Friday, June 7, 2019

Blog Tour Review: "Dark Shores" by Danielle L. Jensen


Hello everyone! Today I have a super exciting post completely centered around Dark Shores by Danielle L. Jensen. As I'm the final post of the blog tour, I hope you have enjoyed all the previous posts and are excited for more Dark Shores content! If you haven't been following along, welcome! Let's dive in! 



SYNOPSIS

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.  



PRAISE FOR DARK SHORES

“Richly-woven, evocative, and absolutely impossible to put down―I was hooked from the first lines! Dark Shores has everything I look for in a fantasy novel: fresh, unique settings, a cast of complex and diverse characters, and an unflinching boldness with the nuanced world-building. I loved every word.” ―Sarah J. Maas, #1 New York Times bestselling author

"The book grabs readers from the beginning with its stellar worldbuilding and multidimensional characters, and the mythical elements are truly believable within the constructs of the story. The perspective shifts between the viewpoints of Teriana and Marcus from chapter to chapter, offering readers greater insights into each. ...A gripping introduction to a new series." ―Kirkus Reviews (starred)

"This is a lush, imaginative world, and as the focus shifts between Teriana and Marcus, it becomes clear that the readers are only getting a glimpse of its complicated history and mythology. ...Their secrets don’t, of course, stop Teriana and Marcus from embarking on a steamy romance, and fans of Rutkoski’s sighworthy The Winner’s Kiss and the high-stakes sea adventure of Levenseller’s Daughter of the Pirate King will want to know where Marcus and Teriana journey to next." ―Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books



MEET DANIELLE L. JENSEN

Danielle L. Jensen is the USA Today bestselling author of The Malediction Novels: Stolen Songbird, Hidden Huntress, Warrior Witch, and The Broken Ones, as well as The Bridge Kingdom (Audible Originals). Her latest novel, Dark Shores, will be released by Tor Teen in May of 2019. She lives with her family in Calgary, Alberta.


PHOTO CREDIT: KATHERINE CALNAN PHOTOGRAPHY  

WEBSITE: https://danielleljensen.com/
TWITTER: @dljensen_
GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7091823.Danielle_L_Jensen
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/authordanielleljensen
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/danielleljensen/



PURCHASE LINKS

AMAZON      |      BARNES & NOBLE      |      BOOK DEPOSITORY



MY REVIEW

I first would like to say a thank you to Tor Teen for giving me a copy of this book to read early. I had heard some great things and buzz about this book for a while and it peaked my interest. When I finally was able to read it, I dove in without hesitation.

I found this story to be a great one. While I didn't think it was perfect, there were a lot of things that I thought were great. The world-building was on point and I loved seeing how religion played such a big role in this book. What was really interesting to me was this idea of two halves of the world that never interact except for sea-faring people.

That brings me to another thing I really liked about this book: the nautical aspects. While I was expecting us to spend more time on the ocean, what we did get was great. For some reason, I haven't read many books that take place in large part on a boat despite loving every book like it that I've read before.

I think what I liked the most was our main character, Teriana. She's in a tough situation with not a lot of "right" answers but she's trying her hardest. You can see the stress it's putting on her, though, to be in such a spot. Even if she's not always stoic and strong, she's still such a strong character. I honestly am just super excited to see what she does in the next book.

I will say, the one thing I couldn't get behind at this point was the romance. It seemed expected but also like it happened in a way that was too quick and not well-developed. But I am interested in seeing how that aspect of the book develops in the next installment.

Overall, I found this book to be pretty-good. I definitely enjoyed it and I'm excited to see where things head in the next one!



GIVEAWAY


Five winners will receive a copy of Dark Shores by Danielle L. Jensen
Ends June 18, 2019

a Rafflecopter giveaway



Thanks for reading!
xoxo
Lauren



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