Ok, honestly I saw this book everywhere I went. At the bookstore. At the library. Goodreads. The list goes on and on, and yet I never once picked it up and now I wish I had sooner. This book had everything that I love; a smart and feisty heroine who speaks her mind, a dreamy and quirky love interest and an unique story filled with hilarious commentary and twists that I never saw coming. I am ashamed that I waited so long before giving this book a chance because it is so worth it!
We follow the character of Captain Alosa and her mission to retrieve a piece of a map that leads to a beautiful island known only in myths, however this map has been split amongst the three pirate lords so getting captured is just the start for Alosa and her crew. But she let’s her ego get the best of her and snickers when Draxen introduces himself as the son of Jeskor the headbreaker and how his reputation will outshine his father’s, “I can’t help myself. I laugh. Does he think he can make a reputation for himself by telling everyone how fearsome he is.” And of course in pure Alosa fashion she then follows up with a cocky display of pure sass before duking it out with Draxen until he calls her bluff out. This first impression of Captain Alsoa blew me away. She’s smart, cocky and fearless! Exactly the type of heroine I look for in a book.! I love how Alosa can hold her own in both wits and swordplay. Her attitude definitely leads her into more trouble than your typical pirate.
I absolutely fell in love with Riden, Draxen’s brother and first mate. He had that irresistible sarcastic charm that so many YA books have but he had something unique to him, he’s a neat freak who doesn’t brood for at least a whole book before his surface cracks and it was refreshing to read. And he was genuine! He cared when Alosa defied Draxen’s request to mop the deck and helped her bandage her wounds. But I think what made me like him so much was his ability to empathize for both friend and foe. His relationship with Alosa is filled with secrets and uncertainty when they get captured by Vardan and despite all of this, his feeling for her make him risk his life to save her from the torture she endures and that warmed my heart (and let’s be real me and Riden share the tidiness gene so I already love his character but this just took the cake). He gets shot twice! And almost dies! To save her. It was stupid and dumb but adorable! (and that’s exactly what Alosa says haha)
One unforgettable scene is hands down when Alosa trashes Riden’s room after he locks her up for wandering out of her cell. He’s so organized and his frustration leapt off the page when he came back and saw the mess that she made. His reactions were hilarious and it fueled her to do more damage. This pairing is really fun to read because I can never anticipate whether it’s a fight scene or a confession scene (both of which are great to read). She sets his nerves on fire and it’s hilarious!
Let’s take a minute and discuss this other side of Alosa, her siren side. For the longest time I thought she was oblivious to this untapped potential and I wasn’t sure how I would like it once I found out that she already knew but guess what? I did. It’s subtle and she’s a captain first and siren second and that made me like her even more (don’t ask me why). Adding this siren side gave her even more substance than she already had and it made me like her more. She’s unique and different. But you know what I really liked about it? How you could tell she was one. The concept of her eyes changing from green to blue when she’s channeling the ocean was so smart and made sense. And I loved it even more when Riden immediately caught on to the fact! (He’s not just some cocky first mate) Although it was a dark time, when they were captured and she was tortured so Vardan and his crew could learn more about this deathly species, I found it really realistic to the world that Tricia Levenseller created. Vardan and his crew want to discover the unknown in the siren species, just like a pirate who sails the seas and discovers new lands, his curiosity makes sense and it added to the plot while simultaneously setting up the next novel, Daughter of the Siren Queen.
How about that twist at the end? Theris is Vardan?? Let’s just take a moment to congratulate him and his idea of using a proxy to get close to Alosa and her schemes to finding the map. It was brilliant! I really appreciated how well this twist was executed and it just brought everything together. I’m speechless. It was crafty and I can’t wait to get my hands on the next book because I love these characters and I appreciate the challenging and manipulative behaviour that the villain possesses. Not even I can call what will happen next and that makes this book such a wonder.
Now the real question is how well Riden and Alosa will get along now that they’re aboard her ship and she’s in charge but you know what? I’m excited and ready to find out! I definitely recommend this book for anyone who likes a strong lead, a different take on the classic love interest and a story that takes a simple concept and blows it up into something so much more.
This is definitely a story worth falling for and I’m excited to dive in to the sequel, Daughter of the Siren Queen!