Final Rating:
Date of Completion: 09/02/2024
Published by: HarperAudio
ISBN: B0C78XJ6R1
Cover:
This design is absolutely gorgeous and nicely depicts key aspects of the story. Besides, I always love seeing characters of colour on book covers, and I could not resist this one!
Writing:
Despite being easy to follow and incorporating vivid descriptions that smoothly brought the world and events of this story to life, I did not find the simple writing style particularly engaging. I also struggled with the constant information dumps used to deliver the world-building, though the creative and believable world was impressive.
there are two kinds of power in this world. Authority – the power to make someone’s decisions. And money – the power to buy someone’s decisions.
Storyline:
A constant stream of memories and world-building information leaves the character-driven storyline with little tension and a slow pace that I struggled to find engaging. However, the regular bursts of action (underwater and topside) were entertaining, especially the final dive towards the end. The storyline also explores themes of family, grief and trust, which helped create a cute, satisfying ending.
Main character(s):
Jin Haldar is a stubborn and cynical character whose whole personality revolves around keeping her younger sister safe. While this made her character one-dimensional, the realistic relationship between the sisters and Jin’s wit kept her character somewhat interesting.
The bravest of us always admit to being scared.
Secondary characters:
A relatively small group of secondary characters pop in and out of the storyline, but only Bhili and Silva stood out to me as they had strong personalities. Both characters even seemed to drive the storyline more than Jin, and I loved their unpredictability.
Romance:
I was unconvinced by this aspect of the story as the characters were mostly at odds with each other, and much of their connection is told, not shown. The romance also adds little to the storyline, especially since it is given little focus or development.
if you don’t find the courage to trust someone… well, you’re gonna have a life that’s not even worth living.
Narration & Audio:
Rasha Zamamiri gives a great performance that is fitting for the narrative. I only wished more vocal variety had been used to convey the emotions within the story.
Everything considered, ‘Into the Sunken City’ presents a creative world and an interesting adventure. However, the slow pace and simple execution meant that I did not find it gripping. For another fantasy adventure that takes place on the water, I recommend Dark Water Daughter by H.M. Long.
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