I’m a sucker for all things sea-related so I was delighted to be approved to read Dark Shores. Teriana is the second in command to her pirate mother Tesya, captain of the Maarin ship Quincense. After some drama in the Celandor port, they and their crew end up in a bit of trouble having and what follows is a really interesting story packed with pirates and political intrigue. It’s a bit slow to start but once it gets going it’s very difficult to put down! I really enjoyed it and I’m already looking forward to the next book in the series!

This book was like a mashup of Julius Cesar and Pirates of the Caribbean. A delightful ride full of action and adventure. Looking forward to the next book in the series.

Another great one from Danielle Jensen!

I first read Jensen’s work when I powered through her Malediction series (which was then repeated through audiobooks), so I am a little biased because I absolutely loved that series! When I heard she wrote another book, this time based on Ancient Roman politics and pirates, I knew I had to check it out! This was amazing from start to finish. Teriana, a WOC, is a wonderfully strong character and I never found myself waning from her like I have in other YA novels. Marcus took a bit more time, but I think he’s growing on me a bit based on his moral compass and strength to get through his debilitating illness.

I never found myself bored with the story and I’m already impatient for the next part in the series. I was really impressed with the storytelling and the distinction between the West and the Dark Shores. I will always look forward to more from Ms. Jensen.

Dark Shores is the first installment in author Danielle L. Jensen's Dark Shores series. Things you should know. This series is based loosely on Ancient Rome. Instead of being called the Roman Empire, here it's the Celendor Empire. The story features dual narratives from 17-year old Teriana, the daughter the Captain of the Quincense and Marcus, the leader of the 37th Legion who has been brought back to Celendor for a mission that the two are forced to work together in order to save Teriana's people.

Teriana's people are seafaring (not calling them pirates) that rely on Gods to guide them on the seas. The Maarin are not controlled by the Empire. They can use any port, and are taxed just like other members of the Cel Empire. They also aren't tax with the so called son tax which says all families must give up their second born son to the Empire. They are also the only ones who know how to traverse the seas from one part of the world to the other using a kind of wormhole that is opened by one of the Gods.

Teriana finds herself as a political pawn in a much larger game after she inadvertently tells her best friend about the Six Gods which her people worship. Because of Teriana's betrayal, her mother turns her back on her and she's forced into a contract with Lucius Cassius where she is to lead a contingent of Celendor soldiers across the seas to a world that is being called the Dark Shore. Succeed and her mother and her people live, fail and they all die. What could go wrong?

Marcus is the leader of the Thirty-Seventh legion, the notorious army that has led the Celendor Empire to conquer the entire East. The legion is the only family he has, and even they don’t know the secret he’s been hiding since childhood. Marcus and his legion have a reputation for cruelty, but Marcus's own secret may be his downfall. A secret that Lucius Cassius gladly uses as blackmail in order to have Marcus and his men become political pawns. Cassius knows Marcus's true identity as well as his weakness and isn't afraid of revealing it to get what he wants which is world domination. He also uses Teriana's love for her people in order to blackmail her into leading Marcus to the Dark Shores and a way for other Celendorian Legions to follow.

The Empire controls all of the Eastern land masses while the West has been left to its own devices. There's even a saying that East shall not meet West under any condition. The West knows that if this happens, bad things will follow in its wake. The West worships a group of 6 Gods and Goddesses, with a 7th making all sorts of loud noises that could lead to even more violence and bloodshed. It is fair to say that there is a very large secondary cast of characters which I suggest that you keep copious notes so that you know which characters are the good guys and which are the bad ones.

If you like slow burn romance, Roman inspired Empires, power hungry politicians as the villain, and fast reads, this book is for you! If you like a mouthy heroine, they you will definitely get enough from Teriana while Marcus is the more stoic and driven character. There is a huge question hanging over this series and that is why a certain God allowed Teriana to spill secret information in the first place? Was this particular God trying to influence future events? One certain God even suggest that Teriana is the one who really matters when all is said and done. Curiouser and Curiouser.

Jensen is also the author of the Malediction Trilogy featuring Stolen Songbird, Hidden Huntress and Warrior Witch.

Greek mythology meets Pirates of the Caribbean in this action-packed fantasy.

When Teriana breaks a sacred law and reveals the existence of The Dark Shores to the godless Empire to save her people she finds her life tied to Marcus, a ruthless legionnaire known for his conquests. As the two fight for survival they soon discover their lives and intertwined by more than just a contract. This story was as thrilling as it was heartbreaking… full of secrets and mysteries that set you up for so much more in future installments.

The author did a great job of introducing this diverse world of gods and conquest. For me she struck just the right balance of information to keep you from being overwhelmed, but always wanting to know more. If I had a full series I would binge them all right now! I have so many questions and know there are many more adventures to come so I will be eagerly awaiting Jensen’s sequel (and reading everything else she has written in the meantime).

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for the opportunity to read Dark Shores in exchange my honest review.

I really love Danielle L. Jensen's writing. I remember when I picked up Stolen Songbird and I was so surprised by how much I loved it. So when she announced she was writing a book that was inspired by Roman culture and had pirates! I was super excited. So I will admit that this book started off a bit slow for me. There was a lot of information and the action wasn't picking up as much as I wanted it to. However, I stuck with it. Because I had a gut feeling it would get better. And I'm happy to say it did! The story is told between Teriana and Marcus. Both are forced into this unlikely and unwilling alliance. And though Teriana knows Marcus is her enemy, in the end he will always be her enemy, the pull she feels toward him is hard to ignore. Meanwhile, Marcus is pulled to Teriana in the same way. He built walls inside him because he knew the dangers of caring for someone. Yet, Teriana threatens to tear those walls down every moment she is with him. Thrown into a situation neither want, Teriana is forced to reveal the West, the Dark Shores. She is betraying her people in the process but she is doing to protect her crew who are her family. But the more these two enemies spend time together, they start seeing one another for who they are. Action, romance, and lots of twists and turns, Dark Shores keeps you on your toes. And not to mention some great characters. Can't wait to read the second book!

I received an ARC for an honest review.

Dark Shores was a solid 4 star read for me. The plot kept a steady pace which, in turn, kept me interested and turning the pages to find out what was going to happen next. By the cover and the synopsis, I got the impression that this was a story that involved pirates but sadly that wasn’t what we got. I would say they were more “seafaring” people than pirates. However, I quickly got over that minor issue.

Teriana has gotten herself into quite the situation, and ends up making the decision to spill a monumental secret in order to save her mother and what remains of their crew. Now, her mother has literally turned her back on Teriana for what she thinks is the ultimate betrayal of her people. Now, she must save her crew, her family, and also find a way to protect a hidden land that the rest of the world doesn’t even know exists.

I loved Teriana’s character. She is fierce, loyal, and a fighter to the very end. She would do anything, to protect those she loves.

Let’s just take a minute to appreciate the two soldiers/bodyguards known as Miki and Quintus. I can’t even begin to tell you how much I loved these two. They are part of the Thirty-Seventh Legion, the most elite fighting force in Celendor. Matching Teriana’s snarky attitude these two best friends were an absolutely delightful addition to the character lineup.

Now let’s address a couple of issues that I had. The first is the world building, or lack thereof. Opportunity presented itself numerous times for character development and the chance to really take our imaginations to this fantastical secret world and it just didn’t happen. I rarely say this but I wish that there was more “set up” in this first book.

The second issue I had actually bothered me the most. Two major events happened (which I can’t elaborate on for spoiler reasons) and I felt that they should have been addressed in this book. I can understand if they were minor and insignificant but they definitely weren’t. Instead, they had a paramount effect on the plot but were left unresolved, swept to the side like they didn’t matter, and that left me extremely frustrated.

All that aside, I enjoyed the story and look forward to seeing where the story goes from here and hopefully certain issues will be addressed.

Thank you, Net Galley, Tor Teen, and the author for allowing me to read this advance reading copy in exchange for an honest review.

Dark Shores, the first book in the Dark Shores series written by Danielle L. Jensen, will be released on May 7, 2019. If you enjoy high seas adventures, blackmail, and meddling gods, look no further. This review is spoiler-free.

In this first book, Teriana, a god-marked, Maarin girl who possesses knowledge of unconquered lands across the Endless Seas, is blackmailed into showing the way to a power-thirsty consul. Caught in an impossible situation in which the lives of her loved ones hang in the balance, she must lead a legion ready for the conquest of innocent people. Led by Marcus, a trained soldier and smart leader, Terenia will have to find a way to fulfill her end of the bargain while sabotaging the legion in order to save both her people and the people of the West without getting caught. A thin line, not always easy to walk.

This book has been such a fun read. The world is depicted in a very colorful way, rich in its cultures and beliefs. Teriana and Marcus are also well-developed. They each have solid reasons to act the way they do, and both are caught in impossible situations.

The book switches its point of view between Marcus and Teriana, which gives the reader a better understanding of these characters. They are easily relatable. Both characters are very stubborn, but I can’t imagine them being any different.

Overall, this book was very easy to read. It is fast-paced, and the reader doesn’t have time to get bored. The romance is obvious but feels genuine. I’m very curious to see how the story will unfold. There are elements introduced in this book that allow the reader to guess how the story will continue. The challenges both characters will have to face and the decision they will be forced to make are about to reach a whole new level.

I highly recommend this book, and this is easily a five-star rating for me. I loved everything about it. One of the best books I’ve read so far in 2019.

Thank you to Macmillan-Tor/Forge and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel!

I don't even think I can string together the words to express just how much I loved this book. Just like Sarah J. Maas, I loved every word. This is my favorite book of 2019 and I don't think anything will be able to top it. I'm a huge fan of Ancient Rome, Greek Gods and pirates (thanks Johnny Depp) and this book gave me all of that rolled up in an interesting plot and somehow made it work.

"North must not meet South"

What if you grew up and only knew half of the world and thought there was nothing beyond the ocean but more ocean? In the Empire of Celendor, a conquering empire, there is believed to be nothing beyond the Endless Seas. There are rumors of the Dark Shores though and what lies there but no one really knows for certain...or do they?

From the first page my attention was grabbed by Teriana. She is a 17 year old girl who is a Maarin sailor and second mate of her mother's ship the Quincense. The Maarin are a people in and of themselves meaning they aren't governed by any specific nation, but they do have to follow the laws of whatever nation the make port in. Teriana was a fierce MC who was strong, kind and loved her people enough to damn her immortal soul. While fierce she was also relatable which is something I really look for in my strong female characters. It's okay to not be strong all the time and question what the right decision to make is.

Our other MC is Marcus the Legatus (highest ranking officer in a Cel legion) of the 37th legion, a group of skilled soldiers who have been trained since youth to go out and conquer provinces and then bring them under the control of the Empire. Even from the start while the rest of the legion appeared brutish and rude, he seemed kind, caring and like someone I might want to root for. While he is on the opposing side of the fight with Teriana and the Maarin, you can tell he loves his legion and is loyal to them versus the Empire.

Dark Shores was so twisty and had me questioning who to trust the whole time I was reading it. While we get both Terianas' and Marcus' perspectives it was still hard to tell what the end goal actually was and who would be willing to do what to achieve theirs. Throw in some language barriers, traitors along with battles, it all made for an interesting story.

There were some amazing secondary characters in this book who I might not have liked at first, but truly grew on me. From the 37th we had Servius, Quintas, Miki, Amrin, Felix and Titus and from the Quincense there was Yedda, Bait and Magnius. They all played an important role in the story and really grew on me in and of themselves, even if some of them were protagonists. Who doesn't want a villian you love to hate? Or on you're not quite sure is a villian at all yet?

The inclusivity was also amazing. We have so many different skin colors/nationalities all working together with no racism. The main characters have dark skin colors and that was such a nice change from the usual. We also had some gay romance happening within the ranks of the legion, some gay interracial relationships too. Miki and Quintas were so cute together! I could tell how much they really cared for each other and it was nice to see read about them. They were front and center throughout the book and open about their relationship. It didn't phase Marcus at all, in fact no one batted an eye at it. This is the kind of world I want to live in and for a little while I got to.

Final Thoughts:
There wasn't too bad of a cliffhanger but were definitely some unanswered questions. This has the potential to be a long series, not one that drags out but has a long storyline like Throne of Glass. Also I'd like to take the time to say THANK YOU DANIELLE JENSEN for including a freaking GLOSSARY!! There were a ton of new terms and characters so this was super helpful when I was a tad confused.

I would recommend this book to everyone that loves seaworthy pirate tales of adventures, gods/goddesses that intervene, or some Ancient Rome aspects. If I had physical copies of this book I would pass it around to everyone that I know that enjoys reading. I have already preordered my copy and am praying there is a book tour so I can go meet the author and tell her just how much I loved Dark Shores.

This morning I’m trying to function due to lack of sleep because I was reading Dark Shores last night. And when a book leaves my heart racing, my nerves shaking and I whisper/cry out “No! I need more!” (because everyone is asleep in the house) then to me, it’s a really ah-mazing book. So far, it’s one of my top three favorite reads of 2019.

I was excited to learn this was written by the same author who wrote The Malediction Series, which I loved. The blurb for Dark Shores sounded intriguing: pirates? A soldier ? A quest? I wasn’t sure what to expect.

Don’t go into this book thinking it’s a typical “pirate” book, with adventures on the high-seas. This is not like the Pirate of the Caribbeans movie. It’s not swashbuckling and pirating, there is time spent journeying on a ship (there wasn’t much pirating going on) but this book takes place a lot on land. It has political intrigue, epic action, a sea monster, battle scenes between Gods, battle scenes among men and it’s quite a ride. And when I finished this story I still felt there was so much more to find out about the world of Dark Shores, hence my frustration because it means now I have to wait for the sequel.

Each chapter of this book had me hooked to find out more, I could not stop. Teriana is a sixteen year old girl and part of the crew on her mother’s ship, Quincense. She’s a Maarin, a seafaring people who survives on trade and the only ones in the East who aren’t conquered by the Celendorians. The Celendor Empire is similar to the Roman Empire with a Senate governing body and a large army at their disposal. They are an empire that does not believe in Gods and persecutes those that do.

Teriana and her people hold to a mantra, East must not meet West. Both sides of the world don’t know the other exists, though there are rumors in the East about the Dark Shores. The only way to get to the West is a magical waterway or current that acts as a hidden path between the two sides. But Teriana and her crew know the way between East and West because they have traveled the route countless times. It is a secret her people take to their graves to keep in favor with their Gods. But Teriana tells this secret in a moment of weakness. Teriana’s mistake binds her into a conflict between East and West. Marcus, a commander of the deadly Thirty-Seventh legion is tasked to lead a quest to find this new world, and Teriana has no choice to help him or else the lives of her people are forfeit.

The world building is so well done, and the writing flows beautifully, which is why I was already a fan of this author. There is use of profanity in this story, which I don’t mind at all, but for those who don’t like it, just know it’s there. The scene in the Sea of the Dead gave me goosebumps, I loved how we went from politics and the cerebral world of the empire to Teriana unveiling this new mystical world that is ruled by Gods and the belief in them.

The characters in this story are fantastic. We have Gods, heroes, villains, and side characters that add humor. I cared for Teriana, Marcus and the soldiers. Teriana is a carefree, feisty, worldly but sometimes impulsive girl, somewhat expected from a girl who lived her life in the open seas. Marcus is true to his commander personality: rigid, controlled and loyal to his legion but that doesn’t mean he has no weaknesses. The tension between them is there but the romance doesn’t overtake the book. When Teriana and Marcus finally acknowledge what is happening between them, I was more than ready for it.

The story was like a ship with one destination: forward. Or should I say like a legion of soldiers headed to battle: forward march. The Thirty-Seventh never falls back! 😉 Meaning, this story was relentless and I love it. It made me think about the conquerors and the conquered. Who was more evil, the empire or the corrupted? Who is more to blame? And how can they fix what is happening? This is a book I’m going to be thinking about for awhile and probably rereading a lot before the sequel comes out. This is an outstanding first book in a series and I’m going to be marking my calendar for the release date of the next book.

It took me a little bit to get into the tale. Great premise and potential for character growth. Looking forward to next in series!

The was my first Daniell L Jensen book and it was so good!! I loved the writing style, the plot, the characters, and the world building, it was all just so good! Really, I didn't want it to end.

Dark Shores is an Ancient Rome inspired tale with some seafaring adventures. The two main characters enemies on the same mission working opposite sides to keep the people they care for safe and then throw some sexual tension into the mix. What could possibly go wrong?

** I received an ARC from Macmillan-Tor/Forge via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a historical fantasy set in Ancient Rome. This novel is full of political intrigue and magic! I thought the world-building was very realistic and well-developed. I also like the writing for it is very detailed. Overall, I
Recommend this for fans of Defiant. Full review to come!

This book is so unique. I loved the Roman-inspired culture of the Cel. Also, I thought that the world-building, in general, was great. The description of all the different cultures and ethnicities was thorough without being too tedious, like how some books that cover a broad geo-cultural scope can be. Lastly, I liked Teriana and Marcus. I thought that they had complex personalities and well written character development throughout the book. However, I think that characters like Felix, Bait, Teriana's mother, and even Servius came off as a little one-dimensional throughout the book. Even though they are not the main characters, in the future I would like to see them being more fleshed out instead of just seeming like props to support or hinder the development of the relationship between the main characters. All-in-all, even though I don't think this perfect (if the perfect book even exists), I think that the pros way out the cons and it's definitely a YA fantasy people should add to their must-read list.

I received this as an ARC, and I was anxious to be swept away. Admittedly, I put the book down soon after starting to begin another book. I wasn't hooked right away, and with little time on my hands, I gave it up for a bit. Just last night I decided to give it another try and started where I'd stopped the first time. This time, I finished it in less than 24 hrs.

I adored the choice Jensen made to give readers both Triana's and Marcus' perspectives. So much tension was built as a result!

Although I wished it could've taken off more quickly, this story did build into one with action, suspense, romance. I'll definitely be picking up the next book.

Okay so at about 50% I was thinking this was going to be a 3 star read. If you read my reviews you know characters and setting/atomopshpere are my number 1 while plot is number 2. (Give me slow moving, give me fast paced IDC as long as we get some amazing characters) but by the second half this baby picked right up and made me fall in love with these troubled characters.
The first half of this book sets up this vast world where the east can't meet the west. Maarins are the only people who know of both lands because they are people of the sea. Enter Teriana she is the daughter of the captain of the Quincense ship. They spend their days on sea only coming ashore for trade.
Marcus is our second POV, he is the young commander of the Thirty Seventh. He is seen as ruthless to outsiders but those in his command know different. Marcus is so morally grey. He is a commander, he has killed people and will kill again but the secrets and torment he goes through absolutely destroyed me.
Teriana and Marcus do develop a relationship but it is SO slow burn and believable and I loved it. They are two totally flawed people who find solace in each other MY HEART.
The setting of this book is a fantastical take on Ancient Rome. The descriptions of Marcus' armor and the East sound very reminiscent of that period of time. And I loved it.
There is so much going on in this book I did feel confused for brief periods but a quick reread of some passages cleared most things up and I think a map in the final copy would be EPIC. A few passages got a little info dumpy but it didn't take away from the overall story. There are fights between Gods, political intrigue, war tactic discussions and the boys of the Legion are everything to me. You would assume 'solider boys' to be hard and unforgiving but these boys are soft and funny and they love each other (romantically and platonically) and I think it just sealed the deal on the four stars for me.
So many things go left unsolved so I'm assuming this will be a series. A huge question I have is about Terianas best friend. IF U KNOW U KNOW.
Anyways, tragic characters, epic setting and a world set on war this was SO exciting and I can't wait to read more people's thoughts.

Wow! Just wow! Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for letting me read this book.

We’ve got this world inspired by Ancient Rome and with in it we have villians- more specifically a power hungry senator. We have a fierce heroine, Teriana, who sails the high seas like a real pirate. This story is phenomenal and the characters are just raw and amazingly real. The slow-burn romance had me right there yearning and this book defywpyldnt be complete without that family drama.. am I right?! You have to have more conflict to make for more adventure.

This book was everything I needed to put me back in the fantasy mood!

E-arc provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Let me start by saying how stunning this cover is and that's what made me want to read this book.
This is how I imagined the sequel of Seafire to be until the ruined everything by re-designing the series.
I hate when authors and publishers do that!
Anyway, the story was very compelling and I like how the characters did not disappoint me with making stupid life choices who usually make me flip the book onto the floor haha.
I thoroughly enjoy this and would recommend 100%!

I really enjoyed this book! It was such a cool concept to have 2 sides of a world that don’t know about each other.
I loved Teriana and her love for her people. I loved that Marcus knew the difference between right and wrong even though he couldn’t always do what was right. He always tried to do the best he could under the circumstances. I think my favorite character was Yedda. I also loved Magnius.
The only thing that made me rate this down a star was a lot of it had to do with religion and politics which I don’t find super enjoyable. But it wasn’t forced or hard to read. It was still a great read. I also found the middle a little slow, but it definitely picked up at the end!
There were so many question unanswered and so many what happened to this character, what will happen next? It is left in such a wrap up in one sense, but in such a cliffhanger I’m so many other senses. I can’t wait to see what happens next!

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.
I really enjoyed this book quite a bit. The plot and storyline was very interesting. There were many twists and turns in this book and this is what kept me reading. I also liked the characters, Marcus was a great character. Teriana was a little annoying but honestly I did enjoy reading about her. I liked how the two characters where different but how they worked well together in the book. Overall I enjoyed this books and I gave it 4 stars, because of the plot and the twists, and it genuinely did keep me interested and kept me reading.