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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
amberinpieces's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Blood, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Death, Violence, Death of parent, and Alcohol
Minor: Gun violence, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual content, and Vomit
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
cover2covertx's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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
This book is exactly what it says it is and I loved every minute of it. ๐๐ป๐๐ป
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Sexism, Violence, Blood, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Physical abuse, and Slavery
Minor: Death of parent
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
30something_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
I absolutely got swept up in this delightful YA Romantasy debut. And maybe YA is where it's at when it comes to Romantasy for me because this felt fun and fresh and unapologetically Latine. (Where a lot of recent adult Romantasy has felt so formulaic and copy/paste.)
The romance was sweet and sometimes silly. A little insta-lovey at times but it was balanced nicely with their respective denial, scheming, and banter.
I loved the cast of side characters and it was delightfully queer. There was a very sweet found family dynamic that just gets me Everytime.
As far as the fantasy elements go, I was left with a few lingering questions about the world, the lore, and the magic systems. The romance was definitely the focus which left some of these elements a little underdeveloped.
I wonder if the author will revisit this with a follow up because I think there is still a lot of story to tell by the end. (I would totally read a sequel! ...Maybe from other POVs from some side characters I adored ๐๐๐ป )
The romance was sweet and sometimes silly. A little insta-lovey at times but it was balanced nicely with their respective denial, scheming, and banter.
I loved the cast of side characters and it was delightfully queer. There was a very sweet found family dynamic that just gets me Everytime.
As far as the fantasy elements go, I was left with a few lingering questions about the world, the lore, and the magic systems. The romance was definitely the focus which left some of these elements a little underdeveloped.
I wonder if the author will revisit this with a follow up because I think there is still a lot of story to tell by the end. (I would totally read a sequel! ...Maybe from other POVs from some side characters I adored ๐๐๐ป )
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent
pagebypaigebks's review
4.5
โSheโd have her freedom or die trying. Better to die a thousand wretched deaths than be a weapon for a vile king.โ
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.
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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 donโt really give starred reviews. I enjoy most books for what they are, & I extract lessons from them all. Everyoneโs 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
opheliaslittlelibrary's review
adventurous
funny
mysterious
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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent