From NetGalley
A spellbinding romantic fantasy about a powerful witch who will do anything to escape the remote island she’s being held captive on, including blackmail a notorious, charming pirate who washes up on shore, from debut author Angela Montoya.
Rosalinda is trapped on Sinner’s Isle, an island filled with young women like her—Majestics, beautiful witches loathed by society for their dangerous magic yet revered by powerful men who want to use them.
For years, she has been kept under the watchful, calculating eye of Doña Lucia. Now eighteen, Rosa will be the prized commodity at this year’s Offering, a fiesta for the wealthy to engage in drink, damsels, and debauchery. That is why she must flee—before someone forces the vicious phantoms within her to destroy everything she touches.
Handsome, swashbuckling Mariano has long sailed the high seas as the Prince of Pirates. Then the king’s fleet attacks his father’s infamous ship, leaving him marooned on Sinner’s Isle with only an enchanted chain meant to lead him to his heart’s desire. Instead, he falls into the hands of a brazen (although) bewitching headache—Rosa.
Together they must outwit each other and their enemies before the Offering ends and it’s too late to escape the perils of Sinner’s Isle.
Sinner's Isle is a magnificent debut from new author, Angela Montoya. The story is set in the magical kingdom of Coronado, full of swashbuckling pirates, beautiful witches born with unique and interesting powers, dangerous creatures that live in the treacherous sea, political intrigue, decadent ships and palaces, and more.
Montoya has built a brilliant world for her vibrant cast. We start with Rosalinda, a young majestic, preparing for the Offering. When they come of age, young witches are offered to rich men of Coronado travel to Sinner's Isle to bind themselves with and use at their discretion. Vivacious and powerful Rosa, who possesses the power to manipulate shadows from her hands, has no intention of being bound to anyone. But after a failed attempt at escaping her wicked warden takes something precious from her. Rosa has no choice but to participate until she can get back what was taken and find another way off the island.
Along with the beautiful majestics that live on Sinner's Isle, the daring pirates that sail the waters between the islands of Coronado are a huge part of this book. Mariano is one of them, a strapping young pirate who has only ever known life at sea, and ends up stuck on Sinner's Isle with his best friend, Santiago, as an accomplice and companion. His only goal is to take as much gold as he can carry, find a ship to steal, and leave the island behind. That is until Rosa sees him--and he sees her-- and decides he's her ticket to freedom.
The two become entangled in a battle of wills and hearts. As they get closer to the offering, the odds stack against them. They face off with the desires of the King of Coronado, a conniving aristocrat, the corrupt church, and the greedy leader of the majestics. As with all well-written novels, things become more and more complicated with every turn of the page.
Montoya has done an excellent job of unfolding this engaging plot, carefully. Sinner's Isle has high stakes that fall into each other like dominoes. Every new revelation pushes the dominoes harder, the pressure mounts, and the pace becomes almost break-neck. This book will make you dream of magic, and mayhem, and wild romance.
By the time you make it to the end of the novel, you'll fall in love with a snarky band of unforgettable characters, a rich world beautifully painted, and a wonderful story of resilience and strength. Sinner's Isle is about friendship, hope, courage, and standing up for what you think is right. If this book teaches you anything, it's to stay true to yourself the way the characters in its pages do.
Sinner's Isle is a young adult, romantic fantasy, for fans of Serpent & Dove, Seafire, and All the Stars and Teeth. I recommend this book to anyone who loves Pirates of the Caribbean as much as I do.