Review: The Tower in the Sea by B. Mure

The Tower in the Sea is the third book B. Mure has written in the world of Ismyre, a not completely unfamiliar world of understated fantasy where magic is entirely ordinary. The protagonist, Miriam, is anything but ordinary, brought from their everyday world to an isolated school for magic.

Mure moves easily through the opening journey to the school, guiding the reader from panel to panel with his deliberate lines and expressive color. He seems to trust the world he’s built in his previous two books, giving his latest group of characters free reign to make sense of the place they’re in and the inexplicable parts of their everyday.

There is a particular timeliness to the threat of a natural world on the brink of destruction that Mure brings into focus through the suffering of his young protagonist. This narrative balances with the vibrant rendering of his images; it is hard to look away from the page even as the intensity of the narrative builds.

The Tower in the Sea felt too short. What happens next? What does Miriam decide to do? Do they return to their homeland? What unseen forces are they fighting against? Does she find what she’s looking for? Due out October 3, 2019, hopefully it’s closely followed by a sequel!