The parallel storylines of Dark Shores (2019) and Dark Skies (2020) continue in this sequel that ties the two together.Teriana, Marcus, Killian, and Lydia return as point-of-view characters in interwoven stories. Thematically uniting the protagonists is the idea of struggling against conflicting loyalties. Teriana and Marcus struggle with trust, both in terms of being able to trust each other, as they are technically enemies, and individually. Teriana is torn between protecting her people, held hostage by the Empire, or keeping the Empire from spreading into the West; Marcus longs for freedom from the Empire even as his loyalty to the men of his legion is challenged by his knowledge that there's a traitor among them. Killian feels guilty over the choice he made between Lydia and Malahi, whose father is an inferior ruler, while Lydia's struggles sneak up on her. The multiple storylines spread the characters to distant corners, presenting new worldbuilding opportunities. The balance between characters allows for a sense of time and travel while characters are on the move, with quicker check-ins preventing the pace from getting bogged down in between devastating revelations, deadly action, intrigue, and, of course, romance culminating in steamy scenes. The characters' storylines resolve their immediate dilemmas while presenting new dangers for the next installment. Both the East and West feature casual diversity-skin tones (ranging from fair-skinned Lydia to black-skinned Teriana) are sometimes geographically linked but generally lack significance.Sprawling yet intricate and completely engrossing. (Fantasy. 14-adult)

Gr 9 Up-This novel continues the stories of Teriana and Marcus and Lydia and Killian, introduced in Dark Shores and Dark Skies , respectively. The Celendor Empire continues its plans to conquer the Dark Shores, once only known by the Maarin sea traders who were tasked with keeping the West and the East a secret from one another. Lydia and Killian team up again to face the Corruptor, the Seventh god who is causing blight and chaos. Armed with her healing power that was given to her by one of the Six gods, Lydia desperately seeks a way to heal those who have been corrupted without killing them. Despite their feelings for each other, Killian is still promised to the Mudamora Princess who is alive and being used by the Corruptor. A revelation of Lydia's true identity, however, changes things. Marcus and Teriana continue their relationship in secret while being forced to find viable ways for the Empire to cross into the Dark Shores or risk having Teriana's family harmed. While the two are not on the same sideone a military commander for the Empire, and the other a Maarin captainthey find themselves drawn to each other and to the idea of creating a new future for themselves. Steamy romances, epic battles, an array of memorable characters, and vivid worldbuilding make this series stand out. A cliffhanger ending will leave readers eagerly awaiting more. VERDICT A first purchase, along with the other two in the series, for all young adult collections. Marissa Lieberman, East Orange P.L., NJ