Synopsis
Dark be the water, and darker still the creatures that lurk within…
Free-spirited Isla Blackwood has never accepted the shackles of her family’s nobility. Instead, she sails the open waters, searching for belonging on the waves.
But when tragedy calls Isla home, she realises she can no longer escape the duty she’s been running from. Selkie raiders have been terrorising the island’s coasts, and when they strike at Blackwood Estate, Isla is forced to flee with her hot-headed brother and brooding swordmaster.
To avenge her family and reclaim her home, Isla will have to set aside old grudges and join forces with an exiled selkie searching for a lost pelt. The heirloom might be the key to stopping the bloody conflict—but only if they can steal it from the island’s most notorious selkie hunter, the Grand Admiral himself.
Caught between a promise to the brother she once left behind and an unlikely friendship with the selkie who should have been her enemy, Isla soon realises the open seas aren’t the only treacherous waters she’ll need to navigate.
As enemies close in on all sides, she must decide once and for all where her loyalties lie if she wants to save what’s left of her family—and find the belonging she’s been searching for.
Review
Sea of Souls by NC Scrimgeour is a dark fantasy that is filled with Scottish elements which I was eager to dive right into.
Firstly, the world-building here was brilliant. Scrimgeour has placed some obvious Scottish roots here, looking at you Gallowgate, but it really fits with the world that has been made. This book reminded me a lot of historical fantasy with some slight magic roots, and this made the world feel more real.
I was particularly interested in the creatures that were made from Scottish myth and legend. Selkies, shapeshifting creatures that can change from seal-like to humans when they shed their pelts, are hunted and there is a great distain between selkies and humans. This is a war but something that is deeper than what we see at the surface, and this makes for a unique story. This was relatable to me because you don’t see many Scottish creatures in fantasy so seeing kelpies and selkies was something that really elevated the experience.
The characters were well-written and easy to read. We have Isla Blackwood who has spent years at sea returning home and Eimhir, a selkie exile searching for her lost pelt, banding together as enemies on a journey of discovery. This was an interesting dynamic between “creature” and human that had me guessing intentions throughout.
The story itself was intense and felt like it didn’t stop. There were some particularly obvious twists but some that I was surprised with. Each step along the way was filled with action, excitement, and something unique that makes this a great read.
Sea of Souls was a brilliant experience and I’ll be looking out for more news on the rest of the series.
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