Dark Shores

 

Special thanks to NetGalley for a copy.

I'm an affiliate with Z Publishing House. See the bottom of this post for more information.

Dark Shores by Danielle L. Jensen is the first in a new YA series being published by Tor Teen. This book will become available on May 7th, 2019. Jensen is also the author of the Malediction Trilogy and The Bridge Kingdom series.  Dark Shores is a fantasy based on Ancient Rome and the Aztec Empire (possibly, it's unclear which culture inspired this second empire so I have to guess on this part based on location and some little cultural hints that I could be getting completely wrong). There are some trigger warnings for torture, murder, war.

Dark Shores follows Teriana, a seventeen year old second mate of a seafaring, merchant society called the Maarin, and Marcus, the Legatus of the Thirty-Seventh Legion who is known for his strategies in battle as well as his ruthlessness as they are threatened and blackmailed by a power hungry senator into aiding him in expanding the Celendor Empire. Teriana must lead the Thirty-Seventh and Fourth-First Legions across the sea to the Dark Shores, a land controlled by the gods and the Maarin have sworn to keep separate from Celendor. The East must not meet the West. When Teriana brings the legions to the war-torn country of Arinoqian, Marcus sets about establishing allies with the oppressed people, promising to rid the land of the tyrant Urcon, while also gaining the knowledge and resources necessary to claim the entire dark shores for the empire.

This book is marketed as a pirate book. This is incorrect marketing! While Teriana is sometimes called a pirate, there is no piracy, no epic high seas adventures and no sea battles. Instead, the book focuses on politics and battle strategy and a surprising amount of survivor's guilt and PTSD. There is some excellent world building and a slow burn romance (which I'll get to in a moment) with a few battles sprinkled in but the characters spend most of their time on land, so be prepared when you pick this book up.

I greatly enjoyed this book. I liked the world, especially since I've read a lot about ancient Rome, and understood a lot about how the empire functions and how it conflicts with how the legions function without Jensen having to explain a lot of things because I'm familiar with the culture it's based on. I also liked the characters. Teriana is a bit annoying but she's also young and a bit sheltered and wants everything to work out how she's thought it through in her head, when that doesn't happen, she sulks. Marcus is the best out of everyone. He's well aware of his power and position but he doesn't treat anyone as less, he chooses to learn the languages of the places he's conquered so it's easier for him to communicate with the native people, he even uses the native language of his manservant just to make him feel more comfortable. Marcus also avoids unnecessary killing, looking for other ways to reach his goals. And, he is protective of his legion, considering them as much family as the parents and siblings who abandoned him to the legions as a child. At the same time, he is dealing with PTSD and is asthmatic, which he has to hide from all but his two best friends or risk the legion from turning on him. 

Both characters must come to terms with the position they are in, their lack of choice, and whether or not Marcus and his men are the worst evil that could befall anyone. At the same time, they begin developing feelings for each other although Marcus cannot have any relationships outside of the legion, as per Celendor law, and Teriana is not the only one with feelings for the young commander.

The slow burn romance is nice since a lot of YA fiction is full of insta-love or obvious attraction. Unfortunately, I really wasn't a fan of Teriana and Marcus being together and I especially disliked how they acted on the attraction. It killed any tension and is immediately followed by incorrect information causing distrust between them. In all honesty, I thought Teriana and Lydia, her Cel friend at the beginning of the book, were a couple. And I liked how Felix is in love with Marcus even if they haven't acted on that yet, though Felix is a bit cruel and narrow-minded with his opinion of Teriana, the Maarin, and the gods. A part of me actually wants Teriana and Marcus to fall out of love so Felix has a chance.

I really liked this book. Jensen does a good job showing both the corruption of Celendor and how Marcus tries to integrate as much of the native culture into his legion wherever he goes. The side characters and their relationships-- both platonic and romantic-- are fun and unique and adorable. I love seeing how Teriana interacts with the men and how much they respect her. Everyone jokes with each other and makes jabs at each other and no one holds back just because Teriana is a woman and technically a prisoner.

About halfway through, I knew not everything will be wrapped up in this book, leaving plenty of room for things to happen in book two. While I usually don't like books that only set up for the next book, this one has a satisfying enough ending that I was okay with it. Again, I wish the romance had stayed as tension for a bit longer but it's fine and both characters acknowledge that it's not likely to last. I also wished there was more elements of the gods coming into play, since this is supposed to be a land ruled by the gods. And the trouble between Teriana and Felix, Marcus' second in command, had been given a little more time to develop.

Overall, I really liked this book. It's not likely to become an all time favorite, but it was fun and entertaining and I do look forward to reading the next one.

Again, special thanks to NetGalley and Tor Teen for an early copy. This book is available May 7th, 2019.

I am an affiliate with Z Publishing House. If you're interested in reading the works of emerging writers, this is a great place to get them. I do get a small commission for anything purchased through this link: http://www.zpublishinghouse.com?rfsn=1831564.e6264