Unwanted betrothals, assassination attempts, and a battle for the crown converge in Danielle L. Jensen’s Dark Skies, a new series starter set in the universe of the YA fantasy Sarah J. Maas called “everything I look for in a fantasy novel.” Now a Kirkus Best Book of 2020! A RUNAWAY WITH A HIDDEN PAST Lydia is a scholar, but books are her downfall when she meddles in the plots of the most … books are her downfall when she meddles in the plots of the most powerful man in the Celendor Empire. Her life in danger, she flees west to the far side of the Endless Seas and finds herself entangled in a foreign war where her burgeoning powers are sought by both sides.
A COMMANDER IN DISGRACE
Killian is Marked by the God of War, but his gifts fail him when the realm under the dominion of the Corrupter invades Mudamora. Disgraced, he swears his sword to the kingdom’s only hope: the crown princess. But the choice sees him caught up in a web of political intrigue that will put his oath – and his heart – to the test.
A KINGDOM UNDER SIEGE
With Mudamora falling beneath the armies of the Corrupter, Lydia and Killian strike a bargain to save those they love most–but it is a bargain with unintended and disastrous consequences. Truths are revealed, birthrights claimed, and loyalties questioned–all while a menace deadlier and more far-reaching than they realize sweeps across the world.
Readers may read either Dark Shores or Dark Skies first!
Suggested series reading order:
1. Dark Skies or Dark Shores
2. Dark Shores or Dark Skies
3. Gilded Serpent (coming spring 2021)
At the Publisher’s request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
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Having not read Dark Shores I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I loved this book! I didn’t feel lost at all. It does start off a little slowly with a lot of Lydia’s world, but with reading from both Lydia and Killian’s POV’s all I wanted was for them to meet!
Lydia and Killian are both strong lead characters, who have personal struggles and totally valid reasons to be super nasty people, but they just aren’t. They’re both just trying to do the right thing. The other characters, however? There is a lot of plotting and you never know who is truly trustworthy.
I loved this story, but that ending?! I am sad to have to wait for the next one! I can’t wait to see how everything plays out.
I LOVED THIS BOOK!!!!!
I loved the characters. I loved the story. I loved that every switch between characters felt like a cliffhanger. I loved every freaking thing about this book!!
Ok.
Deep breath in . . .
Sign on the exhale . . .
Now I am calm enough to talk about it. Seriously though, I loved this book and I am so glad I read it second. The whole time I was reading Dark Shores I was thinking about Lydia and what happened to her. Her story was nothing like I expected. Not that I knew what to expect, but wow. Lydia is amazing. I love how much she loves her friend, Teriana and her dad. BUT, I am dying to find out if we learn who her birth parents are. Especially with that little teaser toward the beginning.
Sigh.
Then there is Killian. I FREAKING LOVE KILLIAN! I am team Killian all the way. His heart. My goodness. It is so beautiful, yall.
Ok, stop reading if you don’t want to see spoilerish words!
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Did you stop yet?
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Is this far enough?
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CAN WE TALK ABOUT THAT ENDING NOW?!?!
No ma’am!
Tears. Tears are real. Book heartbreak is real. This must be fixed!
I was a mess, and the sick part about it is that I love Jenson for it! She gives me all the feels and delivers with a killer story, every time!
For more reviews, check out my bookish blog: http://www.toallthebooksivelovedbefore.com
I just adore Danielle Jensen’s words and the worlds she creates and Dark Skies was no exception. From the minute we meet Killian in chapter one, I was all in. I loved both him and Lydia, and while they might seem like opposites on first glance, they share a love for their people and deep loyalty. They were incredibly well-matched, and the banter between them was, as with all of Danielle Jensen’s books, excellent.
According to the author, Dark Shores and Dark Skies are both starting points for the series, so you can read them in either order. The parallel stories converge in the third book. How cool is that? I read Dark Shores first but can easily see how they are interchangeable.
The world-building in this story reinforces the amazing world-building in the first book. In an email to her followers (*cough* totally on the list), Jensen wrote:
“The setting isn’t just a few kingdoms, but an entire world. It crosses a dozen nations, it contains diverse cultures and races and religions, it faces evils that are both human and decidedly inhuman.”
The amount of detail and the depth of development in this series is astounding. The story, the world, the religious beliefs, the culture, and the characters are all intricate and complex. This story delves more into the gods and goddesses of the Dark Shores, particularly the seventh god, The Corrupter. The most feared god, The Corrupter wants control over all of the other gods. People who have been “marked” by this god can literally suck out your life force. Kind of like a human Dementor! Scary stuff!
Much like Dark Shores, the story switches perspectives between the two major characters – Killian and Lydia. Lydia’s story at the start of the book parallels Teriana’s story, so you witness the same events unfolding from a different perspective. I thought this was a really clever way to provide ample and pertinent context while developing the characters. I liked seeing Lydia’s perspective on what happened between her and Teriana. Throughout much of Dark Shores, Teriana feels betrayed by Lydia, but I suspected there was more to her story. She seemed too loyal to Teriana to betray their friendship so easily. In Dark Skies we find out how Cassius learned about the world Teriana’s people worked so hard to keep a secret.
Killian is an equally fascinating and complicated character. Even though he is “marked” by the god of war, he faces Corrupters in battle, and he fails to protect the kingdom. Now disgraced, he pledges his sword to the crown princess who is vying for the throne. Killian is as trapped as Lydia, and this leads them to work together to protect everything important to them before it’s too late.
I also found it fascinating to see Teriana and Marcus, the protagonists of Dark Shores, in a completely different light. You see the conflict in Marcus so clearly, and it makes you think about how different a story can be from someone else’s point of view.
I can’t say enough about this fabulous book. I am loving this series and Danielle L. Jensen! Her style of writing pulls you into her stories in a completely immersive way. I can’t wait for the third book in the series, where the stories and the characters converge!
Thanks to Netgalley for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I received a copy of this book via netgalley/author in exchange for a review. My review is my own.
First of all, let me say how well this book was wrote. I was instantly pulled into Killian and Lydia’s world. I was sad at first that Teriana’s story wouldn’t be continuing into this book but soon was too enthralled into this new world to care. This book takes on the side of Lydia and everything that happens to her and then brings in a new character. One that, I for one, would be head over heels for. And did fall for. Finding myself constantly screaming in my head ‘MAKE A MOVE’ I found this one to have more action than the last and kept me on edge to the very last page. This is one of those books that you sit down after reading and feel as if you’ve lost a close friend. You want more. You’re sad it’s ended. I assume (very much hope) that another book will be on the horizon for this series hopefully where the four cross paths and maybe I will see Lydia and killian together. Because I NEEEEED it to happen. Thank you so much for the chance to read this.
I am quickly becoming a huge fan of Ms. Jensen’s works. She has an amazing ability to not only drag you into the story itself but to also reach deeply empathic levels of laughter, sorrow and frustration with each character you meet. This is my fourth novel to read of hers and I have yet to be disappointed in any way with the two differing series (Bridge Kingdom and Dark Shores).
Dark Skies occurs at the same time as Dark Shores so it doesn’t affect the story too much if they are read out of order. I enjoyed getting to know more of Lydia as she was introduced in Dark Shores, and meeting Killian. I cannot recommend this series, author, or book enough as it was a thoroughly enjoyable experience!
Rated 4.5 Stars
Dark Skies was amazing. It kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. I loved it. I loved the tension that kept me anticipating what would happen next, the tension between the characters, both main and secondary, the sexual tension between the main characters, it all worked for me. I loved how the story was woven. There were twists, turns, betrayal, lies and so much more. I cannot wait to get my hands on the next book I have a feeling it’s going to be amazing. I very highly recommend this book, series and author.
Copy provided by publisher through Net Galley