I received this book at no cost from the publisher
Dark Shores (Dark Shores, #1) by Danielle L. JensenISBN: 125031772X
Published by Tor Teen on May 7, 2019
Genres: Fantasy
Pages: 368
Goodreads
Print Length: 364 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 125031772X
Publisher: Tor Teen (May 7, 2019)
Publication Date: May 7, 2019
Sold by: Macmillan
Language: English
Praise for DARK SHORES
“Richly-woven, evocative, and absolutely impossible to put down―I was hooked from the first lines! Dark Shores has everything I look for in a fantasy novel: fresh, unique settings, a cast of complex and diverse characters, and an unflinching boldness with the nuanced world-building. I loved every word.” ―Sarah J. Maas, #1 New York Times bestselling author
“The book grabs readers from the beginning with its stellar worldbuilding and multidimensional characters, and the mythical elements are truly believable within the constructs of the story. The perspective shifts between the viewpoints of Teriana and Marcus from chapter to chapter, offering readers greater insights into each. …A gripping introduction to a new series.” ―Kirkus Reviews (starred)
“This is a lush, imaginative world, and as the focus shifts between Teriana and Marcus, it becomes clear that the readers are only getting a glimpse of its complicated history and mythology. …Their secrets don’t, of course, stop Teriana and Marcus from embarking on a steamy romance, and fans of Rutkoski’s sighworthy The Winner’s Kiss and the high-stakes sea adventure of Levenseller’s Daughter of the Pirate King will want to know where Marcus and Teriana journey to next.” ―Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
High seas adventure, blackmail, and meddling gods meet in Dark Shores, the first novel in a new YA fantasy series.
In a world divided by meddlesome gods and treacherous oceans, only the Maarin possess the knowledge to cross the Endless Seas. But they have one mandate: East must never meet West.
A PIRATE WITH A WILL OF IRON
Teriana is the second mate of the Quincense and heir to the Maarin Triumvirate. Her people are born of the seas and the keepers of its secrets, but when her closest friend is forced into an unwanted betrothal, Teriana breaks her people’s mandate so her friend might escape—a choice with devastating consequences.
A SOLDIER WITH A SECRET
Marcus is the commander of the Thirty-Seventh, the notorious legion that has led the Celendor Empire to conquer the entire East. The legion is his family, but even they don’t know the truth he’s been hiding since childhood. It’s a secret he’ll do anything to protect, no matter how much it costs him – and the world.
A DANGEROUS QUEST
When an Empire senator discovers the existence of the Dark Shores, he captures Teriana’s crew and threatens to reveal Marcus’s secret unless they sail in pursuit of conquest, forcing the two into an unlikely—and unwilling—alliance. They unite for the sake of their families, but both must decide how far they are willing to go, and how much they are willing to sacrifice.
Danielle L. Jensen is the USA Today bestselling author of The Malediction Novels: Stolen Songbird, Hidden Huntress, Warrior Witch, and The Broken Ones, as well as The Bridge Kingdom (Audible Originals). Her latest novel, Dark Shores, will be released by Tor Teen in May of 2019. She lives with her family in Calgary, Alberta.
INTERVIEW
- What is on your nightstand?
I’m currently reading Roar by Cora Carmack and The Deceivers by Kristen Simmons, which are very different but equally excellent!
- What author would you totally fan?
Hmmm. I’d say Sabaa Tahir because she is both talented and hilarious. Her Instagram stories always make me laugh.
- What makes you cringe?
Overly flowery and descriptive prose with an overabundance of metaphor. Lots of people love the poetry of this sort of style, but it’s not for me.
- Do you obsessively plot out each point or just go with the flow?
I don’t write down outlines unless I’m forced to, but I do have a very good idea of where I’m going when I write a novel, especially when it comes to the ending. I might not know exactly how I’m going to get to a place, but I always know where I’m going to end up.
- Is there a word you love to use?
But.
Haha, I’m guessing that’s too boring for you. I’d say I use the word desperate quite often.
REVIEW
Let’s start off with saying THERE BETTER BE ANOTHER INSTALLMENT!
Dark Shores was a perfect follow up for me when Game Of Thrones ended. It gave me the heroine I wanted in Teriana who is as beautiful as she is lethal. She from the Maarin, a seafaring tribe with no land per se. They trade from around their world and ports around the Empire (think Rome) that is ruled by the Celendrial. Until now the two have had a truce but with a new ruler, Marcus, in place, their way of life is in jeopardy. Marcus has made it his goal to find the mythical Dark Shores that the Maarin are very protective of and will not let anyone stand in his way.
The world building is natural and you quickly understand their ways and the landscape. I loved that we hear both sides of the story from Marcus and Teriana which is a great way to pick up on their personalities. This story is one I had trouble putting down and reminded me of the first time I picked up a Sarah J. Maas book or one by Leigh Bardugo. It sucks you right in with brilliant characters and a world that isn’t real but should be. You can see the inspiration from the Roman Empire and it was familiar but at the same time very exotic.
