This is an adventure book from start to finish. There are fast-paced scenes, life-threatening situations and a whole lot of friendship between a group of women/girls.
Our lead protagonist has no friends because she is too different, she has taught herself languages by reading books( something I think would be a monumental task with just the pronunciation of the letter 'J' as an example in a few languages) and is straining against the bonds that tie her to her town. One day she is forced to break them and sets sail on a magical ship 'manned' entirely by women. She learns the ropes as well as the inner workings of the ship in pieces and makes friends quickly. The adventure has an ulterior motive, apart from making sure they return alive: they have a quest. Sometimes I find it hard to adjust to the idea of pirates as positive images, but that is addressed here as well. I was only taken aback by the abrupt end to this instalment since there is no smooth pause for another instalment to pick up.
I look forward to seeing how things turn out for all the people involved. I liked the twists but was only mildly invested in all their fates. I want to be drawn in a little further, and I hope that the next book can do that for me!

I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

A wonderful wild ride on the Ship of Shadows. I finished this middle-grade book in one sitting.

Aleya longs for an adventure. She wants to be like the great explorers. When the Ship of Shadows is supposed to have anchored in her hometown of Seville in Spain, Aleya wants to see it with her own eyes. This results in her joining the female crew of the ship.

The magical ship is full of secrets and it seems to be Aleya's quest to puzzle them out.

The pacing was on the fast side, but that didn't mean details got left out. Aleya gets to explore the world with the Ship of Shadows.

A wonderful story full of imaginative ideas and a very strong female lead!

I had been postponing reading The Ship of Shadows because I really wanted to read it at leisure. I LOVED it. This is a middle grade fantasy book about pirates, ships with secrets, and much travel.

Aleja finds herself in the infamous ship of shadows. Now this ship is really fantastic. It has libraries (yes!), resident ghosts, secrets, and playful shadows. The ship is headed by Captain Quint who upholds the 'steal from rich' Robin Hood ideals. I also loved the shadowless, badass Malika and loveable Frances (who always takes cake wherever she goes!). There are secret books, sword fighting lessons, krakens to destroy, pirate hunters and much more in this novel. Also, the crew travels alot — Spain, Africa, secret tunnels, etc. This is a treat. I can't wait for Book 2

I absolutely loved this.

Aleja lives near the port in Seville and longs to sail, to travel, to see the world. Aside from her older brother Miguel, her dreams are treated as exactly that - with reactions ranging from fond impossibility to outright ridicule and bullying the fact remains that the idea of a girl or a woman working on a ship is preposterous.

Or is it?

Late one night, while sneaking out to 'borrow' books from the University Library (in secret of course - everyone knows girls shouldn't waste time reading!) she spies a strange ship coming into the port, and sets out to investigate.

And so it is that Aleja finds herself in the midst of a pirate crew sailing away from her home and embarking on a mysterious quest.

And what a crew they are! From the steely and shrewd Captain Quint herself to Malika - calm, cool, collected...and deadly - to Frances, always ready with a yarn to spin and with a talent for thieving and a penchant for cake, this is an all-female crew to be reckoned with. A mixture of skills, personalities and nationalities, they're a truly terrific bunch.

It's only fitting then that such a formidable bunch crew no ordinary ship. The Ship of Shadows is made of magic, of legends and stories and rumours; it has secret passages, ghosts and of course shadows, not to mention rooms that change, appear and disappear. It's fantastic stuff, simply fizzing with magic and imagination.

Then there's the mysterious quest Captain Quint is on, which sees them battling Kraken, riding camels across the desert in search of a lost city and fighting a skeketon army, which is delightfully frightful.

The places we travel through - and it really does feel as though we're in there travelling across them too - are rich in detail and vividly described. Aleja is in awe as she experiences them and you really feel that with her.

If krakens and skeletons aren't enough, there's added danger from pirate hunters, one in particular who is intent on chasing The Ship of Shadows down, providing some real tension and drama.

And amidst all the excitement, there are more poignant themes of family, friendship and belonging. Of being torn in two directions, of leaving - and missing - home, of following your dreams.

With pirates, magic, exploration and a writing style and sense of place that I loved, this book is definitely one of my highlights of the year and has shot straight into my favourites.

There's been no word on a sequel but the plot and the ending mean there must be one...surely?! I for one very much hope there is - I've been transported across the seas and swept up in adventure and, much like Aleja, I am left desperate for more!

You know a book is good when you keep finding opportunities to sneak off and read a couple of chapters throughout the day. The Ship of Shadows is one of those books for me, I was captivated from the first page.

Aleja has longed for adventure and magic all her life. She gets just that when she finds herself hiding out on the elusive Ship of Shadows travelling with an all female crew. I love a good pirate story, the whole “female’s on board is bad luck” wears thin after awhile so you can imagine my delight when I found out the ship’s crew is entirely female. I can’t tell you how much I loved this cast of Characters. Not one of them felt two dimensional and seamlessly fit together. The friendship between Aleja and Frances I think is my favourite part of the book, the way they just click and always have each other’s backs.

This book was so much fun to read, so many magic rooms to explore, trouble to get into and so much cake you’ll be craving it for days after. The Ship of Shadows is by far one of my favourite reads this year. Adventure, magic, pirates, this books has it all. I can’t wait to get my hands on the next book! Definitely add this to your TBR’s, and make sure to have a stash of cake at the ready.

This one really surprised me and it's the kind of book that I know I will reread someday. The characters are amazing. I love Aleja. She's a badass and also relatable. I think most of us have dreamed of adventures like her. The plot is well-crafted. I love every second of the story and was left wanting more when I was done reading. But the best thing about this book is the world-building. The author has created such rich, beautiful fantasy world. There's a vivid picture in my head of this fantasy world.

Overall, a well-written book that promises pure enjoyment.

Sorry for the late review, the book has been in shops for well over a month now and I was already recommending it to kids looking for a pirate filled adventure!

If goodreads gave half stars it would be a 4.5 star read for me!
This is a beautifully written novel full of magic, danger and explorations for anyone who dreams of adventure!

We follow Aleja, a young girl who spends her days helping out at her fathers tavern while she yearns for more, to one day become like the explorers she reads about in her books she borrows secretly from the library. Her favourite among these is the legendary Thomas James.
Everything changes for her the night a ships take harbour at the port in her home town, smelling of gunpowder. She connects the ship with that of Thomas James's, The Ship of Shadows. To learn more she goes back to her library where she uncovers a hidden compartment with the personal journal of Thomas James. In her curious want to find out more, she gets caught in the wrong place and Captain Quint of the Ship of Shadows saves her.

From here we learn more about the crew of the Ship of Shadows,different women with expertise in many areas as well as the magic of the ship and the meaning behind its name. We set sail to Morocco, battling storms and sea monsters and viscous pirate hunters all on a quest to get a very special map!

I adored this book, and shame on me for not getting to it quicker. We have a lovable and curious main character in Aleja, perfect for all readers to follow and enjoy her mischievous adventures! Her skill in languages makes her a great part of the team that is the crew of the Ship of Shadows. The crew itself were brilliantly individual but incredibly real, from Frances to Malika, I loved this found family of pirate women!
The premise was fascinating, the magic of the ship delighted me as much as Aleja as she and Frances explored it! The story of why they are being hunted was slowly revealed, allowing underling tension to be underneath all the joy of the freedom aboard the ship. The atmosphere was wonderful, making me feel nostalgic for an all-female pirate book or movie I wish I could have read when I was young.

Again another one of those books that ended and made me want the sequel immediately, but seeing as how the story ended, I'm sure I can look forward to more adventures with Aleja and the crew of the Ship of Shadows!

Thank you to Penguin's Childrens Books and Netgalley for an early eArc of the book!

"𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴, 𝘐 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘪𝘵?"
"𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺'𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘧𝘢𝘷𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥," 𝘈𝘭𝘦𝘫𝘢 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺.
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⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5 stars
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Enticing, empowering and exciting, this book had me at Pirates! However, this was so much more than just Pirates and I loved the setting, the characters and the relationship building.
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Although I'm sure I should enjoy the main character, I actually really enjoyed Frances. She is fun, kind hearted and will do anything for the ones she loves!
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I seriously hope there will be a sequel! Thank you to @thewritereads, @netgalley and @cosyreads for this beautiful experience.

I've been looking forward to reading this one for a long while, and it did not disappoint! This is a brilliant read, and such a fun, captivating story with an interesting magic system that even while somewhat explained still manages to retain its sense of mystery and wonder. This book is an absolute maelstrom of adventure, magic and emotions, and we are just along for the ride as main character Aleja finds her place amongst the crew of the Ship of Shadows.

While there are the occasional slight pacing issues (it's almost too fast at times), and the way Aleja found herself along for the adventure felt a little strange to me, I found the story as a whole really engaging and well written. While the ship is the soul of the story, the characters are its heart,, each with their own temperaments and backstories that really make the story come alive, without clogging up the plot. The very real sense of history and geography is also wonderfully done, with vivid descriptions of each new place making them feel tangible and very different from the last, helping separate the separate steps of the journey in our minds. The hints at more, hidden backstories and other places the crew have been to anchor the story in the world and help make the potential of adventure truly endless. We are right there with Aleja as she is pulled in by the possibilities and marvels she sees, always teased with the promise of more on the horizon.

I do wish we could have seen Aleja's confrontation with her family and her decision to stay or leave the ship to round out the book and the adventure, but I guess we'll have to wait for the sequel!

The Ship of Shadows is a whirlwind adventure full of sword fights, krakens, jars of storms and of course… cake. This is the kind of book I wish I had when I was growing up, one that told me that girls are strong, brave and can be anything they want – including pirates.

Aleja is a young girl living in Spain dreaming of adventure and an escape from her mundane life where she doesn’t fit in. When a pirate ship sails into the harbour crewed by a crew of ruthless, unstoppable women, she knows this is the adventure she has been waiting for.

The Ship of Shadows is SO much fun. It is exciting, funny and left me wanting more. The band of pirates are wondeful, each one unique and witty but Frances stole the show – her thirst for adventure, cake and all things sweet made me fall in love with her.

The magic was brilliant and imaginative – I wish that this ship was real, it sounds like a fantastic place to call home with the strange and wonderful rooms and shadows for pets. The descriptions of the different countries they travel to and cultures they experienced were vivid and interesting, I can tell Maria is an adventurer herself.

This book is aimed at middle grade but I adored it. I hope one day if I have a young girl she will love it just as much as I did!

Thank you so much to TheWriteReads, Puffin Books and Maria herself for sending me a copy and letting me be apart of such an exciting book tour.

“She knew in her bones that somewhere, somehow, there had been other girls like her.”
Aleja feels the pull of adventure, but she is just supposed to be satisfied helping work at her family’s tavern. She sneaks out at night to explore their city, Seville, but then also breaks into the library. She borrows books and spends the night reading them before hiding them under her bed. She’s supposed to be content, not searching for knowledge and wanting to see the ships that come into port. However, one night at the library, she discovers a hidden compartment with a book labeled with a famous explorer. On her way home, she makes a stop at the port to see the newest ship. Fate looks down on her and by picking up some dropped coins, she is suddenly hunted for having counterfeit money. She is offered refuge on the new ship, which is made up of a woman-only crew.

I read The Ship of Shadows as part of The Write Reads blog tour for the book. The storyline seemed interesting and I wanted to see if it was a book my own children would be interested in reading. Middle grade fiction can be a fun break to reading historical fiction and non-fiction books.

The ship sails from port that night while Aleja sleeps and she wakes up to the start of her life as a pirate. While the captain promises her that she can return home after they complete their next task, she also offers Aleja a permanent position on the ship. She is torn, but as she finds out more about the adventure, she becomes an integral part of the crew and makes friends.

The Ship of Shadows is a fun read, especially for girls. There is danger, treasure, puzzles and books. I did feel like it was easy to figure out what was going to happen next, but that may be reading it from an adult viewpoint. I’ll be curious to see what my daughters think of the book. However, if you know a middle-aged reader who loves pirates, she will adore The Ship of Shadows.

I ended up buying a copy of this before the Galley copy came through so my review is based on my purchase of the paperback! I really enjoyed this adventure story and absolutely adored the experience of getting to read about a crew of female pirates. Aleja is a brilliant main character but the rest of the crew are complex and varied, and I hope that if there's a sequel we get to learn even more about each of them. Will definitely be recommending this to kids in store!

It’s been so long since I read a book about seafaring. For good reason too, it’s not a topic I enjoy very much. But when you combine it with a crew of female pirates, I’m willing to make an exception. And I’m glad I did. The Ship of Shadows is an extremely enjoyable MG fantasy following Aleja on her first adventure with the crew of the legendary ship. She’s a Spanish girl, misunderstood by everyone around her, and she feels immediately at home on the ship. Adventure had always been a dream, and now it’s coming true.

I really liked the characters of the crew. All with their own stories, personalities, and interests. Two of them are Dutch: Griete and Ermtgen. As a Dutchie myself, they piqued my interest. Griete was very obvious to me, although I’d say her name is more Frisian than Dutch. Ermtgen wasn’t a name I was familiar with, especially not as a Dutch name. A quick Google search revealed there were at least two women in the 1630s with such a name. And I’m really curious if the griddle cakes Ermtgen makes at the beginning of Aleja’s adventure are really poffertjes. That would make sense.

The story and the world itself is perfectly crafted, even though some bits were predictable. I won’t deduct points for it since it’s an MG book and I’m a seasoned reader. Sometimes it’s okay to be obvious. I really loved the lore of Thomas James. The way Kuzniar presented it made me want to find out more about him and his adventures. I hope she’ll tell us more in the next books. It wasn’t hard to keep reading since every page had more action or mystery to solve. The only downside maybe is the ending. The book ends before they return to Seville and Aleja hasn’t made her decision to stay or go. It’s a huge unsolved plot point and I didn’t get the closure I needed/wanted.

I give The Ship of Shadows by Maria Kuzniar four stars. I’d definitely recommend it to adventurous young ladies like my niece. I think she would like this one a lot, although she doesn’t read English. Let’s hope it’ll get picked up for translation soon so more kids can enjoy Kuzniar’s wonderful stories.

This is the book I’ve always wanted to read when I was a child, a brave group of women that have adventures with their own ship, who said that women have always to be rescued by a prince? They can save themselves without anyone’s help!
There are adventures that doesn’t matter your age, you’ll love to be part of them. That’s the case of this book, it will take you to an amazing adventure, full of brave and ruthless women, they will make you dream again. Ready to embark on the only trip you need this summer?
I’ll admit that I have started reading books focused for the little ones recently, I have a little son and I love reading to him so I am looking for the best books to “teach” him while he is having an amazing adventure; this book fits everything I search on a book. Adventure, magic and brave women, it’s time that we get used to main characters of both gender, not only male, don’t you think? And to make this a normality all kids have to read all type of books, it doesn’t matter if the main character is a boy or a girl as long as the story is good and they enjoy the trip, or at least that’s what I think.
This is a book to make you travel while you are on your sofa, let the imagination flow and the thirst for adventures overcome you, because that’s what books are made for; dreams, adventure and life! Ready?

Love this book that is packed to bursting with feisty, ferocious and fearless females! So much adventuring to admire and the plot sweeps along, uncovering mysteries before exploring them in more detail. Lots of danger and excitement, but also some lovely exploration of Aleja's development as a character. Can't wait to set sail in the next book!

Ever since reading Rooftoopers recently I have been enthralled by middle grade books. These books, these are the ones that inspire children to dream, to imagine and best of all explore all the worlds. The debut novel from Maria Kuzniar, The Ship of Shadows is no exception to this.

Aleja has yearned for the excitement of adventure all of her life. It’s her dream, but it is just that, a dream. Adventures like these aren’t reality especially living in Sevilla. Aleja has lived through the famous adventures written throughout history. She has delved and learnt the adventures of explorers through the pages of books. She has become a little explorer herself, she just needs the opportunity. When a sees an injured ship, conjured of magic and legend that enters the Spanish Harbour, she can’t help but investigate further. And she does, Aleja is caught in trouble and the captain of the ships rescues her. But the ship doesn’t just welcome anyone. The Ship of Shadows is a legend of the seas, and so are it’s explorations, and it picked her. Sailing across the seas, travelling to whole new worlds, finding lost treasures, fighting krakens amongst an all female crew.

Who remembers Jason and the Argonauts and Clash of the Titans, the old movies?! Those were the movies I grew up on with the classic tales of adventures and mythical creatures. Those seem slightly old fashioned now and like Aleja, books are pages of millions of worlds that we want to explore. There are very few pirate books, I know I have read mainly YA like Viper by Bex Hogan and Seafire by Natalie C. Parker. The Ship of Shadows is one a classic feminist voyage story. One the best pirates books out there and the perfect introduction to the dreams of adventures and becoming little explorers.

Little explorers that will resonate with strong characters like Aleja and her contagious excitement and thirst for adventures. Travelling the earth and various voyages to discover lost treasures. Who wouldn’t want to be?! I love Aleja’s passion, curiosity, never giving-up and courageousness. She is an unstoppable, knowledgeable force and the perfect pirate for the ship of shadows. Then there’s Frances the fun and curious pirate that I think leads Aleja astray. Among the all female crew, theirs is a fantastic all-girl crew that each have their own persona and place on the ship. It’s their home.

I was simply entranced by, the adventure. You can’t have one without the other, but as a debut writer, Maria has certainly outdone herself. I felt transported to onboard the ship of shadows. The world building of the book, travelling to Morocco, Spain, Sevilla, and North Africa. I don’t travel very much in literature unless it the UK or the US, or a new world completely. So I loved the rich, sharp, vivid imagery and description of life is second to none. As if you were there yourself. The genuine excitement of being a pirate throughout the entire book was just contagious. It just makes my inner child smile giddy with excitement and if I’m like that imagine what younger audiences would be like. I loved the magic and the originality behind her writing, I don’t know I’ve read anything quite like for such a long time. There’s something about middle grade books and the essence and imagination of magic that captures the reader completely and Maria does that.

I am absolutely middle grade books and I wish I had these when I was younger. I miss being that young and really resonating with the characters or feeling that genuine excitement. I think as a reader and librarian, and older I feel I appreciate books more. When they take you away from you for a bit and let you be your inner child. I will definitely be recommending this book to all my students on par with Helena Duggan, J.K. Rowling, Cornelia Funke and Katherine Rundell. The Ship of Shadows is jam packed full on adventure, entwined with magic and secrets, and will let every child dream for their own adventure.

The Ship of Shadows was a book that I heard so many good things about but that ultimately ended up not being the right book for me. While I love the story's foundation in following a group of ragtag female pirates, I personally couldn't connect with any of the characters or plot lines. This review is particularly hard for me to write because of how apathetic I was to the novel.

That being said, I received a free copy as part of a book tour and The Ship of Shadows was an absolute hit! This might have been the most successful book tour that I've ever been part of in terms of reader enjoyment. I will definitely be giving this book a reread in the future because I think it might have just been a simple case of the right book at the wrong time.

What do you get if you take a an adventurous young girl constantly being told that girls don't have adventures, a pirate ship with an all female crew and a tonne of magic?  Answer: a kick ass pirate adventure novel that will delight younger readers everywhere whilst flying the flag for the girls. 

Alija has a thirst for adventure and longs for something beyond the norm of her Spanish village and constant reminder that girls were not supposed to experience thrilling adventures. On one of her late night prowls through the town and to the library, she stumbles across the all female crew of the legendary Ship of Shadows.  Alija is sucked into the adventure of off she goes into a world of pirates and magic. 

Alija is a brilliant character and I love how she rebels against a very traditional view of a girl and how they should behave.  I adore her curiosity and how her love of books is what leads her to her adventure.  The rest of the crew all have the unique personalities and I feel any young reader will relate with at least one character.        

The settings and descriptions are stunning.  From the rooftops and alleys of Servillas to the shores of Morocco, the descriptions are so immersive.  Every sight, sound and smell is vivid and exquisite and just sucks the reader in.

This is an excellent adventure/fantasy for middle grade children that breaks stereotypes and  has an adventure like nothing else I've ever come across.

Many thanks to The Write Reads and Penguin for a copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review and for inclusion on this blog tour.

Pirates = Good.

Female pirates = Great.

A whole magic ship full of female pirates = Must read.

Ship of Shadows is a charming, cozy adventure filled with both heart and danger. It’ll transport the reader to far-away countries, across dangerous seas, and all with the comfort of some charming female bonding and found family.

I think I’m in the minority in that I didn’t love this book. I did enjoy it, though, and the most important part: even though my adult brain struggled with it, I think children would love this. Younger me would have, for sure, and I can think of quite a few kids at my library who would, because it fits neatly into that wish fulfillment niche that is especially unique to middle grade readers.

My Thoughts:

- The world-building in this is immersive, and will take readers to various different countries and introduce them to diverse cultures. In a sneaky way that is sure to catch young readers’ attention, without having them rolling their eyes at having to actually … ugh … learn something. I loved how smoothly different cultures were introduced in the narrative, and I learned several things I hadn’t known, too, and was excited to recognize some more trivial facts that I did happen to know. It’s pretty much a given that pirates are going to travel, and good pirates can blend into their surroundings, so it makes perfect sense that these ladies would have to know at least something about the lands they’re traveling to. I was so excited to see this, because I’ve been looking for books that can introduce kids to other cultures sneakily, by tricking them into having an adventure, and this really delivers on that.

- The magic in this is absolutely charming. As if being pirates isn’t enough of a draw, the ship itself is magical. How neat is that?! I think this was probably my favorite part of the book, and I can imagine kids would love it just as much. What’s better than being a pirate? Being a pirate on a magical ship, of course. The magic aboard the Ship of Shadows is born from legends about it, which means the rooms and things that appear are based on what yarns people are weaving about it, and I loved that. Exploring the ship with Aleja and Frances was one of my favorite parts of the story, because there was so much to love about the ship. I’m more than a little jealous that I can’t set sail in her myself.

- This book is just chock full of adventures and puzzles. I mean, it wouldn’t be much of a pirate book without swashbuckling, now would it? This book skirts the line between cozy piracy and the actual brutalities of piracy really nicely, sparing the reader the real nitty-gritty, but also reminding them that everything comes at a price. I liked that even while it was glamorizing piracy to an extent, there were some harsh realities about the dangers. There is a little bit of a quest going on here, though, which means there are sometimes puzzles or riddles to solve, and I think that’ll definitely appeal to young readers. I thought they were kind of easy/obvious, but I’m also old and jaded, and it feels like a good level for the target audience.

- I can’t end this review without mentioning the all-female crew, which drew me to this book in the first place. Not only were they diverse, but there was something different to love about all of them. I actually really liked that the book delved not only into their ethnic backgrounds (since they’re all from different places, with different cultures), but they all have very different life experiences. I absolutely adore stories with both found family and crews, so combining both into this one book seems pretty efficient to me. I really enjoyed reading the crews’ interactions, not to mention the difference in personalities.

Sticking Points:

- Aleja is too good at … well, basically everything. Magically. Because the plot requires her to be. This goes back to the wish fulfillment thing I mention. Of course kids are going to enjoy this part more than I did, and this book is really for them, but my old, lame adult brain kept shorting out at everything this kid could do. She's clearly "not like other girls," taught herself English just by reading English books (and somehow can pronounce it nearly perfectly when speaking aloud), finds a secret hidden book, and accidentally uncovers a counterfeiting ring in just the first 10% of the book. It was ... a lot. I know wish fulfillment books are huge in MG, and I’m not even against kids doing fantastical feats. I just want a reason in the story to believe that they’re capable of doing these things, which I didn’t feel from this story. Every time Aleja pulled off yet another thing, I kept thinking, but how?! I don’t have to think it has to be realistic or real. I just have to buy it in the context of the story. Again, this is very much a me thing, but it makes me twitchy.

I really enjoyed reading this book. It was a nice getaway, from the usual tropes that have been coming out lately. Aleja wants to be an explorer, but for a female, it is not the normal job that a girl should have. When she finds a ship full of pirates, and female pirates, she is amazed. When she is pulled into the crew, she finds way more than she bargained for. Coupled with the book that she found, she finds more adventure than she ever thought possible - and maybe where she fits in.




I really enjoyed this book. It was a fun and easy read! Kids will really enjoy reading this book!