Title: Dark Shores

Author: Danielle L. Jensen

Publisher: Tor Teen

Release Date: May 7, 2019

Page Count: 368 pages

Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Adventure

Summary:

High seas adventure, blackmail, and meddling gods meet in Dark Shores, the first novel in a new YA fantasy series.

In a world divided by meddlesome gods and treacherous oceans, only the Maarin possess the knowledge to cross the Endless Seas. But they have one mandate: East must never meet West.

A PIRATE WITH A WILL OF IRON

Teriana is the second mate of the Quincense and heir to the Maarin Triumvirate. Her people are born of the seas and the keepers of its secrets, but when her closest friend is forced into an unwanted betrothal, Teriana breaks her people’s mandate so her friend might escape—a choice with devastating consequences.

A SOLDIER WITH A SECRET

Marcus is the commander of the Thirty-Seventh, the notorious legion that has led the Celendor Empire to conquer the entire East. The legion is his family, but even they don’t know the truth he’s been hiding since childhood. It’s a secret he’ll do anything to protect, no matter how much it costs him – and the world.

A DANGEROUS QUEST

When an Empire senator discovers the existence of the Dark Shores, he captures Teriana’s crew and threatens to reveal Marcus’s secret unless they sail in pursuit of conquest, forcing the two into an unlikely—and unwilling—alliance. They unite for the sake of their families, but both must decide how far they are willing to go, and how much they are willing to sacrifice.

An advanced e-copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! What a ride this book was! Dark Shores promises a high seas adventure and it definitely delivers. I love any book that has pirates and dangerous adventures, and this book does not disappoint. I started reading this book with not many high expectations, and Dark Shores proved me wrong; it proved to be a story worth reading and loving.

The idea behind this story is wonderfully unique. Members of the East cannot communicate with members of the West. But a politician wants that to change; he wants to conquer and destroy. And in doing so, he blackmails two unlikely people to find the secret way across the dark shores. The many twists and turns Dark Shores has will keep you entertained and wondering just what is in store for the characters on their journey.

Marcus is a skilled soldier who never anticipated being blackmailed into working for a dangerous politician. It goes against everything he has been taught. He also never thought he’d have to work with a pirate. Teriana comes from a fierce line of Maarin people, and like the people aboard her mother’s ship, she harbors a secret that protects the other half of the world from the cruel Celendor people. She never expected the secret to come out. But it does, and it has dire consequences for her and her shipmates. In order to save her shipmates, she will have to work with Marcus and others to bring the dangerous politician what he wants.

I really enjoyed Jensen’s world building of Dark Shores. There are so many moving parts, and she brings them all together nicely. The characters fit well with the world and develop as new pieces of the world are uncovered. The mythology aspect of this book is fascinating and fit so well with the world Jensen has created. Learning about the gods and the magic gave the book a lighter feel and provided a wonderful backstory for the world. What I also enjoyed reading about were the different cultures between the Maarin and Celendor people. Maarin people are diplomatic like the Celendor people, but they don’t deceive and kill to get what they want. It was nice to see two cultures depicted so differently.

All in all, Dark Shores provided a beautiful storyline with well-developed and well-liked characters. I’m always looking for books with those aspects (and any book that reminds me of Pirates of the Caribbean) and outstanding world building, and Dark Shores delivers all of that. If you’re looking for a story with adventure, political intrigue, high seas, meddling gods, enemies to lover’s trope, and more, then Dark Shores is a book that is right up your alley.