Review of Across the Sapphire Sea (Immortal Jewels #2) by Lee Colgin
Across the Sapphire Sea is the second book in the series Immortal Jewels.
Valeri, a vampire with gray morals, plucked Elias from indentured servitude and turned him into a vampire. Now Elias feels trapped in a relationship with a man he truly loves that may not be able to be saved.
One of their own is suffering from a deadly aging illness, and Valeri believes he's found the cure. Now he and Elias are leading an expedition to the far north to find an elusive band of vampires who hold the secret they need.
But Valeri has been keeping secrets, and they may destroy the mission from the inside out. And his possessiveness and jealousy are imploding his relationship.
Can either be saved?
Beneath the Opal Arc was fantastic. I loved the characters, and I loved the story. Valeri was mentioned throughout the book as Lawrence's toxic and possibly abusive sire, so when I saw Valeri was one of the main characters in this novel, I was pretty stunned. I went into it with hesitancy, not sure I would enjoy the book, and it took me quite a long time to make it through, which is very unusual for me with a Lee Colgin book—this is my sixth book of hers, so I'm pretty familiar with her work.
Elias was a sweet man caught up in a bad situation, and I quite honestly wish better for him. Valeri... I never warmed to him. He rubbed me the wrong way from beginning to end. But that's because I know people like that, and I know they rarely ever change their ways after very, very bad experiences. So, the ending wasn't sweet for me because I didn't buy that Valeri could mend his ways. I completely believed he loved Elias and was devoted to him, but honestly, his dramatic jump to conclusions was typical of someone like that, and it made me roll my eyes instead of being sad for him. That's cynicism talking, though. Not Lee Colgin's writing.
However, the book itself was excellent. I loved the story of the party sailing north to find the elusive vampires, and I loved the flashbacks from Elias throughout the story. I loved the realistic feelings she wrapped Elias in—the sense of being trapped, smothered, and wanting out but feeling disloyal. It all felt very authentic and very real.
The descriptions were incredible, action amazing. Lee Colgin never disappoints in her world-building, dialog, and settings. Everything feels real.
The only thing I didn't like about this book was Valeri. I didn't like him, but the way she wrote him was flawless. Absolutely incredible. The toxic relationship was also flawlessly written from an emotional perspective and an analysis of those types of relationships.
Beautifully written book. I still highly recommend it, but people who have been in highly controlling, toxic relationships that would be triggered by reading a realistic portrayal may want to steer clear.
Another winner for Lee Colgin!
Comments
Post a Comment