Review:

When I requested this for review from Netgalley, I had never actually heard of it before. All I knew was that it had a pretty cover, a pretty font on the cover, and the synopsis contained several buzzwords – pirates, assassins, curses and magic. I was completely solved, and really excited when I received this.

I have to admit, when I started reading, however, I was concerned. I realized that the MC’s name was Ananna – and I couldn’t stop thinking ‘Banana’. And then I realized that having been brought up as a pirate, her narrative contained a lot of words like “ain’t”. I was quite worried it was going to become overpowering within the story, and that because of it, it would lack other detail, but it really, really doesn’t. It was actually quite endearing, and somehow added to the story.

I loved the rich world that the author has managed to create, and that it isn’t set within typical fantasy bounds. Half of the book is set in a desert setting, and the other half is set on the open sea. I also ended up loving both Ananna and Naji as characters, and I loved the way that they quite clearly care more for each other than they’re willing to admit. I haven’t seen this sort of romantic build up in a fantasy novel since Tamora Pierce’s Lioness series, and we all know how much I loved that one. That all said, I’d like to know more about the world, and that was one of my few issues with the book. It seemed rich, and I want to know more about the Mists and how all the magic in the world works. Hopefully in the rest of the series, there will be more of this!

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and would definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys fantasy!

Overall rating: 4.5/5
Writing: 4.5/5
Originality: 5/5
Characters: 5/5
My Enjoyment: 4.5/5