4.5 stars.

300 meets Pirate's of the Caribbean. A mash up that you didn't know you needed in your life. Political, dark and full of strategic calculations. This is a story that can appeal to a variety of different people.

I've not read many roman inspired works that I have enjoyed as much as I enjoyed this. I think without the unique aspects of pirates and gods, I may not have been so captivated. But it all blends seamlessly into each other, and creates a wonderful, complex, world.

A fantastic blend of diverse ethnicities, that I am so happy to see more and more of in modern literature. To have characters that you can relate to, not only on a spiritual level, but on a physical one too. To read about empowering women, and women of colour as the main characters in books is something that I am adoring, and Dark Shores delivers on that.

If I had anything negative to say, it would be that I had wanted Teriana's character to be a little more consistent. I like characters with depth and that have multiple sides to them, and she certainly has that. But I found sometimes that her reactions to certain situations weren't always consistent with who she is as a character. The smallest of niggles, it really doesn't detract from the story at all.

I look forward to the next book, and seeing how far Teriana and Marcus can go.