Song of the Current by Sarah Tolcser
From page one this book was like a refreshing glass of water. (So many potential current puns, my brain can't handle it.) I bitch a lot about books -- especially YA fantasy books -- that, despite being set in mystical lands, feel like they take place entirely inside a black-box theater. This book is, immediately and consistently, the exact opposite. You can see the landscape, smell the water, hear the wind through the reeds. Tolcser nails the atmosphere, and thanks primarily to that, I sailed (sorry) through this book in less than three days.Caro is also a terrific main character. Rather than being some random "chosen one," she has training and skills that absolutely justify why she is right for this adventure. She is complex and likable. The male MC, who I don't want to discuss too much for risk of spoilage, is precisely my usual type; oddly, given that, I didn't find myself falling for him quite so completely. I'm not sure the arc of his motivation is mapped out with as much clarity as it could have been. (Admittedly, we're in Caro's head, not his.) Similarly, there were a few other plot points that felt either over- or under-foreshadowed: Caro's cousin's secret, the deal with Caro's god... There were also aspects of the world-building that were a little too confusing (I never fully grasped the political conflict) or where I simply wanted more (the Frogmen!!!). I really hope there's a sequel, in part because this is a world and a group of characters worthy of further exploration, but mostly because Tolcser shows so much potential here. Song of the Current reminded me a little bit of Leigh Bardugo's more recent work -- and it took her like three and a half novels to reach the skill level she's now at. So yeah, I have high hopes here!
