The Singing Shore I: Sea and Song

E.P. Clark

Apr 2022 · The Zemnian Series Book 5 · Helia Press · Narrated by E.P. Clark

About this audiobook

“A passionate coming-of-age story.”—Kirkus Reviews

Distinguished Favorite, Audiobook-Fiction, Independent Press Awards 2023

Finalist, Indies Today Book Awards 2022

Finalist, Fantasy, Book Excellence Awards 2022

All magical gifts are wild. The seer’s gift is the wildest of all.

Dasha, Tsarinovna of all of Zem’, was expected to have great magical gifts. Why else would the gods have arranged her conception? But instead of anything useful, Dasha’s gifts first manifested themselves as visions of terror and destruction. Then, just when it seemed she might be gaining some control over them, they abandoned her entirely.

That’s unfortunate, because Dasha could really use some guidance right now. She’s volunteered to be her people’s envoy to the Rutsi, their warlike neighbors to the West. Dasha wants to make peace with the Rutsi, but the only way they want to make peace with her is by conquest—or marriage.

Dasha leaves behind her home and everything she knows on a dangerous journey to treat with the Rutsi. As she travels through a new land, she discovers new powers, new dangers, and the oldest magic of all—love. Dasha’s gift is wild, but she’s about to find out that the heart is wilder still. Her exploration of forbidden passion and forbidden magic might be the key that unlocks all her untapped promise as the strongest sorceress of her generation—or it could be the weapon that destroys her and everything she cares about.

A high fantasy saga that combines spiritual exploration with spicy romance, The Singing Shore I: Sea and Song is the first installment in the trilogy sequel to the award-winning miniseries The Breathing Sea. If you loved the Winternight trilogy, come visit the land of Zem’!

Note: This audio edition contains wild wren song recorded at the studio location.

Ratings and reviews

Dasha is young and unsure of herself, but likable enough. Her story starts slow but builds momentum. She’s in a tricky political situation, and her magical abilities, while intriguing, seem unreliable. I am curious to know the rest of her story. I enjoyed the author’s narration, and the little snippets of bird song between scenes were a nice touch. I had trouble at times keeping track of all of the different characters with unfamiliar names, but I liked the author’s accent and her voices.

Sea and Song is an enjoyable story to hear as an audio book. It’s read by the author who is able to pronoun correctly all the foreign names and places, and made the dialogue come alive with her deep understanding of the characters. I became engrossed in the story as I listened to it and traveled with the main character, Dasha, on her mission of the peace with the warlike Rutsi. Dasha is just seventeen and the Tsarinovna of all of Zem.