This book was amazing! The author’s incredible world building is reminiscent of ancient Rome and is full of kick-ass girl pirates and gorgeous imagery. I fell in love with all of the characters, and their dynamic personalities hooked me from the start!

This book was sooo good. The compelling story, where the stakes keep getting amped, the well written main characters (sense of guilt! old secrets! wrath of the gods!) that you start to care for early in the book, the super interesting world building (that borrows heavily from roman history, but it's never too much), the abundance of characters of colour, the presence of disability and the discussion about it, and the topic of colonisation and its effects, all managed to keep me glued to the pages!
I'm looking forward to an equally stunning sequel!

I received an early copy via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

4.5/5 stars
Dark Shores was not quite what I expected it to be going into it, but to be honest it was better than I expected. I went into this book because of the pirate character, Teriana. If you've been following my bookstagram or my reviews, you know I love a good swashbuckling tale!

Unfortunately this book didn't entirely deliver on the swashbuckling. I do not entirely agree with calling Teriana and her people pirates, they're referred to as pirates but they seem more like a peaceful seafaring people that worship the old gods and goddesses, and there isn't any actual piracy in the book.

If you like a good slow burn romance, Roman inspired Empires, power hungry politicians as the villain, and fast reads, this book is for you!

This book is the story of Marcus and Teriana. Teriana is a Maarin and they are a seafaring people that worship the old gods and know of magical ways to travel from one side of the world to another quickly. They've somehow kept the East and West lands secret from each other. But the East discovers the secret of the Dark Shores, and now they want to conquer the land. This is where Marcus comes into the picture. He's the leader of the thirty-seventh legion and he has been blackmailed into completing this quest, into conquering the West.

I liked pretty much the whole book because it was a fast read and I had a really hard setting it down! However, I wish there was ACTUAL piracy and a little more time at sea, the majority of the book was on the Dark Shores and barely anytime at sea. The book would also benefit for a tad more worldbuilding.

I look forward to reading book 2 and learning more about the magic, the lands, and the characters!

I really enjoyed this story!
I’m trying to put my thoughts into words because I have so many swirling around.

Let’s start with what I loved:
I LOVED the world! I am fascinated by this whole entire world especially The Dark Shores. I can’t wait to see more and I hope we do travel in the next books.
I really loved the legionaires, just as people. They weren’t just sticklers. They actually had personalities and compassion. I liked the relationships built between Terianna and a few of the legionaires!
The religion aspect of this story is super interesting to me and I hope to delve deeper. There is a specific scene when two Gods show up and that was the most epic scene in the whole story! I really hope to see more of the Gods.
I could really see the characters and this world through the details and descriptions.


Some things that I didn’t not like but needed a tiny bit more...:
I went into this thinking Pirates and it only had a small portion of pirates. I’m hoping throughout the series we get a little bit more Pirate action because that was a really amazing part for me.

The ending scene/battle was a little quick and a little easy, even though it’s been said throughout the story that the Thirty-Seventh doesn’t lost or retreat so...
but it could have been a little longer, it all happened within one page.

Overall this is a really awesome story! I can’t wait for the rest of the series! I can’t wait to see more of the world, Gods and all the drama in between!

I absolutely enjoyed this book, from the swashbuckling pirates, to Roman inspired legions, to gods at odds with each other, Dark Shores boasts so many adventurous elements woven together in a way that was reminiscent of Homer's The Odyssey. In any other book, I don't know if I could have envisioned pirates and Romans going together, but they just worked. The main characters are so wonderfully flawed. Fans of Tricia Levenseller's Daughter of the Pirate King duology will be absolutely thrilled with Dark Shores. This was such a great adventure that has left enough cookie crumbs to build a great sequel.

Summary

This book ties together the stories of Teriana and Marcus. Teriana is the second mate of a pirate ship and they are the masters of the high seas. Marcus is the leader of the Thirty-Seventh, which is a commanding legion that has helped conquer the empire. Their paths cross and they must join forces together to save Teriana's crew and to protect Marcus' secret. 

Likes

I didn't like this book, at all unfortunately. I had high expectations because female pirates have really worked for me in books such as Song of the Current and Seafire. But this just didn't live up to my expectations. I think that the cover is absolutely gorgeous and the general idea of the book was good. But that's about all I liked about it.

Dislikes

First, I didn't feel a connection to any of the characters. I was expecting to find myself loving Teriana and how she carried herself; while she did present with some strong leadership qualities, she just didn't say pirate to me. I thought I was going to be rooting for her the whole time as un underdog, but my reaction was more meh. Marcus also didn't strike me as a lovable main character. He was okay but I didn't find myself caring about what was going to happen to him. The two together did show some promise but not enough to make me really become invested in them. Speaking of investment, I didn't really like the plot? I felt like there was so much going on it was hard to keep track of. There were also elements of gods and goddesses in this but it didn't feel like it truly fit, like it was kind of misplaced. The romance between Teriana and Marcus didn't feel genuine to me and it was rushed and thrown in. There was a lack of world-building and I feel like that could have upped my rating if it was a little more developed. There was also a distinct lack of piracy in this book, which was why I picked it up. So it surprised me that it wasn't really in there for what I expected.

Recommendation

I'm not sure that I can recommend this book since I didn't like it but I would suggest fans of the author's previous works to read this one!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for providing me with the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I had never read anything by Danielle Jensen, but the summary (sounding very Pirates of the Caribbean-esque) had me intrigued. Not to mention, what a gorgeous cover! However, I’ve never been more confused about my feelings over a book.

I admit I was pushing through boredom until about the seventh or eighth chapter when things picked up a bit. As I see other readers have shared similar sentiments, there wasn’t as much “swashbuckling” as I had hoped for or expected there to be, and all in all, I felt I spent far more time on land with these characters than on the water. Would I say I feel duped in that regard? Perhaps that’s a bit too harsh. I will say that one of the highlights of my reading experience was during the crew’s travels to the West, so I certainly enjoyed “being on the water” with the characters.

Speaking of the characters, I really liked Marcus, even at his worst. Teriana, on the other hand, was hit or miss for me. Of all the characters, however, I most enjoyed the scenes with Servius, whose sense of humor brought some light to otherwise grim instances. One of my favorite lines from him was during a scene when they were traveling to the West and he said something like, “I’m never getting in the water again.” :) In that startling moment of the story, it was the laugh I didn’t know I needed as a reader.

As for the worlds we venture into—I had an idea in my head of what Celendor was like. I thought it was original to throw the characters and the reader into a Roman Empire inspired city, which is something I can’t recall coming across in other books I’ve read. However, our characters spend a lot of time in the West, and I had no clear picture of what that world looked like. I pictured forests and somewhere a bit Amazonian, although I’m not sure that’s what the author was going for. I also felt unsure about the Western gods and goddesses. They’re supposedly an important part of this story, but as soon as the crew made it to the West, I felt that the gods (in which there are more than just the Goddess of the Seas) were placed on the backburner…unless there’s more to come of them and their involvement.

It may not be the pirate adventure I was expecting, but it’s an adventure nevertheless. A quick read, and without hesitation, I say it’s beautifully written—sometimes fun, sometimes boring, other times your eyes can’t leave the page. I do realize that this is the first book of a series—how many of which, I do not know. With that in mind, I understand Jensen was setting us up for what’s to come in the sequels, and I am curious to know what will happen next.

Thank you to Tor Teen for providing me with a copy of Dark Shores, via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Teriana has lived on a ship all her life, as a trader between the east and west continents.  Her people believe in the existence of gods, who preside over such things as the air and water, unlike those on the shores of the East.  Under threat of being arrested for paganism, they must never speak of their gods, or the people who are born marked by them with special abilities.  The other thing they must never speak of is the existence of the other continent.  East must never meet West, due to the fear the East's ruler would attempt to conquer the Western Continent of farmers and traders.So neither side has any idea another continent exists over the seas.  Even if the East did know about the West, they wouldn't know how to get there....until Teriana is forced to show a legionnaire and his army the way.  They will both need to decide what they're willing to sacrifice for the good of the people they each love.

This book was SO GOOD.  Teriana is a tough, kick ass girl, but we're often shown just how difficult it is for her to take on responsibility beyond her age.  I liked the way her vulnerabilities and inner conflict were woven in to her personality, giving her character a realistic feel.   Marcus also had a multilayered personality and the love/hate relationship between them for a lot of the book was so fun to read.  I got real Pirates of the Caribbean vibes while I was reading Dark Shores, although the story is not really alike.  The subtly interwoven magic, battles between gods, seafaring and betrayal made for an exciting ride.  I loved a lot of the supporting characters in the story too,  there was some great banter and even though they were not main characters, we still got to know their personalities surprisingly well.  There were a lot of questions left unanswered or unconfirmed at the end of the book, but I never really get concerned about that when I know it's the first in a series, I assume they'll be answered in the next book (which, by the way, I can't wait to read!)

This book was so different from the other pirate themed books i have read. It was so interesting that i was hooked immediately! I loved the main characters personality she wasn't just tough but she showed more real emotions that made her relatable. I think I read this book in one day because it was so fast paced. I do wish though that it had some romance in it but i would still recommend this book to everyone.

Oh how I waited to be approved for this book! Through my nervous anticipation, I must admit I was a little apprehensive that it would not live up to the hype that I have seen in virtually all media fronts. How pleased I am to say that it did not disappoint! This story is sure to be a hit! Through incredible story-telling, beautifully developed characters, a fascinating plot and more action than I could ever recollect, I can already say that I will have a waiting list very long for my readers to get their hands on this book! The dangerous quest that unfolds throughout is not only captivating in the nature of the plot, but completely fun and exciting to learn about as well! I love, love, loved this and cannot wait for more! Jensen is a rock star!

I was provided with an eARC of thid book in exchange for a fair review.

This. Was. Awesome! I was sucked into the world from page one, and was not ready for it to come to an end! I need the sequel like yesterday!!!! Teriana was awesome and sassy and funny and the perfect female MC. Marcus was totally swoon-worthy, honorable, admirable, and the perfect male MC! I was rooting for them both the whole time, even with their star crossed fate. I have some hopes for how this plays out as the series progresses, and this series will be an auto-buy for me!

I enjoyed Dark Shores by Danielle L. Jensen. The setting and characters breathed life throughout the story, keeping my attention and constantly making me wonder what was going to happen next. The stakes and struggles added layers and filled me with interest. It was a fun read!

A great read! I really liked the characters, especially Teriana. Great plot with twists that keeps readers' interest!

An amazing start to what I hope continues to be an wonderful series with a lady pirate. What a fun, exciting book! I was so sorry to get to the end, but there's more to come!

I knew I wanted to read this book early when I read that it involved a heroine, pirates and Gods of the Sea. It seems as if mythology books are all the rage these days and for good reason! There is so much that you can incorporate or expand on with mythology. This is my first time reading anything written by Danielle L Jensen and I am glad I was able to get to know her writing style. This book was a unique, fun, action packed book that kept me guessing and wanting to know more of what happens next. Well done!

I’m not the best at writing reviews so I will just say you need to add this book to your to be read pile because oh my god it was so good!

I love the world building, the characters, the story, the inner turmoil, the subtle romance. Oh boy I’m pretty excited I had a chance to read this early.

Between our main characters, Teriana and Marcus, I was like yay, characters who are not perfect, who have some serious inner conflict to work through and whom I ship so badly! *fangirl squeal* I was getting some Yelena and Valek vibes from the Study series by Maria V. Snyder and these two are my favorite couple in the whole universe so you can probably see why I love Teriana and Marcus so much. Individually they are absolutely wonderful and complex characters. Together...HECK YES!

I love how honorable Marcus is. Yes, he has done a lot of horrible stuff but he is a commander of a great army, what else would you expect. Yet, he is a very fair and decent person and leader. Teriana is thrown into new territory and she went from being snarky and laid back to having to make adult decisions while still remaining snarky. I freaking love them both! I would sail across the world with them.

I need the next book now. This doesn’t end in a crazy cliffhanger but there is just so much to do still. Also I really hope the final copy of the book comes with a map because there was a lot of territory covered and I’m a visual person. Map please! Also thank you for the glossary.

So just read this when it comes out in May. Okay, thanks, bye!

Listen. Every now and then I will read an ARC that I cannot wait to purchase for my library so I can put it in the hands of as many people as I can. This is one.

✔Added to my to-purchase cart
✔Release date marked on calendar
✔Followed author on social media

OK, pirates ✔, kick-ass lead female ✔, slow burn romance ✔, plot twist ✔, more pirates ✔, smart mouth comments and banter ✔

This book had it all for me. I adored all of the characters and the character development. Teriana is thrown in to a situation and she thinks quickly and makes a choice for her and her whole crew/family. She is witty, a quick thinker, hard worker and loyal friend.

The author does a great job of setting each scene without overdoing it with too many details. Same goes for her character building. GREAT BOOK!

I loved Jensen’s Malediction trilogy so I awaited this with bated breath. Dark Shores takes a little while to really get going – there’s a huge amount of world building and scene setting – but it isn’t info dumpy. Just a bit slow burn. The world is well worth it, with a Roman-esque empire and important character backstories being drip fed in as the scaffolding for the story is put in place. After that it’s a gripping adventure story and a character driven conflict, with magic, gods and intrigue. Highly recommend.

A wonderful story of what it means to be a family and just how far one is willing to go to protect them.

Ancient Rome meets Pirates of the Caribbean.

From the very first pages there is no denying the roman influence in Dark Shores. There’s an empire that has taken over every inch of the known world and is hungry for yet more power.

This empire is ruled by a Senate of elected officials who control the military which is the true force of empire. This military, filled with legions of legionnaires, is staffed by something not unlike a draft that is basically a son tax.

Every second born manchild is to be given to the empire and trained as hardened killers.

Marcus is one such legionnaire who, at the age of twelve, joined the military along with 4,000 other boys from all over the continent. We don’t see or learn much of their training days, but Marcus rose in the ranks and quickly became the Legatus, or commander, of the 37th legion. With his genius and prowess, the 37th went on to become the single most powerful force in the empire.

A large majority of trade in the empire happens via the waterways, and there the Maarin reign supreme. A free people not bound by the empire’s laws, the Maarin control the seas and are the lifeblood of the empire’s trade routes.

But the Maarin have a deadly secret, they can traverse the Endless Sea using what amounts to a wormhole that is opened by one of the Six gods of the world.

The empire denies the existence of the gods, and in fact punishes any worshipers with the death penalty.

Because of the empire’s bloodthirst, the Maarin keep the existence of the wormholes and what lay on the other side a secret. For far beyond the Endless Sea lies another whole continent often referred to as only “the West”, and if the empire knew of its existence they’d set out to conquer it like they have everything else, slaughtering countless innocents in the process.

Teriana is a Maarin pirate whose love for her friends and family and the decisions that she makes to save them will put the entire unknown West at risk.

The story in Dark Shores takes a really long time to take off. There’s a lot of world building that happens up front, and while I wouldn’t call it an info-bump, it is a rather slow burn. It didn’t really take off for me until about 42% of the way through the book.

There was always enough intrigue or maniacal plotting to keep me interested, but I was never fully engaged until Chapters 23-24. After that point, I couldn’t read the rest of the book fast enough. In fact, the last 30% I blew through in a single sitting after taking 3-4 days to read the first half.

There are a few things that happen and a few characters that really quite frankly have very little impact on the story as a whole at the beginning, yet a lot of time is dedicated to learning about them, their problems, and their plans.

There’s a lot of confusion and questions about what kicks the whole story off in the first place, and those questions are never answered.

Namely, why did the gods tell Teriana to give the book of the gods to Lydia, Teriana’s friend, knowing full well that it would jeopardize an entire world–a world they would then come to be angry about being discovered.

Yet throughout the story the same gods are okay with the events coming to pass and want Teriana to take control of the situation, but then she never really does.

But perhaps the biggest question I had was how the main “bad guy” found out about the book that Teriana had given Lydia.

None of this is really spoilers as it it could all be inferred from Dark Shores’ book description. Of course the West is going to get discovered, or there’s not story here. But I want to know how it happened.

Teriana had a mind to ask Lydia, but then never gets the chance before she’s sent halfway around the world. While it ended up not being crucial to the story really, I was still longing for that confrontation and hoping that it might come later in the story through some strange turn of events, but it never did.

So the main thrust of Dark Shores is a battle of wills and power. Marcus butts heads with the main “bad guy,” this antagonist then puts Teriana in a pickle, and then pits the two off of each other.

Throughout the story, Teriana hates Marcus’s guts and Marcus thinks Teriana is an annoying idiot.

Teriana only puts up with him because the antagonist is holding her family hostage, and Marcus only puts up with Teriana because the antagonist is blackmailing him.

It’s an unhappy little situation all the way around. Couple that with the fact that Marcus is sent to conquer this unknown world, which Teriana is responsible for unveiling and she believes that every terrible thing that happens is her fault.

And in a way it is. It really is.

I won’t say too much about the rest of the plot, but suffice it to say that the “big bad” mentioned earlier is likely a problem over the course of the series, but there is another, smaller antagonist that becomes the main enemy and focus of Dark Shores.

I love the progression of this military campaign and the genius plans that Marcus executes. He deserves every bit of the acclaim that he gets as military commander. There are plenty of surprises in story, and plenty of twists to keep you turning the pages.

As with most YA Fantasy books, Dark Shores is character-driven, and there is really no better way to tell a story in my opinion.

Marcus and Teriana aren’t our only characters. There’s Bait, a Maarin boy who Terian secretly talks to behind Marcus’s back. And then there’s Yedda, Teriana’s aunt who is a tough woman, but knows how to love her niece and has her best interests at heart.

And of course we can’t forget about the legion (har har) of other supporting characters like Servius, Felix, Titus, Quintis, Miki, and Gibzen, legionnaires all of them. But Teriana quickly discovers they aren’t as bad as the empire makes them out to be, and we begin to see them as Marcus does, as not only his men, but his brothers.

Even Cassius, for as little as we see him, is single handedly responsible for a lot of the character development that happens in this story.

People will of course will ask about Marcus and Teriana. And I will say no more than Jensen has already said on the matter on the Dark Shores Goodreads page: She is an author who writes romantic subplots. You make your own inferences.

I think my favorite character in Dark Shores is Servius.

Why?

Well Teriana can get on your nerves sometimes, though I do like her spunk. And Marcus can be a little thick headed. But Servius–he’s everything you want in a character. He’s fun, he’s lighthearted, he’s loyal to a fault, but he’s also kind and caring.

If I could pick any legionnaire to protect me and my family, I’d want Servius. No, he may not be the baddest, the strongest, or the smartest, but he’d be reliable and great to spend time with.

I gave Dark Shores a 4 out of 5.

I was dangerously close to giving it a 3.5 due to the slow opener, but as the story progressed, I really got into it and ended up loving this book.

The unanswered questions, seemingly convenient set of circumstances, and slow opener are the only things preventing me from giving this a full 5-marks.

I’ll definitely be continuing on in this series and will without hesitation pick up the next book as soon as it’s available.

That’s the highest praise I can give any book really. If you so capture my attention enough that I will auto-buy your next book without reservation and hesitation, then kudos and good job!

While I wait, I may just go pick up Stolen Songbird and see what else Jensen has to offer.