Tour organized by Penguin Teen
See below for the full schedule
Last year I fell in love with The Sea of Ink and Gold series when I read The Reader. Now I'm thrilled to say I'm even more obsessed after finishing The Speaker. Read on for more of my thoughts on this sequel. Plus my photo inspiration for the book.
The Speaker
by Traci Chee
Read:
Published: November 7, 2017 by G.P. Putnam's Sons BYR
Source: Galley from Emma @miss_print (TY!!)
Category: YA, fantasy, books, pirates, wars,
Series: Sea of Ink & Gold, Book 2/3
Find: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Book Depository | Indiebound
Book Description: After escaping the clutches of the Guard, Sefia and Archer slip into the safety of the forest to tend to their wounds and plan their next move. Archer finds himself struggling with the trauma of his painful memories from captivity and the impressors cruelty. But when Sefia and Archer happen upon a crew of impressors in the wilderness, Archer finally an escape from his nightmares – hunting impressors and freeing the boys they hold captive. The two quickly travel across the kingdom of Deliene rescuing boys while Sefia continues to investigate the mysterious Book and its secrets. But something strange seems to be happening to Archer. The more battles they fight and boys they rescue, the more violence Archer craves, ultimately threating to transform him from the gentle boy Sefia knows to a grim warrior with a cruel destiny. As Sefia begins to unravel the threads that connect Archer’s fate to her parents’ betrayal of the Guard, she and Archer must figure out a way to subvert the Guard’s plans before they are ensnared in a war that will pit kingdoms against each other, leaving their future and the safety of the entire world hanging in the balance.
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NOTE: This book is the second in a series. See my thoughts on The Reader, HERE.
I love this series and this book lives up to it well. Sefia and Archer are the heart of the story, but this is an intricately woven tale with many converging storylines. I was never bored while reading and couldn't wait to find out what new adventures and revelations these characters discovered next.
One of the most important characters in this story is The Book. What it is, what it says and whether everything written in it is inevitable is explored in greater detail. Is it possible to run from your destiny - in this case, what is already written? Sefia and Archer and all the other characters - there are a lot of different POVS - continue to grapple with this question, sometimes in painful and brutal ways.
Sefia and Archer are one of my favorite YA couples. I love them so much, including the way they have supported each other even through the most brutal of times. Things get very intense in this story with the introduction of the bloodletters, but despite it all, Archer has a sweetness in his soul that rings off the page, and I loved seeing he and Sefia develop friendships with others. Still, these two make some mistakes in this story that really shook me, and I'm struggling with how to come to terms with them. My one issue with this book revolves around what happens when Archer goes looking for his past. (If you want my full spoiler thoughts on this, see my Goodreads review and the comments below that review.)
One of the most important characters in this story is The Book. What it is, what it says and whether everything written in it is inevitable is explored in greater detail. Is it possible to run from your destiny - in this case, what is already written? Sefia and Archer and all the other characters - there are a lot of different POVS - continue to grapple with this question, sometimes in painful and brutal ways.
Sefia and Archer are one of my favorite YA couples. I love them so much, including the way they have supported each other even through the most brutal of times. Things get very intense in this story with the introduction of the bloodletters, but despite it all, Archer has a sweetness in his soul that rings off the page, and I loved seeing he and Sefia develop friendships with others. Still, these two make some mistakes in this story that really shook me, and I'm struggling with how to come to terms with them. My one issue with this book revolves around what happens when Archer goes looking for his past. (If you want my full spoiler thoughts on this, see my Goodreads review and the comments below that review.)
This book features a lot of revelations, many of which are painful and left me gasping. But one of the most surprising (and relieving!) aspects of this book is that it doesn't end on a cliffhanger. It definitely ends in the middle of the tale, and a lot of intense and scary things are to come. But for the moment, the action has settled down and the characters are not in immediate danger. None of the characters have an easy road in this book, and things are sure to get harder in the future, so I was thankful for that small miracle.
The Speaker is a strong and lovely sequel that expands this world and its characters into much greater - and often painful - complexity. I cannot wait until the conclusion of this trilogy!
The Speaker is a strong and lovely sequel that expands this world and its characters into much greater - and often painful - complexity. I cannot wait until the conclusion of this trilogy!
Love Triangle Factor: Low - I'm sorry to say this, but for me, a bit of a weird love triangle situation crops up in this book, and I'm still unsettled by how it played out, though I also don't think it's true threat and comprises a small part of this overall story. Check my Goodreads review and the comment section below it for more info on this.
Cliffhanger Scale: Low - Definitely not the end of the series, but this book ends in a way that is settled.
My photo inspiration for The Speaker and an ode to Sefia:
Whenever I picture Sefia, she is outside. In the woods, up a tree, even standing on the cliffs over the ocean. And so I took her for a walk and snapped this picture along the way. I love how she is facing the camera head-on in this cover. Instead of spending the whole book running, this girl stands up and takes action. And it is beautiful to watch. She makes some mistakes along the way but she works hard to fix them. I admire her so much.
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About the Author
Traci Chee is the New York Times bestselling author of The Reader. An All-around word geek, she loves book arts and art books, poetry and paper crafts. She studied literature and creative writing at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and earned a master of arts degree from San Francisco State University. Traci grew up in a small town with more cows than people, and now feels most at home in the mountains, scaling switchbacks and happening upon hidden highland lakes. She lives in California with her fast-fast dog.
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Follow the Tour
Week One
October 30 – Ex Libris – Review
October 31 – Bette’s Pages – Review with photos
November 1 – Never2Many2Read – Review
November 2 – ButtermyBooks – Review
November 3 – YA Wednesdays – Favorite Quotes
Week Two
November 6 – FlyLeaf Chronicles – Review
November 7 – The Fox’s Hideaway – Review
November 8 – In Wonderland – Review
November 9 – Book Reviews Express – Review
November 10 – Brianna Book Binding – Review
Week Three
November 13 – Readers Live A Thousand Lives – Excerpt and Review
November 14 – Good Choice Reading – Review with Photo
November 14 – Love Is Not a Triangle – Review
November 15 – Dazzled by Books – Review with bookish Candle
November 16 – A Belle’s Tale – review and Spotlight
November 17 – MelihYoutuber – Review
Week Four
November 20 – The Blonde Bookworm – Review
November 21 – Seeing Double in Neverland – Review
November 22 – Bookshelves and Paperbacks – Author Interview
November 23 – Across the Words – Review
November 24 – Eastern Sunset Reads – Review
Gorgeous review Lauren :D Yay for enjoying this sequel. <3 But ahh, that romance drama thingy.. not for me at all. Ugh. But might read these books one day, even so :) Thank you for sharing your lovely thoughts sweetie. <3 Hugs.
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