Angela Montoya is an extremely talented storyteller, this is her debut novel but I wouldn’t have known it without being told, she has clearly done her homework and spent many hours perfecting her skill and it’s a fantastic reward to get to such a wonderful book. Sinner’s Isle is a great read full of fun, mystery, drama, adventure and romance. It’s got some fantastic characters, even the supporting cast of characters are interesting and fleshed out. The humour is fantastic, the witty banter between them is so good, you will laugh out loud quite a lot.

I have to admit I was drawn in as soon as I realised it was witches and pirates, such a unique and interesting mix, I don’t think I’ve read anything like this before and after this I’m so eager to read more. Full of found family, great romance and a strong female lead determined to dismantle the patriarchal system she is stuck in, if that doesn’t make you want to read this I am not sure what will. This is a stunning debut and there’s no cliffhangers involved, but I would love more from this world, I really hope there are future books from this.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I did not enjoy this. It's told in dual pov and while I enjoyed Rosa's narration, Mariano's was unnecessary and boring. I could not stand the romance, which happened in the blink of an eye and held no real substance. There was no chemistry and I just didn't see the reason on why I should root for them.

There was a severe lack of piracy in the book, which was also disappointing. The writing, while a bit juvenile (because Mariano!) was fun at times and the humor the side characters provided helped.

Overall, I didn't enjoy this.

Absolutely captivating read! This book swept me away from the very first page and held me spellbound until the very end. The characters were beautifully developed, the plot was intricate yet accessible, and the writing style was simply mesmerizing. A true masterpiece that I couldn't recommend more highly. Five stars without a doubt!

thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy. I really enjoyed this and will be getting copies for my shop.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

This YA diverse standalone fantasy is perfect for readers who are ready for an adventure that reads a lot like a Disney movie (in the best way possible).

You’ve got pirates and witches (which are called magestics here), a church who seeks control and lots of deceit. I only wish it was longer!

Thank you so much the publisher and Angela for an early copy of this book! Legit I loved this book. This debut from Angela is pure magic. The romance, the angst. The mystery, the twists! This book had it all. I fell in love with these characters and loved the found family aspect at the end of the book. Also, who doesn’t love a sort of morally gray. MC who is slightly unhinged, and may or may not go on rampage at any moment. But seriously, love Rosa she is the best. Angela has a really hit this book out of the park. I really cannot wait for what she writes next

I knew this would be a fun read because Angela Montoya wrote it 😌🫶 and it was, without a doubt, the most fun. I was a little confused about what kind of Latinx rep was in this book since we’re not a monolith and I’m still not totally sure because this story is a fantasy set in a place that isn’t real, but a quick google search told me that Montoya was inspired by Mexican lore and it really validated how I felt about the spanish and delicious food descriptions in the book! I loved Rosa and I loved how her character only developed from an already strong young woman to an even stronger one. I might edit this review later, but I just wanna add that the world building was amazing and for someone who doesn’t actually SEE in my head, I really felt pulled into the story. Obsessed.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the review copy of this title.

I really loved this story.

This debut is dazzling, romantic and bewitching.
I won an Earc from the author and I was ecstatic to read this book! I'm so glad that I did.
Mariano and Rosalinda are loyal not only to one another but their friends. This book puts a heavy emphasis on relationships, not just romantic relationships but friendships and relationships with family. I love it!
Not only are the main characters incredible but so are the side characters. There's the hilarious and eccentric Santiago, King Sebastian who wears his heart on his sleeve, the caring Juana, and of course the loyal Isobel and Lola. By the end of the book I felt like I was reading a magical episode of Friends. It was epic!
Okay now for some spoilers! I was so shocked when I learned more about King Sébastian! Initially, I thought I was going to dislike his character but then he confessed his desire to release majestics I was so happy! Plus his friendship with Rosa was just too cute! I hope he and Santi get their happy ending! I think they will. I was in tears when I found out Santi was actually Rosa's brother. What I loved even more is that he found a friend in Mariano. I was so happy for Juana and Lola too! It was great to see them realize that they're hearts songs for each other. Maybe we can have another book set in the Sinners Isle universe that explores all these characters?? I would read it!
Lastly, Mariano and Rosalinda. These two are just great! I loved how throughout the book they didn't have an abundance of chapters together. However, that didn't mean that their love story wasn't building. In fact, they were still thinking of each other, and trying to help each other. I loved that, because we got more insight into their internal and emotional feelings for one another. Eventually they were able to discover that they love each other. And it's too cute!
Another thing I love about this book is the empowerment. Rosalinda like other majestics has been trained to be submissive and to bow down to men. She is tired of this and wants to see change. Not just for her but for the other Majestics around her. I love how the book explores Rosalinda's trial and error to eventually finding her power and confidence.
If you are looking for something filled with magic, bruting and quirky pirates, firece MCs, and a touch of romance this is a book for you! *review as posted on my goodreads account!

A love story as old as time. Witch meets pirate, witch blackmails pirate for freedom...and the rest is history. I loved reading this story and will most certainly be adding it to the library catalogue.

I absolutely loved this swashbuckling fantasy. FINALLY the publishing industry is bringing us more pirates. We've needed this.

Angela is a joy and an excellent storyteller. I cannot wait to read all the other books that comes from this debut author.

This was SUCH a swoony spellbinding fantasy about a island captive and was full of suspense and she longs to leave her island. Full of twists and turns, intrigue and blackmail. JUST PERFECTION.

When a book is comped to two of your favorite things - Serpent & Dove and Pirates of the Caribbean - you KNOW you’re going to love it! Add a diverse cast of characters and a Latine inspiration and you have me hooked before I’ve even started!

That excitement for this story only deepened as I read it! The characters and plot were so engaging, and I found myself unable to keep turning the pages! I absolutely loved it and can’t wait to see what Montoya does next!

This reads a lot like a Disney fairytale. Our FMC is a damsel in distress about to be essentially sold off to the highest bidder, but she has the potential to be a badass if she lets herself, and our MMC is a questionable hero pirate. Both are described as exceptionally beautiful and have large reputations/talent. The story is a tale of freedom with some romance but I think it might have been better if the focus was either more on the two main characters as individuals without the insta love or if there were more scenes with the two of them together to at least give the readers a chance to see a relationship grow. There is a magical soul mate type bond going on so while that explains the inevitability of Rosalinda and Mariano and the constant pull towards each other, I think it would have been better if they didn't fall so quickly with so little interaction. I really liked the ending and the premise for the story but would have liked more action, witchy behavior and pirate scenes. I also would have loved for some of the side characters to have had more depth. Overall, it's a pretty good debut young adult fantasy.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced digital copy; all thoughts and opinions are my own.

One of the most brilliant debuts of 2023, I was lucky enough to get to read it early and my gosh! Angela’s writing is a gift to us all and I can’t wait for more books from her. She’s definitely a promising new voice in the book world, one we needed for sure. Also, if audiobooks are your thing then I highly recommend the audio! I also got to listen to it early and was just wowed, I enjoyed it so much and might actually be my favorite audiobook that I’ve gotten to listen to this year!

Regardless of which format you decide to read it in, make sure that you do because this one is a fantastic debut that you will want to read immediately!

Rosalinda lives on Sinner’s Isle, where she’s been kept for most of her life along with other Majestics, who are witches. Rosa is a powerful Majestic, with shadows that can do her bidding. Every year the Majestics are offered up to powerful men in the world, so they can be bonded for life and use their powers to help the men. It’s Rosa’s year to be offered, and she’s the most powerful girl of the year. Mariano is the son of infamous pirates. When his father dies suddenly, he must escape their ship before his uncles kill him to take his place. Mariano washes up on Sinner’s Isle, where he encounters Rosa. They make a deal for Mariano to help Rosa and her best friend escape their fate as Majestics, but it isn’t easy to escape their destiny.

This was an exciting and original story! It was interesting how the Majestics were both revered and ostracized from society. They had magic powers, so they were used to be bonded with powerful men, but they were also sent to an isolated island away from the rest of society. There were some surprising twists that I didn’t see coming. The story had a great, complete ending, but there is also the possibility for another book in this world in the future.

Sinner’s Isle is a great debut novel!

Thank you Penguin Teen Canada for providing a copy of this book!

Content warnings: death of parents, death, blood, violence

I loved this book! It's got everything a good pirate story should have! Daring sword fights, magical creatures, beautiful settings, and heartwarming romance! The plot immediately drew me in. The idea of Majestics and the entire concept of Sinner's Isle was so intriguing to read about! There were plot twists at every turn and they kept me on the edge of my seat. But there was also a great balance between the action scenes and slower scenes that focused on the romance and friendship side plots. The history of this world felt as if it was about a real place, and I could easily immerse myself in it. Also, the writing style perfectly matched the tone of the story. I quickly got lost in the chapters and couldn't put it down! In addition, there were so many interesting characters that I just had to learn more about. My favourite character would have to be Rosa! I loved her determination and one thing I loved the most was that she made mistakes and learned from them. Plus her relationships with her friends and with Mariano was so much fun to read about. Speaking of the romance, it was adorable! It does begin quickly after the characters meet, but this was acknowledged and I felt like it was written in a believable way, especially when it came to the magic and fate of this world. I am so excited to read more of Angela's work in the future! This is definitely a new all-time favourite read of mine!

I liked the main characters on their own, but nothing divine happened with them together. These two had like 5 scenes together in the whole book and then they were burn the world down in love by the end. Uh what? I understand there was some version of a mating bond, but I personally don't think having a mating bond automatically equals being in love, especially since these two had very little interaction (they didn't even know each other's names until over half way through the book).

But the end redeemed some of this; it almost felt like it belonged to another story with how explosive it felt and some swoon worthy scenes, but it felt disjointed since it didn't really have the rest of the story to back it up.

This could have been way more epic I think if maybe some other POV's were included and the story was elongated. Definitely had the makings for a great duology that ended the same way this one did.

But kudos to the author for her debut novel.

Prepare to be captivated by Angela Montoya's thrilling masterpiece, "Sinners of Isle." This dark and enchanting novel takes readers on a spellbinding journey into the heart of an enigmatic island, where sin and salvation dance in a delicate balance.

Montoya's prose is nothing short of poetic, painting a vivid picture of Isle—a place where shadows whisper secrets, and the line between right and wrong becomes tantalizingly blurred. From the opening chapter, readers are drawn into a world of intrigue and temptation, where sinners and saints coexist in a delicate dance that keeps you guessing until the very last page.