Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest opinion. This book is available now.

Well, buckle my swash! Wow, this book is fun! Adventure, piracy, and a fair bit of mystery made this an enjoyable romp full of nonstop excitement. I can tell you with absolute surety that all of the excitement surrounding The Ship of Shadows is well deserved.

Aleja is a wonderful main character. She loves books and adventure, and is incredibly smart. While she wishes she fit in more with the other children her age, she never pretends to be someone else. I loved that. When she finds a pirate crew of all females going on the sorts of adventures Aleja thought were reserved only for males, I felt like cheering.

The ship itself is full of mysteries to answer and wonders to discover. The pirates themselves are each a puzzle waiting to be solved. I especially liked Frances, an incorrigible partner-in-crime. Oh-and the ghost. Yes, there’s a resident ghost and it’s fantastic.

The book is full of small details that elevate it above “just” an adventure book (although there’s nothing wrong with that sort of book): there are bits of history thrown in, and travel to exciting (and real) places. Aleja learns from each crew member, as they all have their own individual strengths.

The main story-line itself is fantastic and there was never a dull moment. This is the sort of book that will capture the imagination of anyone who longs for adventure. While it is meant for the middle grade audience, this would make an excellent read-aloud for slightly younger kids, and it was a blast for me to read as well. I highly suggest picking this one up!

I don’t usually read a lot of middle grade, but when I heard about The Ship of Shadows, there was no way I was turning down that opportunity! I’m a sucker for a good pirate story, and this one sounded too good to miss.

Aleja is an excellent main character, who you really grow to love throughout the book. She is strong, adventurous, and truly a great friend. She isn’t afraid of a little danger, and will put herself in harms way to help those that she cares about. I certainly think we can all relate to Aleja’s love of books, and I really loved how she would sneak in to the library to read!

The Ship of Shadows crew is an interesting mix of people, and each member had their own exciting qualities and strengths. I definitely enjoyed learning about each character, and their backgrounds. The shadows themselves were also extremely interesting, and a joy to have around.

The legend of The Ship of Shadows is so exciting, and after hearing the rumours of it towards the beginning of the story, I couldn’t wait to find out more about the ship, to discover if the rumours were true, and for the secrets to unfold.

The description of the ship is so well written, I could actually visualise it in my head, especially the library, which sounds like HEAVEN! Life on board the ship sounds so amazing, despite it being a little strenuous at times, and all of the different activities sound like they would be so much fun! I would actually love to give weapons training a go myself, and I personally think I would be quite good at it. I would love to live on board The Ship of Shadows, and I actually think I would make quite a good pirate given the chance!

The world building is done to perfection, and you can completely immerse yourself in it, not only the ship itself, but also the many places that the crew visit along their journey. It really gives you that travelling bug, and has made me want to travel the world and see as much as possible (more than I already did).

There is also a very good lesson within this story too. Aleja’s family tell her that she can’t do the things that she dreams of (mainly because she is female), but she goes out and she proves all of them wrong. You can do anything you put your mind to, and you shouldn’t let anyone or anything stand between you and your dreams, or tell you that you can’t reach them.

This book is full of magic, adventure, and is lots of fun to read. Pirate stories have always been a favourite of mine, even as a child, and the fact that The Ship of Shadows is an all female crew makes this one even better! It certainly surpassed all of my expectations. I hope that this becomes a series, because I would love to see how Aleja, and The Ship of Shadows‘ story continues. There aren’t many books that I could read over and over again, but this is one of them, and has definitely become a favourite of mine.

I give The Ship of Shadows a 5 star rating!

I received an eARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was very intrigued by this book before I read it. It has a gorgeous cover and the premise of a young girl setting sail on a pirate ship called the 'Ship of Shadows' interested me a lot. Unfortunately, I did not find this book as interesting or as exciting as I had hoped.

The story is set in Spain. It's never quite made clear if this is Spain in our world and the magical element of the book is just going on unnoticed by most people or if it is actually an alternate reality of Spain where magic is a thing. Also, the time period is never definitively mentioned, but from the technology available, the clothing worn and people's attitude to a ship run by women it feels historical.

We follow the main character Aleja who lives a run-of-the-mill life with her father, grandmother and two brothers. She longs for more adventure and wants to explore beyond the city she has spent all her life in. Aleja is also a talented linguist, teaching herself to read and speak in many languages. She is a likeable character whose inquisitiveness moves the plot forward and whose talents are relavant to the story and are used well.

We are first introduced to the Ship of Shadows as a whispered legend and in stories Aleja reads in stolen books. Aleja unexpectedly ends up falling in with the crew of the Ship of Shadows and inadvertently setting sail with them. The story that follows involves a chase over sea and land to be the first to find treasure the crew are desperately seeking.

I read somewhere that the author had lived in Spain and this is evident in the lovingly crafted and detailed setting descriptions. I'm definitely more of a plot driven reader so sometimes excessive setting description is not for me, but here it felt so authentic that I could really picture Aleja's world and I actually felt I learned things about Spain by reading this book.

Having said that, I could definitely have done with a bit more plot. It felt to me like the characters were just bouncing around from one incident to the next for quite a lot of the middle part of the story with little furthering of the overall story. They would go somewhere, be discovered and have to move on only for this to happen again and again. In addition, the fight scenes were very brief and I would have liked to feel that Aleja was in danger for longer each time.

There was some interesting world building involving the history of the Ship of Shadows and certain members of the crew that I hope will be explored in future books.

Book source ~ Tour

Aleja loves to read about pirates and adventures, but is stuck helping in her family’s tavern in Seville. One day she wants to be an explorer, no matter what anyone says about it not being proper for a woman, and she gets her wish much sooner than she expects. When she is driven out of town by counterfeiters and hides on The Ship of Shadows they take her away while continuing on their mission. They’ll drop her back in a few months, but will she want to leave?

What a wonderful adventure! Aleja fits right in with the magical ship and her all female crew. But they are wary and don’t really trust her until she proves herself over and over again. This is everything Aleja has ever wanted, but she misses her family and worries about what they are thinking since she just up and disappeared. But right now she has to help her new friends find what they are searching for. And she’s having fun while doing that.

Action-packed and full of new experiences this pirate tale is different and exciting. The characters shine and the plot moves swiftly along under full sail. My favorite character is the ship. How cool is it? Totally cool! The author is unbelievably creative when it comes to the ship and it’s magic. I didn’t get to see much of the villain who is chasing them, but he seems to be an asshat that needs a good beating. The story has a conclusion, but the adventure has not yet ended. I look forward to seeing where The Ship of Shadows sails next and whether Aleja will be joining the crew for all time or will she scurry home to her family. I bet I know the answer to that.

Hear ye! Hear ye! This is the best pirate book I've ever read. Period.

Aleja has always dreamed of being an explorer, so when the fabled Ship of Shadows docks in her home town, she is suddenly whisked away on an adventure across the high seas! Aleja joins an all-female crew aboard the ship, soon finding herself on a quest that will push her to her limits. With lost cities, krakens and cut-throat pirates galore, this middle grade fantasy adventure is PERFECT for fans of Pirates of the Caribbean and The Polar Bear Explorers' Club!

I've been searching across the high seas myself looking for a book to quench my pirate thirst, and like hidden treasure, I found it in The Ship of Shadows! With a strong protagonist and a likeable crew of characters, I couldn't stay away from the story for long, and now I CRAVE a follow-up. SO MUCH HAPPENS and I need to see what else is in store for our pirates! The rich detail in every nook and cranny of the places that are explored just adds to this new world. Not only will you sail a ship, but you'll also cross the desert on the back of a camel and the writing makes you FEEL like you're right there on that journey too.

Maria Kuzniar writes such an engrossing, fast-paced adventure that it hards to imagine she's just a rookie. There were moments this book made me a nervous wreck with all the action scenes that occur, and I'll make you walk the plank if you don't buy this book. This book is also wonderful at allowing me to use some pirate puns for my review! AARRRRRRR!!!

This was a good book, I really enjoyed my time reading it.

The writing style was really good and easy to get into, it was descriptive and kinda magical, I had a fun time reading it and was totally engrossed into the book.

The plot overall was a good one, it satisfies the need of adventure along with a lot of whimsy and pure fun.

I loved the way things were described, it made me feel like I was in the story at the various and the everything that happened was amazing. There was action in the book, with kraken battles and braving the dessert to fighting pirate hunters, this book has it along. I adored the magical part, the shadows and the ship was so damn creative and I adored the time we spent on the ship.

I loved our main character, she has a streak of adventure in her and I loved that about her and she likes going a little out and doing some reckless things which was also very cute.

The ship of badass females was just wonderful, I loved getting to know all of them and I especially adored the weapons classes and the friendship Aleja developed with all of them.

Overall, this is a great book, a light yet thrilling middle grade fantasy with a touch of magic, a seafaring plot and lot of pirates and adventures.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a fun read and with tons of adventure and a hint of magic, you will enjoy your time reading this book.

The Ship of Shadows was everything I was expecting and more! I really think this is such a special story. Everything from the writing to the illustrations at the beginning of each chapters fit together so perfectly. I'm really sad that I'm all done with this story and I would love more in this world.

Aleja loves everything books and has been reading about adventures since she was young. Who would've thought she'd end up being on a magical pirate ship with an all-female crew. I loved seeing this happen, because Aleja is told in the beginning that this is something girls can't do. I really think this character is special. She loves having her nose in a book, but loves going on adventures just as much. It's amazing to see Aleja get strong and become brave during the journey she goes on.

On top of an amazing main character, I loved our crew on the ship. They're all unique, but fit together so well. They've all found their place on the ship and the captain keeps them together. It was interesting to see how they all had their own role and contributed in different ways. I would definitely would've loved to have been a crew member when I was younger (I wouldn't say no to this adventure now either, haha).

The setting was also amazing. I loved that the setting wasn't typical. I haven't read many middle grade books with settings such as Spain and Morocco. It was so much fun to have these places in this adventure. And I can't forget the ship of shadows itself. I mean, a library on board of a ship?!? The way it was described is amazing and I would live there if I could. Also, a ship that has magical rooms that tend to appear every once in awhile? I could live with that. It's like a surprise each and every time.

Last, but not least, the story! It was really interesting that magic, history and even facts about the places they were got to be mixed together so well. It flowed really well. I loved that magic was attached to certain aspects of history and that our main character learned a lot along the way. Also, the legends and how magic works really had me interesting during the whole story. Add some puzzles and mysteries and this adventure was complete.

I really think The Ship of Shadows has made it to the list of one of my favorites of 2020 so far! I'll definitely be rereading this one in the future. And talking about this book makes me want cake again (our characters always seem to be eating cake that sounds delicious), so I may just need to go bake now! If you love adventure, magic, history and lots of fun, I really recommend The Ship of Shadows!

Representation: Spanish MC, amputee side character, Nordic side character, Dutch side character, Spanish and Moroccan settings, lesbian side character, sapphic relationship

Trigger warnings can be found at the end of this review.

This is a book I wish I had as a child. Absolutely and without a doubt, I would have been swept away and OBSESSED with this story of adventure, magic, and friendship.

The Ship of Shadows follows Aleja, a young Spanish girl who is emboldened by an idea of travel and adventure. She loves her family in Seville but she wants something more. So when the mysterious Ship of Shadows and its band of female pirates turns up in port, she becomes swept up in their journey to discover a mysterious artifact.

This book is honestly everything. It is fast-paced, fun, inclusive, action-packed, and full of friendship and female empowerment. The plot was engaging and really spoke to not letting societal-views slow you down. In many ways, it read like a typical middle-grade adventure novel. But it was also just so much more.

The characters themselves are absolutely wonderful creations. Our main character, Aleja, is strong, ambitious and a true friend. But the story doesn't shy away from her need to make tough decisions or that she gets herself into trouble.

The rest of the cast is equally as lovable. They each were instilled with very unique personalities with a depth of background stories and individual traits. Every single character added so much to the story.

Overall, I could not recommend this book more. Whether you are young or just young at heart, this is a book that is easy to love and hard to put down.

Trigger warnings: loss of mother, misogyny, mild violence and weapon use

https://www.abookloversadventures.com/book-review-ship-of-shadows/

A fun adventurous pirate tale with an engaging, smart and ready for an adventure young heroine.

Aleja loves her family. But Abuela thinks girls shouldn't be daydreaming about adventure. Her brothers are fine but don't really understand her either. And, the other kids in the neighborhood - nope!

So, when adventure comes to Aleja, she is ready for it

I really enjoyed this story for a number of reasons. First off, I love a good, adventurous female main character. Aleja was smart, fun and an enjoyable character

Secondly, I enjoyed reading about Seville and the north African coast. I have been to Seville, so I recognized the feel of where Aleja lived and grew up. And, I had researched going to Tangier. It didn't work out, so it was fun to go there with Aleja.

Thirdly, the crew of female pirates is pretty badass! The captain is smart, lethal, but also has heart. There are a really great mix of characters to appeal to a wide range of readers.

The Ship of Shadows is a super fun middle grade book featuring an all female pirate crew, a magical ship and a journey to find a lost piece of a map. The story follows Aleja who finds herself in trouble one day and is running away from the possibility of a public lashing when she accidentally runs into a mysterious crew of The Ship of Shadows, they agree to hide her for a few hours but instead set sail from the port with her still on board. The captain wants Aleja to consider becoming a permanent member of the crew so decided to take her along on a mission to recover a missing piece of a map.

This book is jam packed full of magic, mystery and some sea monsters to boot. The story is so endearing and has many elements of bravery and friendship. I loved how each crew member had a special talent that made them unique. The setting was really cool as ive never read a childrens book that was set in Spain and Morocco before, it was all described so richly as well. The writing is just stunning, i cant believe that this is a debut novel.

I can honestly say that i fell in love with the whimsy of it, the descriptions where so well done that i could picture it all so well in my head. Something i really loved that you dont see often in middle grade is that the author didnt shy away from using big words which i loved, middle grade should expand a young persons vocabulary and question what words mean.

I couldnt have loved this swashbuckling tale of girl power any more! I would love a new book for every piece of the map that the crew need to find please *hint hint* haha. I cannot wait to read this book to my daughter in a few years. The Ship of Shadows has become one of my new favourite middle grade reads up there with Nevermoor and Keeper of the Lost Cities.

Thank you again to Dave, the lovely author Maria who has been so engaging with her readers on Twitter and to Puffin books and of course Netgalley!

Well this was fun! I really enjoyed this wonderful little adventure fantasy. It is an enchanting beginning to a series with a quick story with an even sharper main character surrounded by fierce lady Pirates. Hard not to have me on board. I don’t review middle grade books much on the blog, if ever and I really want to change that. Reviewing this for this blog tour was not only the perfect opportunity to change that while also being blessed to read Kuzniar’s spellbinding debut.

Let’s kick off with the world building. This book is utterly enchanting and I couldn’t get enough of the sheer experience of reading it. The atmosphere is there from the get go from the short lived moments we spend in Sevilla with Aleja running along the rooftops to the storms that wrack the ship while she is at sea with the whole crew on board. This is perfect for younger and older readers alike for that reason alone. I read this on a rainy day and it was such a feel good experience.

Aleja is everything I wish I could have had in books when I was younger. I often say this about Tamora Pierce and Diana Wynne Jones but these are the stories that help you feel good if you are the odd one out. These are the stories young girls need. Aleja doesn’t sacrifice anything of herself for the sake of fitting in, pleasing her family or even in Captain Quint’s presence when she is aboard the Ship of Shadows. She knows her value and at such a young age, will fight for both what’s right as well as what she needs.

The entire cast of characters really pleased me. I mean I was onboard the second I heard it was a band of girl Pirates running the ship. Some of my favourites being Frances and Malika. Frances and Aleja have the most wonderful, heart melting friendship. I love this kind of friendly support and how they really look out for each other. There is something clever done with Frances that I won’t spoil but if it’s true, I would like it to be hopefully more explicitly explored in the coming books. She also always has cake so, best friend material there. Malika being a scary weapon lady with one hand, scars and a blood-thirst to make the man who did those things to her pay while having a soft girlfriend back in Morocco is everything I love. Gay scary ladies with knives. Love it.

The story runs at a pace that you would expect for an epic sea journey on board a magical ship with kick ass pirates. And if you don’t get that, I mean it moves hella fast with no stopping for breath. It’s like working on the ship itself, there is always something to do and someone to help regardless of your role in the crew. I will say the last section of the book went a little bit faster and I do want to spend more time with that villain in the future. This is still the first book though and it is super impressive what is achieved here

A wonderful protagonist with adventure in her soul, a magical ship and a band of lady pirates who work together fabulously and danger is always near. What else could you want? Thank you to both Penguin Random House and The Write Reads for having me on this tour and sending me a digital copy of this book in exchange for review. The Ship of Shadows is out now!

★★★★/5

Set sail across treacherous seas, run the rooftops of beautiful Seville and navigate the fierce Moroccan desert by starlight in this dazzling debut that will have you utterly entranced from the first page!

Thrilling fast-paced and beautifully narrated, The Ship of Shadows will whisk you from your armchair and take you on an unforgettable adventure to the furthest reaches of your dreams and imagination. But in between all the magic and danger, The Ship of Shadows is a tale rich in culture, diversity and female empowerment. Each character is uniquely fleshed out, bringing forth a mixed representation of incredibly sharp and strong females, which both young girls and boys will inspire to.

Skilfully rooted in Greek mythology and vibrant Middle Eastern folk tales, Maria Kuzniar is a new and exciting force to be reckoned with! Her distinct voice and immersive writing is a worthy match to the likes of Kiran Millwood Hargrave and Abi Elphinstone. Like many no doubt, I cannot wait for the next swashbuckling instalment, but until then, this is definitely a book I'll be rereading and dreaming of for a long time to come.

Okay, so what have we got here? Magic, pirate women, in fact – a pirate ship with an all-women crew (well, aside from a ghost and an owl), a brilliant library within said pirate ship, adventure and hidden mysterious treasures!! And a girl who gets told that “girls don’t go on adventures” and “girls can’t do anything”, when it’s painfully clear she will kick everyone’s butt by the end of this book. Okay, maybe by the middle of it even? So I’d say Ship of Shadows started off really well!! Let me tell you more about what I enjoyed in this colorful story.

It's About...

Aleja is happy enough living with her family in Sevilla, but she will never stop dreaming about having adventures – real adventures, the kind that are dangerous and incredibly interesting. All she can do, for now, though – is to jump over the rooftops at night and steal into the university library to read about pirates, adventurers, discoverers and other people whose life she’s rather be living herself.

But one night… One night Aleja sees a mysterious smoking ship enter the port, and knowing it’s got to be something special, she runs off to investigate. And with that one choice… Everything changes.

Suddenly, Aleja is in the thick of it all, on a magical pirate ship, off on an adventure! But can she really leave her life behind like this? It will be one tough decision. And she’ll try to have enough fun to last a lifetime before she even has to make it.

I Want To Visit That Ship of Shadows!

I fell in love with the Ship of Shadows from the first moment Aleja got on it. It was amazing! The ship is full of secrets, books, maps and jewels, and the walls are all covered in some sort of art – drawings, engravings, symbols. Of course, most of it has a purpose, but why can’t it also be beautiful? That’s one thing that we lack in current day – if a thing is useful, most of the time it isn’t important whether it’s intricately designed to look attractive or not. But the Ship of Shadows seemed to have its own character – not only was it alive with magic, but also full of secrets, sounds, ghosts and shadows. (Well okay, one ghost. But the secrets!! There’s plenty of those.)

And what’s interesting is that despite there being a lot of descriptions of every nook and cranny of the ship, the author still left some of it to our imagination – because it seems like the ship still hides so many secrets that we weren’t told about!

The Cover Love Is Well Deserved And Earned

This book’s cover really does it justice! It’s just as colorful inside as it is outside. The ship of magic is full of all sorts of interesting things, and the funnest bit about it is that despite only getting to know a relatively small part of it, you feel as if it’s vast and full of secret rooms anyway. Most likely because it is! New, magical rooms appear whenever they’re “believed enough”, as the ship seems to be a beast made up of legends. Who knows what you’d find if you could visit it? It was very vivid in my mind.

The Spirit Of Adventure

I’m not big on adventure myself – you could say I prefer reading about it instead, but Aleja and the Ship of Shadows drew even me in. In this year of quarantine and staying at home, not a lot of us had a chance to have a peek outside their own city – I’m no exception. So I loved the colorful sights The Ship of Shadows showed me – the girls do travel a lot, and all the towns and sights are very vivid. It felt as if I was traveling with them!

I Wish I Had Books Like The Ship Of Shadows As A Kid

This book is perfect for girls. You know how you read all those stories as a kid, where girls were either not allowed to have adventures, or if they did anyway, they were treated as if “it’s okay, she’s a tomboy which is highly unusual anyway”?

This whole tomboy business, I never liked it. I get that they were trying to make it sound like girls CAN have adventures, but that sort of narrative singles out the girls who do – you have to be ‘different’ to have adventures. Which means, that’s not for the regular girl.

The Ship of Shadows turns this around – because although the women in it ARE highly unusual and quite exceptional for their surroundings and time period, the narrative, at least among themselves, is that this is normal, and if the world doesn’t get it – then that’s their loss. I wish girls having adventures and taking their lives into their own hands was presented as naturally as this when I was reading stories as a kid. It would have certainly appealed to me – cause while I wanted to dream of all sorts of fantastical adventures, I also wanted to be the good girl. And so the stories were making me think I had to choose between one and the other. Either you’re a strong woman, or you’re socially acceptable. And it’s time to let these stories go – we need to tell stories of BOTH being a strong woman and acceptable that way. And I believe The Ship of Shadows achieves this in its storytelling. It’s a great message for girls!

A Little Something From Me As A Language Nerd Though

There is, however, one thing I have to nitpick. In this story, Aleja, a girl of a pre-industrial world, learns several languages from books, without hearing them pronounced. They’re not even textbooks – she’s just reading stories. And then when she hears these languages later, she is able to understand without any prior listening practice and she speaks with good pronunciation without having ever heard it spoken.

Now… As a person who spoke 7 languages at one point, and who taught herself 4 of them on her own, I can’t say this is realistic. Yes, I did learn a lot of my languages as a kid from watching TV and listening, BUT. That’s listening. Not reading. Languages are spelled in very different ways. One of the languages that Aleja “learned purely from stories” – French – I don’t believe it can even be learned without a pronunciation guide (it’s confusing enough WITH one…) Neither can English, really – if you’re from a Spanish speaking country (which Aleja is.) The letters are read completely differently, and English has a lot of odd, inconsistent spellings that were adopted from quite a few different languages. If Aleja just read stories without any textbooks, she would have ridiculously mispronounced both English and French (actually, I learned a lot of English purely by reading too – but even as an intermediate student with prior instruction about how to pronounce words, I still messed up with a few I’d never heard before and was told years later.) It’s doubtful whether she’d even be able to pick up these languages spoken by other people, much less pronounce things herself. There is a reason why listening is an important part of language learning – perhaps the most important part. You CAN learn a language purely by listening and then teach yourself to read and write it. I’m not sure it can be done the other way around.

Anyway, sorry about the language nerd rant!!

So let’s just say this part in the story was pure magic as well, but since it’s a wonderful story aside from this, I think we can really overlook this detail. As a bit of a language nerd though, I couldn’t help wanting to point this out. Maybe in the upcoming sequels some magical ‘predestined’ explanation will come up for this seemingly impossible ability of Aleja’s – I hope it will!

Overall...

I really hope this series continues! I would love to see how Aleja’s adventures go on, and whether she decides to stay on the ship (I’m sure she will though! But I hope she gets to see her family too.) I feel like this was just the first chapter in many, many adventures, and I think it could become a great series for girls to read! (Or boys, who believe their sisters and best friends are awesome enough to be reading about.)

I thank the author and The Write Reads tours for giving me a free copy in exchange to an honest review. This has not affected my opinion.

This was a neat book with a full woman cast and, like a lot of people have said in their reviews on Goodreads, it is refreshing to read stories like this one! I found the story to be of good pace. The crew of girls on the Ship of Shadows, the legends and the magic were captivating to read about. I enjoyed making mood boards for this book since so many images crossed my mind as I read it. A couple of the crew came from well off families and it was interesting to read how they ended up being pirates. I also liked that the girls were not perfect - they each had their flaws and their quirks. The themes of friendship, love for learning and adventures is infilled throughout this book and that was a big highlight for me.

Overall, this was a fun read and I am thrilled to have read it as part of WriteReads on Tour. Many thanks to the publisher and author for proving a review copy through NetGalley.

The Ship of Shadows has rekindled my love for Middle-grade books. Honestly, after reading so many young adult and adult fantasy, this is a breath of fresh air. Here we follow thirsty-for-adventure Aleja who is caught between her love for exploration and her family after she finds herself on board of the whispered about "Ship of Shadows". Accidently finding counterfeit coins which is a punishable crime, the counterfeiters are bend on catching her and making such she doesn't talk. She is rescued by an English woman she met earlier in the market. Aleja's thirst for adventure made her learn new languages and English was one that came easily to her. Taken on board in hopes to hide out from the people after her but what she doesn't expect is to wake on with the ship in the middle of the ocean far away from her home.

She wakes up panicked and she searches for the book she found earlier which had sparked the interest of the captain, Elizabeth. Aleja later finds an inkling that the book might be a key to the secrets of the ship. Along with other members of the crew, she tries to find out what they were seeking and the secrets they hide on this ship that is ghosted by pirates of the past. She is drawn between staying as the crew's linguist or returning home to her family's tavern. I appreciate the diversity that was in this book. I rarely see that a lot in middle grade except recently with the Rick Riordan Present where there is a lot of books from different cultures.

The Ship of Shadows reveals a seaside Spanish city and you can also feel how bustling the city was, the writing was really simple and easy to read (I guess that part of what makes it a good middle grade read). She joins the crew and they travel across the seas, from the docking city to the Sahara desert to disappearing stairs and to the cave of wonders where a piece of their treasure map lay. This is a journey that Aleja couldn't miss.

Oh my days. This was a wonderful read.

A girl with her nose stuck in books, finally gets her chance to travel and explore the places, and do the things she has read about. And she does it by becoming a pirate! (So awesome)

Following Aleja on her first adventure aboard the Ship of Shadows was just what I needed.
A story of ship full of female pirates is something I wish I had when I was a child, but this is wonderful to read it as an adult.

Cannot wait for the next installment (which I hope there is)

Magical middle-grade is one of my biggest loves because it’s so easy to disappear into. When I learnt that this one featured female pirates, I was completely sold.

Aleja lives with her family in Seville but she dreams of getting out there and exploring the world. So imagine her excitement with the mythical Ship of Shadows docks in her home city and its crew of merciless women want to recruit her for an adventure. But Aleja is about to discover that there are even more secrets and mysteries surrounding the ship and the open waves than she could possibly imagine.

Each chapter is headed by beautiful shadowy illustrations and they add an extra dimension to the story. I started each chapter full of anticipation of what was to come. Younger readers will love the visual elements and it will help create even more vivid pictures in their mind.

The language is beautiful and conjures up gorgeous pictures of the ship and the magic within it. I also loved the nods to mythology in the inclusion of the owls and references to Athena. Her influence seeps through every piece of decking and filters through all of the crew members, who prize wisdom and fierce femininity above all else.

Aleja was raised in a patriarchal society where women were encouraged to be submissive beautiful creatures. The whimsical allure of Captain Quint and her diverse crew fascinate her and show her a different side of female beauty. I can’t quite remember when I first had the same revelation but I certainly grew up equating feminine beauty with fragility. The ‘strong female character’ trope did a lot to alter perspectives and it’s certainly made very good use of in this book.

The crew on the Ship of Shadows represent a possible new life path for Aleja. She has lived a life feeling like an outcast for having typically ‘masculine’ ambitions but on the ship, she can finally live her dream and be who she really is without judgement. I got the sense that her fellow shipmates probably have similar stories to Aleja, in terms of having grown up dismissed due to their gender. Their sisterhood has this glorious unbreakable familial vibe that anyone who has ever felt out of place or overlooked will desperately want to a part of.

No review of The Ship of Shadows would be complete without a gush about the spectacle that is the magic on board the ship. It’s possibly the most beautiful magic I’ve ever read. I visited some of the most stunning, glittering rooms and became thoroughly immersed in discovering every secret possibility that the ship held. Like Aleja, I became completely enchanted with it and like her, I didn’t want to leave.

The Ship of Shadows is a wonderful, fast-paced adventure that will take you to places that you can’t physically travel to right now. Join a culturally diverse, kickass cast of women on a journey across the seas, solving puzzles and sailing far beyond the limits placed upon them.

Aleja dreams of living the adventures she reads about in her favourite books, especially those of the famed British explorer, Thomas James, and she loves to hear the stories of pirates and magic that men tell each other in her family's tavern. She longs to board a ship of her own and sail the world, just like James did. Aleja's grandmother says girls shouldn't go chasing after adventure but Aleja doesn't believe her. Aleja knows that girls can do whatever they set their mind to, and although the men in the tavern don't always believe in the magic stories they tell, Aleja knows that they're wrong too. Magic is real and she hopes to find it as much as she hopes to explore the world.

Aleja's wishes all seem to come true when she finds herself on The Ship of Shadows, a temporary and accidental part of Captain Quint's crew. Aleja is soon setting sail to mysterious locations, helping to solve important riddles and clues, and having all the adventure she could ever want, and more besides. Maybe a little too much. Captain Quint has many secrets, and it turns out that being a pirate on a magical ship is most definitely not without peril. Not least of which is the terrifying pirate hunter on the ship's tail!

The Ship of Shadows is a fun and fantastical middle grade adventure, filled with magic, daring, friendship, and cake. Aleja's thirst for knowledge and adventure may land her on Captain Quint's ship, but it's the friendships she makes onboard that truly propel the story forward and that, along with Quint's mysteries, will keep readers eagerly turning the pages to find out how the adventure ends. Or, indeed, if it ends at all. Aleja is a charming narrator and, along with the rest of the crew, makes this an easy and fun read, perfect for all ages, because, I mean, who doesn't love reading about pirates sailing on a magical ship, full of hidden rooms, adorable, shape-shifting shadows, and oh, did I mentioned the copious amounts of cake?

Aleja is a dreamer, and although those dreams may seem at first almost impossible to achieve, and then, more dangerous than she might ever have imagined, she never gives up on those dreams, on her friends, or on herself. She certainly never entertains the idea that she should be denied adventure (or trousers) just because she happens to be a girl. I suspect all bookish children (or adults who were once bookish children themselves) will see a part of themselves reflected in Aleja, and I hope that she will inspire many of them to chase their own adventures! Although, perhaps not by running away on pirate ships. I have no doubt that she will.

The Ship of Shadows is a mythical tale full of shining domes, emerald towers, enchanting deserts, and the exotic streets of Tangier. This novel was a refreshing change for me. I visited so many cities of buildings that were ruby coloured, ranging from Green to Blue. The palaces were exotic, and I was pulled into a world that has been forgotten from the library of time itself. Not to mention the fact that we get to see Parakeets and Aleja sailing around in this magical ship called the Ship of Shadows.

It feels like I've time travelled through the past and entered the trade ports of the Orient and discover a living, breathing world that has been forgetton from the times of history. Review tommorow. The setting of combining Spain and Morocco together is a fantastic decision. There are many incredible influences of 1001 Nights. I did feel that the author heavily borrowed a lot of inspiration from Morocco's traditional heritage sites and I for one, applaud this. I also liked how Aleja settled along in a country that she had never visited before. I did feel for her family though, they must be still missing her. Especially her father and grandfather. This is a fantastic combination of historical realism combined with the mythos of the world. I loved the exotic cabins, the ghosts of the ship, and the way this entire world was built.

Some would say that the story is built around the world, or that the world is built around the story. I'd say it's both. We get to see Malika, who I feel was a very strong character, but I'd have wanted to seen more development. Frances is a great example of a funny character done right - and she loves food. This is basically Pirates of the Caribbean written right.

That said, I did feel the inclusion of mythical monsters was well introduced, but not developed enough. I wanted to get more of Admiral Francois, the former disgraced Admiral of the French court, his view point, and more of his motivations. I want to see more villains in book 2 chasing against Aleja, and her merry band of pirates. I loved the Captain as well. Ada I felt needed more scenes. But for a world of this scale, its amazing. Well done. I want to see more books like this.

A solid 8/10 from me. Go get this now.

Pirates, ghosts, kraken, and treasures - a sea adventure alluring with thrills, sure to sweep young readers off their seats and into mysterious, exotic lands laced with secrets to explore and captivate.

Aleja has always dreamed of adventure. When she spends time on the rooftops of Seville, Spain looking over the market and out onto the horizon over the ocean, she imagines traveling to far and distant lands, something girls don't ever get to do.

“Poor Aleja, she’d captain a ship in a heartbeat if she could! her father said chortling.”

One day, Aleja overhears the conversation of sailors about two ships gone down in flames and she becomes swept up into the entanglement.

“…and the Fury is the worst of the lot,’ the first man grumbled. ‘He’d decimate half the seas if he had the chance.’

…I hear it’s crewed by woman,’ the first man was saying, while the other guffawed. ‘Imagine.’ ‘It’s bad luck to have a woman on a ship,’ It is,’ the other added seriously.”

Her dreams may finally come true after all, as she finds herself on said ship surrounded by ghosts and among an all-female crew. Her ability to read and translate texts of different languages makes her an essential person after just a little while. While she becomes good friends with her mates, she is also beginning sword training and learning the ropes of the ship. As she learns of the secrets and ghosts that travel among them, the crew will prepare to unearth missing secrets to complete the mission of the captain.

As the adventure takes them from Spain to Africa and they encounter dangers along the way, readers will be swept from secret doors and rooms on the ship to dangerous creatures by the sea and hair raising adventure through markets and temples on land.

An exotic read deeply seared in roots of piracy and historical elements, the scope of their travels takes on amazing heights, sights, and mystery. Clever and culminating in a bombshell in the final moments of the plot, this novel projects a smart and strong main female protagonist with high values on bonds of friendship.

A beautiful book that will captivate young dreamers and imagineers, guaranteed.