Giving this 4 full stars because I enjoyed it so much! Yes the ending was a little too Hallmark-y for me typically, especially from a darker book, but I didn't mind so much when I enjoyed everything else.

I liked the humour used with the grim reaper, not to mask the darkness of the book but I think to emphasize how eccentric he was. I actually laughed out loud a few times (props to the narrator for his great voices too).

Overall this book is about grief and how different people cope from it. I think all the characters did a little healing in the end in different ways and I liked that everyone got the ending they deserved or needed.

The pirate fantasy that will give all others in the genre a run for their money.

Tempest is exactly what I’m looking for when picking up a pirate fantasy. It’s filled with scheming, questionable morals, survival above all else, and all encapsulated with the most lush and beautiful descriptions. Every single sentence drives you deeper into the world of the Lyrian Sea without ever being overbearing or distracting.

The dual timeline is admittedly something I was worried about and not excited for. It’s rarely done well and becomes a bit of an annoyance to have to jump back and forth constantly. To my surprise, the dual timeline is not only handled perfectly by Aveyard, but the story would have been lacking without it. Not once did I dread jumping to a Before or After chapter. I was equally excited to learn more about both versions of Cat and the mischief she was getting up to. The alternating chapters always had a seamless handoff with one subtly referring to an event that is then expanded upon in the next chapter.

This is a book I’ll be rereading as soon as I get my physical copy. I can’t wait for Tyrant and to see how Cat and Val’s story unfolds!

Note on the audiobook: the narrator is absolutely perfect for Cat but I desperately wanted this to be duet narration. The male characters unfortunately all sound the same which can get a bit confusing when jumping between before and after.

Thank you to Harper Voyager for the ALC in exchange for an honest review

A very emotional read, especially as an autistic person. 🥺 It was so good, and I deeply relate to Addie (and Keedie, too). Now somebody hug me, I am unwell 😭