“People who are destined to find each other over and over, in every universe, in every timeline.”

This Raging Sea, by DE Elizabeth

Summary

18-year-old Briar Winters must untangle the horrifying eldritch secrets of her picture-perfect coastal town in order to save the boy she loves after he disappears from time itself in this YA dark fantasy for fans of Bly Manor.

Historic Loch Creek is a witchy New England tourist trap—but it’s just a trap for Briar, who’s convinced she’ll die there among the waves that devoured her twin brother thirteen years ago. But when her best friend who she’s loved since childhood, Finn, vanishes from the seaside carnival, there’s only one person who can help Briar find him: Morgan, her biggest enemy who knows her darkest secret.

As Briar uncovers hidden truths as deep and dark as the water that haunts her, it quickly becomes clear that Finn has gone much further than anyone could have imagined. He’s lost in time, and neither of them are safe. If Briar and Finn look too hard, they might find terrifying answers—not just about what’s buried beneath the shores, but also the threads tying them to each other. As past and future collide, the seductive yet evil underwater entity that intends to claim Briar still needs its sacrifice . . .

And it’s too hungry to go unsated.

Equal parts epic bisexual romance and pulse-pounding horror, This Raging Sea is a dual POV dark fantasy as sweepingly powerful as the ocean that threatens to consume everything and everyone Briar has ever loved—prepare to be devoured.

My Thoughts

I’ve been looking forward to the release of this book for a while thanks to it’s excellent marketing on social media by the author, and as far as debut novels go, it lived up to the hype. The mythology for the book was stupendous, as was the build up and pacing. It’s structured as a magical murder mystery, with Finn having disappeared through time, and the dual POV for both Briar and Finn enhances the mystery of what is hunting them and why. The bisexual representation as excellent; you can tell the author isn’t just including it for kicks or to claim that it’s diverse, but instead make both character’s bisexuality a visible part of their story and characterization. It is linked to how they made friends, previous relationships, and why they can feel a bit out of place. It’s also very atmospheric. DE Elizabeth knows how to set a scene, and the sea-based horror imagery is incredibly vivid, making it feel just a bit gothic and tying well into the lore. The romance between Briar and Finn was also beautifully written and built up, with their long history and dedication to each other visible in every thought and action they make. The ending was so bittersweet but also beautiful and perfect, and they truly embody the couple who would find each other in every timeline.

I do have some gripes, however. Briar, Finn, and Morgan—Briar’s childhood enemy—are crucial parts of the story, but the other two main characters, Briar and Finn’s best friends Astrid and Kai (who round out their friend group) are not. They are pushed to the side for most of the story, and readers learn very little about their interests and personality outside of their friendship with Briar and Finn. I feel as though the story could have been a lot more interesting if we either knew more about them, or they got more involved in what was happening. They essentially had a lot of off-screen side quests but that doesn’t help us connect to them as characters, or understand their motivations other than just caring about their friends. Morgan is much better developed in comparison, as there is a minor mystery around why Briar hates Morgan, the bad blood between their families, and how that links to the history of their town.

Minor spoiler: there are some romantic elements build up between Morgan and Briar, and while I liked that it made the bisexuality of Briar more visible, it hurt the love story between Briar and Finn, and ultimately felt shoehorned in. Considering their complicated past, something like a hookup would have been better between Morgan and Briar, and it would have further contributed to the complexity of their relationship.

Ultimately, the ending of the story is beautiful and amazingly foreshadowed, and when it finally happened and clicked I was astounded at the stupendous foreshadowing. The villain himself had amazing lore and loaded, seductive dialogue while still being terrible and unhinged. Another minor gripe for me was that I would have LOVED more worldbuilding/characterization for the villain on top of what we got, to really make him feel for three-dimensional. The epilogue at the end of the story is also a bit vague, and I wanted a final epilogue after that to flash back to the ultimate future where we actually see where Briar and Finn’s relationship goes, instead of being left a bit wanting, especially considering that this is a love story. The ending feels a bit like a new beginning, which I love thematically, but it also left a couple questions about magic and the villain up in the air.

Would I recommend this book? Absolutely, it’s a really fun YA dark-fantasy read, but you can also tell that this is the author’s debut. I’m looking forward to her next book in 2026, and we’ll see where she goes.

Review: ⚫ ⚫ ⚫ ◐

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