Happy Pub day to all of these new books!
What books are you most excited for this week?
Title: Dark Shores (Dark Shores #1)
Author: Danielle L. Jensen
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Publisher: Tor Teen
Source: Indigo Spring Preview 2019
Format: Paperback
Release Date: May 7, 2019
Rating: ★★★★
High seas adventure, blackmail, and meddling gods meet in Dark Shores, a thrilling first novel in a fast-paced new YA fantasy series by USA Today bestselling author Danielle L. Jensen.
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 SAILOR 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.
Teriana is the daughter of the captain of an important ship belonging to the Maarins. She gave away secrets on how to communicate with the Maarin gods to her friend, when her friend’s life was threatened. When her friend gives away the secret, that there is another land across the sea called the Dark Shores, the Maarin way of life is threatened. Teriana is captured and forced to show Marcus, a soldier, the way to the Dark Shores.
Pirate stories are really popular right now in YA fiction, but this is the first one I’ve read. I really liked the action in this story. There were some battles, but the descriptions were brief so they didn’t get complicated. There was the added complication of the gods, who could affect things in their world.
Since Marcus was from the Celendor Empire, he didn’t know as much about Teriana’s way of living, and he knew nothing of the Dark Shores. We got to learn about the world along with him.
Teriana was a bit of an unreliable character, which made the story exciting. She would tell people the wrong thing, and betray the ones closest to her. Usually I don’t like characters who are untrustworthy and unreliable, but Teriana was unpredictable and kept up the tension of the story.
I really enjoyed this story! I’m excited for the next books.
Thank you Indigo Teen for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Have you read Dark Shores? What did you think of it?
This blog meme is hosted by Book Date. It is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week. It’s a great post to organize yourself. It’s an opportunity to visit and comment, and er… add to that ever growing TBR pile!
This weekend I finished Dark Shores (Dark Shores #1) by Danielle L. Jensen.
I’m currently reading Say Yes Summer by Lindsey Roth Culli.
Next I will be reading Breath Like Water by Anna Jarzab.
What are you guys reading this week? Have you read any of these books?
Here are my reviews for the week with my ratings:
I did 9 weekly blogging memes:
How was your week? What did you guys read?
The meme that dares to ask what book has been in your bed this morning? Come share what book you’ve spent time curled up reading in bed, or which book you wish you had time to read today! This meme is hosted by Midnight Book Girl.
This Sunday I’m reading Dark Shores (Dark Shores #1) by Danielle L. Jensen.
High seas adventure, blackmail, and meddling gods meet in Dark Shores, a thrilling first novel in a fast-paced new YA fantasy series by USA Today bestselling author Danielle L. Jensen.
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 SAILOR 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.
What book are you in bed with today?
This meme is hosted by Steph at A little but a lot. The weekly prompts for 2019 can be found here.
This week’s prompt is Heartwrenching Endings. Here’s my list:
(All book cover images from Goodreads)
Did you make a Six for Sunday list?
Title: Four Days of You and Me
Author: Miranda Kenneally
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: May 5, 2020
Rating: ★★★★★
A new swoon-worthy romance following a couple’s love story on the same date over four years.
Every May 7, the students at Coffee County High School take a class trip. And every year, Lulu’s relationship with Alex Rouvelis gets a little more complicated. Freshman year, they went from sworn enemies to more than friends after a close encounter in an escape room. It’s been hard for Lulu to quit Alex ever since.
Through breakups, make ups, and dating other people, each year’s class trip brings the pair back together and forces them to confront their undeniable connection. From the science museum to an amusement park, from New York City to London, Lulu learns one thing is for sure: love is the biggest trip of all.
Every year, the students at Coffee County High get to go on a special school trip. The trips get larger each year, starting with a museum outing in their freshman year and ending with an international trip in their senior year. Each of these trips marks a pivotal moment in Lulu and Alex’s romance, such as their first kiss on their freshman trip. Each of the following trips pushes them together, leading them to make important decisions about their relationship.
This story shows just a few snapshots in their relationship. It covers about four days, with a few other brief scenes from throughout the year. It was amazing to see how their relationship is defined by their actions in these few days. Their relationship and feelings changed so much throughout the book that I wasn’t sure if they would end up together at the end.
This book brought back so many high school memories for me. We went on a bunch of school trips, though none as lavish as the later ones in this book. Lulu and Alex, as well as their friends, deal with the complicated feelings that come along with first loves and discovering yourself. It made me laugh and it made me cry. This book has all the feels!
This was a great high school romance!
Thank you Sourcebooks Fire for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Have you read Four Days of You and Me? What did you think of it?
This is a weekly meme hosted Devouring Books. This week’s prompt is Books with a Number in the Title. Here’s my list:
(All book covers from Goodreads)
If you’d like to do this list too, consider yourself tagged!
Did you make a Top 5 Saturday list?
Title: The Gilded Wolves (The Gilded Wolves #1)
Author: Roshani Chokshi
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Historical Fiction
Publisher: Wednesday Book
Source: Owlcrate
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: January 15, 2019
Rating: ★★★★★
No one believes in them. But soon no one will forget them.
It’s 1889. The city is on the cusp of industry and power, and the Exposition Universelle has breathed new life into the streets and dredged up ancient secrets. Here, no one keeps tabs on dark truths better than treasure-hunter and wealthy hotelier Séverin Montagnet-Alarie. When the elite, ever-powerful Order of Babel coerces him to help them on a mission, Séverin is offered a treasure that he never imagined: his true inheritance.
To hunt down the ancient artifact the Order seeks, Séverin calls upon a band of unlikely experts: An engineer with a debt to pay. A historian banished from his home. A dancer with a sinister past. And a brother in arms if not blood.
Together, they will join Séverin as he explores the dark, glittering heart of Paris. What they find might change the course of history–but only if they can stay alive.
In Paris in 1889, there are four family houses that run the city: House Kore, House Vanth, House Nyx, and the Fallen House. Only two are left standing, with House Vanth and the Fallen House having supposedly died out. Séverin knows he is the heir to House Vanth, even though he was denied that title years before. He wants to get his title back but it will take a lot of work. Him and his friends steal an artifact belonging to another House, but they get caught. They go on a mission to retrieve Séverin’s status, while also preventing their enemies from rising to power.
I loved the historical references in this book. There were some Greek mythology references within the structures of the houses. For example, they had roads named after the rivers in mythical Hades. In 1889, Paris had the Exposition Universelle, which unveiled the Eiffel Tower. Part of this story took place in the Paris Catacombs, which is a fascinating area of the city.
Though there was lots of glitz and glamour in the city, there was also a darkness as well. The exposition had a “human zoo,” called the “Negro Village,” which was exactly what it sounds like: people could go view other humans like they were animals in a zoo. This seems so absurd that it could be a highlight of an event, when it is completely offensive to treat people who look different from yourself like animals. This part of the expo didn’t play an important part in the novel, but it was mentioned. It shows the dark sides of history that aren’t usually talked about.
I love heist novels with a diverse cast, like this book. In other books, I’ve found that the action scenes can be confusing, because there is so much happening at once. This story was clear the whole time. It was very exciting at the end.
This is a great story! I’m excited for the next book in the series to come out in a couple of months.
Have you read The Gilded Wolves? What did you think of it?
This is a weekly meme hosted by Laurie Reads and Niffler Reads. Every Friday, they post a list of bookish things based on the prompt they provided. The prompts for Feb to May can be found here.
This week’s prompt is Middle Grade Covers. Here’s my list:
Did you make a list for Bookish Friday?
Jill's Book Blog 