Moss Forest Orchid by Shari L. Tapscott
Fantasy/Adventure. 370 pages. 4 Stars
Synopsis:
What happens when a feisty adventuress, a lord looking to make his own way in the world, and a handsome sea captain set out to find Kalae’s rarest and most valuable flower?
Trouble—and lots of it.
Lucia needs a job, and she needs one fast. Looting dragon hordes hasn’t proven profitable lately, and she’s tired of waiting tables. Her business partner usually finds the work, but Sebastian isn’t speaking with her, and Lucia’s getting desperate.
Luckily, Lucia finds a simple request posted on a community board. All the man wants is an orchid. Nothing to it.
Except the flower only grows in a montane cloud forest in Grenalda… And Lucia must take a ship through sea serpent-infested waters to get there… And her new helpful friend—the one and only, dashing Captain Avery Greybrow—just might be a pirate.
At this rate, Lucia’s not sure if she’ll ever reach the orchid. But she’s determined to try.
A new fantasy adventure romance from the author of The Eldentimber Series.
My Review:
I first came across Mrs. Tapscott because of the Entwined Tales. So, aside from her contribution to the multi-author series, this was my first read by her–as a solo author, perhaps? Anywho, I quite enjoyed the book! I look forward to continuing the story in book two and to reading her Eldentimber series.
Tapscott writes very well. I like her style and I wholly admire that she wrote this book in the first person present tense. As many people know, I consider that very difficult personally. I wasn’t ever jarred out of the story because of the present tense and very much liked reading from Lucia’s pov. I liked the characters in this story very much. Lucia was a handful, but she had a sweet heart and a fierce loyalty. She fought for what was right, but still made her share of mistakes. I liked that she wasn’t flawless. She did have feelings such as guilt, shame, and regret. She was determined to set things right when she messed up. She also had insecurities, like all of us do, which I think Tapscott handled very well. Sebastian was a total gem. I loved him! I loved that Tapscott wrote in such a way as to clue the reader in on who he was and how he felt even though Lucia often misinterpreted him. I thought it was clever. Lucia is telling us the story, but somehow Sebastian went over her head sometimes and straight to us. Avery was charming and such a fun character. He’s mischievous and nefarious, but leaves you wondering if he truly does care deep down. The secondary characters brought vibrant life to this already colorful story. I’m curious to see what comes next for this group!
The setting wasn’t difficult to grasp at all, though still filled with a variety of fantastical elements. I never once found myself confused or unsure about the world Tapscott had crafted around me, even when there were creatures and laws I knew nothing about. She enfolded the reader into her world very nicely, a feat not all authors achieve. I’m very curious to learn more about the dragons and why the laws of magic differ between lands. I hope to see more of these elements in future stories.
The plot itself was evenly paced, adventurous more than page-turning. As I came to the end, I realized, this was only the beginning of Lucia’s story, though the book is a story from beginning to end and does have its own individual plot. I wasn’t ever bored with the story, but I wasn’t necessarily dying to read the next page either. There is a strong romantic element to the story, but it was never explicit–nothing worse than a kiss and a few close embraces. Romance wasn’t the center of the plot, and I personally prefer that it isn’t. It was a nice complementary thread to an adventurous quest story. Though Lucia had a choice between two suitors, I wouldn’t classify this as a love triangle in any way. I thought it was well-handled and added to the depth of the characters.
Mild violence (a couple of fight scenes that had a swashbuckling, action and adventure feel), clean but satisfying romance, no foul language.
More:
The Silver and Orchids Prequel is Fire and Feathers (4 Stars)
Book 2 is Greybrow Serpent (5 Stars)
Book 3 is Wildwood Larkwing (4 Stars)
Book 4 is Lily of the Desert (5 Stars)
I have reviewed each of the above on Goodreads. Follow the links to find more info on the books and then scroll down to see the reviews. Mine is among them.
This series should be read in order. The prequel isn’t necessary to the series, but it is a lovely addition and can be read at any time.