I absolutely loved Danielle L. Jensen’s Bridge Kingdom series and it seems the Dark Shores series will not disappoint either. Written with multiple POV’s we follow Agrippa, an officer in the 37th legion of Celendor. Silvara, a rebel hiding within the followers camp that follows the legions offering services for coin. And Marcus, the young prodigy Legatus of the 37th legion. Their fates entwine during the siege on the last rebel stronghold, Hydrilla. All 3 learn that war leaves no one untouched and in the end there is no winning or losing only surviving, but at what cost?
Agrippa is by far my favorite of the 3 main characters. Under his cocky swagger and lighthearted humor he has a kind and loving soul. As a second son he was ripped from his family at the age of 7 and stripped of everything that made him himself. Remolded into a part of the whole, a legionnaire, he has had his passed erased and his future predetermined for him left with little control in his life. He is such a sympathetic character that would be very hard not to like. Even though he could easily be a monster after what he has endured during his training and life as a legionnaire he hasn’t let it. He risks so much, even his life, to protect and provide for others. He finds balancing Agrippa the soldier and Agrippa the man is a hard task. It’s his desire to make his mark in someway and not just fade into history that bonds him to Silvara who shares a similar wish. She too is a victim of the Empire but on the other side of the war. Lost and feeling helpless, she gets dragged into being a spy for the rebellion, with Agrippa as her target. Her world view becomes muddled when she realizes that even those she calls an enemy are victims of the same empire. I wish she would have stood her ground more at times but at 16 and all alone it’s understandable that she would find it hard to do. Her character feels very authentic for her age. Marcus isn’t an instantly likable character for me. He has to grow on you but by the end he does for sure. His love for his men and the lengths he goes through to protect them and do what’s best for them at the detriment of himself is awe inspiring. Putting himself on the line to save as many lives as he can, even his enemies lives, when there are easier paths to take shows his true character and heart. He is the main character for the next book and I’m excited to see how his story unfolds and how he evolves. He is such a lonely soul and I just want to see him come into his own more.
There is absolutely not a HEA for Agrippa and Silvara in this book. It’s quite heartbreaking actually and I can only hope to see them re-emerge later in the series because I need them both to be happy even though the betrayals and circumstances we left them with will make it a rocky road for sure. The heavy roman inspiration in the book allowed for a recognizable aesthetic that can be built upon with more fantasy aspects introduced at the end of the book making for a very appealing world you can see yourself in. I’m really glad I was able to read this prequel first as I really feel like it was a good introduction to the world. Intended to be more of a prequel for Marcus and his story I really have to say Agrippa steals the show for me and I can’t wait till he make an appearance again in the series.
