This novel is a rather interesting exploration of human nature, personal tragedies and magical creatures less commonly represented in fantasy. I really connected with Ionna and her difficulties as a Selkie in the human village, torn between her desire to return to the sea and her deep protective need to take care of her children. Her story definitely kept me going through the areas of the book that interested me less and I'm glad I got to see the full length of her journey.
Unfortunately, the other main characters remained very distant for me and I couldn't properly connect with them. I think this mostly has to do with several unanswered questions related to their pasts. While Ionna's backstory is mostly explained (there are only two points that weren't satisfactorily engaged with), Bjorn's and Einar's backstories seemed to be lacking several very important whys and I simply couldn't grasp who they were as people and why they were driven to do the things they did.
On the whole, it's a rather interesting concept and I enjoyed the gentle ebb and flow of the narrative, which was more focused on the characters' feelings than the action going on around them. It's nice to read something a little less tense once in a while and this book manages to keep things moving forward very well while still maintaining the slower tempo. Selkies and Werebears are also so nicely refreshing, and most certainly an unusual combination.
Lastly, I fear the cover does not do the book justice. It does capture Ionna's melancholy, but I feel the image itself would be better suited to promotional material as it doesn't quite catch the eye as a cover ought to and it doesn't say "fantasy" to me.
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