Emma V.R. Noyes

The Sunken City

Shelby Goodwin

The Sunken City freaking rocked my whole world!! 100% in love with this world and its incredible cast of characters. I cannot recommend this book enough, especially if you’re like me and you’ve made it a life goal to never get over your Pirates of the Caribbean obsession!! There are SO MANY delightful, obscure references to the Pirates franchise everywhere, including but not limited to: Port Royal, "curiosity", ship=freedom--they're riddled throughout and I caught every single one and couldn't get enough!

I haven't been swept away and fully engrossed by a YA fantasy in forever, but this one totally stole my heart. I'm in love with Amare and obsessed with the love triangle romance she's got going on between two brothers. I'm a sucker for the trope and after much deliberation I am team Lukas, but Finn is so freaking wonderful as well. Such an altogether phenomenal debut novel from Emma Noyes!

Thank you so much to the author for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review! All thoughts and opinions expressed above are entirely my own.

I enjoyed this story! I mean how awesome is it to have a mix of Pirates, magic, romance, and lost worlds. I love how the author included so many different aspects of fantasy while building this world. The environment was beautiful, the world building was so enticing. I loved the underwater so much, and this is coming from a person that is absolutely terrified of the ocean lol. 

Amare’s character was filled with self reliance and determination to succeed no matter how bad the situation is. The side characters were so lovely! I loved the relationship built between them. And let’s talk about the romance… yes please… I’m not a huge fan of love triangles but the way the author wove this story was beautiful. Amare was torn between two brothers, she finds herself in a bind but the way the story unfolds is really enticing.

Huge thanks to the author for gifting me a copy! All opinions are my own. Can’t wait to dive into more of this world soon!

Thais Lopes

The Sunken City was an absolutely breathtaking and magical read! This is a YA fantasy with enemies to lovers, pirates, underwater kingdoms, witches and demons and a ton of magic!

From the very beginning the story is mesmerizing, pulling you in with it's beautiful writing. We follow the story of Amare, an orphan girl who is raised on a pirate ship. She must learn the hard way how to fend for herself; a pirate ship is no place for a girl. Until one day she comes across a sunken treasure that turns her world upside down... Literally.

Amera has sunk deep into the ocean.. not only does she discover that she is one of the Sereia (i love it that it's also the Portuguese word for mermaid) but also a princess, the long lost heir to the throne of the Sunken City. She must face the reality that the life she knew is gone and take up her place as the next queen of Sunken City. 

<I> "But i was not raised to be a princess; i was raised to be a pirate."</i>

I looove arranged marriage trope and enemies to lovers so we get BOTH which had me bursting in joy. I am team Lukas all the way (can't resist a bad boy!). The descriptions of the underwater world are vivid and detailed which made it easy to picture everything clearly in my mind. One of my favorite elements is Amares' friendship with Osha, you can slowly witness as she finds herself a new family for herself in Sunken City. A beautifully written fantasy that stays with you long after you've finished.❤️

Thank you to the author for gifting me a copy for review!

Candice 

I would give it 4.5 stars. Only reason is I am not here for a love triangle. Why choose? And Amare was extremely YA in some parts. But it didn’t take me away from the story. 

The world. Beautiful. The setting. Perfection. My pirates of the Caribbean obsessing heart screamed in joy through this book. The first few chapters could be written within the same world. I devoured this book. I am also mad because I hate love triangles for this reason. I love both boys. I don’t want to pick one. Why choose? Have both. Finn and Lukas are brothers. And they are completely opposite. Amare is going to ruin me in the next book I know it. And so much betrayal has happened. I cannot wait to see where it goes. 

Chiara Vitale Zelaia

THE SUNKEN CITY is everything I look for in a book set at sea: pirates, adventure, morally gray characters. I adored the pirate element in the first part of the book. The author did an amazing job creating the correct atmosphere around them, even with little details such as ship parts and the pirate slang, but especially with the sense of family and camaraderie aboard the ship. Amare, the main character, fit perfectly within this frame. I loved her strong sense of independence and her sass! A true pirate at heart, so I didn’t miss the pirates too much when the setting turned to the underwater kingdom.

I thoroughly enjoyed the world building of this book, especially once we moved to the underwater kingdom. T the whole concept of it was completely different from what I expected, and very original! There was a lot to learn about the world and the magic, but the information was peppered throughout rather than being info-dumped on the reader. We got sea creatures, witches, court intrigues. It was fantastic!

And finally, the characters. I already mentioned that I loved Amare, but I also really appreciated the supporting cast. There’s a lot of female empowerment and women supporting women in this book, and I’m here for it! Maoke was probably one of my biggest surprises. She embodies a morally gray, misunderstood badass so well! Strangely, I also enjoyed the love triangle between Amare and the brothers, Finn and Lukas. Maybe it’s because I don’t think it’s a real triangle at this point. I think there are plenty of signs that point to the real endgame, and it’s the brother I choose! Hint: tall, dark, dangerous. It was a losing battle to resist.

In short, this new-adult novel is the perfect read for fans of adventures set above and below sea level. It has action, romance, magic, and BETRAYAL. I seriously cannot wait for the next book already because the last 50 pages had me reeling!

Jourdan Gandy

The Sunken City is a YA fantasy featuring pirates, underwater cities, lost princesses, and a girl torn between two brothers…one who is loyal and kind and one who is the definition of morally grey. I loved this book and couldn’t stop thinking about! Like, so much so that I actually dreamed about it 😆 definitely recommend if you’re looking for a quick, addicting read!

I actually enjoyed the love triangle and thought it was interesting. Really excited to see what Emma does in the sequel! Also super curious to see where everyone’s true loyalties lie 👀

Maria Elena Vitale Zelaia

This book is everything my pirate-loving heart wanted in a fantasy!

Ever since I was a child, I was a huge fan of tales like Pirates of the Caribbean and Sinbad, and I carried this love through my adulthood. As far as books go, I’ve found some stories that I liked, but didn’t love—until this book. The Sunken City immediately immersed me into that seafaring/pirate-y atmosphere I love thanks to the author’s beautiful writing and the characters that were so vivid in my mind, as if they were alive on the page. I was a few chapters in and I turned to my sister saying, “This book is so good!”

Amare is a wonderful main character. She’s a girl who had to learn fast how to live in a world of men. She’s strong and fierce, resourceful and curious, yet there were also moments where her vulnerability and empathy shone through. Seeing life aboard a pirate ship through her eyes made me feel as if I’d been on a ship all my life, but at the same time, everything felt so vibrant and new. Once the focus shifts to the Sunken City, life under the sea was not what I was expecting. I was expecting mermaids, instead I was surprised by an original world that resembles our own in terms of advancement—with some clever variations to fit the underwater life.

The book’s strengths are many. The writing, I’ve already mentioned, but there’s also an amazing cast of characters to support Amare. There’s a point while Amare is in the Sunken City, away from her pirate family, that I felt like the plot slowed down a little, which is normal in a book. I missed the pirate side of the story, but the arrival of a particular character—*cough* Lukas *cough*—and the return of pirates made everything pick up again. As far as the romance goes, there’s a love triangle, and while I like both brothers, I love only one and have chosen my side. (Have you ever watched The Vampire Diaries? I was Team Damon. That’s clue enough.)

I seriously need the sequel tomorrow!

Thank you to the author for gifting me a copy. Opinions are my own.

The Sunken City

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