A Jewel Bright Sea (Mage and Empire #1) by Claire O’Dell #bookreview #fantasy #romance #adventure

Title: A Jewel Bright Sea

Author: Claire O’Dell

Publisher:  Rebel Base Books

Publication Date: September 3, 2019

Page Count:  248

My rating: 3 stars

About the book:

A whirlwind of intrigue, lies, politics, and adventure swirls around one woman—and the prize she’s been sent to reclaim . . .
 
It was her talent for tracking magic that got Anna Zhdanov sent to catch a thief. A scholar’s daughter sold as a bond servant, she has no desire to recover the Emperor’s jewel for herself. But a chance to earn her freedom has driven her to the untamed Eddalyon province, awash with warm breezes, lapping waves, and more danger than she could possibly guess.

Within days her cover as an indolent noblewoman is in question, and it’s clear there’s more to Anna’s task than she knows. Soon she’s the captive of the unpredictable pirate captain Andreas Koszenmarc, hunted by the Emperor’s guard, besieged by a brigand queen, and at odds with her only friend. She must trust someone if she is to survive. But when all that’s certain is that everyone is hiding something, it’s no simple thing to choose . . .

A Jewel Bright Sea by Claire O’Dell is the first book in the Mage and Empire fantasy series. This series is an adult adventurous fantasy with romance and magic in a world with pirates. Of course having a love for pirate-y adventures I had to try this series out.

Anna Zhdanov had always had a talent for tracking magic but hadn’t much use for it when she was sold as a bond servant. Now however Anna is getting her chance to use her magic and possibly gain her freedom when she’s asked to find the Emperor’s jewel. Before she knows it though Anna is captive once again, this time by Andreas Koszenmarc, the pirate captain, the is being tracked by the Emperor’s guard.

A Jewel Bright Sea is the type of fantasy series that drops readers right into the action and doesn’t take the time to build up the world in which their joining. While I do love a lot of action over a slower pace just being dropped into the story made for a confusing start. As the book went along I also never felt there was much depth given to the characters to make me care for them or the romance. As much as I love pirates this start to the Mage and Empire fantasy series ended up at just a so-so read for me.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

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