Review by Frank Plowright

Mercy and Jonah are strange travelling companions, but as events have shown, they perhaps have more in common than originally believed. She remains naive, though, and the pair went their separate ways to end Volume 2. It’s a situation co-writers Laurel and Mia Jay Bolton rapidly rectify as a monster hunter targets Mercy.

She’s the very human entry point into the fantasy world Of Swamp & Sea supplies, although she’s come to doubt her humanity of late, wondering if the beast within is her true personality. Mia Bolton’s sample art certainly offers weighty evidence of that being the case, but her human responses to every situation counter that. Mercy is sympathetic and likeable, and still trying to figure things out.

The entire series is episodic. Goals and destinations are mentioned, but usually distant, such as the meeting in Bromweld Jonah intends to be at, which provides an interesting glimpse into communication in this world. A date some distance away is set, and word is spread in the hope that those the convener wants to attend will somehow be told. It’s a destination for a later volume.

Plenty occurs to occupy readers here, though, what with the giant cat attacks, a former shipmate of Jonah’s and a troublesome homunculus. The Boultons ensure each threat is different and requires a different solution, with violence not always the answer. These are inventive problems and they’re used to expand on Mercy and Jonah’s personalities, with a lot of anger involved. That feeds into the swear count increasing considerably in what’s previously been set at a teen fantasy level.

Of Swamp & Sea has been sold as a romantic fantasy, but the romance aspect is slow burning, although given a little greater prominence here. The series continues to entertain and intrigue, and a fourth volume will be published before the year is out.