YA Review: Sea of Shadows (Age of Legends #1) by Kelley Armstrong

Title: Sea of Shadows
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Series: Age of Legends
Book #: 1
Pages: 406
Reading Level: YA
Book Rating: 
Goodreads Rating: 3.73
Published: April 8th, 2014

In the Forest of the Dead, where the empire’s worst criminals are exiled, twin sisters Moria and Ashyn are charged with a dangerous task. For they are the Keeper and the Seeker, and each year they must quiet the enraged souls of the damned.

Only this year, the souls will not be quieted.

Ambushed and separated by an ancient evil, the sisters’ journey to find each other sends them far from the only home they’ve ever known. Accompanied by a stubborn imperial guard and a dashing condemned thief, the girls cross a once-empty wasteland, now filled with reawakened monsters of legend, as they travel to warn the emperor. But a terrible secret awaits them at court—one that will alter the balance of their world forever.

Taschima's POV:

 So I guess this book can be boring for some... or not. I enjoyed it! I liked the world Kelley Armstrong built, and I didn't find the book mind numbing. I thought the characters were interesting, all of them. Both the boys and the girls. Sea of Shadows may a an acquired taste for some but I say give it a shot and KEEP READING. It is good from the beginning but it might get a bit slow towards the middle... but I am good with slow sometimes as long as it still progresses the story and/or romance, which it does.

"As I was saying, everyone comes back," Moria said. "Every Seeker. Every hound. Every volunteer. Every guard. They do their duty and they return, and all is well. You can't tell me that every Seeker has been perfect. They must make mistakes. It doesn't matter. I'm not even sure if the rituals matter at all. It is a kindness to the spirits of the damned, but would they truly rise up and attack? If it's never happened before, I'll wager it can't."
"Don't be blasphemous, Rya."
"If you don't fret, I'll not say scandalous things." Moria paused. "Which would be rather difficult, but since I'm quite certain you'll never stop fretting, I do believe I'm safe."
Ashyn threw her arms around her sister so abruptly that Moria let out a yip of surprise. Ashyn smiled and hugged her until that rigid steel melted and Moria embraced her, whispering, "You're ready, Ash. I know you are."

Moria and Ashyn sisterly relationship takes front and center during the events of Sea of Shadows. They are both special, and both uniquely their own. They complement each other, each girl making up for what the other one lacks. Moria is strong spirited and isn't afraid to make a scene and get her point across...

"Before he could finish the sentence, her blade tip was digging into the bottom of his jaw.
"I am the Keeper of the Forest, boy," she said. "Do you think those pretty patterns on your arms give you the right to threaten me? They do not. Even if your father was still marshal, they would not. I will take your glowers. I will take your insults. I will take your warnings that you'll abandon me by the roadside if I do not keep pace. But you will not call me a liar. And you will not threaten me."

... while Ashyn is more gentle, and a dreamer. She is a romantic, yet at the same time she is not naive nor an idiot. She is kind and more easy spoken than Moira, with a leveled head on her shoulders. This is a little piece of Ashyn:

"It made a romantic tale. The young rogue, cheating death, returning to his grieving lover. But in reality...Ashyn had always known that life did not resemble one of her book stories or Moria's bard tales, and yet there'd been part of her that hoped it did. The more she saw, the more she realized she was wrong. People made up those stories because it's what they wanted from their world. A place where goodness, kindness, and honor were rewarded. They were not rewarded."

Both voices are easy to tell apart so you will not be confused when reading since the tale is told from the two girl's POVs. Even though there is a name at the beginning of the title for which girl's turn it is to tell the tale, it is hardly ever needed. The writing is so good, and the situations are realistic yet infused with magic.

The boys of the tale... both are exquisite. Gavril can be a pain, but you soon learn to understand him, as does Moria. He is also the 18 year old buy that DOESN'T act like an 18 year old buy, more like a full grown adult. Ronan is a thief, sent to the Forest of the Dead to well, die. But he escapes and helps Ashyn in her journey to find her sister as well as the rest of the community which was kidnapped. Their interactions with the sisters make the novel that much more enjoyable and interesting. Personally, I go for Gavril.

So yes, I enjoyed Sea of Shadows and I am waiting very eagerly for the next one in the series.