their relationship. I do like that he saw the person underneath every shield that she put up. Even when she started coming into her power, he loved her unconditionally.

I didn’t like Eseult. She rubbed me the wrong way right from the get-go. She came across as spoiled and impulsive. She was willing to ruin a peace treaty between the two countries to be with the man that she “loved“. She did everything in her power to make the journey to Kernyvak as uncomfortable as possible. I wanted to slap her into next Tuesday the whole book but the end, I wanted to pummel her. She didn’t deserve Branwen at that point.

I thought that the romance between Branwen and Tristan was sweet. From the get-go, their feelings for each other couldn’t be hidden. Even the Queen noticed when Tristan formally introduced himself to Branwen. I do wish that it wasn’t a secret romance. But, it would have been dangerous for both Branwen and Tristan to be with each other. They would have been killed. Of course, what happened on the ship puts a huge damper on their romance.

While I understood why the Queen and Branwen did what they did, I didn’t understand why Branwen had to wear it around her neck. That was asking for trouble. I would have thought that she would have packed it with her belongings. Makes sense. But it also makes sense for her to wear it around her neck.

The end of the book killed me. While I figured what was going to happen, I wasn’t expecting it to hurt me as much as it hurt the characters. I actually cried from the point Branwen stumbled upon it to the end of the book. My shock took a while to get over too. I loved the choice words she had for those involved. But I also loved the promise that Tristan made to her. Makes me feel that there is hope.

What I liked about Sweet Black Waves:

A) The Celtic influence throughout the book

B) The phenomenal world building

C) The 3D characters

What I disliked about Sweet Black Waves:

A) Eseult. Couldn’t stand her.

B) The end of the book. It killed me to read

C) What Branwen wore around her neck. It was trouble.

I would give Sweet Black Waves an Older Teen rating. There are sexual situations and violence. But no language. I would recommend no one under the age of 16 read this book.

There are trigger warnings. They would be attempted rape, attempted suicide and assault. If you are triggered by any of those, please do not read the book.

I would recommend Sweet Black Waves to friends and family. I would include a warning about the trigger warnings. This is a book that I will reread.

I would like to thank Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group, Imprint, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review Sweet Black Waves.

All opinions stated in this review of Sweet Black Waves are mine.

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**