(3 stars)

The first thing I thought of when I started reading the book was 'Pirates!!!!'. Even though the book has a lot more than pirates, I still liked the part with all these men teaching Amare the way of life. The complete picture that this book presented is captivating.

The book had a slow start, and I prepared myself for a slow-burn fantasy romance. But I didn't really need to. Because when the pace picked up, it really did pick up (too much for my taste).
Here's what didn't work out for me in the book. I think that with the fast pace came plot holes and grammatical errors. (I know, grammatical errors? Who even pays attention to that? But I can't help it. I'm sorry) I really like Amare at the beginning. And I expected more character development for her. For Finn too, along with some other characters too, like her friends and the King. It seems that throughout the book Amare lacked support from the people around her, and maybe the author aimed for the book to be that way, but it made Amare impossibly unpredictable, and not in a good way. The storyline was good, but the storytelling could have been better. I wouldn't have minded another hundred pages or so if it meant avoiding the cramming up of so many troped in it all.
But... The last two parts of the book made up for everything that didn't work out for me. There was thrill, action, mystery and romance (the better kind in my opinion).

I don't think I'll be reading the next book, because I some tropes of the book just didn't work out for me and I need a little more in the character development part.

I’m not the biggest under the sea/ pirate/ mermaid fan but this particular book made me want to give it a try. It was pleasant to read and I can see it being enjoyed by many!

I really loved the plot of this book.
With all these creatures, magic, pirates ...it was a fantastic read.
I actually enjoyed the the first part of the book when Amare was on the pirate ship, it was dark, thrilling, dangerous.
It started bothering me when she arrives in the under sea world, they have night clubs, pizzas, concerts???
Sorry but those things fouked my mood.
I wouldn't mind if there were these things but a little different from human world.
I mean once she arrives there other than the environment there was nothing different than human world.
And I lost my interest in the story mostly after Lukas arrives. Idk why but I didn't like the dynamic between Amare, Finn and Lukas.
So I dnfd it at 50% I guess

I love the premise of this book! The cover is beautiful and the title is intriguing. I’m a sucker for secret, underwater cities and pirate stories, and the beginning was very engrossing. I was interested in Amare’s life aboard her uncle’s ship, and learning more about how she dealt with old superstitions and prejudice against women onboard.
I started losing interest in the book when the romance plot began. Finn strikes me as a very flat character, and I didn’t really care for the other love interest, his brother Lukas. I understand the two boys represent a choice the protagonist has to make between her two natures, but neither of them was very interesting as a character.
The dialogue also seemed jarring. The story is set in the eighteenth century and, even if the world of the Sunken City is described as more progressive, it seems strange that the characters sounded like 21st century teenagers. It also bothered me that the villains kept calling the protagonist “love”, “darling” and “honey” as often as possible. The first few times it sounded creepy and condescending, but it got old and repetitive pretty fast.
I have mixed feelings about Amare. I really liked that at the beginning of the novel she is presented as someone grappling with barely suppressed rage, which I thought made for an interesting character, especially since she is a young woman living in the 18th century. But after falling into the Sunken City, she becomes much less likeable, and her rage usually comes out in temper tantrums that make her seem spoiled and very immature. I know the character is young, but I found myself cringing and wanting to skip a few passages.
The pace picked up towards the end of the book, with a few twists, some of which I saw coming, and some I didn’t. Overall, I quite liked the setting and the worldbuilding had some interesting elements, but as the romance seems to be pretty central to the story, I don’t think I’ll be picking up the next installment in this series.
(Thank you to Netgalley for the e-copy in exchange for an honest review!)

So I picked up this book because I was completely drawn in by the gorgeous cover, which really reminded me of the Atlantis game I always used to play. Also pirates and an underwater city? Yes please!

This was a very easy book to read, offering up all the cosy vibes, wonderful characters and an amazing setting. The pirate ship scenes at the start of the book were my favourite, especially the bits where Amare was reading The Tempest to Slop, which was so funny. Honestly, I could’ve had an entire book about Amare going on piratey adventures, because I loved the pirates so much.

The second half of the book was still great, with lots of new and interesting characters being introduced and the most magical of settings. However, I did feel like some of this section was a bit rushed, with lots of different things happening and characters not being developed as much as I wanted them to be. I also don’t feel like the romance really worked, as we barely got to know either of the love interests before romantic feelings were hinted at. It was a bit too insta-love for me and I struggled to get behind either relationship.

I did still really love this though, and I’m very intrigued to see what happens in the next book. If you like dreamy settings, magic and pirates I’d definitely recommend reading this one!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the author for this review copy!

What a ride! Pirates, monsters, magic, beautiful worldbuilding, love (triangle 😱), betrayal, friendship and a 17 year old girl in the middle of it all.

Amare was orphaned as a baby and raised by pirates. Her life consisted mostly of fight practices, looking for treasures and reading. She set foot on dry land only once in her life and never had a friend her age.

One day she finds a mysterious chest that proves to hold unusual powers. From then on Amare feels herself drawn to the ocean. The pull gets stronger and stronger until finally during a big storm she throws herself into the waves.

To her surprise she doesn’t drown but wakes up in the Sunken City - an underwater town inhabited by seraia - an underwater folk. The city is ruled by her father, who turns out to be very much alive, and yes, Amare is the Lost Princess.

The Sunken City is nothing like the pirate ship she grew up on. There are girls her age, bars, rock ‘n roll and pizza. She also meets a boy and falls in love.

Her new life would be perfect if it wasn’t for an evil witch who wants to kidnap her. To make things worse, her new boyfriend’s brother turns out to be the witch’s sidekick (and a dangerously intriguing one at that!). Amare had always been afraid of magic and witches, but as her situation gets more and more precarious she will have to face her fears.

This book is such a gem! An abundance of well developed characters, plot twists and intertwined stories tied together by beautiful writing.

Amare was a wonderful heroine - struggling to manage her internal demons all while being incredibly brave and loving. I loved all the secondary characters too; the pirates that raised her, her girlfriends, both Mason brothers (I won’t tell you which one I would choose 😈) and just every single character in this book.

There’s only one thing that bothered me a little at the beginning.
So Amare grew up exclusively among pirates who speak only pirate: “Yer a ripe mango inna sunshine, aren’t ye’, Princess?”. Yet somehow she talks like a sophisticated princess from the moment we meet her: “If I’m to entertain the utterly insane notion that you people are telling the truth, what am I doing down here?”. There must have been an accent tutor on that pirate ship after all 🤷🏻‍♀️.

Still 4.5 round up to 5 because it was an absolutely delicious read!

Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book had such potential
Girl raised by pirates, into the depths at 16%, a very cool world, immediate excellent love interest.. but then, it suddenly sped up, introduced a love triangle nobody wanted, and proved Amare to be the opposite of anything loyal. I was sorely disappointed! I didn't feel like I could place almost any trust in the author when the love interests were switched on me. All with just "they're lying amare" as the reason. I was happy with Theo as the love interest.

The Sunken City is the first book in a YA fantasy trilogy. The story follows Amare, an orphaned child raised on a ship by the most dangerous men in the Caribbean, who dreams of freedom and one day sailing the seven seas on her own ship. But her life is turned upside down when she plunges into the sea and discovers an underwater kingdom filled with magic, love, and danger.

I really wish I could say I loved this. I’ve wanted to read this book for a long time and I was so excited to get my hands on it, but unfortunately I didn’t enjoy it overall.

However, this doesn't mean it's without redeeming qualities! The story has a fun premise and a mix of pirates, witches, and magic, which I think many readers may enjoy. There were several interesting characters, such as Captain Omar; the writing was simple and easy to follow, which is great; and I enjoyed the first part, which had the Pirates of the Caribbean vibe that I was expecting going in. It's unfortunate that it only lasts for about the first 10 chapters. Nevertheless, I felt like the book fell short when it came to worldbuilding and characters.

When it comes to worldbuilding, it's inconsistent and often not fleshed out enough. I found the author did a great job establishing the world above the sea and on the ship, but when it came to the Sunken City (where the majority of the book takes place), it was confusing and vague at times. The contrast between the old-fashioned and Georgian-style society above water and the modern and advanced underwater kingdom was enjoyable. However, the transition between the two was awkward, and I struggled to imagine how this modern underwater world functioned.

Amare was a lot more likeable and interesting at the start of the story. She was ambitious and curious, and I enjoyed watching her interact with the crew and her uncle. However, that changed when she arrived in the Sunken City. For the rest of the book, Amare was simply rude and unpleasant. She was unjustifiably cruel to Finn from the moment they met, and even when their relationship changed, it was awkward and unconvincing.

Overall, I think there will be readers who will enjoy this, especially those looking for an easy light ya fantasy read. But it wasn’t for me.

[Thank you NetGalley and the author for the e-copy in exchange for an honest review!]

Caught between two princes in a whole new underwater world, Amare must figure out her own heart and destiny.
<b>Tropes:</b>
Enemies to Lovers
Pirates
Love Triangle
Witches
Demons

<b>Thank you so much to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for providing this copy for an honest review</b>
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This is a breathtaking debut novel by Emma V.R. Noyes, and a refreshing YA novel!

I found it to be very unique in the story that it told. It is a bit more fast-paced than I prefer, but with YA it is expected and that's ok. I will say that there are times with information dumping and a few things I had to reread because the world is just so unique. I loved it. I am one to usually reread a brand new world a second time before going to the sequel so I make sure I don't miss anything.

Overall I really enjoyed this novel.

Unfortunately this book was a miss for me. The writing was great but I felt the story fell flat. It was fast paced but I had a hard time grasping what was going on. Going to give this one a 3 star rating.

"But the truth is this - I am so angry. All the time. I'm filled with a deep, black rage, and I don't even know why."

This book had been on my TBR list since I'd heard about it and I was thrilled at the opportunity to finally get a chance to read it. I loved the premise and thought that the setting and history was so unique! The differences between the above world and the Sunken City were night and day and it was interesting to read Amare's reactions as she experienced these new things. I really enjoyed the concept of this "Atlantian-like" underwater world being so much more advanced than that world above water. The poor girl though can't catch a break and you can definitely tell that there are some more sinister cards at play for the future.

This was a really solid 4 star read and I can't wait to read the second book!

Thank you Netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really, really wanted to like this book. I thought the cover looked beautiful and the summary sounded like such an adventure! I know a lot of people have loved this book but unfortunately, I was not a fan.

The grammatical errors were abundant in my draft. Since it's been published, I really hope those were parsed out before printing. The biggest issue I had was with the structure and voicing. The book would be in a "live" scene and then flashback to pirate history or world-building. This can be done and be supportive for the story but it was not done well here. I often felt like i'd just gotten off a rickety rollercoaster. The voicing of the pirates dialogue was not consistent. One minute they would be speaking in pirate lingo and the next it was written as a normal English speaker. It felt disconnected.

The pirate story as well did not give us a lot of new but of something refurbished by many authors. I was hopeful this story would be wonderful but I did not come to that conclusion in the end.

Amare was raised on a pirate ship, cut off from everyone by her Uncle Omar, who became captain of the ship after her parents died when she was young, in an effort to protect her from the world. But Amare dreams of more. When strange voices start to haunt her she finds her escape in the sea. One day, during a violent storm, Amare is sucked under the waves but this time she isn't in control and she feels certain that her time has come. But upon awakening she finds herself in a strange underwater realm called The Sunken City, and things become even more strange when she discovers that she is the princess of this so called realm! How can Amare possibly learn to fit into this new life which is so alien to anything that she has ever known?

This one was a mixed bag for me but I'll start with what I liked. The plot was so cool! Coming from a Pirates of the Caribbean fan, I really enjoy books about pirates, and then she falls into this amazing underwater world? I was so here for that! I have to say the world-building was a tad strange and a little inconsistent at times but if you didn't think too much on the nitty-gritty, it was fun to imagine! I also loved the pacing, every time I put it down, I couldn't stop thinking about what would happen next.

And now, the reason I gave this book 3 stars. The characters, specifically Amare. I wouldn't say that I disliked her from the start, I think it was when she entered the Sunken City that I found my opinion of her plummeting into the depths (get it, because she fell into the sea, kinda like the depths, okay I'll stop XD). From the moment she met Finn she had this unexplained prejudice towards him and was a total jerk, even when she discovers she 'loves' him, it's only when it benefits her the most. Does she eventually recognize what a pain in the butt she was and apologize to him you might be thinking? No! Because guess what, brother #2 is introduced. Enter, the love triangle. After that, I honestly could not care less about these characters. Even Finn, because I am so tired of guys pining after girls who do not deserve them. I did end up finishing the book because by that point I had already come so far and as I said above, the plot was very engaging, sadly though I just couldn't get past the characters.

Not sure if I'll be continuing with the series. I'm semi-intrigued by where we left off but not sure if I want to put myself through with these characters again. We'll see! Happy Reading :)

This book reads on the younger side of young adult, which doesn’t work well for my personal taste unfortunately. I also don’t think I want to invest the time for the rest of the series.

This was such a cute rom-com that had a semi-meet-cute 🥸, a slow-burn/friends-to-lovers scenario❤️‍🔥, and lots of characters from Sophie Sullivan’s other novels 📚

If you’ve been here since the start of my bookstagram you’ll remember that I’ve read her other novels about the Jansen brothers and LOVED them 😍

Wes and Hailey’s banter as best friends was so entertaining and adorable 😊🗣, I was rooting for them to get out of the ⚠️ friend zone ⚠️every step of the way.

⭐️ My favorite part of this novel was exploring how Wes and Hailey both came from homes that had their fair share of dysfunction growing up 💔 and seeing how they met each challenge as they figured out their Guide to Being Just Friends ❤️‍🩹 It was such a fun and heart-wrenching experience 🥹

📖: This book officially publishes on January 17, 2023! I can’t wait to hear what you all think of it 💕💕

💭 : Which book has your favorite meet-cute?!

I loved this book. It was the perfect mix of fantasy and whimsy. I loved reading this book, every minute of it

okay, so i really wanted to enjoy this book. but it did not work for me. it was way too much and just not what i was looking for. i might come back to it in the future to try again. thanks so much, netgalley!!!

Amare, orphaned as a baby, has been raised by pirates. Taught to raid, plunder, and yield daggers from a young age, she dreams of one day being the Captain of the Moonshadow. That is until her beckoning to the water finally overtakes her and she wakes up to find herself in an underwater city. An underwater city in which she is the Princess, in fact.
To top it all off, she discovers that her entire life has been part of one big, possibly world-shattering, prophecy. With twists and turns around every corner of this new life, Amare must find out the hard way who she can trust and who will betray her.

I unexpectedly loved this book. At first Amare’s POV seemed chaotic and scattered but I chalked it up to being the voice of a teenage girl and once I got into the rhythm of her thinking, I couldn’t put it down.

The storyline- which includes pirates, magic, and self-discovery- is intriguing and was what drew me in to read the book in the first place. The characters intentions are ambiguous, making me want to know more. The world-building is enough to visualize but not so complex as to be scratching your head (as I do with many fantasy novels).
I will definitely be reading the next in the series!

*Thank you NetGalley and Emily V. R. Noyes for this ARC.*

📚 The Sunken City ~ Emma V R Noyes 📚

Firstly thank you to NetGalley & Emma V. R. Noyes for the opportunity to read and review this e-Advanced Reader Copy ❤️

💛 "You deserve someone who will love every part of you - the good, the dark, the angry, the broken" 💛

Sunken City centres around Amare Bellamy who was orphaned as a child & raised on a pirate ship by some of the most dangerous men in the Caribbean. She's lived her whole life as a pirate, and pirates hate magic. Until one fateful storm plunges her to the depths of the ocean... when she wakes up she finds herself in a strange new world: an underwater kingdom where magic is real but it is strictly forbidden by the King - a man who claims to be her father!

Whilst struggling to adapt herself to her new role as Princess of the Sunken City, she finds herself being forced to come accustomed with her abilities as they manifest within her...

What I loved 😍
1️⃣ I loved her complex back story & how beautifully woven it was!
2️⃣ Amare's personality was just fab! And the way her narrative was written made you feel as if you were right there with her.
3️⃣ Her interactions with her love interest, her dad and her friends were a combination of hilarious and gut-wrenching.
4️⃣ The fantasy storyline was gripping, fast-paced & woven really cleverly 💛

I struggled slightly with it but I think that's primarily because I'm used to slower-paced fantasy books. But that won't put me off giving book 2 a read!

💭 Overall, if you enjoy fantasy, enemies to loves, found family, pirates, magic & looming prophecies & secrets then I'd definitely recommend giving this one a go! It's available to purchase now!

Rating ~ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️/5

🏷 #TheSunkenCity #fantasy #EnemiesToLovers #FoundFamily #magic #bookish #BookNerd #BookRecommendation #BookReview #booksta #bookstagramner #bookstagram #literaryadventueswithgabby

Oh my goodness, I am SO INTO this story. I have been loving pirate stories lately, and this one gave pirates, magic, undersea kingdoms, and all sorts of dark twisties.

Amare is a young orphan woman on a pirate ship-and women are famously witches and bad luck according to pirates-and she is getting on just fine. Though she never gets to help raid or get off the ship at all anymore. Until she accidentally touches a treasure that awakens something within her, and then peaces out from her pirate crew into the water during a storm. When she comes to after this, she's in an underwater world where the Sunken City holds a community of creatures that are kept safe from magic and witches. There is SO much Amare doesn't know, though, and the fact that the king of the Sunken City is calling himself her dad, and calling her the lost princess, isn't helping her understand things any faster.

This was just a wild ride. The world building was so unique and fun, and the characters are interesting! I want to spend way more time in this world, and this is only the first in a trilogy, so looks like I'll get my wish! My only complaint is I wasn't sure what time period we were in until midway through the book. My brain pictured Pirates of the Caribbean, and then once we hit the Sunken City, it was a little more now-a-days. Which is cool-I just didn't realize it!

Recommended for you if you like pirate or mermaid stories, witches, evils that have been kicked out, but are definitely coming back, betrayals, love triangles, and fun stories in general. This could be a good reading slump-buster, I think!

Thanks to Netgalley and Emma V.R Noyes for the e-ARC!