This was such a wonderful, heart warming adventure. I loved the relationship between Noa and his brother and was my absolute favourite thing. It was so well written. The ending felt a little rushed and simple, but it really doesn't take away from the fun.

First, I would like to thank Books forward, author Melissa Hope, and Jolly Fish Press for giving me access to an early digital copy of this book! I always love getting to preview middle grade books, not only for my children to read one day, but also for me to recommend to mothers of avid readers!

I didn't know what to expect with this book, but I absolutely fell in love! The story has all the things I loved when I was a young reader! Action, adventure, mystery, magic, and just simple childhood antics!

The story is about two brothers, who also happen to be princes, and their journey to try and save their kingdom from invasion and pirates! They get to travel on the seas and encounter multiple types of mythical and magical creatures.

I honestly can't wait for my son to be old enough to enjoy this story as well! I will be purchasing a copy just for him once he gets old enough to read it!

As I was reading my advanced copy of of SEA OF KINGS by Melissa Hope, my 10-year-old daughter asked me what I was reading. I told her it was a story about a young prince from an island kingdom who has never left his home. But when a king from another island kingdom brings a pirate along and they take over the kingdom, he and his brother must venture out to sea following a magical map, discovering magical creatures they didn't know existed. Her whole face lit up, and this is exactly what makes this book such a delight. It includes all the features that are perfect for middle grade readers, boys and girls alike.

There's adventure, magic, danger and secrets. There's also an important focus on family, both between the brothers with their deep bond peppered with rivalry and the main character, Noa, who experiences an ongoing journey to understand his father. There's even a sweet middle grade crush.

It's a delightful read that will grab kids with the premise and hold their attention with the consistently rising stakes. A super fun story!

Thanks to a few encouraging voices, I decided to start adding some middle grade books to my reading days. My first selection was Sea of Kings by Melissa Hope, and my fellow booklovers this story did not disappoint. While I admit that it was a bit slow in the beginning, it soon took off at lightning speed and I could not put it down.

This is a coming of age story and it follows royal brothers Noa and Dagan as they brave the sea, pirates, and plenty of magical creatures in order to save their beloved island and their people. I truly loved this novel because it had strong male and female characters, the characters were well-developed for their age group, and the story challenged the reader to understand important life lessons that might at times be unpleasant but necessary. The story is action packed and there is never a dull moment...Plus the characters are hilarious and often reminded me of my own relationship with my siblings growing up.

Sea of Kings is the kind of story I can picture Wendy reading to her brothers and the lost boys…In essence it is the perfect novel to instill a perfect sense of adventure in otherwise timid souls.

*I would like to thank Books Forward, author Melissa Hope, and Jolly Fish Press for providing me with an ARC of Sea of Kings, which I received for free in return for an honest review.

This novel was absolutely amazing and is such a great read for the middle grade audience! It contains action and adventure but also teaches great lessons of courage and the importance of family. The characters were fun and unique. The story reminded me of Pirates of the Caribbean but with the lost boys from Peter Pan. I enjoyed the pace of the story and I really felt it kept the reader engaged even with the epilogue in the end (so many new questions there haha)!

Is there a sequel in the works?..... because I'm ready for more!

I really wanted to like this book. However, I am DNF'ing at 41%. I'm still giving it 3 stars though because the world is really interesting and the plot seems like it will be great. The issue is that the pacing is too slow for me, and I can't retain an interest in the book to continue reading it. It was making me start to resent the book. A negative here is that there are too many characters at hand, so I was also really struggling to understand what was going on. This is probably a fantastic pirate MG, but, for those reasons, I had to DNF.

Betrayed by their closest friend and surrounded by Pirates, the people of Ondule have nowhere to go. Their only hope lies on the shoulders of the young crew who must use their brawn and wits to trick the Pirates and get help.

The first few chapters didn't hold my attention for long but it got more interesting as the story moved forward.

It was refreshing to see kids act like kids for a change instead of knowing everything just to make them look more intelligent.

Melissa invested a lot of time in the story and it shows by how well woven it felt. The twists near the end of the book blew my mind and creeped me out at the same time.

I would've enjoyed it more if it had more magic but the discovery of magic and adventure of the high sea with the crew was way too pure to not be enough on its own.

Note:- I received a free eArc in exchange of an honest review.

SEA OF KINGS is a vivid and enthralling high-seas adventure as fun and as wild as the ocean itself! Melissa Hope's lively debut is the perfect mash-up of Pirates of the Carribean and The Goonies that will take readers on an incredible journey and leave them wishing for their own swashbuckling escapades! A truly fantastic read!

When their castle is attacked, prince brothers Noa & Dagan and their friends hijack and flee on a pirate ship. Following a mysterious magical map given to him by the king, prince Noa and his crew of rambunctious young boys hope to find a way to save their island.

Pirates, mythical water creatures, and sailing mishaps galore, a group of rowdy, young, and industrious boys must figure out how to sail their stolen ship, flee from pirates and soldiers, and survive on the high seas. When they discover that magic is real and meet up with unfriendly mythical creatures, their lives become even more interesting.

There were too many characters among the young crew to be notable, but the story focused on Noa's perspective, and his relationship with his father, his brother, and his friends. Noa always enjoyed curling up with a good book, unlike his well liked rambunctious brother, who would be a better choice to inherit the throne, if Noa weren't the heir. On this journey, Noa will need to live outside his books, make tough decisions, and lead his young crew to safety.

This is a great high seas adventure for middle grade and older readers.

I received a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Middle graders will absolutely love this.

A spell-binding adventure expertly told with the things dreams are made of: pirates, a band of school chums, danger, evil villains, and a touch of magic. Embedded subtly are some valuable life lessons, e.g., bookish nerds can be invaluable friends; choices are not always easy—doing the right thing versus the doing the easy thing; judging people without knowing their circumstances is fraught with risk; and reconciliation of differences with friends/parents should be done sooner rather than later. A page turner, with a beautifully constructed sequel ending.

I had so much fun reading Sea of Kings! With pirates, a magical map, and richly imagined underwater worlds, 12-year-old me was seriously digging this high-seas adventure. The interplay between the polar opposite brothers was spot on, and I really hope someone starts a league for the underwater version of capture the flag they play in the book because I'm definitely in!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Two princes and their crew, one magical map, and a stolen pirate ship, sailing to an unknown island to save their island from pirates and an unknown entity.

Wow, this was actually a really fun read. Dagan and Bones are my favorite in the book, they were too funny hahahha, but of course, Noa, my fellow book nerd is the most relatable for me. It was a bit slow at first for me but once mythological creatures started appearing, that started catching my attention. I kinda wish the book was more diverse since there was a lot of characters in the book and I felt like there was room to have some intersectional identities in there, but I just imagined the crew as being diverse characters personally. I also kinda wish there were more female characters, but the main three female characters are all amazing and I love how the author lets each character even the crew have a moment to shine in the book.

I love the yearning/romance on the side too, it’s cute. And I really enjoyed the mutual respect and second found family that grew amongst the crew and Noa as the story progress. Also, there’s a little surprise towards the end of Sea of Kings that took me by surprise. I can’t wait for the next book and read where the next part of this story is leading to.

If you like reading sea adventures, pirates, mythological creatures, and a fun and quirky crew with two princes, then go and preorder/buy this book!

Thank you Jolly Fish Press and Netgalley for providing me an eARC of Sea of Kings in exchange for an honest review.

Melissa Hope’s SEA OF KINGS is a high-seas adventure with heart and humor. When his island home is attacked, Noa must leave the comfort of his beloved books and head seaward to save his family’s kingdom. There’s a map to be deciphered, a brother to rescue, and ultimately a Death King to battle. The magic of the sea is on every page – a conch shell that allows you to listen in on faraway conversations, and glowing jellyfish as undersea lanterns, to name a few. Throughout, there is a message of forgiveness, not just for those you love, but for yourself. Young readers will adore this swashbuckling tale and will ask for more! Thanks to Jolly Fish Press and NetGalley for the eARC.

I really enjoyed the adventure I went on in this book!

We start off with the two main characters, Noa and Dagan, brothers and princes of their island. After danger comes to their island, they gather together a group of kids to sail a boat to save their island, and possibly their entire world. Pirates, hidden ocean dangers, maps, and secret islands dot their travels to save their home and each other.

One of the biggest things that shine in the Sea of Kings is the brother relationship. I loved their banter and found them funny and endearing as they antagonized each other to no end. The twists and turns of the book are well laid out, clues are strewn along the way that are enticing but not too much of a giveaway.

While the book did have a bit of a slow start, it did plenty in the middle and end to make me feel like I went on an adventure with the characters.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Sea of Kings is a swashbuckling adventure with an ocean of depth and heart. Readers will be drawn in by the swift-moving plot and well-crafted world, but what really hits home is the relatable family drama at the heart of the story. Noa and Dagan’s sibling rivalry feels authentic and sweet, and Noa’s complicated feelings toward his father, his grief, and his role in the family dynasty add an emotional punch to the action. Sea of Kings will appeal to readers of Peter and the Starcatchers and other high-seas adventures.

First off, this book surprised me a great deal. I don’t read middle grade as much as I’d like anymore and that dampened my excitement for this book. I began reading it though and I was swept off of my feet. I found myself falling in love witch characters I thought I wouldn’t. Noa was an amazing lead and you can see amazing character growth with him throughout the book.
This book really stood out to me with its island and pirate atmosphere. It gave me some vibes that reminded me of The Unwanteds by Lisa McMann. What really made this book unique was the history that was so strongly infused about these islands and the battles. It’s something I’m not used to seeing so well executed. It didn’t interrupt the plot. It wasn’t just a giant info dump. It was strewn in throughout the story at perfectly placed times. The plot was very fast paced as there was always something going on, some obstacle in their way which I really liked. On top of that we were given an amazing cast of characters. Although it was a mostly male cast our few female characters were amazing and set themselves apart in such big ways. Overall I ended up giving this book 5 out of 5 stars. It was thrilling to read and I cannot wait for others to get to read this amazing book.

Prince Noa might be next in line to rule his Island kingdom, but he'd rather spend his days in the library reading. When the Island comes under attack, Noa has no choice but to set out on the sea with his brother and a band of other kids (some friends, and some foes) to get help from neighboring Island kingdoms. With a magical map to guide them, it should be a straightforward task.
If only the map made any sense, and if their nemesis wasn't a diabolic one-eyed pirate!
Now Noa must confront his fears and embrace his real strengths to help save his home. Oh, and figure out how to read this crazy map!

An action-packed adventure complete with magic, evil pirates, and a wry sense of humor, SEA OF KINGS is an exciting ride from start to finish! Perfect for readers who love epic adventures with a side of humor, hope, and a good dose of magic!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the E-Arc!

This is a really gripping adventure story. I appreciated that it was fast paced but also gave a good amount of exposition and history as the mystery unfolded. You got a good overall sense of the history of the islands and enough more specific details to satisfy your curiosity without disrupting the narrative flow. I also really enjoyed the characters. The princes’ relationship was well done and I enjoyed that their group of friends kind of had a lost boys dynamic and brought a great balance of comic relief and serious concerns for their adventure. The one area that I think may be an issue for some readers is that the book does rely on a lot of adventure tropes which may bother some readers. That said I think they were done well and are a great example of why authors continue to use those elements. I particularly loved the way the magic map worked and overall appreciated how the magic was used throughout the book. I think this would be a great book for any middle grade reader looking for adventure.

There's never a dull moment in SEA OF KINGS, starting from when heir-to-the-throne Noa finds a skull in the first chapter to the thrilling teaser in the epilogue. I seriously could hear the "dun-dun-DUNNN!" sound effect in my head! This fast-paced, action-packed, humor-filled MG quest story has everything a kid could want--a magical map, a dim-witted brother (LOL), fantastical creatures, and plenty of secrets and intrigue. Although there are few girls among the cast, they are fierce and that's all that matters!