This is the best pirate book ever.
The author has written such a fast paced novel. The characters are great in this.
A great middle grade

This book has been very popular with my class. It’s an all female pirate fantasy book. Great for diversity in the classroom. Strong characters and description which will add tension. The reader wants to read on especially when the Kraken arrives.. There is a race across the oceans to solve the mystery of the ship.

I no longer have an interest in reviewing this title but would like to thank the publisher and author for the opportunity, it is now far past the publication and archive date. I have awarded 3 stars to keep this review neutral.

After wading through countless books targeted at girls that seem to revolve around rescuing fluffy animals or how to be popular, this book came as a refreshing change. Full of strong female characters, this swashbuckling pirate adventure story breaks the mould. My daughter absolutely loved it. Highly recommended for kids aged 10 and up.

Brilliant!Brilliant!Brilliant!Brilliant!Brilliant!Brilliant!Brilliant!Brilliant!Brilliant!Brilliant!Brilliant!Brilliant!Brilliant!Brilliant!Brilliant!Brilliant!Brilliant!Brilliant!Brilliant!Brilliant!Brilliant!Brilliant!Brilliant!Brilliant!Brilliant!Brilliant!Brilliant!Brilliant!Brilliant!

Funny, warm, endearing. I’m 30 but still enjoy youth and YA reads, and why not when they’re as well written as this one?!

Great story for young readers, full of adventure and thrills.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me access an advance copy of this book in exchange for my feedback.

The premise of this book is so fantastical and just what every young girl needs: female pirates that are actually successful at their trade. I'm mad that I put it off for so long as I was really excited to read it when I first picked it up. In that time I forgot completely what the plot was and what about it had intrigued me in the first place. Luckily, it didn't take long for it to remind me that Aleja is not one to sit and wait for her destiny to happen to her, instead she proved that women can and in fact are pirates. She also proved that despite the vicious words of the kids in her town, she was more than welcome among their crew. It's a cute story, but maybe skip the audio.

The three main things that you can take away from this book are
Quick read but the ending is such a tease
It pays to be tenacious and to believe in yourself and
Pirates! and Quests! but make it femme

I absolutely loved these pirate-y vibes from this book! It was an amazing plot, and overall just a really great middle-grade.

I was so excited to get my hands on a review copy of Mia’s debut and have loved following her writing progress on Instagram. She was one of the very first bookstagrammers I followed so to now be reading her debut novel published by Puffin Books is incredible!

I’ve loved reading about this crew of female pirates and think we need more adventure stories for young girls. It's a story about badass women out on an adventure and I hope it encourages young girls to be whatever they want to be when they grow up and to go on adventures! When you turn the last page you'll be wishing for book 2 and sad to leave this world behind.

I was lucky to get a copy of Ship of Shadows via Netgalley and Published by Penguin Books. Aleja lives in Seville and all she dreams about is having adventures but only boys are allowed to do this. Until she became mixed up with female pirates yes that's right female pirates. This all I am going to say about the book which is written by a debut author by the name of Maria Kunzinar. I was getting so excited and had to order a physical and got so engrossed I had noticed pages had fallen out of my book. Once I heard that there will be a sequel I knew that I had to have it my hands. So I had to give this wonderful action packed book 5 stars

I feel like I've just been taken on a magic-filled adventure with my best friends. I also have a soundtrack buzzing in my mind. Yes, when I like an adventure, I read it with a made-up soundtrack in my head for all the awesome scenes!

Aleja is a curious little girl who is hungry for adventures. She immerses herself in books and reaches into her imagination in search of new adventures. She also tends to gets into mischief, which makes me like her even more. Little did she know that the notorious ship of shadows she read about has just come into the port.

The ship of shadows is exactly what it sounds like. A legendary pirate ship that at its very core is powered by shadows, who are powered by all the legends and beliefs of the people who know about the pirate ship. It's an all-female crew, and each and every member has a different personality and skill.

Aleja is reluctantly taken on their next expedition to Marrakesh to find a piece of a missing map that will reveal the location of all the secrets of this world. I only say reluctantly, because Aleja's family doesn't know where she is, and being the sweet, little girl she is, she worries about them. Nevertheless, she quickly adapts to her new role!

The first part of the book is all about the ship and the magic of it. Mysteriously appearing and disappearing rooms, shadows that tie themselves to your ankles, peculiar, whiny old ghost captain. I could easily see this being turned into a fun movie. The second part of the book is all about action! Lost cities in the desert, jiins, krakens, enemy ships, fighting skeletons, finding hidden treasures.

Aleja is an adventurous, capable, smart little girl, and I really loved her temper and personality. She is very eager to prove herself, to discover and explore, but she is also such a sweetie pie and a true friend. I really liked her spirit. Even when she was frightened, she was brave and never gave up. In fact, without her, a lot of discoveries wouldn't have been made at all. I feel like she was to her crew, what Sam was to Frodo!

I felt that the last fighting scene was a bit rushed for me, and I didn't even realise what happened and why the captain of the enemy ship ran away so fast. I was prepared for kidnapping, murder or even a ship takeover, but it wasn't anything dramatic as I thought it would be!

While this is an incredible, pirate adventure, it's also a story about friendship. About home and family that we create for ourselves.

This is book one, but I will be keeping my eye on book two for sure.

This was a very fun pirate story with a really interesting plot and great characters. I loved the intrigue and adventure.

4 star read

The story is about Aleja, a young girl who dreams of exploring the world, to get into an adventure, to discover what the world has to offer. She reads all the books she could find about magic, Adventure and explorers and longs for becoming one herself, to experience the thrill of travelling around the world and learning as much as she can. But, she’s constantly told that girls can’t be explorers or pirates or be in any kind of adventure unfair!, that the magic and adventures she’s talking about are all just tales and legends, none of it is real.

Then, one day, her dream came true, in the form of the legendary Ship Of Shadows, whose crew is a group of women, each having different skills and backgrounds. Aleja first hesitated whether or not take the chance to join them but once she did, she was set on proving herself worthy to Captain Quint and the other crew members.

I liked how each character differs from the other and how each one of them had a unique past, it made the story more entrancing and delicious! Personally, I would LOVE to meet Frances, she seems like a very kind person, it’s definitely not because of the cake ….It is….

Overall, it’s a very GOOD book with a pretty cover, written in a pretty way and Y’all should read it if you haven’t already!!……Seriously, I want to be a member of The Ship Of Shadows crew….And I want Book 2!….and Cake, I want cake….

I love romanticized pirates, so I’m interested in every book like this. This book was recommended by a couple of larger BookTubers and they loved it, so I wonder why this book doesn’t have bigger hype.
Aleja lives in Seville but cannot find her place. She has every desire to get on a boat, but as a girl, she is laughed at for it. Until some unexpected expected events, she ends up on a magical pirate ship driven by female pirates.
I loved the world very much. Historic Spain and Morocco mixed with different mythologies. I really liked it. There are very nicely mythological elements mixed with our world. I also liked the magical ship aspect, too. There were lots and lots of action, too. I loved Aleja and the other girls, I liked the relationship between them.
I really liked this book. So much so that I’m already thinking about rereading it :D I look forward to the sequel :)

My Hungarian review:
Szeretem a romantizált kalózokat, ezért érdekel minden ilyen könyv. Ezt a könyvet pár nagyobb BookTuber elolvasta, és szerette, azért is csodálkozom, hogy miért nincs nagyobb hype-ja.
Aleja Sevillában él, de nem találja helyét. Minden vágya, hogy hajóra szálljon, de lányként kinevetik ezért. Mígnem egy véletlen folytán egy mágikus kalózhajóra téved, amit női kalózok vezetnek.
Nagyon szerettem a világot. Történelmi Spanyolország és Marokkó keverve különböző mitológiákkal. Nekem nagyon tetszett. Nagyon szépen vannak a mitológiai elemek keverve a mi világunkkal. Tetszett a mágikus hajó aspektus is. Volt sok-sok akció is. Szerettem Aleját és a lányokat is, tetszett a kapcsolat köztük.
Nagyon teteszett ez a könyv. Annyira, hogy már azon gondolkodok, mikor tudnám újra olvasni :D Várom a következő részt :)

If you've been a follower of mine for a while, you will know I'm a huge fan of a pirate story, and this one is no exception. It has everything I want from a Middle Grade adventure story: great characters, a a great premise, action packed and never a dull moment. I adored Aleja, the main character. She is struggling to find her place in the world. Her mum has died, she doesn't fit in at home and she is having difficulty in doing what is expected of her as a girl. She wants excitement and adventure, and she finds that on the Ship of Shadows. It is a ship she is obsessed with, so to find herself aboard is a dream come true. The crew are an interesting mix of characters and they are harbouring some interesting secrets. I loved watching Aleja find a place in the world that suited her, whilst also wrestling with her sense of loyalty to her family and to the crew of the ship. The Ship of Shadows is a brilliant adventure and I am really excited to see where this series goes next.

3 stars

Great book for middle grade in terms of storyline I enjoyed the style of the writing and the plot.
Just wanted more action sadly

Thank you for the lovely advance copy Netgallery !

A fast-paced, whimsical ride of a story full of pirates and adventures. Who wouldn’t love a tale like this?
The Ship of Shadows was simply magical, and I loved that it has strong female characters. The atmosphere draws the reader right in, and parts of the story are so descriptive that you can almost feel the excitement and want to shout at the characters to watch out in dangerous situations.
Maria Kuzinar’s debut is a middle grade book but one that adults will also enjoy tremendously.

Aleja dreams of adventure. Trapped in a lacklustre habour town in Spain, she listens to whispers and rumours of infamous pirates and ghostly ships from the locals who visit her family’s tavern. From books, she learns about explorers, who have experienced the voyages she craves, and longs for escapades of her own. Little does she know that when an unfamiliar vessel arrives in the harbour in the dead of night, battered and still smoking from unknown encounters, Aleja’s swashbuckling exploits are about to begin.
Captained by the enigmatic Captain Quint, and crewed by a band of strong, merciless females, the ship holds mysteries Aleja could only have dreamt of: rooms which appear from nowhere, a library full of secrecy, and a rather cantankerous ghost. Though they appear menacing, Aleja is soon welcomed into the fold, but can her love of languages and analytical mind solve the problem that the ship depends on, and unlock the key to a mystery which has been buried for generations?
From the moment the Ship of Shadows rolls silently into the harbour, just like Aleja, my curiosity and intrigue were captured and I was enthralled. The mysteries and quirks of the ship itself are beautifully imagined, and so realistic I could feel the sea spray on my face and the rocking of the waves. But the real treasure in this gem of a book lies in the crew. A remarkable band of buccaneers, each one has their own skills and detailed back story and motivations, and each one plays a key role in the running of the ship. A true family unit in every way. I truly couldn’t choose a favourite, there were parts I loved about all of them, from Frances’ love of cake and fierce loyalty to Aleja, to Malika’s fierce and unique approach to weapons training! The skilful weaving together of fantasy and real locations brings this tale to life.
Any middle grade read full of a strong, feminist, family message, will always be a hit for me. Aleja’s idea that adventures don’t happen to girls is one which is still perpetuated by many aspects of society, so it’s brilliant to have so many vastly different but uniquely inspirational characters, representing strength and courage in such different ways. I can’t wait to join the crew again for the next instalment of this thrilling tale.

Let’s talk about this cover. It’s one of the most beautiful covers I have ever seen. Especially with the "hidden" starry cover. Seriously, I couldn’t stop staring at it.
Thankfully, the story inside is just as precious. A girl who wants to see the world. A magic ship. A colourful cast of female characters. A mystery that brings them to far-off lands. And all of it in front of a beautiful setting and time period. For me, the story could have been a little longer and more fleshed out, but that could just be because I had a blast on deck of the Ship of Shadows and didn’t want to leave.
I can def. recommend this gorgeous story for anyone who wants a fast-paced, unique middle grade adventure.

The Ship of Shadows is packed full of vibrant magic, atmospheric adventure, pirates, explorers, hidden cities full of traps and treasure, and some fascinating characters.

I love it!

What? You need more reasons to rush out and buy it?

Okay, I can go on. It's gloriously feminist. These are female pirates who are happily out pirating in a male-dominated industry. They are powerful, fierce, determined, sometimes flawed but almost always cool.

There are gorgeously cute animal companions. But they're not your run of the mill animal companions. These are magical shadow creatures, born into the mix of wild magic flooding around the ship, taking form and personalities.

There's so much adventure! It's a glorious mix of the pirate and treasure hunter styles, like a cross between Pirates of the Caribbean and Indiana Jones or the Mummy. There are pirate rivals to fight off, exotic ports to visit, deserts to cross, puzzles to solve and treasure to be won.

There's genuine peril, and genuine friendship too. Two of the things I always look for in any adventure story. The Ship of Shadows has them in plenty. With cake! (That's more the friendship side than the peril side, now that I think about it.)

The cover is absolutely stunning too, and you know I say you should always judge a book by its cover! Karl Mountfield just keeps getting better and better, and Penguin have gone all out here, with a cut out and foil and everything.

Basically everything about this book is gorgeous, exciting and fun! I really can't recommend it highly enough.