Monday, September 16, 2019

#BookReview: A Jewel Bright Sea (Mage and Empire #1) by Claire O'Dell


Synopsis: A whirlwind of intrigue, lies, politics, and adventure swirls around one woman—and the prize she’s been sent to reclaim …

It was her talent for tracking magic that got Anna Zhdanov sent to catch a thief. A scholar’s daughter sold as a bond servant, she has no desire to recover the Emperor’s jewel for herself. 

But a chance to earn her freedom has driven her to the untamed Eddalyon province, awash with warm breezes, lapping waves, and more danger than she could possibly guess.

Within days her cover as an indolent noblewoman is in question, and it’s clear there’s more to Anna’s task than she knows. 

Soon she’s the captive of the unpredictable pirate captain Andreas Koszenmarc, hunted by the Emperor’s guard, besieged by a brigand queen, and at odds with her only friend. She must trust someone if she is to survive. But when all that’s certain is that everyone is hiding something, it’s no simple thing to choose 


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About the Author: Claire O'Dell grew up in the suburbs of Washington, DC, in the years of the Vietnam War and the Watergate Scandal. She attended high school just a few miles from the house where Mary Surratt once lived and where John Wilkes Booth conspired for Lincoln to die. All this might explain why she spent so much time in the history and political science departments at college. Claire currently lives in Manchester, CT with her family and two idiosyncratic cats.

Rating: 🌟🌟
My Review:  Unfortunately the best thing about this title was the cover.  The story opened pretty well however, it went down hill from there.  The writing style was fine as was the pacing.  But, this character driven story just didn't do it for me.  I never really connected with the characters all and the romance just didn't click with me at all because it just didn't have enough page time to blossom.  

Reb
The world building was amazing though.  I really felt like this wasn't a finished title.  It felt more like it was a title that was still looking for editing. And in the end at least for this reader. I wished more care would have been taken with the plot and the characters. 










“If you want rousing adventure with capable heroines and mysterious heroes, along with magic, swashbuckling, romance, and pirates, Claire O’Dell delivers the goods. I highly recommend A Jewel Bright Sea and can’t wait to read more!” —Darlene Marshall, award-winning author of Castaway Dreams









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 Disclaimer: "All opinions are 100% honest and my own."  Thanks to Goodreads and Amazon for the book cover, about the book, and author information. Buying via these links allows my site to get a % of the sale at no cost to you. 

FTC Guidelines: In accordance with FTC guidelines regarding endorsements and testimonials for bloggers, I would like my readers to know that many of the books I review are provided to me for free by the publisher or author of the book in exchange for an honest review. If am compensated for any reviews on this site I will state that post has been sponsored. 




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