When Dyas, along with two other fellow water-lovers, had to leave Sirilon, the only city he has ever known, he thinks life as he knows it is over. But life on the island is anything but dull. Dyas learns very quickly that customs in Sirilon are not that same as customs on the island. Dyas finds this a bit disconcerting. Then Adarrel, a fellow Taleve, begins a friendship with Dyas. Can Dyas adapt to his new life on the islands and accept the friendship Adarrel has to offer? Or will Dyas lose in love all over again?

L. E. Bryce is always a must-read for me. Her writing is smart and refreshing. That being said, I was a bit let down by The Fifth House. This is the first book in the The Water Lovers of Sirilon series. The entire concept of the taleve, which Dyas and his friends are supposed to represent, was a bit confusing to me at first. Once I found out a bit more about them, this became a little bit clearer, although not entirely. Dyas is an interesting character who suffers from culture shock as he travels from the only city he has ever known, Sirilon, to an island. Dyas and his friends establish a Blue House on one of the islands. The Blue House’s purpose is unclear even at the end. The bits and pieces of the relationship between Dyas and Adarrel is interesting and, at times, heartwarming. Adarrel’s attempt to acclimate Dyas to island life is touching. Adarrel stepping out of his comfort zone and starting to court Dyas was a bright stop in a sea of confusion. Also, the myriad of characters with funny names made it difficult to remember everyone I was introduced to in the story. It wasn’t until the end that I actually began to get to know certain characters. Once I got to know the characters, I found this story hard to put down. Although this story was difficult for me, I am looking forward to the next installment of this series.

Reviewed by: April