This book was not what I was expecting. I thought it would continue where the first book left off, but instead it resets to the beginning and goes from Lydia and Killian's perspectives. I was confused for a minute but I liked seeing the other side of the story since all we know is Lydia supposedly betrayed Teriana. Lydia is pretty smart and resourceful and I enjoyed her as a main character. Killian is my favorite though. He's funny and kind and tries to do the right thing. I definitely prefer him to Marcus.

The story was slow for the first third, but when it picked up, everything seemed to be happening at once. I loved seeing the Marked and their abilities, as well as the evil deimos. The romance was slow building, but I thought it was sweet. Beware of a cliffhanger ending! I can't wait for the next installment!

This is hard for me since I loved the first book Dark Shores. I also was excited to learn more about Lydia. However I wish some of this POV was woven into Dark Shores as the first part of the book felt repetitive.

This is a war between kingdoms and the gods but I really feel like we need a backstory or more of a purpose to the war.

Overall I am giving this one 3 stars and hoping we will get more in the next two books. I do however, think the next books need to have all four POVs to keep the pacing faster.

devoured book one of this series Dark Shores, It had action, political strife, and a really good romance with some magic gods thrown in. So enter book two amazing cover lets dive in. Now i should of been expecting this but book two follows a different set of people. Book two focuses on Lydia and Killian. Now i wanted to know more about Lydia she adopted so to discover the info we do in book two is interesting. The let down is at least for me i don’t have the same excitement in it that i just had no connection to what was happening. I wanted to know about Lydia but i felt it was just so drawn out.

I don’t want you think this series is bad i think the series is going to amazing but i kind of hoping that the next two books really bring the story lines together. As of now i feel a huge disconnect between what happened in book one and what happened in book two. I felt mostly that what happened in book two could of been told in less pages their like 4 major things that happened and it felt it was presented as filler. Excited to see how things continue for these characters

I binged read Dark Shores and Dark Skies together and can definitely say that the story and the characters become more developed and fleshed out. While Dark Skies follows a different set of characters and takes place in a more fantastical setting, it was so much fun and easy to get immersed in the world. The characters as well undergo a lot of transformation through the journey and it becomes so easy to root for their endeavors. I loved Lydia and Killian's relationship and I hope that they get to continue to develop in the future books.

For a sequel, this book did not disappoint! The world-building reinforces the amazing world-building in the first book. Full of intrigue, betrayal, action, and magic. Overall, this is already one of my new favorites and I hope you pick this book up and Dark Shores as well. Don't miss out on this amazing, epic fantasy filled with war, politics, the danger around every corner, complex characters and subtle romance.

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Dark Skies, wow - just wow. At first, I was hesitant because it was a little slow to start off with. Then I got a little confused because I was re-reading something that happened in the previous book. Yet, it started to make sense. We were going back because we had to see everything from Lydia's POV. Which, if I'm being honest.. was pretty boring throughout the book. Eventually she got better but I really enjoyed Killian's POV a lot more.

Oh, did I forget to mention that you meet Lydia and Killian in this one? Oops! Well, you do and they were interesting. Of course, I couldn't help shipping them myself but I wont spoil anything about them (I swear!).

Honestly, a lot of betrayal goes on this one which didn't really surprise me. Then there's this mysterious aspect because people are turning into the corrupted and some weird ass black sludge going around. Plus the hint of war - sounds like an average Tuesday.

Long story short, I definitely need the next book ASAP. I can't accept that kind of ending people! I have so many questions that need answers and I need to see certain people again.

I'm exhausted in the best way. Like holy moly I can't handle the amazingness of this book! I loved the first book and this one was even better. I will say first you probably could read this book without having read the first book, Dark Shores, but I think you will love it even more and understand the world a little bit better as well if you have read the first book. Dark Skies is not exactly a sequel to Dark Shores. It basically takes you on a new journey to new and dangerous lands.

The beginning of the book we see similar events as the beginning of Dark Shores but told from Lydia's perspective. I'm so glad to find out what happened to her. I won't go into too many details because I don't want to spoil anything but we see her in these changing times in Celendrial. I loved Lydia from the first book but there is so much depth to her character. She is the Senator's daughter but really doesn't want to be involved in the politics. She is a scholar at heart but has a kind heart and is a total survivor. She keeps getting back up even when all hope is lost. I really admired her for her spirit and strength. She is not necessarily a fighter or soldier but this girl is determined.

Then there is Killian who is a commander. He suffers a lost and ends up being the bodyguard to the Princess Malahi. It is a change for him to be commander of a great army one day then try to figure out the working politics of court life. I felt so bad for him. There is so much unrealistic pressure on him to win and I'm like umm, sorry but I didn't see any of you at the front. He suffers from guilt and lost and is just trying to do something that will make a difference and save lives. He knows he can't save everyone but that doesn't mean he won't try until his last breathe. He reminds me a bit of Marcus, one the main leads in Dark Shores. Both commanders who have to make a lot of mistakes and cost men, women and children their lives but the pressure is real and I think they do what they can.

I love me some political intrigue and along with some epic battle scenes; the intrigue is so complex and I was like ok, but what is really going on here. Politics are messy. There are so many lives at stake but then there are also greedy individuals who really want to be on top and will take the power at the cost of anything and anyone. There are no "good guys". Nothing is black and white and I freaking love that. All of the characters have their flaws. No one has all of the answers and no one is completely invincible or untouchable. The intrigue really carried the story along with all of the danger. The danger is intense. Wars, a plague, starving citizens, demons falling from the sky, dangerous armies, literally ones called the Corrupted at your front gate, oh boy, the intensity is crazy. I need a nap after this one but it is so engaging and mentally and emotionally draining but like in a good way.

The world-building is so good. I can't wait to see the map that should be in the final copies of this book. Seeing more of the Marked ones who are individuals Marked by the one of the six (seven for the Corrupted) gods who each have their own abilities and talents but in Mudaire, where most of the story takes place, all of the Marked ones have to turn themselves into the King. They are used until their dying breath literally. Just like the second sons of those in Celendrial who are conscripted to the army. Basically, I would never want to live in this book. It is brutal, dark and disturbing, dangerous and deadly. Like it is great to read about but I'm good.

Overall, this is already one of my new favorites and I hope you pick this book up and Dark Shores as well. Don't miss out on this amazing, epic fantasy filled with war, politics, danger around every corner, complex characters and subtle romance. This one is exactly the kind of fantasy I want to read more and more of.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this so much. Dark Shores was an underrated book that didn't get near enough attention. Dark Skies was perfect for the second installment. This kept me on the edge of my seat. I did yell at the characters quite often, up to the last page. The suspense! Rufina remains one of the characters I am most curious about. It was great to read about two other favourites of mine! Can't wait for this adventure to continue!

Wow. This book blew me away. I've been following Jensen since she published her first book, and this is, in my opinion, the best book she has written. The political intrigue, balance of war, the exploration of different characters in the same world; everything about this story was brilliant.

Lydia and Killian were a joy to read. I love their determination to do their duty and what is right for their people and the world. Their struggles, weakness, and strengths drew me to them as characters and had me fall in love with them fairly quickly and kept me going until I finished the book.

What really made this book Jensen's best was her character Malahi. Without spoiling anything, Malahi was the greatest character. Not because of the character itself, but because how Jensen wrote her. I went through so many emotions when it came to Malahi; they were all over the spectrum. But the best part was when you wanted to feel one way about her, only to have the characters tell you to feel another, so you try to feel the way that you are being told to feel, only to find out something completely different. I have never been tossed around so much because of one character. Absolutely brilliant and amazing when writing Malahi. If we had more characters like her in the world of books, I believe more people would read.

Amazing. Absolutely amazing. Definitely 5 stars. I can not wait for the next book to come out and hope Jensen continues the high that she is on with this one.

I can not get over how much I have fallen in love with this series! Dark Skies you get to follow another story line that is just as riveting and gives you more insight into this wonderful world that Danielle Jensen has created! I can't wait for more books!

Huge thank you to Macmillan & Netgalley for this ARC copy of Dark Skies. I am in love! To start off the book I really enjoyed meeting Lydia and Killian in two separate places. It is an intriguing way to catch my attention and equally like each POV. I began shipping them even before they met, so bravo. This book definitely has all the feels of Sarah J. Maas, but it also reminded me of Game of Thrones. I thoroughly enjoyed the different Gods, their marks and the threat to country. On several occasions I stopped to underline a favorite line or highlight a section of wording I simply adored. Seriously good writing and well put together story. Fantastic read that I couldn't put down and will recommendover and over. Gonna need the hardcopy to photographfor sure.

This book comes out May 5th 2020

Dark Shores set me up to believe this book would follow one set path and aim for one set goal, but Danielle Jensen messed with my heart, destroyed my beliefs, and made me fall in love with a brand new set of characters. I read Dark Shores right before Dark Skies and fell so deeply in love with its Roman history meets Pirates of the Caribbean story, all entwined with magic and mystery. It ended in a way that left my heart whole, but anxious for what would happen in this book.

BEHOLD Dark Skies. It introduces a new character and a past one, one that has a story to tell correctly. As a reader, you know that all of the characters, both past and present, will one day meet; but, in order to do that, their stories must align. Dark Skies drew me in with its detailed and glorious explanations of the magic system unique to this book. The reader is left knowing everything essential about the gods and the Six, as well as those they Mark. We're introduced to something altogether worse than the fear of the Cel taking over the West: the corrupted, led by Rufia and dedicated wholly to the Seventh. The god the rest of the West has refused to continue to worship due to his dark ways.

When Lydia and Killian's paths both connect, we're hit with a massive slow burn of a romance that still is dragging me under and threatening to burn me alive. I'm still reeling after the ending of this book (which I won't spoil), but gods be damned, it continues to mess with my heart and make me curse this book. Dark Skies has a plot filled with intrigue and mystery and, as stated before, the reader is left anxiously awaiting answers from Dark Shores and how the two books will one day connect. With the set-up Danielle Jensen has done, it cannot be denied the rest of the series will enthrall us just as much until we get to the tumultuous and swoon-worthy ending I know it will bring. This is a series I hadn't known about before being given the ARC of the second, but I am forever invested in these characters and the absolutely AH-mazing world building Jensen has done.

I would absolutely recommend Dark Skies and all Danielle Jensen novels. She creates characters that I really connect with and the new characters in Dark Skies do not disappoint. Killian & Lydia both have their strengths and I appreciate their independence from one another while also fueling a slow burn. Their willingness to take chances and continue on in the face of adversity provide encouragement for me in my daily life. It was refreshing to see characters make choices they typically don't make in other books. I cannot wait to see the character collision between Dark Skies & Dark Shores in the third book in this series. The complexity of the two worlds Danielle has created and the intricate magic system leave me craving more! Jensen's writing sticks with me long after I've finished. I care about her characters and hate leaving them behind. Thank you NetGalley and Tor Teen for this eARC.

Jensen is a master of world building - the battles in particular being so vivid you feel like you're there! However, I found Lydia's side of the story to be painfully slow at the beginning, and it took a great deal of build up to for the book to get more interesting.

The relationships between the two main characters felt a bit forced, but I loved the familial relationships that were presented throughout. I haven't read Dark Shores, but I don't think that really had an impact on my enjoyment of Dark Skies. And I'll certainly be picking up the rest of the series!

This review has been posted to Goodreads and will be submitted to Amazon after release.

Dark Skies is the next book in the Dark Shores series and to be honest I thought it was only a duology so when it started off with Killian and Lydia’s POV’s I was very confused. So, off I went to do some research and I find that this novel is a companion novel to the first, Dark Skies is a book that is taking place the same time as the first book in the series but in a different part of the world. The world building is still great but I found Lydia’s character a bit annoying at times. Somehow these two books are going to line up in the third book but there was nothing at the end of the story that gives any indication on how that will be happening so we will all be waiting to find out how Jensen pulls it all together. Overall, I’m not sure how I feel about this story, I liked it but I think I liked Dark Shores better.

I was provided with an electronic ARC through NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Sometimes a series suffers from the second book slump - they have this great opening, and a fantastic conclusion, but that book in the middle is just a bridge to get you from A to B. Friends, Dark Skies is NOT that book. If anything, it's even better than Dark Shores and I freaking loved that book!

When the book was first announced I was saddened to hear that Dark Skies would be an alternate beginning that stepped away from Teriana and Marcus and instead followed Lydia and Killian. I'm not going to lie, I wanted more of my old friends and a bit of steamy escapist romance to add some levity to these trying times, but between a few chapters of overlap in the beginning and some serious character building and backstory through the eyes of those that know Teriana, those feelings of separation anxiety didn't last long. In fact, the stories of these four characters were so expertly intermeshed that it felt as though they were written simultaneously - there were no gaps or continuity errors, and each character provided a different facet to another's character development. The result was a beautiful juxtaposition between personal introspection and public perception that really drew me in.

And while I wasn't exactly Lydia's biggest fan in Dark Shores, she turned out to be exactly the heroine that I needed to read. Nerdy, introverted, and physically weak she was a surprisingly atypical female lead. She's terrible with a sword, her magic makes her weak to the point where she needs almost constant protection when she's using it, and she lacks even the basic street smarts needed to care of herself on a good day (let alone one a bad one when she's thrust into a world she doesn't know) and yet she somehow manages to get by on sheer nerve and book smarts alone. Yet, her naivety and determination brought a good deal of humour to a dark and rather hopeless situation, and now I can't wait to see where she'll go in book three.

Killian is another fabulous character, made only the better because of his flaws. He walks a precarious line between what is expected of him and what he is compelled by his mark to do, what the world believes a Marked soldier is and the reality of the experience, and those he is sworn to and those that he loves. He is pulled in so many directions at any given time that it's almost impossible not to let your own heartstrings get tangled in his mess. He is resourceful, determined, and loyal to fault - I have no doubt that when he finally comes face to face with Marcus there will be some serious friction between these two bull-headed battle prodigies.

I could talk about the slow burn romance that leaves you dangling off a cliff (noooo, I'm not salty about that, AT ALL), or a high court that has misdirection and manipulation down to a tee, but instead I'm going to focus on the magic and world building. Because, seriously, OMG! Jensen has taken on the behemoth task of creating not just one or two kingdoms with variant beliefs, but an entire world where the disparate parts are so unique that they're almost unrecognizable from one another. And the level of originality is practically next level. Don't get me wrong, I love a good fairy/ elf/ fae/ witch/ mage story as much as the next fantasy fan girl but I adored being able to get lost in this story without any preconceived notions about the people or how the magic should work.

With Dark Skies and Dark Shores serving as companion novels, where either can be read as the first book in the series, I highly suggest you dive into this world with reckless abandon. Let yourself get swept up in the dangerous games of politics and romance, soak up the subtle critiques on critiques on colonialism and patriarchy, and ride along with your favourite new characters as they rebel against everything that was ever expected from them. 

Read it book lovers, you won't regret a single sentence.

Danielle L. Jensen is quickly becoming one of my favorite YA authors!

I loved Dark Shores when I read it earlier this year, and Dark Skies doesn't not disappoint! It was wonderful to see the world of Dark Shores expanded in this book, and to get to follow Lydia (who I loved in DS when she was introduced). I can't wait to see where this series goes!

Would highly recommend to any fans of YA high fantasy. There is also no need to read Dark Shores before picking up Dark Skies, as they can be read independent of one another.

I read Dark Shores last year and forgot some of what happened. But I knew this was more of a companion novel so I just dove right in. The beginning started at the same place for both books, so as we followed Lydia, I remembered more and more of what happened with Teriana and Marcus in the first book. It was so fun how the 2 books were intertwined but told from different characters perspectives.
I think I enjoyed Lydia's POV more than Killian's, even though I did enjoy both. I just really enjoyed her story of getting whisked across the endless sea to somewhere she never knew existed and trying to find her way back home.
Even though Melahi wasn't my favorite character, I really loved her royal guard. It was such a loyal group of girls that seemed so genuine. I also liked Finn! Lydia and Killian were such strong characters and perfect for telling this story.
The only thing that kind of put me off was all the politics. It completely fit with the story and it was needed in the story, but it's just kind of boring to me (completely personal opinion!). Also, especially towards the end, there were a lot of detailed battle scenes and setting up for battle scenes which also aren't my favorites to read.
That being said, I still really enjoyed this book! I can't wait to read the third book where all 4 POVs come together and I think the story will get really interesting!

Jensen does it again!! I read Dark Shores last year and loved it but was nervous about the sequel due to the change in Main Characters but it 100% delivered. This book was action packed from start to finish. While being very different from the first book it still tied into the world perfectly. We got to learn more about the Gods of the Dark shores and the Corrupted, less Pirates of the Caribbean and more Mythology meets The Walking Dead!

I thoroughly enjoyed the main characters Lydia and Killian... and oh my goodness the "bad guys"! I cannot wait to see how this story wraps up in the next installment!! While the events of this book run concurrent with the events of Dark Shores I do recommend reading Dark Shores first. It houses more world building and background information that I thing was valuable for me to enjoy Dark Skies as much as I did. Dark Skies also has a few spoilers for Dark Shores towards the end.

~ ARC received in exchange for an honest review ~

'Dark Skies' is the second book published in the 'Dark Shores' series by Danielle L. Jensen. According to the author either book can be considered the beginning of the series and therefore can be read in any order since the stories run parallel to each other. Personally I'd recommend sticking to the publication order since the world-building in the first book is stronger. I don't think I'd have enjoyed this one as much without the understanding of the world that I already had through reading Dark Shores.

While the first installment was written from the perspective of Teriana and Marcus, this one follows the fate of Teriana's best friend Lydia, who was a secondary character in Dark Shores. We're also introduced to Killian (who is my new book boyfriend.)

Overall this is a solid YA series and I like how the romantic relationships are portrayed. The weakest aspect of both insallments for me is that Teriana and Lydia's friendship feels underdeveloped. It's quite a vital aspect of both stories and the reader should have more of a chance to invest in their relationship, however, they share very few scenes together throughout. It's a case of just having to take their word that they're important to each other without actually being shown why. With Dark Skies focussing on what happened to Lydia while the events of Dark Shores were taking place, I was hoping this would be addressed, but again I genuinely kept forgetting that they had anything to do with each other.

Nonetheless I recommend this series and I'm looking forward to continuing with it!

~Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this title~