A+ (One of my favorites).

A window washer goes to sea to rescue her boyfriend. High-seas adventure, fantasy worldbuilding, and heaps of whimsy. Even though the bones of the story are standard fairytale stuff, it's a weird, completely unique book. The only negative feeling I have about it is a little frustration that, since it's very tied-in to several Cosmere series, it's not particularly suited to give as a gift.

(May 2024) ( )

This had TJ Klune vibes all over it. I enjoyed the story and the main character that you just had to cheer for her. I also didn't see it that the rat was actually Charles. Cute twist I didn't see coming. Maybe it was because I listened to it, but I feel like the ship just kind of went on and on. Overall, it was a great story and I toyed back and forth whether this was 3.5 or 4 starts. Maybe 3.75. It was enjoyable and I glad I listened to it. But I like TJ Klune better. This did feel like woman power and a great story that your life experiences change you as a person. Even in the beginning when she was hesitant about leaving the rock. But in the end, she couldn't go back there because she wasn't the same person. Maybe some day I'll sit down and read this. But I think this is YA or if it's not, it could be. There was also some cute humor thrown in here, again, really reminding me of TJ Klune. ( )

This feels like cozy fantasy done well. There are stakes and perils but you feel like you're in safe hands the entire time. This was my first Sanderson book and I liked it quite a bit, but it wasn't what I was expecting from him - and maybe that's just this book. ( )

I enjoyed this a little bit more than Yumi but did get a bit bogged down in the middle. As usual I enjoy Sanderson's books but without ever being wowed by them. ( )

I had fun with this book. I was expecting it to be more of a YA book when I picked it up, but (even though there is no adult content) it didn't have the tone of a YA book. It was very whimsical and light, which—after reading the author's note at the end—appears to have been the intention. There is the potential for the book to have turned dark in several places, and I'm very glad it did not. It remained a lighthearted and fun book, and I appreciated that.

The plot itself is straightforward, and I can sum it up by paraphrasing Sanderson's end notes, without any spoilers: what if, in The Princess Bride, Buttercup had sailed off to rescue Westley instead of giving him up for dead? This book explores that, and the result—as you might expect—is an adventure story of adventure, pirates, and true love.

I enjoyed all of the characters in the book. Even the antagonists were fun. (Plus, I especially liked the dragon.) I'm curious how I will eventually feel after reading other books in Sanderson's Cosmere universe, since I'm told there are Easter eggs in this book for fans of the extended universe. However, this one can be easily read as a standalone without any confusion.

There were times in the story where the conflict seemed to get resolved too easily, but in a way that ultimately didn't matter. (Tress also thinks about this exact fact at the end of the book, in a way that was not quite 4th-wall-breaking, but I appreciated nonetheless.) For this book, somehow it didn't matter that the challenge was not always a difficult one. What mattered was not so much how hard the obstacles were to overcome, but who was willing to pitch in and help get there. The journey was the point of the story, and that journey was a fun one. ( )