On These Black Sands by Vanessa Rasanen

In actuality, despite its corniness, “On These Black Sands” is a fantastic novel for anyone who like pirate stories. It was a fresh twist because I don’t think I’ve ever read a pirate story with fairies. However, the pirates will quickly win you over. You can love to hate certain people and hate to love others. and always captain Declan, without a doubt.

I regret so much waiting until the last minute to read this book. I’ve been in an extremely horrible mood since my grandmother passed over a month ago, and I couldn’t bring myself to read. When I finally made myself pick up this book, I was pleasantly transported into a beautiful world of piracy, alluring sirens, and dangerous adventures. I was engrossed in the narrative and became enamored with Captain Declan and Aoife right away.

It was a wonderful diversion from reality for me to be able to get lost in the novel. The author had my heart racing and sent me on an adventure. As someone who enjoys being at sea or the beach, I found this book to be engrossing and refreshing. I once rode a ship and had the opportunity to look out at the deep blue ocean and the island that we had passed through.

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The protagonist, Aoife, never quite knows what to do, which is one of my favorite aspects of this book. Despite being an adult, she struggles with making rapid judgments and relating to others, which I found to be quite relatable. She also experiences panic attacks, which made me particularly curious about how they can effect a person and how other characters might react—both positively and negatively—to them.

There was a terrific bond with First Mate Tommy, who also unquestionably needs his own book, and a lot of family strife. Even though I adore pirate stories, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this novel and how it let me escape my own feelings. It was the ideal book at the right time. The characters appear to have a lot of development and are well-rounded. The writing is descriptive and in-depth. The seas seem deep, and the globe feels vast.

About The Book

One of three heirs, Aoife has prepared her whole life to step into her mother’s seat on the Council and to help maintain the peace. Soon she will be matched to a pirate lord and begin her life of service in a loveless union–a fate she reluctantly accepts.

But when her awkward tongue gets her in trouble–and her sister exiled–she learns the truth about the Council and the legacy she’s to inherit. Guilt-ridden over her mistake and convinced her people are better without her, she runs, seeking passage on one of the pirate ships.

A pirate with a ruthless reputation, Declan has avoided his island home for years, refusing to pay the price the Council requires of his kind. When a bit of bad luck forces him to return, he discovers his chance to be free of the Council and his past for good–a legendary dagger with the power to grant victory to any who wield it. With thirty days to deliver the weapon to the rebels, he can’t afford any delays–or distractions.

So when an obnoxious heir demands passage off the island, the answer is an easy no. But he soon learns he can’t control her any more than he can control the seas, and she stows away on his ship. Against his better judgment and the demands of his crew, Declan allows her to stay, but just until the next port.

Unfortunately for him, she could be the key to retrieving the dagger. Now this desperate pirate and stubborn heir must set aside their hatred to find the freedom they both desire… but they might just lose their hearts in the process, discovering a love neither wanted.

Will love save them in the end or will it prove more dangerous than anything else on these seas?