In today’s blog, I’m going to be reviewing all of the books by Tricia Levenseller that have been published as of 2020. That includes four young adult fantasy books. The first two are part of a duology, while the third and forth are standalones. As I will be reviewing both books in the duology, please keep in mind that there may be spoilers. Thus, proceed with caution!
Book Series: Daughter of the Pirate King Duology
Books Included: Daughter of the Pirate King, Daughter of the Siren Queen
Pages (Combined): 649
Rating (Combined): 4 ⭐️
Synopsis: This duology follows Alosa, the daughter of the notorious and ruthless pirate king Kalligan and the siren queen Ava-lee, whom she has never known. Alosa is the only female ship captain and has a mostly female crew. At the start of Daughter of the Pirate King, she is purposefully captured by one of her father’s rivals, Draxen of the Night Farer. This is because she is there to locate a piece of the map which leads to the Isla de la Canta (the island where the sirens live and where there are untold riches). Her father already possesses one of the three pieces, and Alosa has been tasked with procuring the other two for him. The second book follows Alosa and her crew as they head for the Isla de la Canta.
My Review: I found Alosa as a character to be surprisingly immature (especially given she’s a ship captain and was raised to be the pirate queen after her father). Additionally, it was never explained why while Alosa cannot control herself while she is her siren-self (she turns into a mindless monster), but the other sirens are far more docile. Overall, however, these books were light, easy, quick reads ideal for someone going on vacation or who is trying to get out of a reading slump. They also carry a feminist vibe which I really liked, and Alosa had amazing chemistry with her love interest, the pirate Riden. If you are a fan of To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo, then you would most likely also enjoy this duology due to the similar plot/themes.
Book: Warrior of the Wild
Pages: 329
Rating: 4.5 ⭐️
Synopsis: Rasmira is her father’s chosen heir and has trained for years to be a warrior (someone who protects her village from the beasts who live in the wilderness surrounding it). However, when her coming of age trial is sabotaged, she is sent out into the wild where she must complete an impossible task (kill the god Peruxolo, who torments her own and the surrounding villages) in order to return home.
My Review: I really loved Rasmira’s character. She shows that a girl can be both girly and tough, and exhibits incredible loyalty, strength, and most of all resilience. She had a lot of character growth throughout the novel. She also had wonderful chemistry with her love interest, Soren and his friend (and later hers as well), Iric. My favorite part of the novel, however, was how rich, full, and well developed the world was, especially given it’s a standalone and rather short. The only real fault to be found is the ending, which felt both rushed and a little too neat.
Book: The Shadows Between Us
Pages: 323 pages
Rating: 3.75 ⭐️
Synopsis: Noblewoman Alessandra feels like a forgotten second child. She's ambitious and wants to be powerful and notorious. She conceives a plot to woo the mysterious Shadow King in order to marry him. Once they're wed she'll kill him and steal his kingdom.
My Review: Alessandra is a very unique main character. She's not your typical brave, selfless heroine out to save the world. She's smart, resourceful, and always scheming. She's out for only herself. Despite this, she's surprisingly likeable and a refreshing choice for a protagonist. The romance in the novel was also very well done. I would loosely classify it as enemies-to-lovers. She and her love interest we're very well suited for one another and they had one of the best developed relationships I've read to date. I would recommend this to fans of the Folk of Air trilogy by Holly Black as both have morally grey, ambitious main characters. Cons include the world building which felt a little inconsistent and how Alessandra's motivations which, while touched on, could have been elaborated on.
Final Thoughts:
If I had to sum up all of Levenseller's books in a single word I would use fun. If you're looking for lighthearted, enjoyable reads with plenty of adventure and strong female protagonists then this is the author for you. There's also the bonus of half her books being standalones (unicorns in the fantasy genre) and the other only being a duology so there's not the full commitment of a series. These are the perfect books to take on vacation or to sit down and read in a single afternoon when you're bored.
