Katie's Book Blog!!

When The Sea Is Rising Red is one fabulous debut novel. I will admit that fantasy is not really my thing but after reading this one, I may be willing to give more fantasy novels a shot.Felicita seems like your average spoiled, rich, magical girl at first. She's a snob, she hates working, and she does not like having to ask someone else to save her. Throughout the book she still complains about work but she does become a much better person as she sees how the other half lives. She is a very flawed character though. I mean that in the best possible way. She makes lots of mistakes but she learns from them and she grows. The two mysterious boys in her life, Dash and Jannik, are just that. I felt that Felicita never really connected with either because they both hid so much from her. I had issues with both of them but I did like them. I also felt like the rest of the characters were a little hard to connect with. They all had their secrets.The world Cat Hellisen created was the best part about When The Sea Is Rising Red. The magic, the legends, the curses; everything was so fantastic. It was a rather dark, sometimes creepy world but that only made it better. It was 100% original and impossible not to be drawn into.The plot isn't super action-packed but the story draws you in from the very beginning. This is not one of those stories that takes a while to get into. I dare you not to be hooked from the very first page!Overall, When The Sea Is Rising Red is one debut that deserves very high praise. I can't wait to see what Cat Hellisen does next. (And it won't be a sequel because this one is a standalone!)