Unfortunately, I am no longer interested in this type of story as my reading tastes have moved on.

Many thanks for approving my request.

Ebook provided by NetGalley for review. Thank you.

Amora is the princess of the island kingdom of Visidia. She is also a practitioner of Soul Magic and training to be a High Animancer - Master of Souls. One final public demonstration will prove that she's fit to rule but then it all goes wrong and she's thrown in jail. Fearing execution she flees with mysterious pirate, Bastian. He'll help her if she will help him reclaim his stolen magic.

As they journey across the sea, along with an unexpected hitchhiker, Amora learns that her father, the King, kept her in the dark about the problems that the kingdom is having and now she feels that it's up to her to put things right.

I thought the world-building was simple yet effective, and the magic system was intriguing, but it was the overall storytelling that really got to me. The way we gradually got to know the characters and their motivations. I do feel like the romance side of things went a little too obvious when there was another choice that may have been more interesting... Overall I enjoyed it and I immediately borrowed the sequel from the library (4/5 stars: great overall but ending felt rushed and incomplete).

I loved the world and the magic in this book, soul magic involving teeth and bones is an instant yes for me. I loved seeing the ‘fall’ of Princess Amora and her journey. The way her friendship Ferrick developed was brilliantly written and I loved the introduction of pirates and mermaids, as well as other magic users. I liked how while politics came into play, it wasn’t too complex and didn’t make the book feel too heavy. I will definitely be reading the sequel to this

All the Stars and Teeth by Adalyn Grace is a thrilling young adult fantasy novel that takes readers on a journey through a magical kingdom filled with adventure, danger, and intrigue. The story follows Amora, the princess of the island kingdom of Visidia, as she navigates the challenges of her role and seeks to prove herself as a worthy ruler.

The world-building in this book is excellent, with a richly detailed setting that is both enchanting and menacing. The magic system is unique and intriguing, with different types of magic wielded by different characters, adding depth and complexity to the story.

The characters are well-developed and likable, with Amora in particular standing out as a strong and determined protagonist. The relationships between the characters are also well-crafted, with tensions and alliances shifting throughout the story.

The plot is fast-paced and full of action, with numerous twists and turns that keep the reader guessing until the very end. The writing style is engaging and immersive, making it easy to get lost in the world of Visidia.

One criticism of the book is that some elements of the plot feel predictable or formulaic, particularly in the later stages of the story. However, this does not detract significantly from the overall enjoyment of the book.

Overall, All the Stars and Teeth is a thrilling and captivating young adult fantasy novel that will appeal to fans of the genre. With its engaging characters, rich world-building, and exciting plot, it is a great choice for anyone looking for an escapist adventure.

A good addition to the pirate fantasy genre!

This was a fun read, but not my favourite pirate fantasy. The magic system felt a bit confusing and it left me feeling like I’d missed things a lot of the time that I feel I was supposed to have picked up on, but just didn’t.

The romance and the found family was amazing.

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

Amora has trained her entire life to become the next High Animacer of Visidia, as the crown princess. To demonstrate her right to rule, she must perform the soul magic in front of the entire court, but when it goes awry, and she's imprisoned - awaiting execution - it's only the mysterious pirate, Bastien, who can help her flee and escape. Now exiled, fleeing from her people and her powers, Amora needs to work with Bastien to save his island from the clutches of a tyrannical dictator, Kaven, hellbent on power, or else the entire kingdom may suffer and fall. Will Amora be able to control her power long enough for the good of her kingdom, or is she doomed to fail?

I wasn't too sure what to expect from this book, but ultimately, it was really enjoyable. Okay, the love triangle aspect of it all was extremely cliched, especially when one of the love interests was only really there because he had been betrothed to Amora when they were younger - there's no real feelings or anything. I did like the chemistry between Amora and Bastien, and aspects of the story were original and engaging. I honestly wasn't expecting how gruesome the book could be at times, especially when discussing the way in which Amora's magic - essentially blood magic - worked, nor how action heavy it would be. I'm definitely going to be reading book 2 when I have a chance, and was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this book!

Princess Amora Montara has to prove that she is the right heir to the throne of Visidia. She trains her whole life to be the High Animancer and the day has come for her to demonstrate her magic. But her demonstration goes horribly wrong. With the help of Bastian, a mysterious pirate, she escapes her cell and in return she'll help him get his magic back.

I didn't like Amora at first. She is fierce but also arrogant. I liked how her character developed throughout the story. I easily warmed up to Bastian and his backstory. I enjoyed the witty banter between him and Amora. Ferrick, Amora's fiance, is a wonderful addition as well. But my most favorite was definitely Vataea, the mermaid. She's vicious and just simply amazing! I loved the bond between these characters! I would love to join this crew if I'm just not too scared of the ocean.

I really loved the world-building in this book. It is rich and imaginative but not in an overwhelming way. The magic system is not entirely unique it's still fascinating, in my opinion. I'm really excited to learn more about the magic and history of the world in the next book, I personally liked the simple and straight-forward writing. Eventhough this book has the usual tropes and also predictable at times, I still had so much fun.

Overall, this was a solid debut. It has pirates, mermaids, magic, and deadly sea monster! It's action-packed and entertaining. I can't wait to read the next book.

I liked the story of this, but some of the characters just didn't work well for me. I thought some weren't developed too much and I wish there was a little more!

This is a dark and thrilling fantasy YA novel that just doesn't stop from start to finish!
It is quite an intense read, setting up a new world and characters for the reader to discover and learn can always be a challenge I find for these type of books but Adalyn Grace has done this well. The typical magic and mythical worlds are not probably as dark or bloody as this which makes a nice change but I am sure will put some people off.
All the STars and Teeth though has a bit of everything and I am interested to see what the second in this series brings.

ALL THE STARS AND TEETH was a rip-roaring fantasy! Although there’s a sequel, I felt this one told a complete story and could be read entirely as a standalone if that’s your thing.

The first thing I noticed (and loved) about ALL THE STARS AND TEETH was that it pull no punches on the ‘dark’ part of YA Fantasy without going grimdark. This is a book that doesn’t shy away from the ‘magic with a cost’ type of power, or the idea that power and weakness can both corrupt. There are some fairly bloody, graphic scenes, and a magic system that involves bones and body part, so that’s something to watch out for.

There’s a grand adventure, with just the right balance of epic quest and political upheaval, and a good sprinkling of pirates and mermaids. I know many people don’t like pirate/ mermaid stories, but I think ALL THE STARS AND TEETH uses them well. Just enough to further Amora’s story; enough for people who like them, without being too much for those that don’t.

Adalyn Grace has come up with a really creative world and a really strong debut. I’m looking forward to reading more.

I enjoyed the premise of this book and really loved the sense of adventure and seafaring, but I didn't totally love it. Although I was drawn in by all the forms of magic and was invested in that storyline, I didn't have any great attachment for the characters. I'm not sure if some of their characteristics were missed as I switched between e-book and audio, but there was something jarring there. I will probably pick up the next book to see where the story goes and how the magic systems alter, but it's not top of my list at the moment!

I thought this book was brilliant in it’s sense of place. It’s not easy to build an entire world without copious amounts of description and Grace had the balance of building her world, creating characters and then taking them on a journey! Amora, our main protagonist is a princess but does not expect ceremony or special treatment. In fact, she’s very resistant to her role and would much prefer a life on the high seas. I loved this feminist take on the Princess role . I also loved the mermaid, a creature I’m usually quite sad about as I’ve been overdosed on Ariel the Little Mermaid. I hate that she’s in agony from choosing legs and choosing love. These mermaids have teeth! Proper fangs. They’re also like sirens, their beautiful song does lure sailors to their death. Amora is engaged to Ferrick, but makes it crystal clear that this isn’t a love match, but more of a transaction she’s no longer willing to make. Her heart is with Bastion - every girls dream of a pirate with shaggy, long hair and roguish ways. He offers Amora a way out of her father’s plan for his daughter - without truly knowing what that plan is Amora accepts, only to find out Bastian is cursed. Their mission is to lift the curse on another kingdom. I found it very amusing that Ferrick makes his way to the ship, to protest his fiancé’s plans and then decides to join them himself!
While the plot was enjoyable it did feel like an opener for further adventures but when the world these characters are immersed in is so rich, I didn’t mind taking time to look around. I look forward for a second instalment soon. A great debut.

I loved this book. With a main character who starts off as quite ruthless and much less like the prim princesses we are used to, her foray into the high seas and adventure is just pure brilliance.

Read as far as 26% but I couldn't like the main character no matter how hard I tried. Did not finish - no review

Although this book spoke to me at first, i.e. the blurb and the cover, what it eventually delivered was a fairly average YA story. Albeit the romance was not at the heart of the story for once., so kudos for this.

A solid debut novel.


Review based on an ARC provided by the publishers.

Ooh, soul magic that includes bones and teeth and killing people? I'm so in. :D And THEN you add in a pirate and mermaid and monsters and questing? Hells yes.

Basically, this book was everything I could have wanted. Amora is a princess that has been training for her throne and when things go wrong, she has to run away to prove that she's worthy of her throne. In doing so, she makes a deal with a pirate, Bastian, to help break his curse.

This world felt so real. I love the way the magics worked, and I how even the glimpses we see of some of the islands felt like a full picture. The way that one of the islands has fallen into ruin after storms is clearly shown, and we get a little on the politics as well as the people's reactions to it.

I like that Amora loves her father, but is beginning to see through the cracks in that facade to the person within. And I love love love Bastian and his cheek. Plus Amora and Ferrick maintaining their friendship is so lovely, even though it takes work.

This is honestly just fun, and when I got the chance to read the sequel a day after I finished this, I jumped at it. 4.5 stars.

All the Stars and Teeth by Adalyn Grace is a dark and bloody young adult fantasy on a world where magic, for some, is lush and extravagant, for others (such as our protagonist, Amora) dark and bloody. This is a really fascinating world that I felt could have benefitted from a little more depth - for example, gods are mentioned a few times, but never who these gods are or the way the people interact with them. And while I enjoyed Amora's headstrong character with her deep sense of morality and love for her people, the love triangle... Not for me. But maybe this will be less prevalent in the sequel?

Overall I gave this book 3.5 stars, rounded down. For a debut novel it was strong, and I know that had I read this as a teen, I would have simply adored this.

Stories are often voyages of discovery not just of strange new lands but also our lead characters facing monsters or truths that will change them. This is very much the feeling I took from the new YA novel All the Stars and Teeth by Adalyn Grace a tale of magics, curses and mermaids that ultimately, I felt needed a bit more bite.

Princess Amora Montara is about to face her final test to be formally recognised as the heir to the throne of Visidia – she must demonstrate to all that her powers will kill an unworthy man. However, the execution is far bloodier than any realised and Amora is imprisoned and put on trial where she is quickly rescued by the mysterious Bastien and ends up on a mission to explore a mysterious island kingdom where rebellion under a dangerous leader is preparing for battle.

If you’re looking for a quick easy read, then this is probably going to be a few hours of fun. Grace tells a fast paced tale made up of episodic adventures and I did enjoy the effort that has clearly gone into the wider world Amora lives in throwing in sea monsters, bandits, ancient curses and multiple strange magical abilities from regeneration of limbs to levitation. There is a lot going on and the cast that develops has to fight their way out regularly before the next part of the mission begins.

But for me there is a huge sense of storytelling that plays it too safe. Amora we find was killing people as part of her training and so little is done with such a concept. Amora I think is meant to be a complex morally grey character and unfortunately comes across more a rich girl with little understanding of her world and yet she is the only one who can fix things. Her brutal killing is just written off as one of those things and never really haunts her. The plot is mechanistic just hitting beats every few chapters and the surprises are not that hard to guess. It was a frustratingly pedestrian read (Amora’s first person narration is fairly stuck in the same gear) with lots of lost opportunities to throw a meaty look at consequences of character’s actions. I unfortunately will have to say this have not made me wish to read any more in the series.

This book was fine? It was okay. I listened to the audiobook while working, and if I hadn't been working I might have DNF'd. The magic system is REALLY interesting and the mermaid character is my favourite part of the whole book. But the other characters just kind of bored me, and when I find the main character boring it's a fatal shot for a book. I think it sets up well for the sequel and if a reader likes the characters more than I do, they'd probably LOVE this book. The writing is good and like I said, the worldbuilding is interesting, but not for me. As such, I won't be reviewing on Goodreads, but I'm grateful for the eARC.

Content warnings: violence and death; mild body horror; blood magic; mention of abusive relationships.

Amora is the princess of the island kingdom Visidia, and in order to take her throne, she must demonstrate full control of her family’s brutal magic in a huge performance of skill. When things don’t go quite as planned, it could mean death for Amora, unless she can escape – and willing to help her do just that is sarcastic pirate Bastian, who opens her eyes to just how rotten things are in Visidia. Amora finds herself learning more about her kingdom than she ever could as queen, and it might just come down to her to save it. This is great piratical fantasy, full of sarky mermaids, swashbuckling sailors, and magnificent sea monsters, but it’s also got some very smart things to say about monarchy and power.

The magic system as it’s presented to us at the start is very interesting, with the kingdom made up of separate islands, all of which have a single magical skill associated with them; if you want to do that magic, you have to live on that island. No one can learn more than one magic, as it is seen as dangerous and corrupting, and part of Amora’s future reign will be to enforce these rules, as the royal family’s skill is soul magic that gives them the power to kill from the inside out. I loved Amora’s magic and how dark it was – the narrative doesn’t shy away from showing the brutality of her powers, and there’s even a tinge of horror to the description of the execution that kicks off the book. It’s really interesting to see a book that lets its main character do some downright despicable things to people – the morality is still pretty black and white, with Amora herself clearly aligned as good despite her dark magic, which undercuts the bite a little, but there are several strong moments where she has to decide between two evils for the greater good.

Obviously, as this is a YA fantasy, things are not going to be as they seem initially with regards to the magic or the politics, and though this is tropey, it’s a well done story of a princess discovering the state of her nation and her own complicity in the oppression of her people, then working to dismantle the system. I thought that this was one of the smartest variations on those classic YA bones that I’ve read – there’s a lot of great character work, and the worldbuilding is very interesting. Although it does get quite dark for YA, both in terms of gore and in terms of the human impact on the people of Visidia, I didn’t feel like it was overly grim – in fact, it’s a pretty rip-roaring adventure, and there’s plenty of humour and fun. There are a couple of big action set-pieces that had me flipping pages madly, too!

Amora herself is a good, but not great, protagonist; if you’ve read any YA fantasy before, you’ll have seen several variations of her. This doesn’t mean I didn’t like her – she’s a perfect audience insert and very easy to root for, especially because of her particular flaws around her magic. But the most fun character stuff happens when she interacts with the core secondary characters: her flirtations with Bastian, who is himself a fairly familiar archetype (the carefree boy hiding trauma with sarcasm) are great fun, while her tentative friendship with bitey mermaid Vataea made me smile a lot. My favourite character was a total surprise – Amora’s unwanted fiancé Ferrick was an unexpected addition to the cast, but I loved how his inclusion flipped that typical love triangle on its head. I thought he was going to be an annoying fop who would just get in the way of the actual romance for plot purposes, but he develops in a very different direction and I really enjoyed it. I have a feeling that the interactions between all four of them are going to lead to some brilliant development in book two.

I am so excited to finish up this duology in the spring when All the Tides of Fate releases – we’ve already done the whole traditional YA arc in this first book, so I can’t wait to see what happens next. I’m looking forward to more interactions between Amora and Bastian, more of the spiky Vataea, and more magic and intrigue as Amora tries to dismantle the flawed world her ancestors have built. Hardcore YA haters should maybe give this one a swerve, but if you’re up for a clever adventure, I definitely recommend it – I just had a brilliant time! Four out of five cats.