Dark Shores, written by Danielle L. Jensen, despite the ship on the cover and the title, is not a pirate book, more than half of the story occurs on land. That was a mistake made by the publisher, and frankly, this book is too good to be just another run of the mill pirate book. The book follows two main characters, Teriana, a sailor princess who is forced to make a huge decision, choosing between her family’s safety and that of an entire continent, along with Marcus, a legionnaire forced to conquer for an empire he hates.
The story gives the readers a new and interesting presentation on conquest and the reasons people on all sides may align with the conquerors. It avoids a simple black and white view point, instead diving into the different shades of right and wrong. This approach is really refreshing, as many books tend to give characters dark pasts only to suggest that those actions don’t truly matter. In this story, Marcus’s choices remain significant, emphasizing the theme that even good people can do bad things, and no matter the reason or motives, all those actions still have weight behind them. One of the best parts is that Marcus never attempts to downplay or justify his actions on behalf of the Empire. While the context and motivations are acknowledged, the narrative never excuses or dismisses his deeds as “the right thing.”
The pivotal part of this book is Teriana’s moral struggles, and her decisions that cause everything to be set into. This all started after she gave her friend, Lydia, a book detailing how to get to a continent Teriana and her group had been keeping secret from the Empire. However, the book was found, and Teriana’s people were captured, and tortured for information. None of them relented, until they began on Teriana. She was presented with a decision: she could either tell the Empire how to get to the other continent, named “The Dark Shores”, or alternatively, she could watch her people die in front of her. She chose the former. So, she embarked on her journey, filled with moral turmoil, Stockholm Syndrome, and an enemies to lovers relationship, with so many layers that it could be an onion.
Overall, this book is the first in a series of four books, each better than the last. It is an explosive and incredible start to the series, beginning the story with a bang, and multiple plot twists that leave readers on the edge of their seats. The ending isn’t any different, leaving off on a huge cliffhanger that will have you scrambling to the nearest bookstore to buy the next book, “Dark Skies”. I highly recommend this book if you like low fantasy, which is a fairly normal world, with a few extra magical changes, and exploration, with a dash of existential crisis and big decisions.
