Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews

Caroline Oresteia, a wherryman's daughter and granddaughter, knows that she's meant for the river—but at age 17, she has yet to hear the voice of the god at its bottom. When pirates burn several wherries, Caro's smuggler father is arrested. To gain back his freedom—and maybe attract the god's attention—Caro agrees to use her father's wherry to transport a mysterious cargo: a young man named Tarquin Meredios who claims to be a royal courier. Pompous and overbearing, highborn Tarquin sneers at both Caro and wherrymen. But as he and Caro change course from Caro's contracted destination to one Tarquin insists on, he grows on both her and readers. Caro's narrative voice is smart and colloquial; worldbuilding details are imparted naturally through dialogue and her reflections on it. Caro describes herself as having a mixed heritage, noting the varying shades of brown in her relatives from her mother's side. Most of the other, presumably white characters' skin tones are not described, with pale Tarquin's "strange foreign coloring" a notable exception. The frogmen, descendants of the river god and a sailor's daughter, have brownish-green skin; Fee, a taciturn female frogman, works for Caro's father. Caro's description of her boat home, the Cormorant, will make even readers unfamiliar with sailing feel as though they belong on the water with her. Tolcser blends the right amount of epic fantasy, sea voyage, and romance for a rollicking, swashbuckling adventure. (Fantasy. 14-18)

ALA Booklist

Caro Oresteia, daughter of a river wherryman, thinks the river and sailing her family's small boat is her destiny, and she is disappointed when the river gods don't speak to her as they have to all her ancestors. She is meant for bigger things; her true fate begins to unfold when she releases a mysterious man from an enchanted box, discovers he is the heir to the Akhaian throne, and decides to protect his life with her own. First-time author Tolcser has created a hearty sea adventure, laced with romance and fantasy, that features a biracial heroine, both self-doubting and brave, and a blue-eyed, black-haired prince with a lot to learn. The flavor of the sea comes through by way of basic sailing terms and techniques, colorful cursing ("Balto's balls!"), and dialect that feels authentic without being troublesome to read. This is more romantic than L. A. Meyer's Jacky Faber series but may work with its readers. It can also be handed to fans of Celia Rees' Pirates! (2003), or for the romance, Sharon Shinn's Twelve Houses series.

Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

Caroline Oresteia, a wherryman's daughter and granddaughter, knows that she's meant for the river—but at age 17, she has yet to hear the voice of the god at its bottom. When pirates burn several wherries, Caro's smuggler father is arrested. To gain back his freedom—and maybe attract the god's attention—Caro agrees to use her father's wherry to transport a mysterious cargo: a young man named Tarquin Meredios who claims to be a royal courier. Pompous and overbearing, highborn Tarquin sneers at both Caro and wherrymen. But as he and Caro change course from Caro's contracted destination to one Tarquin insists on, he grows on both her and readers. Caro's narrative voice is smart and colloquial; worldbuilding details are imparted naturally through dialogue and her reflections on it. Caro describes herself as having a mixed heritage, noting the varying shades of brown in her relatives from her mother's side. Most of the other, presumably white characters' skin tones are not described, with pale Tarquin's "strange foreign coloring" a notable exception. The frogmen, descendants of the river god and a sailor's daughter, have brownish-green skin; Fee, a taciturn female frogman, works for Caro's father. Caro's description of her boat home, the Cormorant, will make even readers unfamiliar with sailing feel as though they belong on the water with her. Tolcser blends the right amount of epic fantasy, sea voyage, and romance for a rollicking, swashbuckling adventure. (Fantasy. 14-18)

Voice of Youth Advocates (Thu Apr 28 00:00:00 CDT 2022)

Caroline Oresteia, or Caro as she is known, is seventeen. She is the daughter of a wherryman and descends from a long line of boat captains. She has spent her life on the water, waiting for the river god to speak to her, but he has not. The older she gets, the more she fears that he never will. On a usual outing transporting goods with her father, the pair comes across a burned out marina. Boats, cargo, and more are completely pillaged and burned, leaving a community shaking their heads at the destruction. The party responsible seems to be a mystery, but rumor has it the Black Dog pirates did it in search of something, or maybe someone. Caro’s father is pulled in for questioning and, ultimately, gets arrested and blackmailed. In exchange for his release, Caro agrees to transport mysterious cargo through exceptionally dangerous waters on her own. Perhaps this will encourage the river god to speak her name. Unbeknownst to Caro, the mysterious cargo bears much more than its weight in gold, and she must not only navigate the twisting waters, but a convoluted trail of lies as well. From debut novelist Tolcser, Song of the Current is a fantastical tale of survival and finding one’s place in the world. It is a hero’s journey through a magical and dangerous world of immortal creatures, water gods, and enchanting characters. Caro is a strong female lead for whom readers will pull from the beginning. It is perfect for fans of swashbuckling pirate tales and works by Victoria Aveyard and Leigh Bardugo.—Erin Segreto.