I was really inrtrigued by the stunning book cover and the description.

The main character is a girl named Amare. She lost her parents and was raised by her uncle and his team on the pirate ship. That's quite an interesting begining! It was realistic as the author describes how Amare faces all the dificulties on the ship among different types of men. I also got some nostalgic feeling when Tortuga is mentioned. Here are the Pirates of the Caribbean vibes.

But then the setting changed and I got lost with all underwater world witches, cretures and devices. It is really a strange mixture. I don't quite get it.

I really like to know the truth about wicthes in this world. This line captures my interest.
So if I have a chance to continue with a story, maybe I read the second book.

A pirate who ends up as a lost princess in an underwater world that includes magic, witches and monsters? Sign me up! I loved how spunky Amare was and who doesn't love enemies to lovers and a love triangle. There are some flashbacks in the beginning of the book that feel like they are there to fill space. They seem ill placed and have no bearing on advancing the story.

A magical and whimsical read that reminded me of why I loved YA fantasy. I'll definitely pick up the next installment.

Amare was orphaned as a baby and raised by pirates. She must learn the hard way how to fend for herself; a pirate ship is no place for a girl. Until one day she comes across a sunken treasure that turns her world upside down. From the very beginning the story is mesmerizing. The Sunken City is everything I look for in a book set at sea: pirates, adventure, morally gray characters. I don't think I should say more to convince you, but I really enjoyed this book.

received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. (via Netgalley)

4.5 stars. Oh what the heck. I was wrapped up in this, merrily reading along and then it's just done?! Talk about a cliffhanger lol. I really enjoyed this. The world building was great. I'm so glad the second one is out already lol.

“On the day I ruin my mortal life, I think I’ve struck gold.”

The Sunken City is about seventeen-year-old Amare Bellamy who lives on a pirate ship after her parents died (or at least one of them I think). She then one day realises she is "not who she thinks she is", and she gets brought back to her home, underwater where her father is the king and she is the Lost Princess. She now has to try to fit in, and find out who she really is. But obviously, it doesn't go as planned.

I hate Lukas with my whole heart. I also don't like Amare. I really hate her. I love Finn though. He deserves better after what Amare did? Seriously? I'm not sure how to feel about Shoa, I liked her because she was funny but she was a bit annoying at some parts.

This is a YA pirate-fantasy-royalty book set on a pirate ship at the beginning but after that mostly takes place underwater. There is the element of mystery too, and of course there's romance. I'm pretty sure there's gonna be a love triangle in the next book.

FINN. I didn't like him much, but my heart aches for what happened with Amare and Lukas. On top of that she doesn't even tell Finn.

The first few chapters were a bit slow paced but it definitely gets better near the middle. Most of the action starts happening in the end.

Thank you to Net Galley for providing this ARC.

I DNF'd this novel at 25% for a few reasons:
-This book really just isn't for my demographic and that's on me. This is very YA and it reads very YA. Sometimes YA can be a bit more mature, but this was more on the younger side of YA.
-Amare was great in the first few chapters, and when she's a pirate she really shines. I loved her backstory. Then, we get to The Sunken City and all of the sudden she's brash and reckless and nothing made sense. She threatens the King who claims to be her father within a minute of meeting with him and doesn't ask great questions in that time.
-I'm not sure what era this was supposed to be in. It seems like the 1700s when we're with the Pirates, but then we're under the sea and Amare is wearing mini-skirts and speaking with modern vernacular? What era are we in? What century is it even?
-The heroine seemed like the typical YA heroine we always get: brash but somehow always gets away with it, taken under someone else's wing to guide her through everything, etc. It was just a very standard heroine once she got to The Sunken City and I liked her a lot more when she was a pirate and not a princess.

Altogether, I'm not going to finish this novel, I think it's overall good for a younger demographic. If I was 16-17 I can definitely see myself really loving this novel.

𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚂𝚞𝚗𝚔𝚎𝚗 𝙲𝚒𝚝𝚢 🏴‍☠️
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First off I’d like to say that in the last few years I’ve stayed away from YA novels, since my tastes have definitely changed. But I wanted to give this book a try for a few reasons, the cover is gorgeous, I’ve only seen good reviews and lastly I love anything pirates and adventure.
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𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚂𝚞𝚗𝚔𝚎𝚗 𝙲𝚒𝚝𝚢 has a great premise, I loved the idea of a underwater world with magic and witches- teenage me would have been obsessed with this.
I think that the author fell short on the world-building a lot of the description and facts were told in more of a conversational way between characters which I didn’t love.
I feel like I didn’t connect to the characters, I needed more from them especially our two brothers.
Some aspects I just found immature and unrealistic, like when Amare finds best friends she can trust 5 minutes after finding out she’s the lost princess of an underwater world. I should also mention she accepts this fact easily and just moves on… And the love triangle 🙄 how predictable.
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Overall the storyline was interesting and unique, I do think it has a lot of potential and I hope readers can find that in the next two books

Thank you to Netgalley for the e-book!
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－𝐶𝑎𝑟 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 📖

The first part of the book was good, though it's so info-dumpy. There are a lot of instances where it's more of a "tell" than a "show". The main character is sometimes annoying because she resents herself being a woman and then talks about feminism. The romance part was good at the start but when it reached the 70% mark it was so rushed. The plot of this is over the place too, it was too predictable.

I just reviewed The Sunken City by Emma V. R. Noyes. #NetGalley
I thought this was an interesting debut novel by Emma V.R. Noves, it features mermaids, tritans and love triangles. It was a fun read!

"Can I tell you a secret? There is a darkness within me. An anger so black, so profound, that even to graze its surface feels as painful as death."

Raised on a pirate ship after losing her parents, Amare Bellamy grew up facing danger, protecting herself by hiding her womanhood amongst a crew of men on the Moonshadow. As a pirate, she was taught to fear witches and magic, viewing them as evil to be avoided. She lived in a world with limited possibilities, yet she still had hopes and dreams for the future.

In the midst of a powerful storm and pulled by an invisible force towards the water, Amare falls into the depths of the ocean and discovers an entire underwater kingdom where she learns the King is actually her father and she is the Lost Princess. As she tries to assimilate herself into this new world, a world in which magic exists but is strictly forbidden, Amare is enchanted by the freedom and adventure the Sunken City seems to offer. But as she learns more about who she is, she unlocks hidden powers within herself which defy everything she was taught to believe.

The Sunken City begins this trilogy quite well and was so much fun to read. The world building is detailed and creatively imaginative, layered with so many components to reveal. At its core, this is the story of Amare finding herself, accepting and embracing who she is, even the darkest parts. It is a story of lies, secrets and betrayals with underlying questions of who to trust, if anyone. With nothing as it seems, unexpected alliances begin to form in an effort to fight the battle between good and evil.

I was entirely immersed into this underwater kingdom and could empathize and feel everything Amare was experiencing as she transitioned into her new life. I loved her inquisitive nature and her fearless and independent spirit and how she was unafraid to stand up for herself. I admired how she fought for what she believed in, persevering regardless of what obstacles she faced. Her newfound friendships with Shoa and Cora also provided such a great support system through times of uncertainty and confusion.

The author developed the characters so well and the romance added the perfect level of angst to the story, featuring an enemies to friends to lovers angle mixed with a love triangle highlighting the choice between good brother and evil brother. With the sea now becoming Amare's destiny and with so much more to learn and explore, this story sets the stage beautifully for the second book while leaving several questions unanswered. I'm looking forward to reading what's next in this story and how the events unfold as everything in Amare's world has been turned upside down and the internal and external struggles between good and evil continue.

"The ocean sings to me like the sirens to Odysseus, and, in the end, there’s nothing I can do to fight it."

** Special thanks to author Emma V. R. Noyes and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. Available January 29, 2022. **

(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.