Book Review: Sky of Water by Stacey Tucker

Title: Sky of Water

Author: Stacey Tucker

Publisher: SparkPress

Publication Date: May 12, 2020

Genres: Urban Fantasy

Shelves: Female-fronted, Female-authored

Like its predecessor, Alchemy's Air, the third book of The Equal Night Trilogy is once again a story of feminine power that escalates the themes and threads of the saga to tell a story that feels suitably epic. With there already having been clear consequences to Skylar's actions in the last book, and with the world already changing, Sky of Water brings everything together, while also rekindling the romance of Ocean's Fire.

But the sands of time have waited for the moment to arrive when the extraordinary magic of the human heart will have another chance to shine again. If the stone can be healed by the pure of heart, its power will be remembered in all souls that walk the earth.

There are really three threads to this volume, the first of which we encounter follows Mica Noxx, the first female President of the United States, as she works for the spirit of the Goddess of Liberty in dismantling the patriarchal corruption of the government. The second follows Argan's quest to rescue the woman he loves and return her to the present so that her life's cycle can be complete. The third, of course, follows Skylar's journey through history to complete her quest, banish the Magus and darkness, and empower the President to usher in the New Atlantis.

We're actually 10 chapters into the book before Skylar appears, besieged by memories and visions, doubting herself, and yet more determined than ever to find answers - starting with the mermaids of Atlantis. Meanwhile, in the present, Argan gets a lesson in the four trees of the elements, the water that connects them, and the water that will lead him to Skylar and his destiny.

The Divine Feminine can not complete her mission without her counterpart, the Sacred Masculine.

Where the last book felt dangerous and almost tragic, marked by personal struggles and environmental catastrophes, this one feels more hopeful and heroic. There are still challenges, obstacles, and dark forces to be overcome, but it feels like the heroic journey is picking up the pace, complete with two halves of a stone to be reunited. There's even a rescue of a woman from a castle, although it's as un-fairytale-like as you could imagine.

My one complaint here - and it may be unfair, given that Sky of Water is a more intimate, personal chapter - is that I would have liked to see more of the world they're changing. It would have been interesting to see something outside the primary POVs to see how their efforts and sacrifices are seen by the people of the world.

Rating: ♀ ♀ ♀ 1/2

My sincere thanks to Sherri Rosen Publicity Intl NYC for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.