“A fast-paced fantasy romance with a strong female protagonist…it will appeal as much to adult readers as to a YA audience. The main characters in this tale are true to themselves in the face of unending surprises and plot twists.” –Publisher’s Weekly BookLife PrizeDanger and romance await across the sea. Nothing in the kingdom of Zara is magical, and that’s just fine with them. . .until a … magical, and that’s just fine with them. . .until a terrible illness spreads. Princess Cali has heard rumors of a cure, but isn’t desperate enough to venture into the magical and political cesspool of the neighboring Lunae Lumen.
Then her best friend falls ill.
Lunae Lumen is a land of magic, its fate also hanging by a thread. The reason for their imminent demise is a debt incurred by an irresponsible king. The pirate king has come to call it in—but the king of Lunae Lumen doesn’t want to lose his kingdom in the forced marriage of his only child to the pirate king’s son.
In a bizarre twist of luck, Cali looks remarkably similar to the Lunae Lumen princess and a deal is struck: if she will marry the pirate king’s son instead, the Lunae Lumen king will cheat the pirate king, and he’ll reward Cali for the deception with the cure she needs.
Cali plans to double cross them all.
But nothing quite goes according to plan. For anyone.
Princess of Death is a darkly enchanting fairy tale with hints of “The Little Mermaid” and “The Prince and the Pauper.” Tense and imaginative, it’s perfect for fantasy romance fans looking for heart-pounding, enemies-to-lovers, page-turning escape.
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This is perhaps the most unique and entertaining story I’ve read in 2018! I’ve never read anything else like it! Yet, the story is well-paced and the writing is so developed and easy to read! The mystery and intrigue had me hooked, staying up late turning the pages on the Advanced Copy I received, and the characters quickly endeared me. I can’t wait to see what unique turn this series takes next!
Cali a princess who gets what she wants learns of sacrifice for the first time and she will go through many lengths to save her freinds and her kingdom. She meets many people like Bae and learns of the secrets of her family her father King Marek and her mother hid from her about the goddess Undine and her family. She gains and loses love and learns of the depth she will go to help her cousin Soraya. Looking forward to book 2 and learning of the fates of Zora and Lunae Lumen.
A captivating fast paced story of adventure and danger! I was hooked from the first page, pulled into this world that Pearson created. This story is filled with action, adventure, and a slew of characters that you don’t know who are the good and bad guys in this enchanting tale! I can’t wait to see what comes next in the series!
*note a clean/sweet fantasy
I received an ARC from the author and all opinions are my own.
An odd combination of Pirates,Princess and Magic but Cortney definitely knows what she is doing!Intriguing right from the beginning with beautiful characters..I was so excited for this book after reading that BLURB and it didn’t disappoint..Faced paced story that unfolds with enough magic and chemistry to keep us literally on the edge till the end.Cali fascinated me and I enjoyed reading everything about her..Cant wait to know how this story moves on!
Pirates? Check!
Princesses? Bingo!
Magic? In spades!
A crazy-creative storyline that I NEED to know what happens next RIGHT NOW? You got it!
Princess of Death’s synopsis was enough to capture my attention and Cali ensnared me from page one. She’s a fascinating character, and her choices are surprisingly selfless for a girl who presents as a generally selfish creature. Soraya, with her magical abilities and desperate longing to belong somewhere, was a relatable and lovable character; Bae was a stand up pirate/potential suitor, with many motivations that I can’t wait to discover…But the real star or the book for me was Undine Daray. I AM DYING to know more. Sea witch on one side of a magical boundary, goddess on the other and all ’round and enigma wrapped in a mystery- I NEED to know more!! Book two needs to be in my hot little hands yesterday!
A deathly read!
To save her people, she must cross the mysterious, impenetrable boundary to reach a treacherous land of magic…
You know, I read the prologue and then just left the book because I wasn’t interested – it just wasn’t hooking enough for me, I think? Anyways, I recently picked this book back up again and then was immediately hooked and fascinated with this world, the princess and the pirate. If only I carried on reading months before, I would have known what a gem this book is.
Highly recommend this series. Moving on to the next book now!
Full of princesses, pirates, the sea witch/goddess, deception, secrets, magic, greed and romance.
Perfect for readers of fantasy romances.
It was much more than expected and more than wasn’t
***SPOILER ALERT*** Not much of one but still the same…. The title is what we call an Easter egg. Ok done.
Really enjoyed this I truly did….RECOMMEND
I received this little gem from Hidden gems for free as an ARC for my honest opinion and review. HAPPY READING!!!
Princess of Death by Cortney Pearson is a wonderful story that I read by a brand new author for me. This is book number one in this wonderful start to a brand new series that I started reading. I highly recommend this story to everyone.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Cortney Pearson is a new author for me,
and I loved this story.
The cover of this book is what first caught my interest; so beautiful, and engaging. Then, I read the blurb and knew this was a book I had to read.
The main character, Cali, braves the unknown to save her kingdom, and is very believable as her character grows and learns. She loves her people, and doesn’t let her title go to her head. She discovers what is a new world to her, meets a pirate(s), and makes personal sacrifices for those she cares for.
The story was a bit slow, but once it picks up it leaves you wanting more. I will be reading book 2 as soon as it comes out! I recommend this book if you enjoy magic and pirates!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This was a great story! Full of mystery and intrigue. I loved it. There was so much excitement through out the book, it was so hard to put down!
Cali is a strong princess that puts others first. Bae, the pirate, can you really trust him? Soraya is Cali’s new found cousin and a princess. There is betrayal, deception, intrigue and the hope for romance. In the next book, we hope to find out will Cali and Soraya together be able to save Soraya’s kingdom. Will Cali win back Bae? Can’t wait to find out!
Great world building and complex characters that grow as the story goes along combine to make a great book. I love Cali, she is determined to do what ever needed to save her country no matter how much she might dislike it otherwise. Add in a bit of a princess and the pauper vibe with Cali having to pretend to be Soraya and you have a very good book.
I thought this was a great book. It features the Hero’s Journey, and The Prince and the Pauper. This is part of a series, so there is a cliff hanger at the end of the story. I received a copy from the author and this is my voluntary review.
I have had the privilege of reading this book twice now, and it just gets better! Cortney Pearson has made the Princess of Death more loveable. I was obsessed with it the first time, and now I just want even more! Cali and Bae are even more perfect for each other, but they have a few major stumbling blocks in their way, including themselves. Can a princess and a pirate work together? All Cali really wants to do is save her people from a plague of certain death, and she will do anything. Even court a pirate! At first, nothing can go wrong, and it’s an easy trade…until things DO go wrong, and even more lives are at stake! I thoroughly enjoyed reading of Cali’s adventures in a foreign country and her courtship of Bae. Bae is truly more than meets the eye. Are they both pawns in someone else’s scheme? Their chemistry is smoldering, and truly enjoyable. But Cali’s time is running out to save her people, and she finds out there is more going on than she ever realized.
Princess of Death
by Cortney Pearson
Book 1 in the Curse of the Pirate series
Rating: 4/5
Wow. Such a fun adventure story with pirates and magic. I really enjoyed this unique retelling of the Sea Witch / Little Mermaid. The author is just getting started with this series and I cannot wait to read more. (The author is releasing the third book within the next few months but she went back and added some more to the first book). I liked the book so much that I purchased a copy for myself.
Cali is the crown princess of Zara and will be celebrating her coronation soon when her father steps down but when a horrible plague threatens those she loves, she refuses to turn a blind and apathetic eye. She seeks out who her father has always warned her against, a follower of Undine Daray, to use her magic to cure the necrosis. When the magic takes her to another land beyond the barrier, she finds herself in a colorful realm full of magic and pirates. She must find specific plants from the royal garden to take back to make the cure. When Cali strikes a deal with the king, she must pretend to be the Princess Soraya who is being courted by Pirate Bae Kelsey. Can Cali fulfill her duties to her people and pretend to be Princess Soraya at the same time? Can Cali find a way to avoid falling in love with Bae?
This unconventional Little Mermaid retelling is perfection and you won’t want to miss it. The love story between Bae and Cali is humorous and endearing until the very end. The end leaves off on a bit of a cliffhanger and I can’t wait to read the next book.
Highly recommend if you enjoy YA fantasy with pirates and magic.
PG-13 content.
My thanks to the author for providing me with an ARC of the book. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own. No positive review was expected and no compensation received.