Kiana Krystle

Dance of the Starlit Sea

Krys C.

This book is meant to be read with rose-colored glasses, the tintinnabulation of the stars, and the whisper of angels. It’s written with the wonder and whimsy of a Studio Ghibli movie. It’s a melting pot of aesthetics: balletcore, seacore, cottagecore, angel vibes, coquette, the stars. Truly enjoyed it. 

Very heavy on the lore and vibes. I appreciated the themes of reclaiming yourself and healing.

However, I need to take off the rose-colored glasses. Despite my high rating,I have to admit I was barely following the story and was just there for a vibes. The writing had me using five brain cells when I only have two left. It definitely helped with setting the tone and atmosphere, sure, and immerses you and paints a picture of a dreamy landscape. But I’m afraid the prose came off too purple-y and pretentious in the long run. The plot didn’t feel too substantial as well and I wasn’t convinced of the romance and the portrayal of girlhood/sisterhood. It all felt superficial. We are stuck in Lila’s head the entire time but I also can’t understand her character as a whole, nor her development.

Anyway, it was giving “give me back my girlhood, it was mine first” and “and you asked me to dance and I said ‘dancing is a dangerous game’” and, along the way, Twelve Dancing Princesses.

This was like those coffee shops that are aesthetic and Instagrammable, but the coffee itself is meh.

Thank you to Netgalley and Peachtree for the ARC! :>

Dance of the Starlit Sea

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