Author: Adalyn Grace
Publication Date: 4 February 2020
Publisher: Imprint
Page Count: 384
Synopsis:
She will reign.
As princess of the island kingdom Visidia, Amora Montara has spent her entire life training to be High Animancer—the master of souls. The rest of the realm can choose their magic, but for Amora, it’s never been a choice. To secure her place as heir to the throne, she must prove her mastery of the monarchy’s dangerous soul magic.
When her demonstration goes awry, Amora is forced to flee. She strikes a deal with Bastian, a mysterious pirate: he’ll help her prove she’s fit to rule, if she’ll help him reclaim his stolen magic.
But sailing the kingdom holds more wonder—and more peril—than Amora anticipated. A destructive new magic is on the rise, and if Amora is to conquer it, she’ll need to face legendary monsters, cross paths with vengeful mermaids, and deal with a stow-away she never expected… or risk the fate of Visidia and lose the crown forever.
I am the right choice. The only choice. And I will protect my kingdom.
Things I Liked:
There was never a dull second! I felt like the story was constantly moving forward and there were plenty of little surprises to keep you guessing along the way. I think my favorite part of this story are the characters. Each one is well thought-out and has flaws, which made them feel more like real people and less like characters in a book. A perfect example is Amora. She is strong, fierce, and doesn’t need a man to look after her. But instead of that becoming all she is, she also realizes she does need help from friends and even apologizes several times when she thinks she has crossed a line. A lot of times it feels like authors make characters too one-dimensional in an effort to establish them quickly, but Grace handles her characters expertly, and it made me love them all the more. She also didn’t try to tame the mermaid and let her be true to herself and the nature of mermaids.. which I loved.
The story itself was really interesting. I think the magic was explained well, though it took me a little while to catch on. There was violence, blood, and adventure. Loyal friendships, romance, and pirates. It was so well written, and the dialogue was top-notch.
Things I Didn’t Like:
It was a little bit predictable and I wasn’t in love with the ending. I’m certainly hoping there is more to come because the last few chapters felt kind of rushed and didn’t feel like a proper conclusion.
Overall:
Overall I really loved this book. I would highly recommend it to anyone seeking a high-seas YA with pirates, mermaids, and epic adventures!
You can purchase All the Stars and Teeth here
