Book Review: On These Wicked Shores by Katherine Quinn

About the Book:

Title: On These Wicked Shores

Author: Katherine Quinn

Series: The Azantian Trilogy #2

Publication Date: May 31, 2022

Publisher: City Owl Press

Synopsis: A king chased by the demons of his past. A merciless god seeking redemption through bloodshed. And the woman whose very existence defies possibility.

It’s been three months since Margrete Wood defeated her depraved father and saved the mystical island of Azantian. But the monstrous creatures released that night have hidden themselves in the human realm, and Margrete and her king set sail to hunt them down.

When disaster strikes on the high seas, Margrete and the crew find themselves stranded on the shores of a new and dangerous island. It’s there that they come across an ancient coin, one that legend claims belonged to a powerful goddess. It signifies the first of three deadly trials that must be completed. If they fail these tests, they forfeit their lives to the very place that traps them.

As Margrete and Bash struggle to survive gruesome horrors lurking around every turn, a mighty god watches. He’s waited centuries for this moment, and in Margrete, he sees the queen he’s been searching for.

Once the third and final coin is found, Margrete and Bash will discover if their love can conquer all… even death itself.

LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon

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My Review:

On These Wicked Shores is a fantastic sequel to The Girl Who Belonged to the Sea! Three months have passed since the end of the first book, and Margrete and Bash are adjusting to their new lives. But when they learn dangerous monsters have hidden in the human realm., the couple quickly gathers forces to defeat the enemy.

During their journey, they are shipwrecked and stranded, apart, on a dangerous and terrifying island with no way to escape. No one is safe on this mysterious and deadly island, which is an intriguing backdrop to the story, and the characters quickly learn they can trust no one and nothing. Nothing is as it seems, and with their very lives on the line and danger coming in every direction from numerous antagonists, getting off the island alive seems doubtful.

As Margrete and Bash struggle to find their way back to each other and survive the horrors of the island, a god watches and waits to claim Margrete. Filled with action, romance, and danger, there’s never a dull moment in this exciting and captivating story. There’s so much intrigue, and the suspense is intense! Plus, :much like the first book in the series, the world-building is as layered as the protagonists, and it continues to expand. Based on the ending of this book, it appears we’ll see even more of Quinn’s vivid and immersive world-building in the next book.

Bash and Margrete are such dynamically developed characters, and I like that the story switches between their perspectives. Bash totally has my heart! Each goes on terrifying, heart-breaking, and painful journey, both physically and emotionally, Luckily, they have faith in their love and are determined to reunite. Their love for each other is so strong, and it’s absolutely beautiful. This devoted couple has risked everything to be together, and to see them together and happy is everything! However, their relationship is riddled with trials and tribulations. Their love story made me feel all the feels as Margrete and Bash try to fight their way back to each other. It’ll be interesting to see how they deal with some of the shocking revelations, not to mention the many things that transpired in this book. Their journey gets more and more dangerous as Margrete learns about her power, and she and Bash both learn more about their past.

The secondary characters are great as well, and I like seeing the friendships Margrete has developed. She has a lovely connection with Bay, and she deals with many other personalities, some supportive and some not, as they try to survive on the island. Other antagonistic characters are also interesting, especially Darius, and I’m curious to learn more about them in the next book.

I loved this story! It’s dark, suspenseful, and action-packed, and after that epic ending, I can’t wait to read the final book in the trilogy! Katherine Quinn is an excellent storyteller, and I was engrossed in this book from the start. There are scenes throughout the story that are surprising, but one scene toward the end had my jaw literally dropping (and then I burst into tears! lol). I would definitely recommend the series to romantasy readers but would suggest starting with the first book as this isn’t really a standalone. Thanks to NetGalley, Catherine Quinn, and the publisher for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.

Rating:

Favorite Parts:

The romance.

The suspense and surprising revelations.

The world-building.

THAT ENDING!!!!!!!

Favorite Lines:

I trust you with all my days, all my nights, and all the twilight moments in-between.

You couldn’t pick and choose times to love someone. Love meant both sunshine-filled days and cold, hard nights. Trying to avoid the night would be akin to never leaving shore for fear of a storm. But storms eventually passed, and rain ceased, and the sun never failed to return.