**Disclaimer: I was given a free finished copy of the below in exchange for an honest review as part of a tour hosted by Literary Bound Tours.**
I’d like to begin by thanking Literary Bound Tours and the author, Danielle L. Jensen, for choosing me for this tour.
Title Tarnished Empire (Dark Shores #0.5)
Author Danielle L. Jensen
Release Date January 26, 2021
Description
DEFIANCE IS TREASON. TREASON IS DEATH.
A siege is laid against the last resistance to the Senate’s rule. As the battle rages, a commander, a soldier, and a rebel will decide how far they are willing to go for victory.
THE COMMANDER
Marcus is forced to choose between destroying the rebel forces and liberating his legion. He must face the true cost of being a leader. And an oppressor.
THE SOLDIER
Agrippa sets his sights on glory to fill the deepening void within him. He discovers that the price of fame might not just be paid in blood, it might be paid by his heart.
THE REBEL
Silvara joins the rebel forces to fight against the legions who would see her family dead. While she dreams of being a warrior, she finds her sharpest weapon is seduction. But to defeat the Empire, she’ll have to betray the young man who now has her heart.
Initial Thoughts
I was so excited to be chosen for this tour. A few friends read it early and I had some serious literary FOMO. Thank you again to Danielle for choosing me.
Some Things I Liked
- Agrippa. I am #teamKillian forever. BUT, I am also Team Agrippa. Marcus is good too but Agrippa’s wit literally had me laughing out loud. He’s too good for the world of Reath, they don’t deserve him!
- An Ember in the Ashes vibes. I literally just devoured that series and so many of the reasons I loved it were reasons I loved this book.
- The drama. Danielle did not hold back. I laughed, I cried, I fell in love. I felt a full spectrum of emotions while reading this story.
- Agnes. She was an absolute treasure. Someone write her a side story – “The Secret Life of Laundresses”, because she was fascinating.
- Multiple POVs. That’s probably my favorite feature of this series. I love getting to know such a large cast of characters. I feel like the final book will be so rich with POVs and secrets and drama and I can’t wait to see how everything comes together. As a reader, I love being inside the minds of so many characters and I love seeing how they interact, especially when there are so many secrets at play.
Series Value
This is the third book in this series that I’ve read so it goes without saying, I am fully invested. I am so invested, that I would read any number of “tales of the 37th” with Marcus and the crew.
Furthermore, this book only solidified something that I already knew, I love Danielle’s writing. I am definitely going to keep reading everything she writes.
Final Thoughts
I adored this book. Honestly, I think I put off reading it until right before my tour stop because I didn’t want it to be over. This is a book I can easily see myself rereading and I loved every page.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Recommendations for Further Reading
- Dark Shores by Danielle L. Jensen – ff you started with Tarnished Empire, do yourself a favor, and read the other books in this series. There are so many amazing characters in this series and I love that Dark Shores and Dark Skies can be read in any order. Full disclosure, I strongly recommend reading them in the order they were published.
- An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir – if you enjoyed the themes of military training and legions, try this epic series by Sabaa Tahir.
Preorder Links
Amazon: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B08L8KD1HT
Apple: https://books.apple.com/us/book/tarnishedempire/id1536416313
Kobo: http://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/tarnishedempire
Author Links
Website: https://danielleljensen.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danielleljensen/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authordanielleljensen/
Malediction Novels, the Dark Shores series, and The Bridge Kingdom –
series. She lives in Calgary, Alberta with her family and guinea pigs.
Books Over Everything 