I loved this book. With a main character who starts off as quite ruthless and much less like the prim princesses we are used to, her foray into the high seas and adventure is just pure brilliance.

Read as far as 26% but I couldn't like the main character no matter how hard I tried. Did not finish - no review

Although this book spoke to me at first, i.e. the blurb and the cover, what it eventually delivered was a fairly average YA story. Albeit the romance was not at the heart of the story for once., so kudos for this. 

A solid debut novel. 


Review based on an ARC provided by the publishers.

Ooh, soul magic that includes bones and teeth and killing people? I'm so in. :D And THEN you add in a pirate and mermaid and monsters and questing? Hells yes.

Basically, this book was everything I could have wanted. Amora is a princess that has been training for her throne and when things go wrong, she has to run away to prove that she's worthy of her throne. In doing so, she makes a deal with a pirate, Bastian, to help break his curse. 

This world felt so real. I love the way the magics worked, and I how even the glimpses we see of some of the islands felt like a full picture. The way that one of the islands has fallen into ruin after storms is clearly shown, and we get a little on the politics as well as the people's reactions to it.

I like that Amora loves her father, but is beginning to see through the cracks in that facade to the person within. And I love love love Bastian and his cheek. Plus Amora and Ferrick maintaining their friendship is so lovely, even though it takes work.

This is honestly just fun, and when I got the chance to read the sequel a day after I finished this, I jumped at it. 4.5 stars.

All the Stars and Teeth by Adalyn Grace is a dark and bloody young adult fantasy on a world where magic, for some, is lush and extravagant, for others (such as our protagonist, Amora) dark and bloody. This is a really fascinating world that I felt could have benefitted from a little more depth - for example, gods are mentioned a few times, but never who these gods are or the way the people interact with them. And while I enjoyed Amora's headstrong character with her deep sense of morality and love for her people, the love triangle... Not for me. But maybe this will be less prevalent in the sequel?

Overall I gave this book 3.5 stars, rounded down. For a debut novel it was strong, and I know that had I read this as a teen, I would have simply adored this.

Stories are often voyages of discovery not just of strange new lands but also our lead characters facing monsters or truths that will change them. This is very much the feeling I took from the new YA novel All the Stars and Teeth by Adalyn Grace a tale of magics, curses and mermaids that ultimately, I felt needed a bit more bite.

Princess Amora Montara is about to face her final test to be formally recognised as the heir to the throne of Visidia – she must demonstrate to all that her powers will kill an unworthy man. However, the execution is far bloodier than any realised and Amora is imprisoned and put on trial where she is quickly rescued by the mysterious Bastien and ends up on a mission to explore a mysterious island kingdom where rebellion under a dangerous leader is preparing for battle.

If you’re looking for a quick easy read, then this is probably going to be a few hours of fun. Grace tells a fast paced tale made up of episodic adventures and I did enjoy the effort that has clearly gone into the wider world Amora lives in throwing in sea monsters, bandits, ancient curses and multiple strange magical abilities from regeneration of limbs to levitation. There is a lot going on and the cast that develops has to fight their way out regularly before the next part of the mission begins.

But for me there is a huge sense of storytelling that plays it too safe. Amora we find was killing people as part of her training and so little is done with such a concept. Amora I think is meant to be a complex morally grey character and unfortunately comes across more a rich girl with little understanding of her world and yet she is the only one who can fix things. Her brutal killing is just written off as one of those things and never really haunts her. The plot is mechanistic just hitting beats every few chapters and the surprises are not that hard to guess. It was a frustratingly pedestrian read (Amora’s first person narration is fairly stuck in the same gear) with lots of lost opportunities to throw a meaty look at consequences of character’s actions. I unfortunately will have to say this have not made me wish to read any more in the series.

This book was fine? It was okay. I listened to the audiobook while working, and if I hadn't been working I might have DNF'd. The magic system is REALLY interesting and the mermaid character is my favourite part of the whole book. But the other characters just kind of bored me, and when I find the main character boring it's a fatal shot for a book. I think it sets up well for the sequel and if a reader likes the characters more than I do, they'd probably LOVE this book. The writing is good and like I said, the worldbuilding is interesting, but not for me. As such, I won't be reviewing on Goodreads, but I'm grateful for the eARC.

Content warnings: violence and death; mild body horror; blood magic; mention of abusive relationships.

Amora is the princess of the island kingdom Visidia, and in order to take her throne, she must demonstrate full control of her family’s brutal magic in a huge performance of skill. When things don’t go quite as planned, it could mean death for Amora, unless she can escape – and willing to help her do just that is sarcastic pirate Bastian, who opens her eyes to just how rotten things are in Visidia. Amora finds herself learning more about her kingdom than she ever could as queen, and it might just come down to her to save it. This is great piratical fantasy, full of sarky mermaids, swashbuckling sailors, and magnificent sea monsters, but it’s also got some very smart things to say about monarchy and power.

The magic system as it’s presented to us at the start is very interesting, with the kingdom made up of separate islands, all of which have a single magical skill associated with them; if you want to do that magic, you have to live on that island. No one can learn more than one magic, as it is seen as dangerous and corrupting, and part of Amora’s future reign will be to enforce these rules, as the royal family’s skill is soul magic that gives them the power to kill from the inside out. I loved Amora’s magic and how dark it was – the narrative doesn’t shy away from showing the brutality of her powers, and there’s even a tinge of horror to the description of the execution that kicks off the book. It’s really interesting to see a book that lets its main character do some downright despicable things to people – the morality is still pretty black and white, with Amora herself clearly aligned as good despite her dark magic, which undercuts the bite a little, but there are several strong moments where she has to decide between two evils for the greater good.

Obviously, as this is a YA fantasy, things are not going to be as they seem initially with regards to the magic or the politics, and though this is tropey, it’s a well done story of a princess discovering the state of her nation and her own complicity in the oppression of her people, then working to dismantle the system. I thought that this was one of the smartest variations on those classic YA bones that I’ve read – there’s a lot of great character work, and the worldbuilding is very interesting. Although it does get quite dark for YA, both in terms of gore and in terms of the human impact on the people of Visidia, I didn’t feel like it was overly grim – in fact, it’s a pretty rip-roaring adventure, and there’s plenty of humour and fun. There are a couple of big action set-pieces that had me flipping pages madly, too!

Amora herself is a good, but not great, protagonist; if you’ve read any YA fantasy before, you’ll have seen several variations of her. This doesn’t mean I didn’t like her – she’s a perfect audience insert and very easy to root for, especially because of her particular flaws around her magic. But the most fun character stuff happens when she interacts with the core secondary characters: her flirtations with Bastian, who is himself a fairly familiar archetype (the carefree boy hiding trauma with sarcasm) are great fun, while her tentative friendship with bitey mermaid Vataea made me smile a lot. My favourite character was a total surprise – Amora’s unwanted fiancé Ferrick was an unexpected addition to the cast, but I loved how his inclusion flipped that typical love triangle on its head. I thought he was going to be an annoying fop who would just get in the way of the actual romance for plot purposes, but he develops in a very different direction and I really enjoyed it. I have a feeling that the interactions between all four of them are going to lead to some brilliant development in book two.

I am so excited to finish up this duology in the spring when All the Tides of Fate releases – we’ve already done the whole traditional YA arc in this first book, so I can’t wait to see what happens next. I’m looking forward to more interactions between Amora and Bastian, more of the spiky Vataea, and more magic and intrigue as Amora tries to dismantle the flawed world her ancestors have built. Hardcore YA haters should maybe give this one a swerve, but if you’re up for a clever adventure, I definitely recommend it – I just had a brilliant time! Four out of five cats.

A very refreshing fantasy story that manages to grip its reader's attention very quickly. 

Getting into the book proved to be rather easy, which I highly appreciate. From the very beginning, you get a sense of the truly unique magic system and it wasn't difficult to understand or to follow. Very quickly I also realized that the world-building was done properly, and it wasn't one-dimensional at all. Every island was distinct from each other, and in my head, I didn't confuse them all the time. The same goes for the characters. All the characters, may they have been the protagonists or the side characters, were easily distinguishable and it was almost impossible to confuse them. 

Unfortunately, though, I didn't find myself caring for the characters or their relationship. I almost wish the romance would've been left out completely as I didn't feel the connection between the characters. I also have to say that any of the characters could've died and I wouldn't have cared that much. 

The ending does make the sequel sound very promising and I'll certainly pick it up because I'm curious to see how the story continues.

Thanks to Titan Books and NetGalley for the Advance Review Copy in exchange for an honest review.

I just couldn't get on with this book at all. I really disliked the main character and I felt that everything that happened was incredibly predictable. It just wasn't for me, review not posted anywhere else.

First of all, look at this amazing cover! It's so beautiful!

I so didn't expect to enjoy this. Especially given my recent failures with Ya, I was afraid that I wouldn't like this one either but... Honestly, give me some pirates and I'm all sold, this was really good. Kind of reminded me of The Daughter of the pirate King but that's mostly bc it has pirates and mermaids in it, not because it's similar in any way.

I liked the story, the characters and the magic! It's not often we see blood magic in books 😍

This book was really cute and entertaining! It was a fast read that I would definitely recommend. I read it over the summer and it was the perfect fantasy book for it.

3.5 stars

Princess Amora Montara will one day replace her father as ruler of Visidia and High Animancer.
Each island in Visidia is home to a different kind of magic, but only the Montaras can perform soul magic, which is extremely dangerous.
Amora must prove herself ready to rule by giving a display of her magic, but when this goes terribly awry, Amora ends up fleeing her home with the aid of Bastien, a pirate. Bastien agrees to help Amora on the condition that she will aid him in his quest to get his stolen magic back.
As Amora travels the seas of the kingdom, she encounters danger, a terrible new kind of magic, and dark secrets that threaten to destroy the everything.
Can Amora save Visidia?
Can she prove that she is worthy of the crown?

All the Stars and Teeth was one of my most anticipated releases of 2020 and I was very excited when I heard that Titan Books would be publishing it in the UK.
Amora is one of the best YA fantasy protagonists I've encountered for a long while. She was relatable, likeable, and would do anything for her people. Amora wasn't afraid to get her hands dirty, and while she wasn't perfect (which I always appreciate when it comes to characters), Amora was definitely someone I would want to have on my side - I would not want her as my enemy, that's for sure!
Vataea was one of my favourite characters and I would love to find out more about her. I also liked Ferrick and Bastien, and while I didn't like Bastien quite as much as I thought I would, I still found him witty and charming at times.
The romance wasn't one of my favourites that I've read, but there were moments where it was quite sweet.
The magic was really interesting, especially the soul magic. I liked that Amora's magic was rather dark - it was different and refreshing as usually it's the baddies that have darker magic.
I really liked that there was period representation, which I haven't seen often in books I've read.
The plot was interesting and held my attention throughout. There were a few things that I didn't see coming, but I wasn't on the edge of my seat.
The writing was easy to follow and I would definitely read another book by this author.

Overall, this was an enjoyable, unique read that I would recommend.

All the Stars and Teeth is the kind of fast-paced YA fantasy that will pull readers in from the start, with magic and action, and a compelling sea setting. I think many people will fall in love with the world Adalyn Grace created, with its different islands and magics, with sea monsters and other legendary creatures, and a princess meant to prove her worth as the next High Animancer—and, ultimately, the future queen.

What I really liked about his book was the friendship group, the Keel Haul crew; made up of a princess on a quest to redeem herself, a pirate whose magic has been stolen, a noble with the power to heal himself and others, and a cunning mermaid. Their friendship really made this book for me, and I started to truly enjoy the story as soon as they all came together and worked towards the same goal.

The starting point of this story surprised me, too, and I enjoyed that a lot. It was different from what I expected, because the protagonist, Amora, is unquestionably morally grey in her actions and believes. Especially in the beginning she makes a lot of mistakes, which leads to her having to prove her worth to the kingdom and her subjects for the entirety of the book.

I think All the Stars and Teeth is an ambitious debut with a wonderfully sea-centered setting and a magical world that promises adventure and many breathless moments to all its readers. I would’ve liked to learn a bit more about the different kinds of magic, about the islands and their people, about the legendary creatures and weapons—I also would’ve liked to get more of a glimpse into the motivations of the side characters, and even the villain, because although I liked Amora as a protagonist, this story was very focused on her and her journey.

Overall, I think that All the Stars and Teeth is an imaginative debut and I recommend it to fans of To Kill a Kingdom, or just books with morally grey protagonists in general—readers who enjoy main characters that have a darker side to them, that are ambitious to a fault, but that also fight for what they believe in: this book is for you.

My favourite thing about this book was that it was set at sea!

Overall
This will sound harsh but bear with me: I struggled a bit in the beginning. The story felt boring in the beginning. Elements of the story were predictable from the start and I could see where the main turns would be from the first few chapters. As the characters got on the ship (which is only a few chapters in) I started to enjoy it more. I think this had something to do with the main character enjoyed her life more too. I seem, throughout the story, to have the same feelings as the main character. When she didn't enjoy it, I didn't enjoy it either. When she was enjoying it, so was I. And I only realised this in the end. I think this is a solid complement to the writing of the story, to make me feel the same way. The journey turned out to be a fun ride however my predictions did come true and didn't surprise me which was a shame but expected.

Magic system
This was interesting. There are lots of magic in here. It's all surrounding your own abilities but you can choose which direction to go. It felt like everyone had magic to varying degrees but their speciality was depending on their interest, like choosing your university major. There was healing, enchantments, soul, curses and water magic to name a few. A lot of the story centres around the magic and how the kingdom is built around it. 

Writing
The writing was fine. I had no obstacles to the writing but it didn't blow me away either. It was easy to read and flowed nicely. It felt like a debut author (which she is), I look forward to seeing her build her skills and develop her language in the future. 

Summary
An enjoyable read set at sea but not my favourite of the year. I will definitely check out the next book in the series :)

A good fantasy novel with an excellent world building and magical system.
It's engrossing and entertaining even if a bit slow at times.
I liked the characters but I hope there will be more character development in the next instalment.
There's a strong feminist tone and even if it uses tropes like pirates and princesses they are well done and interesting.
I look forward to reading the next instalment, recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Thank you to Netgalley, Titan Books & Adalyn Grace for my arc of All the Stars and Teeth in exchange for an honest review. 

Synopsis: Amora Montara has spent her whole life learning the soul magic of her family. As princess set to inherit the title of High Animacer she knows the importance of protecting her people from the Beast who would kill them all should this dangerous magic not be kept under control. To prove her mastery of the magic she must perform for the people and show them she is capable of ruling. But when things take an unexpected and terrible turn for the worst, Amora runs away from her island with the mysterious and rather handsome pirate Bastian. If Amora will help him reclaim his stolen magic he will help her reclaim the respect of her people and her right to rule. But there is much at stake with dangerous new magic afoot, perilous seas, mermaids and curses can Amora and Bastian truly bring peace back to the kingdom? 

Ok so this was hands down the BEST fantasy book I've read for a while. I loved Amora's world, the PERFECT flirting/frenemies to lovers vibe going on between her and Bastian. The lore and magic was so original and wonderfully dark it didn't shy away from elements which some might find a little icky to say the least! I loved how Amora wasn't portrayed as a typical princess but a perfectly REAL person, a perfectly REAL girl. Yes she loves fashion and dresses but yes she also loves ships and sailing and dark magic that involves stripping the meat off people's bones and I am here for her so much. I loved how flawed her character was, I loved the way she was so independent and determined to rely on nobody else. Fantastic character driven story and I cannot wait for the next instalment, highly recommended!

All the Stars and Teeth has an interesting premise – a princess with a unique and dangerous magic who must take her throne by showing her might, but ends up on the run with a mysterious and snarky pirate who wants to save the world. It has all the elements of a good YA fantasy, but unfortunately I just didn’t find this unique enough to stand out.

I really enjoyed the sea aspects of the story. Grace makes it very easy for the reader to imagine this magical island world, where each island represents a different type of magic. We have wind weavers and healers, time manipulators and soul stealers. Each magical system feels distinct and interesting, but I don’t think we really got to examine a lot of the world itself to fully appreciate this. 

There’s also plenty of action, and the pacing is pretty good as we hop from island to island, but the plot itself is extremely predictable and one I’ve seen done a hundred times before. AT times, the logic is also rather questionable, with characters with specific traits that are needed to advance the plot just happening upon our group. I won’t even go into all the ways the mermaid character just didn’t make sense to me, how she is basically just there as a deus ex machina, and woefully underdeveloped. She had so much potential to be this sassy, smart mouthed independent woman…and she just felt very one dimensional.

I also didn’t really feel connected to the other characters. Amora is a very stereotypical YA princess, one of those ‘I’m just a girl’ chosen types who can miraculously slay sea demons and wants to do everything for the better of the kingdom. It got old rather quickly, and I just wanted to see more of a personality and character growth. The hints of romance were quite good, and I did get invested in the overt sexual tension and sort of love triangle that isn’t – but again, why try and pair everyone off? Not everyone needs a love interest to be a worthwhile character. 

That said, this was a reasonably fun ride despite the tropes. The writing is good, and I felt invested enough in the plot to want to find out what happened. I just won’t be in a hurry to pick up the concluding book.

[insert all the hearteyes here] – All the Stars and Teeth is magnificent! Best thing about it? Not. A. Single. Moment. of. Cringe. But banter, charisma and wondrous adventure is plentiful. And the writing…

Oh, the writing! Sublime. I swallowed every word of description, dialogue and backstory. I mean, something as mundane as sailing with a ship was described so well, I wanted to set sail, ahoy!

On top of a complicated and dangerous magical system, we have some royalty having to face the music of decisions past. Yes, the premise revolves around royalty but it’s anything but simple, rinse-repeat court drama- it’s a breathtaking adventure on sea, a quest to clear a name, save a people and win a rightful place. All the while there are some mega kick-ass feels bouncing off the page, driven by solid characters.

Yes, there is nothing complicated in the entirety of the book and yet the magic system is intriguing, unique and poses an interesting conflict. There is after all, beauty and cleverness to be found in simplicity. But, I can’t help and say I felt entirely excited throughout the whole story. It simply is fresh and utterly enjoyable. Some books simply have that magic. You can’t quite put your finger on it, what makes it so brilliant, but there it is, all-consuming!

If at the end of the book there were words ‘mic drop’ instead of ‘The End’ then they would be completely justified. All the Stars and Teeth is positively engrossing with the princess, the pirate, the mermaid… For me, it is 2020’s biggest YA fantasy and I cannot wait to read what happens next…

I really enjoyed this book and was hooked from the start. This book had a great sense of adventure, which is something that other YA fantasy books have been lacking lately. It was fun to read but also had a darker plot and was actually pretty gory.

The world was really interesting and I loved the magic. I thought the world building was good throughout and we got to see a lot of the world but also the history of Amoras family and magic. I liked that there was a lot of different kinds of magic that were useful for different things. The plot was very enjoyed and well paced throughout! There was a lot of action and fight scenes that were pretty violent for a YA but I enjoyed this, it did not shy away from blood and guts. 

I really liked the characters, Amora especially, she was badass and scary in a fight but she was also very caring and wanted the best for her people. I did like watching them all become a crew and interact. I did think that the romance could have included more flirting before the kissing but thats a minor issue. Some good friendships have formed from this adventure which will be needed in the next book! 

I really enjoyed this book but I did find some of the plot to be quite basic and similar to other fantasies. But I think it was done really well and I was hooked. I loved the adventure and it was a fun read! Overall a really great adventure with lots of fighting, great characters, good plot and lots of gore! I'm looking forward to the sequel.