Title: Given to the Sea
Author: Mindy McGinnis
Publisher: Putnam's Childrens
Release Date: April 11, 2017
Khosa is Given to the Sea, a girl born to be fed to the water, her flesh preventing a wave like the one that destroyed the Kingdom of Stille in days of old. But before she’s allowed to dance – an uncontrollable twitching of the limbs that will carry her to the shore in a frenzy – she must produce an heir. Yet the thought of human touch sends shudders down her spine that not even the sound of the tide can match.
Vincent is third in line to inherit his throne, royalty in a kingdom where the old linger and the young inherit only boredom. When Khosa arrives without an heir he knows his father will ensure she fulfills her duty, at whatever cost. Torn between protecting the throne he will someday fill, and the girl whose fate is tied to its very existence, Vincent’s loyalty is at odds with his heart.
Dara and Donil are the last of the Indiri, a native race whose dwindling magic grows weaker as the island country fades. Animals cease to bear young, creatures of the sea take to the land, and the Pietra – fierce fighters who destroyed the Indiri a generation before – are now marching from their stony shores for the twin’s adopted homeland, Stille.
Witt leads the Pietra, their army the only family he has ever known. The stone shores harbor a secret, a growing threat that will envelop the entire land – and he will conquer every speck of soil to ensure the survival of his people.
The tides are turning in Stille, where royals scheme, Pietrans march, and the rising sea calls for its Given.
I had a lot of problems with it, the first of which was the swapping between POVs and tenses. From one person to the next, one POV might be first person present or third person present. And honestly, I find third person present to be very jarring to read. I was able to get used to it after a while, but it wasn't particularly pleasant.
I have to say, I've read others of Mindy's books, and I was fairly disappointed. I couldn't figure out why Dara and Witt had a perspective at all, let alone why we were reading about Witt. And that love square? It completely peeved me. I can sometimes deal with a love triangle if it's done well enough, but this just seemed awkward and unnecessary. Why did Vincent and Donil both need to have a thing for Khosa. And then Vincent having a thing for both Khosa and Dara. It was completely unnecessary and overdone.
The only character I found myself connecting with was Donil, and there wasn't nearly enough of him. We didn't get his perspective, and instead we got his sister, who irritated me to no end. And I don't even understand this world. What is even the point of the given. I don't get the magic or the Indiri. They're speckled? What does that mean? Are they dark with light spots all over? Are they light with dark spots? I don't understand. And what about this supposedly big wave and the creatures that will overtake the kingdom if the Given isn't sacrificed. The world building was seriously lacking, and I couldn't help but be left confused.
Because of all this, I found myself really not particularly interested. I was hoping only for one possible outcome. I skimmed the last few pages and found that wasn't what happened, so I ended up DNF'ing at page 248. Sorry, book. I tried, but I just couldn't.
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