I absolutely loved this read! I adore anything with pirates, so this book was right up my street. I loved the feminist crew, the dark magic, the wonderful mystery. Everything about this story was intriguing, alluring and it made it a fantastic read.

Aleja has always found it impossible to make friends with the girls her age in their pretty dresses, particularly since everyone found out her secret dream to be an explorer. She's more comfortable climbing walls and running around on rooftops. Sneaking into the library at night when she should be sleeping and reading about all the places she dreams of going one day.

One night she discovers the fabled Ship of Shadows is not only real, but actually docked in her city. Aleja can't believe it when she's offered a place on the ship, but taking it means leaving behind her family and everything she knows. Can she really take that leap? The choice is taken out of her hands when she finds herself on the run from some very dangerous people.

I knew right away I was going to love Aleja! She's so brave, curious and clever. She teaches herself languages just through reading books and proves herself invaluable as she solves riddles and clues to help Captain Quint with her mysterious search. She's a wonderful character, trying to balance her dreams of exploring the world, with not wanting to disappoint her family. Her older brother Miguel is such a sweetheart. It's a shame we don't see more of him as he's so lovely and supportive of Aleja.

The story is exciting but almost takes a back seat to the amazing Ship of Shadows. Where do I even start, it's the coolest thing, practically a character itself and I could write pages about how much I love it! The ship is huge and full of so many mysteries. First and most important, it actually has it's own massive library, complete with sliding ladders. There's a resident ghost and lots of creepy shadows moving around everywhere. Though Aleja does seem to acquire a small friendly one like a pet. There are countless different rooms and hidden places, with secret passages and rooms where magic likes to hide, creating mystical waterfalls. I would love to visit the Navigator's cabin with it's telescope and glass roof. I want to live in Velka's cabin, with tropical trees, butterflies and what sounds like an amazing chemistry lab.

I enjoyed this book so much. The descriptions are so lush and evocative I could almost imagine I was experiencing all those places with Aleja. And there's so much cake! I found myself hungry all the way through!

The Ship of Shadows begins with Aleja’s wanderlust and quest for adventure. To escape her humdrum life working in the family restaurant kitchen with her grandmother, she dreams of going on a grand adventure. This dream is fed by her many secret nocturnal visits to the library until the night she runs afoul of local counterfeiters. Will she be brave enough to accept the adventure that awaits her?

Join Aleja and her crewmates on the adventure of a lifetime. This unique group of female pirates encounters it all on their quest, whether it’s Krakkens, magic, treasures, secret room, journies by camel through the desert, or battling other pirates.

The author captures the soul of a young girl longing for more than is considered appropriate for a mere girl. Females the world over and throughout time have run into this same unfortunate situation. The Ship of Shadows is simply a rollicking good action-adventure tale that happens to have strong female lead characters. It never comes off as a book with a message, although it certainly is a boon for young readers looking for female-led adventures.

The Ship of Shadows is an entertaining fictional story that is well-written. Each scene is so well-described it draws the reader into the story and keeps you there from beginning to end. The author creates vivid pictures with her words.

This middle-grade adventure story caught and kept the attention of this older book blogger. I fell in love with Aleja and her adventurous spirit. Frances and her cakes were a fantastic addition. The mysterious ship crewed by women and haunted by shadow spirits was a unique twist to your typical pirate story.

I recommend this to readers of all ages. If you love a good adventure story, don’t pass this book up. Grab your copy today!

The Ship of Shadows is a vividly imagined pirate adventure, bursting with magic and mystery.

Aleja longs for adventure. Frustratingly, her grandmother is of the opinion that “nice young girls don’t go chasing after adventure.” Juan, the local bully, jeers “girls can’t be explorers. Female explorers don’t exist.” Imagine then Aleja’s delight when she finds herself on board the legendary Ship of Shadows – a ship crewed entirely by women! I really enjoyed reading a book where the main cast was completely made up of female characters; it made such a refreshing change. They are brave and fearless, each able to keep their head under pressure and their wits about them in times of danger. Each has a different special talent be it navigation, invention or languages. Between them they crew and sail the boat with expertise, fixing it after battle and navigating it through danger.

Aleja certainly finds the adventure she’s been craving. The crew are on a dangerous mission, the precise details of which they initially keep secret from Aleja. On their quest they defeat a kraken and desert beasts, are chased by pirate hunters and pursued by an army of skeletons. There’s a lost city and magical objects to find.

What really struck me about the book were the wonderful descriptions. Much of the story takes place in North Africa, in Tangier and Marrakesh. Maria Kuzniar brings these exotic cities to life: the spice-scented air, the hustle and bustle of market stalls, the bright, rich colours and the spectacular architecture. Then there are the detailed descriptions of life on board a ship, and the sights and smells of the busy ports they dock at.

The vividly imagined, fantastical scenes below decks were also particularly enjoyable to read. The Ship of Shadows is a story laced with magic; the ship itself runs on it. The legends and rumours that are whispered around the world about the ship actually serve to feed its magic. There are even new rooms that have been conjured to life because of rumours. The lower decks especially are thick with enchantment: phosphorescent waterfalls, jungles that sprout up overnight, and storms inside jars. And then there are the shape-shifting shadows that lurk on board.

I also really loved the obvious reverence for books running throughout the story. There are two spectacular libraries described in the book – the library in Seville which Aleja often visits, and the glorious library on board the ship. Prior to her adventures on board the Ship of Shadows, books were what allowed Aleja to travel to distant lands and explore worlds different to her own. They are what fed her dreams of travel and taught her the many languages she has come to master. Books are seen as powerful – portrayed as holding answers and the keys to secrets.

The themes of friendship, family and loyalty are strong. The message of being true to yourself and following your destiny is also key. On the ship, Aleja finds her place and her people. She can be the girl she’s always dreamed of being.

I absolutely loved this book! It was fast paced, full of adventure and to the brim with magic. It follows Aleja, a girl who craves adventures and wants to see the world. After an unfortunate misunderstanding, she ends up aboard The Ship of Shadows, a ship with an all-girl crew. From there, she goes on an exciting adventure to find some treasure. This book was just so magical. It's perfect for anyone of any age to read, but I especially think it's great for young girls who have a passion to explore and learn. It would be great for any child though, as it is full of friendship and family. I would absolutely recommend this to anyone who is after a book that will pull you into its pages and sail you into a story full of magic.

My thoughts






Narrative and Plot










Honestly, I don't have enough words for the Ship of Shadows. But let me just share this. The last time I felt this happy and enthusiastic after finishing a book was The Valley of Adventure by Enid Blyton. I am not exaggerating at all.
As an adult, I stay away from middle grade books thinking I am not the target audience. Now, I am rethinking the whole bias. Recent middle grade books that I have read, are proving otherwise. This is one is the perfect example for that.

The Ship of Shadows is brimming with child-like wonder and a sense of adventure. No one wants to miss out on that. The language is easy and simple. The emotions pure and sincere which makes you follow Aleja wherever she takes you.



Characters and Conflicts


With a strong story comes strong characters. Every character in the book stands out. Although, if I am being honest, I prefer the company of Frances and her cakes. Any book that says, "What is more magical than food ?" is my kind of book. If I join an all female pirate crew, I would be the Frances of the group.


Ok enough about Frances. Not just her, everyone in this book has a distinct personality. By the first half of the book you get to know each character and their role in the crew along with Aleja. These are strong ladies who know exactly what they want. And this one totally aces the Bechdel Test.


 Now comes the action and adventure. Treading through rough seas - check. Slaying beasts - check. Fighting pirate hunters - check. Exploring unknown cities - check and finally Cakes - check. Never mind. You get the picture. When I read the blurb, these are all the things I wanted to experience and the book gave me that and beyond.



Conclusion


Overall, The Ship of Shadows is an adventure that you cannot afford to miss. It celebrates female friendship and loyalty without going overboard. This is a time when we are all giving up our little adventures - whether it is your once in a lifetime world tour or a little family trip to a restaurant. This is exactly the right time to set out on an adventure in a pirate ship. Bon Voyage!!

It was such a pleasure to be swooped into this high seas pirate adventure with an all-girl crew of travel loving explorers. I admit I had the honour of reading a very early draft and am sitting here happy and proud at how beautiful this book has become. It's the kind of MG I would have been obsessed over as a kid as well: library onboard the ship, characters who always have cake in their pockets, puzzles and riddles to solve, and a heroine who yearns for adventure and grins at the compliment of being called a pirate.

Aleja is such a delight!! Bookish but also so daring and forthright. I also have an intense soft spot for our badass shadowless second mate with her scars and fearsom beauty Malika. And the bespeckled adorable Frances who always has a piece of cake and is a step away from a bad decision. And of course Captain Quint! Steadfast and sure and leading a robin-hood-like pirate crew with honour and adventure.

The story is very travel orientated too, with lots of historical tidbits and really beautiful writing descriptions of the places they sale to! It leaves you satisfied but also craving a sequel. Definitely would recommend this to all readers who long for adventures, loveable and cunning pirates, and to find the magical treasures of the world.

This was such a fun middle grade adventure, full of magic and pirates on a quest. The ship's all-female crew are bursting with character and all have different skills - thief, navigator, swordswoman, crackshot, and more - which helps them wriggle out of a few tight spots.

There are several sequences that feel like episodes out of beloved franchises - like Pirates of the Caribbean and Aladdin - all woven together. It fits perfectly, blending a dash of magic and adventure that carries the story across the high seas and into the desert on a quest.

There is an enemy dogging their steps, but the main antagonists are the creatures and landscapes the characters travel though. This gives the story a nostalgic feel like classic fantasy quests, where the route itself is full of dangers.

The exactly time period of the world isn't easy to pin down. It's an alternate world set in an undefined historical period around Spain and Morocco. I think it's set sometime after or around the Spanish Golden Age as there is talk of the Americas. However, it's not very modern as the big technology is single-shot pistols. The lack of specific time frame helps the book feel just out of reach and lets the magic blend in.

The ship is bursting with magic, shadows and ghosts seeped into the wood. There are rooms that appear and disappear, as well as a library bursting with coded books and a captain with plenty of secrets.

Feminism, fun, fights, and FOOD. Some of my favourite F words combined in this brilliant tale.

The captain of the Ship of Shadows is on a mission, fighting against time and fate to save all they have held dear for so long. Aleja is a dreamer stuck in the monotony of her home life, where girls are not supposed to have ambition for anything - especially not adventure. When the two meet, destiny sets into motion a chain of events that are simply irresistible.

I fell in love with the characters we meet along the way, all so absolutely engaging in their own way. It is fabulous to see the representation of so many things that, on their own, may be considered small, but bundle together to become an explosion of wonderful things that we need to see more of in literature. From multiple nationalities working together to amputees fighting krakens, this blend of realism and fantasy is absolutely what is missing from everyone's bookshelves. Perfect for children and adults alike, The Ship of Shadows will sweep you away on an adventure from your armchair.

RATED 4.5/5 STARS

Despite being a new middle grade book, this book somehow hit me with all the nostalgia. It felt like one of the children's TV adventure shows I used to watch, with kids trying to complete some kind of heist before their time ran out. It was action-packed, full of high stakes and lighthearted banter, and was genuinely just a joy to read.

I loved following this all-female pirate crew on a magical ship. The magic itself revolving around shadows, it was so interesting reading about how it tied with legends and storytelling, linking together the importance of it all. One of my favourite themes in a book is for it to weave together magic and storytelling, so that just hit the mark for me immediately. But I haven't read anything like the shadow magic on the ship, so it was fun to learn about such a unique concept.

This book is a just a bundle of fun. The characters are great, the feel realistic, and you never know what's around the corner. Adventuring across land and sea, this is a story that can take you far while in the comfort of your own home.

What an exciting middle grade read! This is the pirate-y, adventure book all middle-grade lovers have been waiting for!

We follow Aleja, a young girl growing up in Seville who dreams of distant lands and exhilarating adventure, as she gets sucked into the world of the Ship of Shadows and unexpectedly joins their crew. Getting swept up in their pirate-y quest to find lost artefacts, she finds the travels, magic,  fun and friendship she's always been looking for.

This novel was a wild ride full of interesting characters and new places. Each destination jumped off the page with wonderful descriptions and made my travel-loving heart so happy. The integration of magic was well done and added extra excitement to the novel. Aleja was a great main character - determined to follow her dreams, eager to use her skills and love of books to help the rest of the crew, and absolutely a girl you wanted to root for. The other pirates and secondary characters we encountered were well fleshed out and balanced Aleja's inquisitive nature.

In terms of what I wanted more from, I wished that the plot, whilst well paced, was a little more complex in it's structure. It would have been interesting to see plot-lines converge more than hopping from one encounter to the other in a simplistic manner. There were also some points where I felt that the dialogue, particularly with the main character, was very straight forward.

However, overall this was a very enjoyable read! If you are looking for a fast, adventurous ride with a dash of pirate-y fun, try this book. It will make you smile and sweep you away to magical lands. This could happily be put in the hands of a middle-grade aged reader and an older reader alike. A great debut, and I'll be watching out for more fun middle grade reads from this author!

omeone just mentioned a ruthless band of female pirates crewing a mystical vessel with some shadowy secrets and I was instantly sold, but oh that blurb only gives you a small little taste of the bounties this book holds. The Ship of Shadows pulls you into a fabulous world jam packed with riches, from vast libraries, gem covered ceilings, to magic filled corridors and some pretty delicious sounding cake!

It's sometimes so hard to review a book you loved. I just want to talk about ever scene, every moment that made me fall more and more in love with this book and the world it created. I want to just say "Read it!" and here are a few reasons why you should:

We have a kick-ass band of strong female pirates, with a diverse range of cultural backgrounds, with wide ranging ambitions, fears and personalities. Aleja is a fantastic main character. She is so inquisitive and adventure seeking that it is just a joy to follow. I really enjoyed that it was for Aleja's perspective. That we got her internal reasoning as she tried to solve the mysteries of the Ship of Shadows, got to know each of the crew members, explored all the magical elements and finds who she wants to be amongst it all, for me was just a great way to follow the story. The Adults are also adults, they are caring but stern again with their own unique personalities and traits that just make all of the characters so well rounded. This is primarily about finding yourself and the found family of the Ship of Shadows and how each of them contributes to Aleja's journey is awesome. It also has the "Girls can be anything, do anything" message without feeling corny and over worked. Its just women being themselves, pursuing their interests and living their lives on a cool as hell magical pirate ship.

The writing is fantastic! We get fast paced adventure, intriguing mysteries and heart warming moments of friendship and family. I devoured it and I do think I need to go back and re-read as I am sure there numerous quiet little details that I missed in my hunger to continue. All of this is wrapped up in luscious descriptions. Oh can Kuzniar world-build! There is so much immersive description without it feeling info dumpy. You just get a real sense for Aleja's surroundings. It really makes the magic and wonder come to life. I am a sucker for good world-building. I want to feel like I am there amongst it all, with the sights, sounds and smells and this book does that in spades. Wither it excitedly exploring the magical nooks and crannies of the ship or being saddle sore from riding a camel across a desert you get a real feeling for the world around the characters.

I really loved this, I think it is a book that everyone for 8-80 would enjoy without hesitation. If you are looking for a rich, fun, magical pirate adventure with an awesome female cast, this is the book for you. Just read it!

(Also I should mention there is not one but TWO spectacular libraries in this book. Any one that knows me knows I love a good fictional library and would happily read book after book of characters exploring said libraries)

Gorgeous settings, plenty of action and kickass characters, The Ship of Shadows is a wonderful, fun, enchanting read. Whether Aleja is at home in her fathers tavern, exploring a magic ship or riding a camel through the desert, Kuzniar’s rich descriptive writing pulls you into the story and brings this world and time to life. I absolutely loved it all.

Every character was superbly put together, each with their own voice. I loved the clothing descriptions, the outfits where beautiful and outlandish and damn it, I want a place on the Ship of Shadows. This book would make a stunning movie.

I’m an absolute sucker for the found family trope and these girls, each with their own skills, wormed their way into my heart and I was cheering for them the whole way. Malika had me gasping, Frances had me laughing and damn it, make sure you have snacks. This is a MUST have snacks while reading kind of book. Like seriously, you are going to want brownies and hot chocolate.

Also, even though we have a found family, Aleja didn’t have a horrible upbringing or massive tragedy that lead to her getting involved with the girls on The Ship of Shadows. I thought this was great as the whole tragedy idea can get quite old. Aleja becomes apart of this amazing sisterhood and a pirate while she is at it.

I don’t want to say to much about the story and give it away, I just want you to get yourself a copy, set aside a couple of hours and immerse yourself in this well written tale, allow the magic to sweep you away and join Aleja and the crew as they take on all the challenges the sea has to offer.

This book is stunning. I absolutely loved it and happily dived headfirst into the magical world of Aleja and the crew of the Ship of Shadows.

The characters are so well written and I have grown to love all the women of the crew as they are all so badass ,especially because they are so well rounded and loveable. I particularly relate to Aleja because I too love reading all about adventures and listing after one of my own. But, I actually want a Frances in my life to provide me with cake at all times.

The plot too is well paced and it never felt like it was lagging or moving too quickly. It was just right, like the lore for the magic used which can be quite difficult to perfect but this book manages it perfectly. The adventure was perfectly matched with cosy and magical moments aboard the ship whilst it sailed the seas.

The magic of the ship too is spellbinding and I want my own personal shadow to follow me around and create magical rooms wherever I go.

I found it hard to put down and I look forward to seeing what is in store for the crew of the Ship of Shadows.

Ship of shadow book is a middle grade book which follows the story of Aleja who reads books about the explorer Thomas James.She wants to go on a adventure and due to series of events she joins ship of shadows, the very one Thomas James used for hisexploration. The ship is magical in its own way. Also we have crew of female pirates who are on a mission.

The Characters-

I absolutely love the book when it is all about friendship bonds and adventure. Aleja is this adorable character to tell you all the truth. She spends most of her time reading the books and wants to go and explore the world. She gets recruited on the ship of shadows, which has all female crew. Also I like how Aleja loves to ask so many questions and many a time she doesn’t even get an answer for it. Friendship between her and Frances was precious and so many times did Aleja save her friends.

The Story-

I am going to be honest here, I haven’t read many books with pirates in it. But I loved the story writing way of the author. It is so hard to describe the food and cities, and she nailed her job. Even if you don’t love the story you will definitely like it. The story was fast phased and it just kept on getting interesting. It was like one adventure after the other. I loved the last few chapters so much that now I can’t wait to read the next book!

Also if you read this book you will get a cake free so um you all should go read this book!

MY Rating- 5/5 ⭐️ 🧁
*Thank you to the author,publisher,writereads, and netgalley for providing with e-copy of the book. All the above opinions are solely mine.

I read this book for a blog tour, so thank you to the blog tour organiser, author and publisher for letting me take part in this tour, and thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

When I first saw this cover and read the blurb, I knew I needed to read this book. I've been reading a lot of middle grade books lately, and I adore books with pirates, adventures, hidden treasures, etc, so it was sure to be a great read.

This story starts in Sevilla in Spain, where Aleja lives in her family's Tavern, helps her grandmother, father and brothers by day, and dreams, climbs onto roofs and reads books about adventures at night. She has always dreamed of travelling the world and going on adventures, just like her favourite explorer Thomas James. She believes in magic and speaks English, French, Spanish and Arabic, but is lonely and pushed away by children her own age. That is, until the ship of shadows docks in the port of Sevilla and the adventure starts.

We then follow Aleja and the crew of the ship of shadows to various places, I don't want to give too much away, but I will say that the descriptions of the places, the food, the people, the customs, the colours and feelings are wonderful and they gave such a whimsical atmosphere to this book. The ship of shadows is a setting in itself, but also a character. It's such an amazing place, built with magic and hiding secret rooms that are unveiled every so often. This pirate ship is special because of the magic and shadows, but also because of the crew - they are all women. I absolutely adored this part of the book, I read so many fantasy books with strong female leads, but they are always next to the male leads, and I loved for once only have women. I think it made this story so much more special.

This book is really magical and whimsical. It's filled with great characters, I loved Frances, Aleja, Malika and Captain Quint, they are all so unique, but they come together as a family and man the ship of shadows as their home. Another favourite element in this book was the food. France always has some cake on her person, and whether it's a good day or bad, she always asks if anyone wants a slice of cake. There were also some really lovely descriptions of food that made me really hungry and I loved how vivid this book was. There is a quest in this story, and I love adventure, treasure missions, this was just this. There are so many things in this book, that I can't talk about everything, but I will say that there are pirates, ships, battles, jewels, maps, hidden cities, stealing, running, family, shadows, food and so much more.

I gave this book 5 stars, it was such a great experience, I loved it as soon as I started it and struggled to put it down. The images and chapter titles were also so lovely and really gave another special bit to this book. I would highly recommend this book and it is a book that anyone of any age can read. If you love an adventure, you will love this book and I cannot wait for book 2.

Thanks to NetGalley and Puffin Books for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thanks also to Dave @TheWriteReads for asking me to join the blog tour and putting this book on my radar--I'm so glad I didn't miss out on this gem!

This is the book that I wish was written when I was a young middle schooler. A crew of all-female pirates and swash-buckling adventures full of Kraken, pirate hunters and hidden treasure?! Yes, please! I'm so glad that this book was brought to my attention because it was such a joy to read! Although I admit that I did have to suspend my disbelief a few times, I know that I'm not the intended audience for this book, and I have no doubt that this story will bring so much joy to many readers.

First of all, major cover appreciation because it is absolutely stunning! I love the little details and I can't wait to get my hands on a physical copy because I could probably start this cover all day. I also love the chapter illustrations, which are honestly, always such a bonus and one of my favourite things about some MG fantasies!

Aleja was a wonderful character. She's smart with a mind that was always curious and eager to consume more knowledge and stories, and she's also full of mischief. I loved that she had such a deep love for her family, although I wish we got to see more of her interactions with them--but she also finds a "new" family with the shipmates aboard the Ship of Shadows. While I loved the magic of the ship (so very cool!), the adventure, and treasure hunting, my favourite aspect of this story was the friendships. Kuzniar wrote strong, female friendships full of love, mutual respect and unconditional support and I was here for it! These types of honest and strong friendships are what I love best about MG fiction! There were very strong found family vibes too and it was just so very heartwarming. All of the ship's crew members were also very likeable and I really appreciated the diversity and inclusiveness of the characters. I think my favourite character might've been Frances with her love for food and magical stories! There's a lot of mystery that follows everyone on board and I hope that we get the chance to learn more about them in the future, which will also mean more Ship of Shadows adventures (YAY)!

Overall, such a wonderfully written, fast-paced adventure story that I happily sped through in one night. I do wish that the ending wasn't so abrupt but it does have me looking forward to future stories even more now! Such a great debut by Kuzniar :)

This was the PERFECT pirate adventure! MG readers or not, I think anyone can get enjoyment out of this. 

Kuzniar gives us a ship full of women pirates who are more legend than real to those who have even heard about their ship, The Ship of Shadows. 

A perfect read for any MG reader with an adventurous spirit and/or a love of pirates. The spawn and I have started reading this as our bedtime story last night, so, I get to enjoy the crew of the Ship of Shadows all over again and I can't wait for the spawn to get to know them as well.

5/5 cups of coffee from me, thank you so much to the Publisher, NetGalley, and TheWriteReads for a copy of this in exchange for my honest opinion as part of the blog tour.

I absolutely loved this book! When Aleja meets the all female crew of the Ship of Shadows she has a chance to go on an adventure with them, part of the magic of this book is that she has to earn their trust in order to find out what this adventure is! So many things happen in this book, it is full of magic and imagination and it keeps you turning page after page wanting to find out what's next. I really cannot wait for the sequel, this is going to be a brilliant new series!

Ship of Shadows was a fantastic book based around female pirates. I just adored the characters; especially the friendship between Aleja and Frances and the plot was written so well. I had to put this book down for a week but when i picked it back i could remember exactly what had happened and got straight back into it which is a rare occurrence for me. All the way through i was rooting for the ship of shadows to get where they needed to be without getting captured. I just loved everything that happened and it ended in such a way where you need the sequel asap. Definitely looking forward the buying this book when it gets released.