I promise, no one is more surprised by this rating than me. It really came down to the fact that I was expecting an action-pack, high-seas adventure and Dark Shores is neither of those things. I really, really wanted to like this because I love Danielle L. Jensen's Malediction trilogy, but it honestly just fell flat.

Dark Shores is not a fast-paced book, and coupled with the lack of action, I struggled to get through it and had to force myself to sit down and read a few chapters at a time. Nothing happens for almost 80% of the book. The story is told through alternating POVs of the two protagonists, Marcus and Teriana. While I think the characters themselves are fine, I personally did not feel a connection with either of them, and so it made it really difficult to care about their journeys or their struggles.

Some of the early marketing for the book led me to believe this would be a swashbuckling tale featuring some pirates and epic adventures on the seas, but this is not that book. I know Danielle has worked hard to try to steer clear of that image because it's not correct, but unfortunately my early ideas of what this book would be made an impression in my mind, and it was hard to ignore those expectations as I was reading. Although Dark Shores wasn't the story for me, I'm still really looking forward to Jensen's other new series, The Bridge Kingdom, finally becoming a print book later this year and hope I enjoy that more!

So, first things first, this isn’t a book about pirates/piracy- even the author makes sure to note that on Goodreads. Yes the main character comes from a seafaring people, but they don’t take other boats and plunder the ocean for riches (at least not in this book).

Now that that PSA is done, let’s talk about how much I loved this book! I’m a sucker for ancient Rome and even though it wasn’t set in ancient Rome, there were so many things that reminded me of it that I was already super into it pretty early on! I thought Teriana was a really great main character and I thought Marcus was a great love interest/secondary character/all around generally great guy to read about. I loved the journey and the intrigue and the far off lands and places.

The only thing I was a little iffy about in this book was pacing- I feel like SO MUCH happened in the last 1/3 of the book, that looking back, the first 2/3 of the books seemed almost too slow and boring in comparison. It wasn’t too big of a deal for this book, but I’m hoping that book two doesn’t end up going the same way.

What a wonderful read this was.. It's always nice to find a good book to curl up with that is well written, has good characters, and keeps you entertained for hours. Dark Shores is story told from 2 alternating POVs: Teriana and Marcus, both of whom are trying to do what is best for their people.

In Dark Shores, the East only knows of the East and the West only knows about the West and there is no known way to travel from one to the other. However, when an Empire Senator learns that the Maarin folk know the path to travel to the Dark Shores his lust for power becomes clear. In his desire to conquer the new lands, the Senator takes Teriana's crew hostage and then proceeds to torture and threaten them for the information. Teriana sees the only hope out of this for her and her people are to agree to his demands. Legatus Marcus, the 37th Legion commander, and his army are given the task to escort Teriana to the Dark Shores and discover this path for themselves. However, the gods have their own thoughts about this plan.

There are many things to like about this novel. The characters have depth, especially Marcus who has been in the military from a very young age. He has seen many atrocities, but he knows he must still go on and perform his duties. But he is growing and seeing the world differently and learning there are better ways to perform ones duty than just conquering and enslaving. On the other hand, Teriana is caught between needing to fulfill her side of the bargain in exchange for her people's safety, and yet at the same time realizing that the Empire should not be allowed to conquer yet another land.

The Dark Shores world is similar to ancient Rome, where officials are elected, but there is also the fantasy aspect that includes their gods as well as the god's motives within this world. In the story, the role of the gods is never heavy-handed or overly tiresome. They have a part to play within this story, but it is accomplished very gracefully and leaves you with a desire to learn more.

Even though there are only 2 POVs within this book, I can easily see how one or two other POVs could be woven into the story for a chapter or two. Perhaps the POV from someone who reports to Marcus that could show us more of the military aspect and what their role is - or the changes they see from their perspective in regards to Marcus. I can also see a chapter or two from a Dark Shores leader's point of view. Or, even a chapter from Bait's perspective. Perhaps in the next book.

Final Verdict. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and am thankful to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC and provide my honest opinion. I can definitely recommend it to fantasy and YA fans and look forward to when the next book in the series comes out.

This book was one of my most anticipated releases of this year, and I went with such high expectations into it, not only because I’ve read another book by this author previously and enjoyed it, but also because the premise sounded absolutely incredible and right up my alley, and though there were some parts that I thoroughly enjoyed, I also had some issues with the pacing and the plot of the story.

The thing about Dark Shores was that when I was reading it I was enjoying it and interested, as happened when I thought about it when I wasn’t, but I hadn’t the urge to pick it up like I had with other novels. There was something about it that didn’t make me interested enough to want to pick it up and continue reading, and that had something to do with my enjoyment of the novel.

I think Dark Shores had an amazing start. I was so intrigued about the world and the gods, and found the descriptions really interesting and unique, but as I kept reading it started to go a bit downhill for me. I feel like there came a part of the book (mostly the last 140 pages or so) where nothing was really happening apart from the romance. The things I loved about the gods or the sea battles were barely there, and I feel we got a lot more information about the Cel empire than we had about the Dark Shores and the society there, though a fair part of the book is set there.

The characters were incredible, though, and one of the strongest parts of the novel. I absolutely adored Teriana as a main character. She was such a complex character and it was super interesting to see her interact and evolve throughout the story. With Marcus I had a love/hate relationship. He was definitely a strong role in this story, but there was something about his inner monologues and personality that made him not stood out as much as I expected, and make me lean towards Teriana’s perspective a lot more.

Overall, I think this book has its good things and its bad. It took me a while to get into the story because I found the world building quite confusing at times, and I feel the pacing was a bit wonky, having sometimes really fast paced scenes where you’re given a lot of information and other times where barely anything was happening, and it was more focused on the character’s interactions and relationships.

HOW I LOVE THE HIGH SEAS ADVENTURE IN THIS BOOK.


I was mesmerized by the writing and the world-building. Jensen did an amazing job to grabbed me from the start. Every word from this book built a spectacular image of the world inside my head until, at some point, I was wondering where I was anymore. It felt like I was on the ship with Teriana, sailing across the beautiful and endless sea. I liked how the Celendor Empire was inspired by Ancient Rome, a democratic nation. As much as how interesting the political intrigues in kingdoms are, I think I’d love a change in the plate. And Dark Shores served me the right amount of intrigues, it was pretty good.


The story was told from 2 POV; Teriana’s and Marcus’s. It unrolled smoothly and that made a great plot. All the suspense and fun were scattered with the right proportion throughout the book. Jensen sprinkled all the good stuff little by little until it all just assembled together and blew up into a very amazing scene. This has also happened with the romance. Things were starting from a few glances and lingering looks. But then the tension between the two got thicker, I could feel it suffocating me and made me scream “JUST KISS ALREADY.”


The characters were fun to read. Teriana was strong-willed, reckless, soft-hearted. To be honest, I’m not very fond of her, sometimes I found her a bit annoying. But what I liked about her was her stubbornness to fight for her people and for what she believes. Marcus was brave, smart, cold. I enjoyed reading from his POV because I liked the way he thinks and when he planned the battles was awesome. Servius was funny, kind, loyal. I think he’s by far my favorite. Every part became more interesting because of his presence and I hope to see more of him in the second book. Other characters were also interesting but I won’t say much because I want to keep this review as spoiler-free as possible.


Unfortunately I didn’t like the ending. I didn’t know I’m at the end until I flipped the last page and there was no more. I needed to reread a few lines just to convinced myself that that is the end. It felt too rushed and cut in half finished. This is different from other cliffhangers because this one left me with “what?” that sounded more annoyed rather than left me wanting more.


Yes, the romance felt kind of forced and there were no real piracy things in this book if that’s what you’re searching for. But overall, I really enjoyed Dark Shores. This book relieved my thirst of some epic adventure on the sea with great conflicts, battles, and a bunch of cool and fun warriors. I wish there will be more awesome stuff in the next book. If you read this review and enjoy stories of amazing sea adventure, enemies to lovers trope, and interesting characters, I recommend you to try reading this book.

A fantastic read! Interesting characters, a unique setting and an engaging plot! We will be using this in our May book box!

This book was received as an ARC from Macmillan-Tom Doherty Associates - Tor Teen in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

When looking at the cover and reading the description at first, I felt a slight hint of Little Mermaid but boy was I wrong. The storylines of Teriana and Marcus were so compelling and breathtaking that you could not help but read on. This was not your typical voyage of the sea adventure love story. Any book were the ultimate sacrifice has to be made to save the world always leaves me on the edge of my seat and you begin to wonder which route each character will take and when you find out in the end, it is a whirlwind of emotions. A great book to take you on an adventure of the sea and will leave you hungry for more!

We will consider this title for our YFantasy collection in our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

I’m a sucker for all things sea-related so I was delighted to be approved to read Dark Shores. Teriana is the second in command to her pirate mother Tesya, captain of the Maarin ship Quincense. After some drama in the Celandor port, they and their crew end up in a bit of trouble having and what follows is a really interesting story packed with pirates and political intrigue. It’s a bit slow to start but once it gets going it’s very difficult to put down! I really enjoyed it and I’m already looking forward to the next book in the series!

This book was like a mashup of Julius Cesar and Pirates of the Caribbean. A delightful ride full of action and adventure. Looking forward to the next book in the series.

Another great one from Danielle Jensen!

I first read Jensen’s work when I powered through her Malediction series (which was then repeated through audiobooks), so I am a little biased because I absolutely loved that series! When I heard she wrote another book, this time based on Ancient Roman politics and pirates, I knew I had to check it out! This was amazing from start to finish. Teriana, a WOC, is a wonderfully strong character and I never found myself waning from her like I have in other YA novels. Marcus took a bit more time, but I think he’s growing on me a bit based on his moral compass and strength to get through his debilitating illness.

I never found myself bored with the story and I’m already impatient for the next part in the series. I was really impressed with the storytelling and the distinction between the West and the Dark Shores. I will always look forward to more from Ms. Jensen.

I'd like to thank Macmillan-Tor/Forge for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

If you’re going into this looking for a pirate adventure, I feel I should warn you that the book blurb is misleading. While it states one of the main characters is a pirate, there are no actual pirates in this book. Teriana is the second mate on her mother’s ship that transports and sells goods between cities. They pay for the goods and sell them for a profit, so no piracy here.
Marcus, while having flaws, I felt was almost always likeable. Teriana I have mixed feelings about. I admired her for her determination and will but at times her immaturity and brattiness could get grating, but she is only 17, so maybe I’m being too hard on her.
I loved the loyalty to family and friends displayed in this book. This book has battles, love interests, fiercely loyal friendships and lots of comedic jabs at each other’s expense. This was a fun refreshingly unique read.

Dark Shores is the first installment in author Danielle L. Jensen's Dark Shores series. Things you should know. This series is based loosely on Ancient Rome. Instead of being called the Roman Empire, here it's the Celendor Empire. The story features dual narratives from 17-year old Teriana, the daughter the Captain of the Quincense and Marcus, the leader of the 37th Legion who has been brought back to Celendor for a mission that the two are forced to work together in order to save Teriana's people.

Teriana's people are seafaring (not calling them pirates) that rely on Gods to guide them on the seas. The Maarin are not controlled by the Empire. They can use any port, and are taxed just like other members of the Cel Empire. They also aren't tax with the so called son tax which says all families must give up their second born son to the Empire. They are also the only ones who know how to traverse the seas from one part of the world to the other using a kind of wormhole that is opened by one of the Gods.

Teriana finds herself as a political pawn in a much larger game after she inadvertently tells her best friend about the Six Gods which her people worship. Because of Teriana's betrayal, her mother turns her back on her and she's forced into a contract with Lucius Cassius where she is to lead a contingent of Celendor soldiers across the seas to a world that is being called the Dark Shore. Succeed and her mother and her people live, fail and they all die. What could go wrong?

Marcus is the leader of the Thirty-Seventh legion, the notorious army that has led the Celendor Empire to conquer the entire East. The legion is the only family he has, and even they don’t know the secret he’s been hiding since childhood. Marcus and his legion have a reputation for cruelty, but Marcus's own secret may be his downfall. A secret that Lucius Cassius gladly uses as blackmail in order to have Marcus and his men become political pawns. Cassius knows Marcus's true identity as well as his weakness and isn't afraid of revealing it to get what he wants which is world domination. He also uses Teriana's love for her people in order to blackmail her into leading Marcus to the Dark Shores and a way for other Celendorian Legions to follow.

The Empire controls all of the Eastern land masses while the West has been left to its own devices. There's even a saying that East shall not meet West under any condition. The West knows that if this happens, bad things will follow in its wake. The West worships a group of 6 Gods and Goddesses, with a 7th making all sorts of loud noises that could lead to even more violence and bloodshed. It is fair to say that there is a very large secondary cast of characters which I suggest that you keep copious notes so that you know which characters are the good guys and which are the bad ones.

If you like slow burn romance, Roman inspired Empires, power hungry politicians as the villain, and fast reads, this book is for you! If you like a mouthy heroine, they you will definitely get enough from Teriana while Marcus is the more stoic and driven character. There is a huge question hanging over this series and that is why a certain God allowed Teriana to spill secret information in the first place? Was this particular God trying to influence future events? One certain God even suggest that Teriana is the one who really matters when all is said and done. Curiouser and Curiouser.

Jensen is also the author of the Malediction Trilogy featuring Stolen Songbird, Hidden Huntress and Warrior Witch.

Greek mythology meets Pirates of the Caribbean in this action-packed fantasy.

When Teriana breaks a sacred law and reveals the existence of The Dark Shores to the godless Empire to save her people she finds her life tied to Marcus, a ruthless legionnaire known for his conquests. As the two fight for survival they soon discover their lives and intertwined by more than just a contract. This story was as thrilling as it was heartbreaking… full of secrets and mysteries that set you up for so much more in future installments.

The author did a great job of introducing this diverse world of gods and conquest. For me she struck just the right balance of information to keep you from being overwhelmed, but always wanting to know more. If I had a full series I would binge them all right now! I have so many questions and know there are many more adventures to come so I will be eagerly awaiting Jensen’s sequel (and reading everything else she has written in the meantime).

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for the opportunity to read Dark Shores in exchange my honest review.

I really love Danielle L. Jensen's writing. I remember when I picked up Stolen Songbird and I was so surprised by how much I loved it. So when she announced she was writing a book that was inspired by Roman culture and had pirates! I was super excited. So I will admit that this book started off a bit slow for me. There was a lot of information and the action wasn't picking up as much as I wanted it to. However, I stuck with it. Because I had a gut feeling it would get better. And I'm happy to say it did! The story is told between Teriana and Marcus. Both are forced into this unlikely and unwilling alliance. And though Teriana knows Marcus is her enemy, in the end he will always be her enemy, the pull she feels toward him is hard to ignore. Meanwhile, Marcus is pulled to Teriana in the same way. He built walls inside him because he knew the dangers of caring for someone. Yet, Teriana threatens to tear those walls down every moment she is with him. Thrown into a situation neither want, Teriana is forced to reveal the West, the Dark Shores. She is betraying her people in the process but she is doing to protect her crew who are her family. But the more these two enemies spend time together, they start seeing one another for who they are. Action, romance, and lots of twists and turns, Dark Shores keeps you on your toes. And not to mention some great characters. Can't wait to read the second book!

I received an ARC for an honest review.

Dark Shores was a solid 4 star read for me. The plot kept a steady pace which, in turn, kept me interested and turning the pages to find out what was going to happen next. By the cover and the synopsis, I got the impression that this was a story that involved pirates but sadly that wasn’t what we got. I would say they were more “seafaring” people than pirates. However, I quickly got over that minor issue.

Teriana has gotten herself into quite the situation, and ends up making the decision to spill a monumental secret in order to save her mother and what remains of their crew. Now, her mother has literally turned her back on Teriana for what she thinks is the ultimate betrayal of her people. Now, she must save her crew, her family, and also find a way to protect a hidden land that the rest of the world doesn’t even know exists.

I loved Teriana’s character. She is fierce, loyal, and a fighter to the very end. She would do anything, to protect those she loves.

Let’s just take a minute to appreciate the two soldiers/bodyguards known as Miki and Quintus. I can’t even begin to tell you how much I loved these two. They are part of the Thirty-Seventh Legion, the most elite fighting force in Celendor. Matching Teriana’s snarky attitude these two best friends were an absolutely delightful addition to the character lineup.

Now let’s address a couple of issues that I had. The first is the world building, or lack thereof. Opportunity presented itself numerous times for character development and the chance to really take our imaginations to this fantastical secret world and it just didn’t happen. I rarely say this but I wish that there was more “set up” in this first book.

The second issue I had actually bothered me the most. Two major events happened (which I can’t elaborate on for spoiler reasons) and I felt that they should have been addressed in this book. I can understand if they were minor and insignificant but they definitely weren’t. Instead, they had a paramount effect on the plot but were left unresolved, swept to the side like they didn’t matter, and that left me extremely frustrated.

All that aside, I enjoyed the story and look forward to seeing where the story goes from here and hopefully certain issues will be addressed.

Thank you, Net Galley, Tor Teen, and the author for allowing me to read this advance reading copy in exchange for an honest review.

Dark Shores, the first book in the Dark Shores series written by Danielle L. Jensen, will be released on May 7, 2019. If you enjoy high seas adventures, blackmail, and meddling gods, look no further. This review is spoiler-free.

In this first book, Teriana, a god-marked, Maarin girl who possesses knowledge of unconquered lands across the Endless Seas, is blackmailed into showing the way to a power-thirsty consul. Caught in an impossible situation in which the lives of her loved ones hang in the balance, she must lead a legion ready for the conquest of innocent people. Led by Marcus, a trained soldier and smart leader, Terenia will have to find a way to fulfill her end of the bargain while sabotaging the legion in order to save both her people and the people of the West without getting caught. A thin line, not always easy to walk.

This book has been such a fun read. The world is depicted in a very colorful way, rich in its cultures and beliefs. Teriana and Marcus are also well-developed. They each have solid reasons to act the way they do, and both are caught in impossible situations.

The book switches its point of view between Marcus and Teriana, which gives the reader a better understanding of these characters. They are easily relatable. Both characters are very stubborn, but I can’t imagine them being any different.

Overall, this book was very easy to read. It is fast-paced, and the reader doesn’t have time to get bored. The romance is obvious but feels genuine. I’m very curious to see how the story will unfold. There are elements introduced in this book that allow the reader to guess how the story will continue. The challenges both characters will have to face and the decision they will be forced to make are about to reach a whole new level.

I highly recommend this book, and this is easily a five-star rating for me. I loved everything about it. One of the best books I’ve read so far in 2019.

Thank you to Macmillan-Tor/Forge and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel!

I don't even think I can string together the words to express just how much I loved this book. Just like Sarah J. Maas, I loved every word. This is my favorite book of 2019 and I don't think anything will be able to top it. I'm a huge fan of Ancient Rome, Greek Gods and pirates (thanks Johnny Depp) and this book gave me all of that rolled up in an interesting plot and somehow made it work.

"North must not meet South"

What if you grew up and only knew half of the world and thought there was nothing beyond the ocean but more ocean? In the Empire of Celendor, a conquering empire, there is believed to be nothing beyond the Endless Seas. There are rumors of the Dark Shores though and what lies there but no one really knows for certain...or do they?

From the first page my attention was grabbed by Teriana. She is a 17 year old girl who is a Maarin sailor and second mate of her mother's ship the Quincense. The Maarin are a people in and of themselves meaning they aren't governed by any specific nation, but they do have to follow the laws of whatever nation the make port in. Teriana was a fierce MC who was strong, kind and loved her people enough to damn her immortal soul. While fierce she was also relatable which is something I really look for in my strong female characters. It's okay to not be strong all the time and question what the right decision to make is.

Our other MC is Marcus the Legatus (highest ranking officer in a Cel legion) of the 37th legion, a group of skilled soldiers who have been trained since youth to go out and conquer provinces and then bring them under the control of the Empire. Even from the start while the rest of the legion appeared brutish and rude, he seemed kind, caring and like someone I might want to root for. While he is on the opposing side of the fight with Teriana and the Maarin, you can tell he loves his legion and is loyal to them versus the Empire.

Dark Shores was so twisty and had me questioning who to trust the whole time I was reading it. While we get both Terianas' and Marcus' perspectives it was still hard to tell what the end goal actually was and who would be willing to do what to achieve theirs. Throw in some language barriers, traitors along with battles, it all made for an interesting story.

There were some amazing secondary characters in this book who I might not have liked at first, but truly grew on me. From the 37th we had Servius, Quintas, Miki, Amrin, Felix and Titus and from the Quincense there was Yedda, Bait and Magnius. They all played an important role in the story and really grew on me in and of themselves, even if some of them were protagonists. Who doesn't want a villian you love to hate? Or on you're not quite sure is a villian at all yet?

The inclusivity was also amazing. We have so many different skin colors/nationalities all working together with no racism. The main characters have dark skin colors and that was such a nice change from the usual. We also had some gay romance happening within the ranks of the legion, some gay interracial relationships too. Miki and Quintas were so cute together! I could tell how much they really cared for each other and it was nice to see read about them. They were front and center throughout the book and open about their relationship. It didn't phase Marcus at all, in fact no one batted an eye at it. This is the kind of world I want to live in and for a little while I got to.

Final Thoughts:
There wasn't too bad of a cliffhanger but were definitely some unanswered questions. This has the potential to be a long series, not one that drags out but has a long storyline like Throne of Glass. Also I'd like to take the time to say THANK YOU DANIELLE JENSEN for including a freaking GLOSSARY!! There were a ton of new terms and characters so this was super helpful when I was a tad confused.

I would recommend this book to everyone that loves seaworthy pirate tales of adventures, gods/goddesses that intervene, or some Ancient Rome aspects. If I had physical copies of this book I would pass it around to everyone that I know that enjoys reading. I have already preordered my copy and am praying there is a book tour so I can go meet the author and tell her just how much I loved Dark Shores.

This morning I’m trying to function due to lack of sleep because I was reading Dark Shores last night. And when a book leaves my heart racing, my nerves shaking and I whisper/cry out “No! I need more!” (because everyone is asleep in the house) then to me, it’s a really ah-mazing book. So far, it’s one of my top three favorite reads of 2019.

I was excited to learn this was written by the same author who wrote The Malediction Series, which I loved. The blurb for Dark Shores sounded intriguing: pirates? A soldier ? A quest? I wasn’t sure what to expect.

Don’t go into this book thinking it’s a typical “pirate” book, with adventures on the high-seas. This is not like the Pirate of the Caribbeans movie. It’s not swashbuckling and pirating, there is time spent journeying on a ship (there wasn’t much pirating going on) but this book takes place a lot on land. It has political intrigue, epic action, a sea monster, battle scenes between Gods, battle scenes among men and it’s quite a ride. And when I finished this story I still felt there was so much more to find out about the world of Dark Shores, hence my frustration because it means now I have to wait for the sequel.

Each chapter of this book had me hooked to find out more, I could not stop. Teriana is a sixteen year old girl and part of the crew on her mother’s ship, Quincense. She’s a Maarin, a seafaring people who survives on trade and the only ones in the East who aren’t conquered by the Celendorians. The Celendor Empire is similar to the Roman Empire with a Senate governing body and a large army at their disposal. They are an empire that does not believe in Gods and persecutes those that do.

Teriana and her people hold to a mantra, East must not meet West. Both sides of the world don’t know the other exists, though there are rumors in the East about the Dark Shores. The only way to get to the West is a magical waterway or current that acts as a hidden path between the two sides. But Teriana and her crew know the way between East and West because they have traveled the route countless times. It is a secret her people take to their graves to keep in favor with their Gods. But Teriana tells this secret in a moment of weakness. Teriana’s mistake binds her into a conflict between East and West. Marcus, a commander of the deadly Thirty-Seventh legion is tasked to lead a quest to find this new world, and Teriana has no choice to help him or else the lives of her people are forfeit.

The world building is so well done, and the writing flows beautifully, which is why I was already a fan of this author. There is use of profanity in this story, which I don’t mind at all, but for those who don’t like it, just know it’s there. The scene in the Sea of the Dead gave me goosebumps, I loved how we went from politics and the cerebral world of the empire to Teriana unveiling this new mystical world that is ruled by Gods and the belief in them.

The characters in this story are fantastic. We have Gods, heroes, villains, and side characters that add humor. I cared for Teriana, Marcus and the soldiers. Teriana is a carefree, feisty, worldly but sometimes impulsive girl, somewhat expected from a girl who lived her life in the open seas. Marcus is true to his commander personality: rigid, controlled and loyal to his legion but that doesn’t mean he has no weaknesses. The tension between them is there but the romance doesn’t overtake the book. When Teriana and Marcus finally acknowledge what is happening between them, I was more than ready for it.

The story was like a ship with one destination: forward. Or should I say like a legion of soldiers headed to battle: forward march. The Thirty-Seventh never falls back! 😉 Meaning, this story was relentless and I love it. It made me think about the conquerors and the conquered. Who was more evil, the empire or the corrupted? Who is more to blame? And how can they fix what is happening? This is a book I’m going to be thinking about for awhile and probably rereading a lot before the sequel comes out. This is an outstanding first book in a series and I’m going to be marking my calendar for the release date of the next book.

It took me a little bit to get into the tale. Great premise and potential for character growth. Looking forward to next in series!

Book – Dark Shores
Author – Danielle L. Jensen
Series – Dark Shores #1
Cliffhanger? - Yes
Type of Book - Multiple POV
Publication Date – May 7, 2019
Genre – Fantasy
Rating – 4.5 out of 5 Stars

Complimentary copy generously provided by the author through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

My Thoughts - Story

I really had a hard time starting off with this story. There were so many times I wanted to put it down while our characters were in the East….I know now that after finishing this book that this was done as a build up to the travels to the West where magic and so much more await our cast of characters (good and bad).

Once the story got going, though…I freakin LOVED it!! From the time they set sail for the Dark Shores…I was hooked – line and sinker. I can honestly say that I see this story as being an EPIC win for 2019. Actually…I would REALLY like this to be made into a TV series or movie! I can say this could be as big as other fantasy shows out there!

Now, the characters…I LOVED Teriana and Marcus! What a team they made!

I just can’t wait to get more of their story and all of the other characters!

Reason for Reading – Requested from NetGalley
Story – 4.5 out of 5 Stars
Steam – 4 out of 5 Stars
Angst – 5 out of 5 Stars
Writing – 4.5 out of 5 Stars
Content Flow – 4 out of 5 Stars
Would Read More from Author? DEFINITELY!
Recommend To – Lovers of fantasy and pirates!