Dark Shores by Danielle L. Jensen is the first book I’ve read by her and after finishing this one, it will not be the last. Her strong female characters, realistic romance, humour, and adorable characters stole my heart pretty early on. Her writing kept me going back for more, making me devour this book in three days flat. This is a story about pirates and politics and is filled with drama and moral dilemmas that will leave you fired up in anticipation of its sequel.
“East must not meet West. What you told her is forbidden for a reason. If the Cel were to learn about the West…you know what they’d do. Conquest is in their blood!”
The story follows second mate, Teriana, as she embarks on a forbidden mission to the West to save her family and her people. She has to work in tandem with Marcus, a commander of the infamous thirty-seventh legion, who’s reputation of never surrendering, sets them at odds from the very beginning.
“Her expression hardened. ‘My mind is what makes me an asset to my husband, not my name.”
Both stubborn and passionate, these two create a tense dynamic that eventually blossoms into a slow burning romance. They share common ground which gives them an even footing to build respect. But don’t worry, the plot takes priority and is full of action! The romance you get is both realistic and unrushed, which provides a nice balance to the story and the other friendships made during their voyage.
One of the friendships I really enjoyed was her friendship with Quintus, one of Marcus’ men and her appointed guard. He’s a young soldier who respects the job and she’s essentially a prisoner and their unlikely friendship was absolutely adorable! He treats her as an equal despite everything and everyone reminding him that she isn’t, and it’s that respect that makes her open up and care about him and the other men of the thirty-seventh. They aren’t what she expects and that makes it hard to hate them. They are a strangely humble group of soldiers who are extremely adept at warfare.
“Servius, you’re full of shit. Everyone knows you got that scar trying to shave your legs.’ The group erupted into laughter, none louder than Servius, and then the conversation turned to everyone sharing stories about their varying scars, the volume increasing as the rum disappeared down throats.”
I also love Servius. He appreciates Teriana’s honesty and plays off her anger really well. He’s full of character and I really hope to see more of him in the next book.
“He’d been to nearly every corner of the Empire, met individuals of every single nation and race, but the Maarin were distinct with their eyes that rippled like the waves they lived upon, shifting colour with their moods. Beautiful as the girl was with those rounded cheekbones, full lips and flawless dark skin, Marcus thought her eyes were the best part of her. They were honest. After the way she’d been treated, he was certain he’d never see them another colour than that of inky pools of hate and fear. But after all the politics, lies, and deception he’d waded through of late, he liked the idea of being around someone whose feelings were clear, even if they were negative.”
Okay, this quote right here works on multiple levels. First and most obvious being the incredible degree that Jensen holds herself to in her writing. It’s immaculate and descriptive without making you doze off. Second, the whole idea that this seafaring people have eyes that reflect their very livelihoods and changes with their moods? Hands down ingenious and creative and most importantly leaves me wanting to know more about this world. And thirdly, can you sense those sparks? Holy crap the two main characters have so much chemistry and raw emotion, that makes this a beautiful love story that is driven by the plot rather than being the plot itself!
This is a story that takes place in a world much like Ancient Rome, where politics and belief run their lives. Despite being politically driven and a little confusing at first, this book became so much more and it really shocked me (in a good way). I had little knowledge about it before diving in and confusing politics wasn’t helping matters, but then all of sudden it wasn’t about that anymore. It was about what you would do to save your people and the challenges you would face along the way, because anything that important wouldn’t be easy.
This book definitely blew me away and it deserves a 9 out of 10. It is filled with very strong dialogue, bloodthirsty politics and eerie yet captivating scenes that show the true danger of life at sea. If you’re a fan of Tricia Levenseller’s, Daughter of the Pirate King Duology, I would definitely give this one a try because they both have strong female pirates and great romance! And although I haven’t tried Jensen’s other series, if you’re impressed by her writing like I was, check out The Stolen Songbird!
Dark Shores is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers.
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Synopsis | Goodreads
High seas adventure, blackmail, and meddling gods meet in Dark Shores, the first novel in a new YA fantasy series.
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
Marcus is the commander of the Thirty-Seventh, the notorious legion that has led the Celendor Empire to conquer the entire East. The legion is his family, but even they don’t know the truth he’s been hiding since childhood. It’s a secret he’ll do anything to protect, no matter how much it costs him – and the world.
A DANGEROUS QUEST
When an Empire senator discovers the existence of the Dark Shores, he captures Teriana’s crew and threatens to reveal Marcus’s secret unless they sail in pursuit of conquest, forcing the two into an unlikely—and unwilling—alliance. They unite for the sake of their families, but both must decide how far they are willing to go, and how much they are willing to sacrifice.
