After really enjoying the first book in this series, this second one was a bit meh for me. I very quickly lost interest in Margaret and Bash's romance.

After really enjoying the first book in this series, this second one was a bit meh for me. I very quickly lost interest in Margaret and Bash's romance. It felt forced and solely focused on the sexual aspects at the beginning. They clearly had things that they needed to talk with each other about, and would just jump into bed instead. It felt a little like a farce of a relationship. At that point I was almost willing them to fail.

That said, I still think the world is a lot of fun and the side characters are great. I loved getting a bit of other point of views. I still love Bay in particular. This book is darker than the first, which I don't necessarily mind. Really the romance just knocked it down for me. I found myself skipping through the romance bits and moving on to what I found to be more interesting.

All in all, I didn't hate this book, but I definitely did not enjoy it as much as I did the first one. I still would like to know what happens in the third book of the series, though.

This is the second book in the series and starts off not too long after the first one ended. Again, the beginning was a little slow for me but once it got going it was entertaining! A bunch of twist and turns with a lot of action in between. It ended on a cliffhanger and I need the next book asap! So far I highly recommend jumping into this series and I can't wait to find out how it ends!

I'm so happy I finally got to finish reading this book. I loved the first book The Girl Who Belonged to the Sea and was excited that this one was out.

I don't want to say too much to keep this review spoiler free but I absolutely love the way Ms. Quinn keeps upping the game in this trilogy. You get to see more backstory of each of the characters as well as learn some twists you weren't expecting. I feel for Bash and straight up want to smack a certain smug god. This was so dramatic and entertaining without overdoing it.

For anyone who likes a mix of fantasy splashed with tales on the sea, this is an easy choice.

Another one of my favorites of the year, I can't wait to see what happens to our characters in the next installment..

Thank you so much to Katherine Quinn, City Owl Press and NetGalley for allowing me to review this ARC with honesty. I'm forever grateful.

My Rating: 4.5 Stars (rounded up to 5)


(cross posted on GoodReads and IG: cassietheghostluvsbooks)

On These Wicked Shores picks up three months after the first book, Margrete's father has been defeated but monsters have been released into the world. The plot was solid enough, however the I didn't really connect with the main characters. Margrete and Bash were just fine, although I admit slight bias as I dislike the name Bash. It ended on a cliffhanger which was slightly frustrating but would be interested in seeing how the trilogy concludes.

This book had so much action, so many surprises, so much heartache, and an ending that gave me hope. I know the next book is going to be even more intense and I can’t wait to see what Margrete is up against.

Katherine Quinn’s world building was spectacular. It felt much more atmospheric than the first book. This was one crazy, spooky island I would never want to be cursed to visit. If you like creepy vibes, dark magic, and villains, you’ll love this one.

I really enjoyed the plot. The trials and tribulations didn’t stop. It hurt, but it kept me on my toes.

My only reason for 4 stars is that I prefer books that are heavier on relationships than plot. I like action, but my main reason for reading is character development and romance. There was a lot more of that in the first book, which is natural in a trilogy, but I would have liked more depth and more conversations between the characters.

Having enjoyed book one I quickly jumped at the chance to read book two in this trilogy. Starting a couple of months after where book one left off we find our characters settling in to their new lives.

With multiple POV it is easy to get lost or bogged down but I enjoyed learning more about Bay and Darius and weirdly found myself liking the bad guy a little more than previously. I also thought the development of Bay’s character in this book was great and that he will come into the story even more in book 3.

This sequel is much darker than book one and whilst we start on Azantian the story quickly moves off the island and into a trial by fire.

This book definitely doesn’t suffer from middle book syndrome and I may even prefer it to book one! There are twists and turns and some spicy scenes for my romantasy loving friends, overall it’s a good egg!

I enjoy Quinn’s writing and found myself fully sucked into the story, I am looking forward to finding out how this story ends given the last few chapters in this book.

On These Wicked Shores by Katherine Quinn is the second book in the Azantian Series. While Bash and Margrete have defeated her father, now they must hunt down the monsters that were released into the human world. A sea storm leaves them stranded on a mysterious and magical island, however, and Margrete discovers that she must complete the same trails that the gods Malum and Darius understand to obtain their full immortality. As she fights for the survival of her crew, she must determine what and who she’s willing to sacrifice to make that happen.
On These Wicked Shores is much darker than its precursor, The Girl Who Belonged to the Sea. There are scenes of dissociation, hallucination, and gore. The beginning was hard to sink into as not much recap was provided from the previous book, which I had read about a year ago, but I imagine it would be a great transition if you went directly from the first book to the next. The writing style did draw me out of the story at times, specifically when overarching statements either contrasted something that was said earlier or just didn’t feel right. However, the world building is still amazing and I anticipate more depth to come from the final installation of the trilogy.
Many thanks to NetGalley and City Owl Press for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

On These Wicked Shores | Katherine Quinn
#2 The Azantian Trilogy
Genre: Adult fantasy romance
I was eager for this release having consumed the first book in one sitting and while I thoroughly enjoyed this adventure/fantasy sequel, unfortunately I don’t think it quite lived up to the perfection of the first book.

The story picks up not long after Margrete saved her new home of Azantia and found out some terrifying truths about her world and self. This time around our band of merry adventurerers will have to face off against three deadly trials in a struggle to find out the truth behind Margrete’s destiny.
This book had sweet romance, sexy scenes, an epic love story filled with quirky side characters, magic and mystery and a villain that I’m sure I was supposed to hate more than I did. If you love high fantasy adventure on the seas, not-so wicked pirates and magic, give this one a try.
I am looking forward to seeing what the final entry in the series brings and seeing what else Katherine Quinn writes. One thing is for sure, this woman can write fantasy and loveable characters.
Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and author for an ARC.

Last year I requested and read the first book, "The Girl Who Belonged to the Sea", I really liked it! I was so happy about it, and I was thrilled to have the sequel! So you could imagine how I reacted when I saw the ARC of this book on Netgalley, and my request approved!
In recent months I have been very busy with study, so I apologize for my review late from the date of publication!

This book didn't disappoint me. I love the main characters and their dynamics!
I warn you: THIS SERIES IS FILLED WITH UNEXPECTED TURNS OF THE EVENTS AND SURPRISES ✨
Normally, I can sense when the plot twists are coming. But in this book I didn't see it coming: I'm still shocked about Darius and his story.
The final part of the book made me screaming and now I want to know how the story will continue.... I'm actually very scared about ONE CHARACTER IN PARTICULAR ( Katherine, you're very cruel)
In conclusion, I really appreciated this book and I rate it 4 stars! I can't wait to read the next book!

I read these two books back to back after being approved for the ARC of On These Wicked Shores. I told myself after seeing "omg that ending" for book one that I needed to read them close together. That I wouldn't let myself finish it and have to sit here with any sort of cliffhanger when it's a trilogy and there's not even an anticipated release date for book 3.

I cannot believe I did this to myself. The <i>heartbreak</i>.

No, it's not necessarily a cliffhanger, but I did reread the last few chapters and redownload the book thinking "maybe my copy was just cut off." Of course not. But let me backtrack.

On These Wicked Shores picks up three months after where The Girl Who Belonged to the Sea left off. Margrete and Bash must gather a crew as creatures now stalk the human realm and must be defeated. As they find themselves shipwrecked on an island and separated from one another, they must overcome obstacles to reunite. But not only are there deadly creatures, but a god watching their every move.

Bash and Margrete are one of my favorite couples. They have overcome so much and maintained their belief in their love surviving. It is hard to not root for them, and also wish for them to catch a break. The twists and turns and shocking revelations give not just more of a punch to this book, but also to what is to come in book three. While we learned much about her powers and both of their pasts, I am hoping we see more of the secondary characters that wiggled into my heart, like Bay.

The Azantian trilogy is an incredible ride, I didn't get a single bit of that "middle book filler slump" that is hard to not feel with trilogies, and I cannot wait for the conclusion. Even if it will be a little bittersweet to leave these characters I have come to love behind.

Those last few chapters really shocked me, and I'm normally one to guess a twist 5 minutes in. Definitely don't forget the epilogue to get the villain's POV to give you some peace (and something to think about) as we wait for book three.

*****5 Stars!

“As long as you’re beside me, I’m never truly lost.”

First I would like to thank City Owl Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read an arc of this book! I am honored to have been given a chance to read it and give an honest review.

On These Wicked Shores is a stunning sequel to The Girl Who Belonged to the Sea. This story takes place three months after Margrete Wood defeated her depraved father and saved the mystical island of Azantian. But the monstrous creatures that were released that night have now hidden themselves in the human realm, it is up to Margrete and her king to set sail to hunt them down. When disaster strikes on the high seas, Margrete and the crew find themselves stranded on the shores of a new and dangerous island. It’s there they come across an ancient coin, one that legend claims belonged to a powerful goddess. It signifies the first of three deadly trials that must be completed. If they fail these tests, they forfeit their lives to the very place that traps them.

As Margrete and Bash struggle to survive gruesome horrors lurking around every turn, a mighty god watches on. He’s waited centuries for this moment, and in Margrete, he sees the queen he’s been searching for. Once the third and final coin is found, Margrete and Bash will discover if their love can conquer all…even death itself.

This sequel was absolutely perfect, I couldn’t seem to get enough of it! It was so nice to be able to fall back into Margrete and Bash’s story and see what they had all been up to after the first book. This book was everything I could have ever wanted in a pirate fantasy/romance! Just like the first book I found myself on the very edge of my seat, unable to put the book down and desperate for more. Once again the world building in this book was absolutely wonderful and I adored the lore that was peppered in throughout the story, it made for a very fascinating read! I really loved the way things were described in this book as well. I felt as if I could taste, hear and smell everything that the author described to her readers.

I really enjoyed watching the progression of Margrete and Bash’s relationship, it was clear that their relationship had grown so much since we last saw them. I absolutely loved to see how supportive they were of one another, it was clear their bond was a very strong one and not easily severed. Together they made the perfect team! It was also very nice to see Margrete form bonds with those around her, considering how she had come to them a stranger and an outsider at first.

This book was everything that I wanted and more, and talk about a cliffhanger! That cliffhanger had me on the very edge of my seat and I can’t wait to see what happens next in their adventures! I am eagerly awaiting the next installment of this amazing series that I have grown to love so much!

This is a book series I will be highly recommending to anyone and everyone! On These Wicked Shores was by far one of my favorite reads so far this year! I can’t wait to see where our main characters find themselves next, this book was everything that I wanted and more!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for granting me an arc of On These Wicked Shores, and apologies for the late review.

Margrete and Bash are back with a new adventure. After the events of the last book and the release of the demons on the world, Bash and Margrete set sail for the human world, intent on slaying the escaped demons and saving the innocent souls that live there. Fate has other things in mind.

A fierce storm wreaks their boat and the two lovers find themselves separated on an island intent on breaking them down. Margrete searches for Bash with the help of Bay and the remaining survivors, but they find themselves subjected to seemingly impossible and brutal trials. Trials that not everyone will walk away from.

If that isn't all, the two find themselves changing in inexplicable ways and Margrete finds herself earning the unwanted attractions of a god, while Bash comes to terms with a truth that could tear down everything he's ever known.

Let's continue on this epic pirate adventure with Margrete and Bash! Once again we see these two fighting for each other to whatever end. I was hooked from the start! Katherine Quinn continues to give us fantastic banter between the two main characters - seriously, I cannot get enough! An amazing sequel and I cannot wait for the next book!

This novel was a great read! Tons of plot twists and unexpected outcomes that make one want to know what happens next! Margrete and Bash are enjoying there time together, but peace never lasts long and they have a new adventure that will challenge their love. Darius has been manipulating Margrete for months in her dreams and has been playing a long game. As a god, he has much power and is trying to, in his own mind, right a wrong. Margrete and Bash know they need to stop this evil that has been unleashed on the seas, but do not realize they are pawns and will be forced to complete trials that they never intended. Bash will discover more about his heritage, which greatly shocks him, for he needs to understand the changes occurring within him, before he hurts those he loves. Margrete will fight to the very end for those she loves, defying a god and anyone else who stands in her way. Even she cannot imagine what trials she will face, for her choices will affect everyone.
I received this novel from net galley and the publisher as an ARC. Thank you! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This story and the characters mean so much to me, and being able to come back to this world that Katherine has created, and continue to read the story of characters I absolutely love has been such a joy. I was on the edge of seat page after page through this entire book. I love how the story has continued, and how the characters are all handling the situations put before them and growing in some manner. I can't wait to see what happens in book three, and how this story will be wrapped up. Thank you NetGalley for an arc of this story.

As this is book #2 in a trilogy, I was expecting to read more of Bash and Margrete's love story, see more battles of mind, wit and magic against Darius, and experience more adventures. I love the cover, it makes me imagine a strong, determined woman who is ready to face her foes.


All of this, and more, was delivered in a well-written, captivating and exciting story that threw more than one curve ball into the mix. The blurb covers most of the book, with the discovery of the third coin occurring quite late in the story.


The first half of the book, at times, felt a little slow, ponderous, and dare I say repetitive and had it stayed that way my rating would have been hovering between 2 and 3 stars. It's possible that my head wasn't quite in the right mindset for this as, initially at least, I found I was having to push myself to keep reading. Thankfully that feeling didn't last and the more I read the more my enjoyment of this story grew.


I know readers can get irritated by authors over-explaining things but at times I wasn't quite sure of the reasoning or purpose behind events. Perversely there was occasionally too much foreshadowing, which left me waiting for the other shoe to drop. And not in a good "on the edge of my seat" way but more of a "can we just get on with it" feel. Despite those frustrations, I did enjoy the book and, once the pace picked up, it quickly became the 5-star read I had been hoping for. Whilst I didn't need the book to have had that level of pace and tension throughout, as it can be in those quiet, gentle times that we get to really connect with the characters, it needed to be more evenly spread throughout the book. Either that or more ruthless editing of dead passages was required.


Overall I'm still a fan of this series and will definitely be reading the final book when it is released. This is written in the third person, mainly from Margrete and Bash's viewpoints but we also get to hear from Darius and Bay. I liked how this gave extra depth and insight into the story, even if Darius is an unreliable narrator. It has quite dark moments, including on-page deaths of some side characters, and the romance includes several on-page sex scenes..


Review on https://louisesbookbuzz.home.blog/ on Thursday 16th June

4⭐
R for some 🥵 moments

After absolutely loving The Girl Who Belonged to the Sea last year, I absolutely needed to read the sequel as soon as it hit my Kindle! If you're looking for a good fantasy romance after reading Sarah J. Maas's backlist, this trilogy needs to be on your TBR!!

The book picks up with Margrete and Bash after the end of the giant battle in the first book, waiting for terrifying sea creatures released by the devious God of the Sea to start wreaking havoc on the mortal world. I loved the tension Katherine Quinn created in this sequel--both Margrete and Bash have secrets they're running from that are dark and twisted and add to the already perilous stakes created in this book.

That being said, this was very much a book two out of three. It felt like this book was really building up challenges to set up for what will be the final book of the trilogy. I found myself wishing for more relationship building from Margrete and Bash rather than just believing they're perfectly meant to be and can take on the world together.

I loved how Margrete's powers grew throughout this book and I cannot wait to see her kick ass in book three. While I loved the first book more than book two, I am convinced book three is going to be amazing and I cannot wait to see what's in store in the underworld! If you are a fantasy romance lover, this series is a must!

3 stars

Thank you to Netgalley and City Owl Press for a copy of this ARC. All thoughts are my own.

Initial Thoughts:
After thoroughly enjoying book 1 in The Azantian Trilogy, I was eager to dip my feet back into this world. Whilst I knew it would be darker, this book is very different from the first - deadlier and far more focused on the fantastical elements of this world. Admittedly, it wasn't the journey I expected to set off on.

What's great about this book?
- The uncovering of secrets and past lives helped kept this book intriguing, and balanced out some of the darker moments by shedding light - even if the revelation wasn't a great one - on situations and important figures in this series.
- The addition of Bay's POV. I've come to really enjoy his character in this series and having his thoughts helped guide this book away from all the angst happening between Bash and Margrete at times. He offered another voice that reminded the reader there was more at stake.
- I also liked Darius' POV in this. As a God, his moments were morally conflicting yet wonderful too. I liked the connection he had with Margrete, and his calculated moves because of her.
- The premise of the deadly trials. Whilst I don't enjoy dark fantasy much, I did like the uniqueness of the trials, and how the island worked against them at every turn.
- The betrayals were fantastic, and even if I predicted some, I still found them good enough to grasp onto when I was having a hard time with the book overall.
- Bash's changes. I don't wish to spoil anything, but it was an unexpected plot twist from the Azantian King I came to adore in book 1.
- Margrete's struggle with her newly acquired powers and how that made the people around her act depending on how well she performed - or not.

Things I didn't quite enjoy:
- Bash and Margrete's love story really took a hard fall for me in this. If they weren't keeping secrets from each other, they were making love that felt either like a bandaid over the issues they were having, or quite untimely. I lost interest in them romantically very early on in the story.
- I feel like whilst the premise of this darker world sounded great, the execution was mixed. At some points, I liked it, and at others, I didn't understand why it was happening or the need to make this world so dark after the first novel being worlds away from this one. It felt like two different books to me, and not one in the same world, even though logically I knew it was.

Final thoughts:
This wasn't at all the experience I thought I would have reading On These Wicked Shores. And whilst I did enjoy it, I found myself looking for the world I'd come to love in book 1, and coming up short. I am intrigued to see what happens in the final installment of this trilogy still.

I loved this series it was steamy, erotic, sexy, and captivating. Oh good things and love can happen when you let your hair down for night and above all never judge a book by its cover.
Because you will never know the you may be missing out on, thank God the heroines decided to take a chance and oh boy it was