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vinreads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Wow. My eyes are sore, from all the crying I did. This book was a swashbuckling, romantic, adventurous fantasy and a practically perfect YA. I was enraptured every moment of the book, and it ticked off so many of my boxes when it comes to what I look for in a book. I was stunned, hopeful, pensive, brooding, shocked, and elated all at different points. There were twists and turns I didn't see coming, and some I had hoped were true, and then absolutely giddy that they were. There were pirates, and magical women, sirens, and villains and villainesses galore. Even though the pace was relatively slow for a pirate fantasy romance, I enjoyed every bit of time spent reading it, and it didn't drag like I suspected it might in the first few pages. This will be one I think of often, and reread just as much.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism, Slavery, Torture, Trafficking, Kidnapping, and Alcohol
Minor: Cursing, Infidelity, and Death of parent
druzyquartz's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death and Alcohol
mari1532's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
#TheDiverseBaseline (learn more at: https://thediversebaseline.carrd.co created by @bookish.millennial & @themargherita.s (on instagram))
I listened to this audiobook through my library.
Brief Summary: Rosalinda is trapped due to a magical gift she did not ask for and can barely control. Taken as a child she is now on the cusp of being sold to the highest bidder for her abilities. However, she has a plan to escape. However, her watcher Doña Lucia has other plans. As Rosalinda tries to fight the clock to leave Sinner's Isle before she is bought she has a chance encounter with a pirate, Marino.
Marino is down on his luck because his ship has been captured and he barely escaped with his life. Yet, his quest for revenge is thrown off course when he meets Rosalinda. As Marino navigates his desire for revenge and his confusing feelings for the witch he has to race the clock to ensure that he can get everyone he cares for off Sinner's Isle before it's too late.
Thoughts: I loved this book so much. All of the characters were well-written and entertaining with enough depth that it made them dynamic characters without bogging the story down in backstories. I enjoyed Montoya's writing and I hope that this is just the start of a series, not a stand-alone!
Rosalinda was such a dynamic and complicated character. Her relationship with her powers and how she begins to deal with her trauma of being kidnapped throughout the book was treated with care and helped understand her motivations throughout the book.
I also loved the relationships that Rosalinda has with the other witches on the island. Some of the relationships are straightforward, as with her best friend. And others are more complicated by the pressures of Sinner's Isle. Also, Doña Lucia was a great villain. She was truly awful and the way that Montoya wrote her in such an interesting way because in some ways you see how she is just upholding the system in which she finds herself. After all, she cannot escape, but she does nothing within her power to implement any changes. I really disliked her.
Marino was such a great hero. He was a perfect mix of brooding and quirky. Montoya does an excellent job of writing a love story where both partners are equal in the relationship and have to work together and survive. And there were several scenes where Rosalinda and Marino interacted that made me laugh out loud even though the point in the plot was tense.
My only wish is that there was a little more steam throughout the book. It felt that it was missing a bit throughout the book. It did not need a lot, but just a bit more would have heightened some of the scenes.
This is a great romance book with intrigue and adventure. I would highly recommend it.
I listened to this audiobook through my library.
Brief Summary: Rosalinda is trapped due to a magical gift she did not ask for and can barely control. Taken as a child she is now on the cusp of being sold to the highest bidder for her abilities. However, she has a plan to escape. However, her watcher Doña Lucia has other plans. As Rosalinda tries to fight the clock to leave Sinner's Isle before she is bought she has a chance encounter with a pirate, Marino.
Marino is down on his luck because his ship has been captured and he barely escaped with his life. Yet, his quest for revenge is thrown off course when he meets Rosalinda. As Marino navigates his desire for revenge and his confusing feelings for the witch he has to race the clock to ensure that he can get everyone he cares for off Sinner's Isle before it's too late.
Thoughts: I loved this book so much. All of the characters were well-written and entertaining with enough depth that it made them dynamic characters without bogging the story down in backstories. I enjoyed Montoya's writing and I hope that this is just the start of a series, not a stand-alone!
Rosalinda was such a dynamic and complicated character. Her relationship with her powers and how she begins to deal with her trauma of being kidnapped throughout the book was treated with care and helped understand her motivations throughout the book.
I also loved the relationships that Rosalinda has with the other witches on the island. Some of the relationships are straightforward, as with her best friend. And others are more complicated by the pressures of Sinner's Isle. Also, Doña Lucia was a great villain. She was truly awful and the way that Montoya wrote her in such an interesting way because in some ways you see how she is just upholding the system in which she finds herself. After all, she cannot escape, but she does nothing within her power to implement any changes. I really disliked her.
Marino was such a great hero. He was a perfect mix of brooding and quirky. Montoya does an excellent job of writing a love story where both partners are equal in the relationship and have to work together and survive. And there were several scenes where Rosalinda and Marino interacted that made me laugh out loud even though the point in the plot was tense.
My only wish is that there was a little more steam throughout the book. It felt that it was missing a bit throughout the book. It did not need a lot, but just a bit more would have heightened some of the scenes.
This is a great romance book with intrigue and adventure. I would highly recommend it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Forced institutionalization, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
betweentheshelves's review
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
For me, this book is a lesson in actually reading the summary before picking up a book. I thought this was about sapphic pirates and it definitely is not. But that doesn't mean it's bad! It's just different than what I was expecting.
I will say, this book has one of my least favorite tropes (basically insta love), so that kind of took me out of the story a bit. I don't believe someone call fall in love in like 5 days. I just don't. But! The themes about power and who is controlling the power and taking the power back for yourself were great. Especially from Rosa's POVs. Overall, I liked her as a character more than I liked Mariano.
By the end, there are some great twists and turns in the plot that kept me reading. Overall, it is pretty fast paced, keeping the reader engaged the entire time. All in all, this wasn't quite what I was expecting, but it was entertaining nonetheless.
I will say, this book has one of my least favorite tropes (basically insta love), so that kind of took me out of the story a bit. I don't believe someone call fall in love in like 5 days. I just don't. But! The themes about power and who is controlling the power and taking the power back for yourself were great. Especially from Rosa's POVs. Overall, I liked her as a character more than I liked Mariano.
By the end, there are some great twists and turns in the plot that kept me reading. Overall, it is pretty fast paced, keeping the reader engaged the entire time. All in all, this wasn't quite what I was expecting, but it was entertaining nonetheless.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Death, Sexism, and Death of parent
Minor: Addiction, Self harm, and Kidnapping
pagebypaigebks's review
4.5
“She’d have her freedom or die trying. Better to die a thousand wretched deaths than be a weapon for a vile king.”
I'd like to thank Penguin Random House Canada for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
I've also posted this review on Instagram and my blog.
Instagram Post
Blog Post
Content Warnings: violence, sexism, kidnapping, forced confinement, death of a parent
I loved this book! It's got everything a good pirate story should have! Daring sword fights, magical creatures, beautiful settings, and heartwarming romance! The plot immediately drew me in. The idea of Majestics and the entire concept of Sinner's Isle was so intriguing to read about! There were plot twists at every turn and they kept me on the edge of my seat. But there was also a great balance between the action scenes and slower scenes that focused on the romance and friendship side plots. The history of this world felt as if it was about a real place, and I could easily immerse myself in it. Also, the writing style perfectly matched the tone of the story. I quickly got lost in the chapters and couldn't put it down! In addition, there were so many interesting characters that I just had to learn more about. My favourite character would have to be Rosa! I loved her determination and one thing I loved the most was that she made mistakes and learned from them. Plus her relationships with her friends and with Mariano was so much fun to read about. Speaking of the romance, it was adorable! It does begin quickly after the characters meet, but this was acknowledged and I felt like it was written in a believable way, especially when it came to the magic and fate of this world. I am so excited to read more of Angela's work in the future! This is definitely a new all-time favourite read of mine!
I'd like to thank Penguin Random House Canada for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
I've also posted this review on Instagram and my blog.
Instagram Post
Blog Post
Content Warnings: violence, sexism, kidnapping, forced confinement, death of a parent
I loved this book! It's got everything a good pirate story should have! Daring sword fights, magical creatures, beautiful settings, and heartwarming romance! The plot immediately drew me in. The idea of Majestics and the entire concept of Sinner's Isle was so intriguing to read about! There were plot twists at every turn and they kept me on the edge of my seat. But there was also a great balance between the action scenes and slower scenes that focused on the romance and friendship side plots. The history of this world felt as if it was about a real place, and I could easily immerse myself in it. Also, the writing style perfectly matched the tone of the story. I quickly got lost in the chapters and couldn't put it down! In addition, there were so many interesting characters that I just had to learn more about. My favourite character would have to be Rosa! I loved her determination and one thing I loved the most was that she made mistakes and learned from them. Plus her relationships with her friends and with Mariano was so much fun to read about. Speaking of the romance, it was adorable! It does begin quickly after the characters meet, but this was acknowledged and I felt like it was written in a believable way, especially when it came to the magic and fate of this world. I am so excited to read more of Angela's work in the future! This is definitely a new all-time favourite read of mine!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Confinement, Sexism, Violence, Kidnapping, and Death of parent
bookishmillennial's review
adventurous
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
disclaimer: I don’t really give starred reviews. I enjoy most books for what they are, & I extract lessons from them all. Everyone’s reading experiences are subjective, so I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not. Find me on Instagram: @bookish.millennial or tiktok: @bookishmillennial
This was a fun debut from Angela Montoya!! It was the young adult Latine pirate romantasy I didn't know I needed! It is dual-third-person-limited POV of the two leads, an oppressed Majestic, Rosalina and the Prince of Pirates, Mariano. When Majestics come of age, they participate in the annual Offering, where the king and noblemen visit Sinner's Isle to ritually bind with a Majestic, and Rosa is pretty much promised to King Sebastian. All of the payments for the Majestics goes towards the religious organizations.
I loved the worldbuilding - the magic (though, I would love to know more about why certain Majestics have certain magical abilities), history of Majestics, and the politics of the present society. Rosa fought hard to get her autonomy back, for a life worth living, and against the master narrative. I deeply enjoyed her character arc & how incredibly brave & adventurous she was.
I adored Rosalina and Mariano's chemistry and swoon-worthy love story. I would argue this was almost insta-love mixed with enemies-to-lovers. They were seemingly attracted to the other from the start, but absolutely not comrades to begin with lol. Regardless, it was easy to root for them! Besides their connection, I also had so much fun with the friendships and found family.
Since this is young adult, it is fade-to-black (duh).
cw: physical abuse, violence, blood, death, sexism, self-harm, kidnapping
This was a fun debut from Angela Montoya!! It was the young adult Latine pirate romantasy I didn't know I needed! It is dual-third-person-limited POV of the two leads, an oppressed Majestic, Rosalina and the Prince of Pirates, Mariano. When Majestics come of age, they participate in the annual Offering, where the king and noblemen visit Sinner's Isle to ritually bind with a Majestic, and Rosa is pretty much promised to King Sebastian. All of the payments for the Majestics goes towards the religious organizations.
I loved the worldbuilding - the magic (though, I would love to know more about why certain Majestics have certain magical abilities), history of Majestics, and the politics of the present society. Rosa fought hard to get her autonomy back, for a life worth living, and against the master narrative. I deeply enjoyed her character arc & how incredibly brave & adventurous she was.
I adored Rosalina and Mariano's chemistry and swoon-worthy love story. I would argue this was almost insta-love mixed with enemies-to-lovers. They were seemingly attracted to the other from the start, but absolutely not comrades to begin with lol. Regardless, it was easy to root for them! Besides their connection, I also had so much fun with the friendships and found family.
Since this is young adult, it is fade-to-black (duh).
cw: physical abuse, violence, blood, death, sexism, self-harm, kidnapping
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Death, Sexism, and Death of parent
Minor: Self harm and Kidnapping
finnelyslibrary's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
What a debut book, thank you for opportunity to read it early as an e-arc. The world building was well thought out and felt real from the first page. It was refreshing to have queer characters simply be. I'm auDHD and can usually guess what the big reveal will be pretty early on, but the reveal in Sinner's Isle really surprised me. When authors are able to do this, the book instantly becomes a five star from me. I'll be thinking about these characters like they're old friends. To sum my review up: yes this book is absolutely worth the hype.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Grief, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Death, Sexism, and Death of parent
Minor: Addiction, Kidnapping, and Alcohol
teeclecticreads's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Thank you so much to Angela Montoya for sending me a copy of this eARC. Rosalinda, her friend Juana and other Magestics — young women gifted with tremendous powers — are inhabitants of the Sinner’s Isle, where they are made to feel that they are wretches and sinners by the church and must pay for their abominable abilities. Rosalinda is constantly thinking of a plan to escape, as she is the most powerful Magestic of all and doesn’t want this to be her fate. Along the way, there is action, humour, friendship and love. But don’t get it twisted, this was such a powerful story of feminine strength, which is always a trope I can get 100% behind.
I love Angela’s writing style. She made sure to include her Spanish heritage in some of the words used, but it didn’t feel like I was completely lost. Though it was written in third person, there was dual POV and I felt every single emotion of the characters. The protagonists were likeable and the antagonists I absolutely despised. One thing with Angela? She sure can write a villain.
The pacing was pretty good too. I found myself lost in their world and devoured this book in one sitting. I was kept on my toes in anticipation to see if Rosa would actually be victorious. Also the world building?? Oh my goossshhh. I was in awe. Everything was so elegantly described. I feel like I could see the Magestics at work, weaving all these beautiful things.
This book is to be released on October 31, 2023. I definitely recommend you all preorder and get your hands on this great book 🤗
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Death, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Grief, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Kidnapping
Minor: Self harm