Maria Kuzniar

"A feast for the imagination . . . an enthralling adventure." - Abi Elphinstone, author of Sky Song "This swashbuckling tale has it all - storms in jars, magic kraken bells, lost cities and a truly unique pirate ship. I loved it." - Alex Bell, author of The Polar Bear Explorers' Club Aleja is a dreamer who longs for a life of magic and adventure. So when a mysterious ship arrives in her Spanish harbour city, crewed by a band of ruthless women, Aleja knows it's sailed right out of a legend. And it wants her. But life aboard the Ship of Shadows is more than even she bargained for. It will take all of Aleja's strength and skill to gain the trust of her fellow pirates - and discover what they are risking everything to find . . . A sweeping, sparkling debut that will delight fans of The Polar Bear Explorer's Club and The Girl of Ink and Stars.

The Ship of Shadows

Helene Skjørvold

Candyce Kirk

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!

Nickie Mohler

This is one of my new favorites. I loved it! An all female pirate ship full of adventures. The story was great, the characters are fantastic. I can't recommend it enough if you like middle grade.

Melea Mullican

What fun! I loved this fast paced pirate story. I think it did a good job blending the magic with the atmosphere of the sea. There was a lot of repetitiveness in the writing that I don't think was necessary even in a middle grade. Overall, I really enjoyed it and I would for sure read more.

Kerri McDonald

“Sometimes friends became family too. The family you chose to have when your lives cosied up against each other’s as if you’d always been there.”

Thank you to Dave @ The Write Reads, Puffin Books, and the author for sending me a free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

We’re all readers here, I assume. You know that feeling when you become so engrossed in a book that everything else ceases to exist except the world of the book? That moment when you forsake basic needs like sleep and food because you don’t want to break your concentration? That’s one of my favorite feelings in the world. So, when I find a book that can make me feel that, I savor it.

The Ship of Shadows is a book to be savored.

We follow a young girl named Aleja, who is growing up in Seville, but dreams of exploring the world. She knows the world is more than just her family’s tavern, where she helps out during the day. She has no way to explore how she wishes to except through the tales she finds in books. And there are no few amount of people telling her that girls can’t be explorers, anyways. Then, one day, a mysterious ship sails into town with an even more mysterious crew. Aleja finds herself whisked away on an adventure she has always dreamed of by a gang of women pirates who need her help in a dangerous task.

Y’all. I’m finding it hard to form the words to tell you how much I loved this book. Because, my goodness, I LOVED THIS BOOK! There are pirates! Badass female pirates! And adventure! And cake! And… and… just… ARGH! *explodes in a cloud of happiness*

*deep breath*

Okay, now that I’ve got that out of my system, perhaps I can talk about The Ship of Shadows more coherently 😅 The thing that I loved first and foremost about this book was the characters. Aleja, fierce and wonderful Aleja, is a perfect protagonist. She’s quick-witted and brave, with a touch of the dreamer and a heart ready for exploration. She has doubts, she has flaws (she’s terrible at spying, for one 😉), and it’s wonderful to watch her grow in the short span of this book. And Aleja is just the icing on the beautifully-crafted character cake! The entire crew of the Ship of Shadows had such dimension and depth that I found myself caring for each and every one of them. I want to steal cake with Frances. I want to have weapons training with Malika. I want to hang out with Captain Quint and pet her owl! I became thoroughly invested in the characters and I was more than a little sad when I had to let them go at the end of the book.

But a book cannot thrive on excellent characters alone. I mean, it can try, but what is a story without a plot? And the plot of this book is as daring and exciting as one would expect from a story populated by pirates! This is a definite page-turner, especially once Aleja has found herself on the Ship of Shadows. There’s just so much happening and you are eager to devour every bit of it! You want to find out the ship’s many secrets as much as Aleja does and you can’t help but wrap yourself up in the central quest. I think the only thing I found lacking about the plot was how abrupt the ending felt. I wanted more, dangit! I was so wrapped up in the story!

Speaking of being wrapped up in the story, the author’s rich and evocative writing style certainly helps to ensnare you. The lush descriptions and the beautiful prose made me feel like I was riding the waves right alongside the crew. And the food descriptions! I have an insatiable sweet tooth (much like Frances) and some of the descriptions of the cakes had me drooling 😋 Maria Kuzniar has a way of crafting a story that makes me so excited to see what she comes out with next!

Final thoughts: This is what every daring tale of pirates and adventure strives to be. It’s fantastical! It’s fun! It’s thrilling! And, in the midst of all this daring-do and swashbuckling, there’s a warm heart to this story that made me fall in love. It’s a beautiful story of friendship and longing and finding where you fit. And there’s cake so… *thumbs up*!

Manon van Heumen

I absolutely loved these pirate-y vibes from this book! It was an amazing plot, and overall just a really great middle-grade.

Jelke Olila

Lisa Beasley

This was a very fun pirate story with a really interesting plot and great characters. I loved the intrigue and adventure. 

4 star read

The Ship of Shadows

Reviews