I received an eARC copy of The House of the Four Winds through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, Tor Books!
eARC, 304 pages
Release Date: August 5, 2014
Publisher: Tor Books
The rulers of tiny,
impoverished Swansgaard have twelve daughters and one son. While the
prince’s future is assured, his twelve sisters must find their own
fortunes.
Disguising herself as Clarence, a sailor, Princess Clarice intends to work her way to the New World. When the crew rebels, Clarice/Clarence, an expert with rapier and dagger, sides with the handsome navigator, Dominick, and kills the cruel captain.
Dominick leads the now-outlawed crew in search of treasure in the secret pirate haven known as The House of Four Winds. They encounter the sorceress Shamal, who claims Dominick for her own—but Clarice has fallen hard for Dominick and won’t give him up without a fight.
Disguising herself as Clarence, a sailor, Princess Clarice intends to work her way to the New World. When the crew rebels, Clarice/Clarence, an expert with rapier and dagger, sides with the handsome navigator, Dominick, and kills the cruel captain.
Dominick leads the now-outlawed crew in search of treasure in the secret pirate haven known as The House of Four Winds. They encounter the sorceress Shamal, who claims Dominick for her own—but Clarice has fallen hard for Dominick and won’t give him up without a fight.
Thoughts:
The House of the Four Winds was really not for me. The summary includes some of my favorite elements: a kickass heroine, romance, pirates, and adventure. But I could barely get through the first chapter. It seemed to go on forever. The entire thing read like a massive information dump. To compare, it was like reading a history textbook. I don't see the relevance of some of the information given. Yes, I know the authors want to show they have a fleshed-out world. It was definitely creative. But I don't need to know half of it.
If I could have stomached all the worldbuilding thrown at me, I think I would have enjoyed this book. Clarice and Dominick had instant chemistry (even though Clarice was pretending to be a man). There were moments when I found myself smiling at the humor. Unfortunately, between those periods, I wanted to jab my eyes out. I'm sad to say I actually couldn't finish The House of the Four Winds. Maybe I'll try again one day, but for now, it's just not for me.
Would I recommend this book? To hardcore fantasy fans, yes
Would I re-read it? No. I didn't even finish it
Would I read a sequel? No
Next Monday... I'll be reviewing an eARC copy of The Girl from the Well by Rin Chupeco
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