Hello my lovely bookworms, I am on holiday by the sea and it got me thinking about YA books set at sea. I always take with me books that are set on around the seaside. I have read some incredible books, 3 of these I have read this year and I feel these are all very underrated books, action-packed, compelling and unputtadownable reads.
I love this setting and world building, can be applied to any genre but mainly fantasy I have to say. They feel more escapable and real as you can imagine them a whole new world out and in the forbidden depths of the sea. So without further ado here are my recommendations.
My 5 Underrated YA Books Set at Sea
Viper (Isle of Storm and Sorrow) by Bex Hogan
Bex Hogan has created a fantasy book like no other. I raced through this book, the characters, packed full of adventure, world building and a fierce female MC and pirates in YA. What could you not love in this book?! Nothing I tell you. Nothing.
What a page-turner! A thrilling, heartbreaking and compelling fantasy novel. It’s on-the-edge-of-your-seat adventure, fast paced fantasy.
The Girl Who Broke the Sea by A. Connors
I was going on holiday by the sea and I wanted a themed book. This book was IMPOSSIBLE to put down and is my favourite read of the year so far! I hope I justify it in a review because I just loved it! I describe this as ‘The Meg’ the film, for its incredible oceanic atmosphere and world building with hints of ‘Arrival’ for the communication with an unidentified organism living in the darkness beneath the ocean floor.
The Stranded by Sarah Daniels
The Stranded is Titanic meets The Maze Runner, if you loved either of those you will love this debut dulogy series. I would highly recommend having The Exiled on hand. Sarah Daniels has an addictive writing styling. We really got to see a sense of the dark, and oppressive world building and the atmosphere through their eyes. The setting of book really reminded me of the Titanic, an enhanced, unsinkable (properly this time) version of it, that’s how I pretty much envisioned.
A Curse of Salt by Sarah Street
A tale as old as time or in this case, a Heartless King as old as time. A Curse of Salt is different from your average retellings, it has pirates, enemies to lovers romance, 300 year old curse, ancient sea monsters, a library on a pirate ship, a darkness rooted to its core and sibling rivalry. It has it all. I love a book set at sea, there is something so escapable but also what I loved what the magic that Sarah was able to capture in her world building and storytelling.
Seafire by Natalie C. Parker
If your a fan of Viper and Venom by Bex Hogan then you will love this book! You know I am and very rarely do you find a pirate adventure quite like these. Seafire, is like a futuristic YA adventure which brought a unique twist to a YA fantasy. With an all female pirate cast, it’s like all your favourite female superhero banded together on the treacherous seas. A fierce feminst YA fantasy of a pirate crew out for revenge.
I’ve been seeing A LOT of hype around The Stranded for the last few weeks and I feel as if I must have missed something because I DNFed it. The concept was interesting but I couldn’t connect to the characters and the plot in general.
I don’t know if it’s strictly YA, but I discovered the Earthsea books by Ursula Le Guin as a teenager and they’re still with me 30-some years later. The sea is a very strong presence (the name is a giveaway!) and Ged’s adventures see him battling shadows and dragons above the foaming waters.
All of them sounds really interesting, but I’m really hooked by A Curse of Salt!