Marauders have spirited her away on ship pulled by giant manta rays. Born a princess, they've sold her as a slave.
How dare they treat her like this? And why have they done this? Something isn't adding up.
Before she knows it, she finds herself in a world of supernatural alchemy and unearthly magic, where nothing is as it seems. Can her eyes be trusted?
The odds of her surviving, let alone finding her way home, are dropping fast ...
Everywhere she turns, new dangers emerge: some magical, others maniacal. Dark deceit and ancient prophecy swirl around her and threaten to swallow her whole.
Determined, she hatches a daring plot to regain her freedom. And amid this epic struggle, she changes ...
She's no longer just a princess. She's a warrior.
You'll love this historical fantasy with a twist. Everyone loves a damsel in distress who saves herself.
Get it now.
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"An amazing adventure that reminds me of Terry Pratchett, Shannon Mayer, Jeff Wheeler, and Kelley Armstrong. If you love any of these authors, you won't want to miss this fantastic new series from Provost!"
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"If you love to root for the underdog and have a craving for high paced action, then this book is for you!!"
Samaire Wynne grew up in a lot of different places, and now happily resides on the East Coast of America, laboring away at writing stories every day. She is an animal lover with far too many pets, yet she still muses how she’d like to add even more. A lover of all things night and gothic, she also loves to read and reread her favorite books. Owned by a cat named Tyrion, she can be found haunting the shadows and mists that hang low over the hills of southern Virginia.
This book felt more like a draft than the finished article.
Now I’m not the target audience for this. But in my defence I have read a lot of incredible YA reads. This does say Teen/YA. I feel only very young Teens will probably enjoy it.
I knew going in that Princess Charlotte would most likely be somewhat annoying and immature early on. It’s the easiest way to show growth. But this went on for far too long. She would open her mouth and demand....okay I’m not going to put spoilers. Just trust me on the unbelievably annoying part.
The writing was strange as well. Chapters just seemed to stop and start at random.
If I’d just downloaded a sample of this I wouldn’t have continued past the first chapter. But since I requested it (on the strength of so many positive reviews) I felt the need to finish what I’d started.
On a positive note there’s a lot here to like. Magic, fabulous creatures, kidnapping... The book has potential. But in its current form it was, for me anyway disappointing.
Again I don’t want to give spoilers. But one of the main characters has a random reveal towards the end. It’s thrown in as if it’s nothing. And I was left thinking how did we get so far in without this being mentioned? It’s because there’s no depth to any of the characters.
Anyway judging by the good reviews a lot of readers obviously enjoyed this. It certainly wasn’t the book for me. And honestly I really struggled to finish it. But I can see the potential.
I voluntarily read a review copy kindly provided by NetGalley.
The Pirates of Moonlit Bay is book one in The Paladin Princess series by Samaire Provost.
What captured me was the cover for this book and the others in the series. Unfortunately, I was having a difficult time getting into the story. It just wasn’t capturing me and keeping my attention. This could be that I wasn’t in the mood or it could be the book. I ended up stoping at 25%. I feel that 25 to 30 is a good point to stop if the story isn’t grabbing you. It means I gave it a good try.
When we start Charlotte is mad at her parents and is out for a walk which leads to her being kidnapped by Pirates and sold into slavery. Charlotte is rather irritating, spoiled, and gets herself into more trouble then is necessary. She can’t keep her mouth shut. I wasn’t connecting to her and I really wanted her to be older and more mature.
The world-building was lacking to me. I wanted more in this area. Maybe we get more the farther along we go, but it just didn’t feel like it. We do see at least one mythical creature and when I stopped our heroine and gang where stuck in a magical oasis.
The Pirates of Moonlit Bay was not the book for me. If the blurb intrigues you, I urge you to give it a shot. Just because it did not work for me does not mean it won’t for you.
Well Charlotte certainly wasn’t the type to back down and that’s a fact. She certainly in the beginning was a rather irritating and clearly spoiled Princess who I struggled to connect with. In fact thinking about it I just wanted her to grow up and shut up at times. I did feel that the story could have been improved particularly initially with more world building as everything happened so fast and suddenly we have Charlotte and her maid captives aboard a pirate ship and bound for a slave market. Once there the mouthy Charlotte gets herself into even more hot water which sadly gets her violently assaulted although the author tells us and indeed Charlotte about it after the fact ! I just struggled really hard to care about Charlotte although I did like the way the story progressed with mythical creatures and a slight steampunk vibe to add to the fun . I just wish I could have actually cared more for Charlotte but alas no matter how the author tried to show her as being loyal and brave I just never felt that she seemed real. This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair
The Pirates of Moonlight Bay is about a princess who is kidnapped by pirates who sell her into slavery. Charlotte the main character then escapes and we follow her adventures from there.
The action starts so quickly I felt I was dropped face first into the book, would have appreciated a bit more world building or descriptions beforehand to set up the story.
The chapters and writing style were both quite strange, when I’m reading I like a chapter to end with unanswered questions or the scene is changing but the chapters felt like they were just cutting in the middle of something that was happening in the book. This may have been the point so the action felt non-stop but it wasn’t to my taste.
There were some good ideas with the magical creatures, the desert setting and I loved the thought of a Princess turned adventurer, but unfortunately I don’t think this book was for me.
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for sending me this book in exchange for an honest review.
Okay, so this somewhat-spoilt princess (Charlotte) and her personal servant (Caroline) stray a leeetle bit too far from the castle, and get nabbed by pirates, and not the kind who have any code of honor - nor, for that matter, soap. They are stuffed into the hold with other prisoners and taken South to a slave market in an Arabian Nights kind of desert land, where they are sold to an elderly Sheikh whose oldest son, a brutal sadist, really runs things,but on the way to his camp, they escape, during a fight with manticores, along with the Sheikh's doctor.
Then things get _really_ strange, in, well, a very Arabian Nights-y way. And if that paragraph seemed a little breathless, that was intentional; this is a breathless sort of book where adventure follows adventure pretty much continuously, with only brief breaks to set up another adventure or two.
This is the setup for a series of novels, in which Charlotte and her band of women (and the occasional male, but only towards the end) will have further adventures. They live on the moral high ground (mostly), resisting a number of temptations that I would have trouble with in the circumstances, and behaving with heroism. Thus, the arc of the story is Charlotte's transformation from the aforementioned princess to the leader of a group of adventurers.
This is not going to be a contender for any of the major awards, but it _is_ a pleasant read, and I am already diving into the second (which is how many there are, so far) book in the series. Whose title, incidentally, is THE PRINCESS PALADIN.
If I have a complaint, it is with the editing. Several times a homophone sneaks in (site/sight, for example), and there are a few anachronisms (high-fiving comes to mind, as well as several turns of speech) that a competent editor would have queried bigly. Nothing that spoils the book, really, but enough to interrupt the flow of the story momentarily. Call me Captain Quibble; I have the soul of a proofreader.
This is a wonderful story full of adventure and excitingly loveable characters. I am also please by the fact that the main characters are all women. A great story for strong women who want to read about even stronger women. These girls get in one mess after another but always persevere!!
This book was really good. I love the charactwrs and the settings! The descriptions was outstanding! I already know im going to love this non stop saga! I cant wait to start on the 2nd book. I definitely recommend this book!!! ♡
I'm currently reading Samaire Provost’s 'Pirates of Moonlit Bay'. I'm two thirds through this un-put-down able, action on every page, very enjoyable read. I really don't want the story to end; it's not often that I find a book that I can really enjoy reading. I can finish this one though, and be happy to buy the sequel, and dispense with any withdrawal problems. Samaire's story feels more like I'm being told an exciting tale, face to face, by a friend rather than reading it from the page. Her writing style is relaxed and down to earth so I feel I know the characters personally. The written page draws me through easily through to the next and on through this exciting tale. I'm happy to have discovered this author and look forward to her next one.
This is an Aladdan style book, with mythology brought in. I enjoyed the way that the author empowered the heroines of this book. The women are strong, independent, and make a colorful group to follow on a journey.
July 29, 2019 Format: Kindle Edition Steampunk tech, magic, female protagonists......this book hits a wonderful note on many levels. I was asked, a while ago, to read and review the Arc of this book. I'm glad I read this book now. Yes , it's whimsical at times, but the world building and characters WILL draw you in and enchant you for hours on end. Ms. Provost, I thank you from the bottom of my sleep deprived body.....I WILL be reading more of your works as I can afford them, and get some sleep first!
Very good read!! I wasn’t sure at first, but this had me captivated very quickly! Charlotte, our hero, is not your typical princess! She’s kick-ass, brave and very loyal to her friends!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
This is a fantastic girl powered adventure worth reading - for everyone! From monsters to mayhem, colorful descriptions and action keep you engaged. It was very difficult to put down! From the frying pan to the fire, what could go wrong next? What's that monster over there? Time to run! Lovely characters with good development. A real delight to read.
The Pirates of Moonlit Bay is, to say the least, a non-stop ride of a story! Samaire Provost hooks you in this series from the very first paragraphs and it is a continuous read. I could not put Charlotte's story down! It's everything, in my opinion, that makes a great book. Alkebulan is a wonderful world all in it's own but there is so much more. There is an amazing heroine who finds true friendship in the women around her and the simple strength in that, pirates, "mythical" creatures, and a very well written story that truly leaps off the page. This is hands down my best read of the Summer, if not the year!
I enjoyed this adventure very much!!!I cant wait to start the 2nd book! Already loving this non stop saga!!! Its new and exciting , unlike anything ive read. I enjoyed the descriptions. Great job. I definitely recommend this book!!!♡
I apparently had no idea what this book was about before I started reading. :) The world is familiar and phantasy at the same time. The characters are interesting but we really don't know much about them. The plot is quick and that is what moves the story on.
So if you are looking for a plot driven more than a character driven book, this is for you. I chose 4 stars because it was good, but I would like to know more about the characters.
I liked this book. It follows a princess who gets abducted, manages to escape and finds lots of friends ans mythical creatures along the way. I liked that there are so many strong female characters and will definitely read the next books in this series.
I didn't think I'd like it. I couldn't put it down!!! Thee main character was a Princess and seemed to be a spoiled child. Wow did my opinion change After the first three or four chapters. I highly recommend this series.