Sea of Shadows (Age of Legends Series #1)

by Kelley Armstrong

Overview

In this dark fantasy trilogy opener by a #1 New York Times–bestselling author, twin sisters prepare to fight shadows to save their empire.

In the Forest of the Dead, where the empire’s worst criminals are exiled, twin sisters Moria and Ashyn are charged with a dangerous task. For they are the Keeper and the Seeker, and each year they must quiet the enraged souls of the damned. Only this year, the souls will not be quieted.

Accompanied by a stubborn imperial guard and a dashing condemned thief, the girls make their way to warn the emperor. But a terrible secret awaits them at court—one that will alter the balance of their world forever.

With all the heart-stopping romance and action that have made her a #1 New York Times–bestselling author, and set in an unforgettably rich and dangerous world, this first epic book in the Age of Legends trilogy will appeal to Kelley Armstrong’s legions of fans around the world—and win her many new ones.

Praise for Sea of Shadows

“Armstrong smoothly switches from her customary modern paranormal setting to a high-fantasy adventure. Strong female protagonists make this trilogy opener a standout.” —Kirkus Reviews

“We loved the dark fantasy and smoldering romance in this story of identical twins with very different personalities. A tale of heroes, filled with mythological creatures, valor and self-sacrifice—fans of high fantasies will happily slip into this action-packed and exciting tale.” —Justine Magazine

“A fascinating mythical world filled with danger, monsters, and betrayal at every turn. Fantasy fans will enjoy the complex world.” —School Library Journal

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062071262
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	08/18/2023
Series:	Age of Legends Series , #1
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	418
Sales rank:	41,876
File size:	945 KB
Age Range:	13 - 17 Years

About the Author

When librarians finally granted Kelley Armstrong an adult card, she made straight for the epic fantasy and horror shelves. She spent the rest of her childhood and teen years happily roaming fantastical and terrible worlds, and vowed that someday she'd write a story combining swords, sorcery, and the ravenous undead. That story began with the New York Times bestselling Sea of Shadows and continues with Empire of Night.

Armstrong's first works for teens were the New York Times bestselling Darkest Powers and Darkness Rising trilogies. She lives in rural Ontario with her husband, three children, and far too many pets.

Editorial Reviews

04/28/2014
This promising first book in Armstrong's Age of Legends fantasy series introduces a sinister empire populated by spirits, anthropomorphic animals, and preternaturally talented humans. Chosen in a brutal ritual as infants and assigned to control the spirits that haunt the land, twin sisters Ashyn and Moria are the Seeker and Keeper of Edgewood. Their village borders the Forest of the Dead, where the Empire sends its criminals to die; venturing into the woods to purify the dead, the girls are separated by a nefarious paranormal force. When Moria and her wildcat, Daigo, find the inhabitants of Edgewood slaughtered, their children missing, and mercenaries on the march, she and Gavril Kitsune, an aristocratic warrior of a disgraced family, trek across the Wastes to find Ashyn and warn the Empire. While the narrative is at times overstuffed, resulting in sluggish pacing in the first half of the book, the antagonistic romance between the girls and their unlikely companions is sweetly tantalizing. A startling betrayal provides momentum for a sequel. Ages 13–up. Agent: Helen Heller Agency, Inc. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

Armstrong smoothly switches from her customary modern paranormal setting to a high-fantasy adventure. Strong female protagonists make this trilogy opener a standout.” — Kirkus Reviews

“We loved the dark fantasy and smoldering romance in this story of identical twins with very different personalities. A tale of heroes, filled with mythological creatures, valor and self-sacrifice—fans of high fantasies will happily slip into this action-packed and exciting tale.” — Justine Magazine

“A fascinating mythical world filled with danger, monsters, and betrayal at every turn. Fantasy fans will enjoy the complex world.” — School Library Journal

From the Publisher

We loved the dark fantasy and smoldering romance in this story of identical twins with very different personalities. A tale of heroes, filled with mythological creatures, valor and self-sacrifice—fans of high fantasies will happily slip into this action-packed and exciting tale.

Justine Magazine

06/01/2014
Gr 9 Up—Twins are exceedingly rare and often destined for brutal death in the Empire. Luckily, 17-year-old Moria and Ashyn have sacred powers and are revered instead. Fierce, knife-wielding Moria, along with the help of her spirit beast (a large catlike creature named Daigo), is the "Keeper"—guardian of the village of Edgewood. Quiet and peaceful Ashyn, with her mystical canine Tova, assists the spirits of the dead in her role as "Seeker." The girls are still in training when Edgewood is invaded by an army of the undead. They get separated, leaving Moria paired with Gavril (a surly but attractive young guard) and Ashyn with Ronan (a prisoner sentenced to exile in the bordering Forest of the Dead). The vicious zombielike shadow stalkers kill nearly every adult in the village, turning them into undead creatures like themselves—including the sisters' father. As Ashyn and Moira continue their separate but long and dangerous treks through "the Wastes" to the nearest village of Fairview, their journeys are wrought with terrifying and legendary beasts; their loyalties are constantly tested. The first book in a series, Armstrong's tale offers a fascinating mythical world filled with danger, monsters, and betrayal at every turn. The bulk of the narrative includes quests and emerging relationships—the most exciting of which is that between Moria and Gavril. But the more subtly developed relationships—such as the bond between the sisters and the relationship they share with their respective spirit animals—are just as intriguing. Fantasy fans will enjoy the complex world but the ending may feel too abrupt considering the time spent reading this long tale.—Tara Kehoe, New Jersey State Library Talking Book and Braille Center, Trenton

School Library Journal

2014-01-29
Magic-wielding twins and their romantic interests fight monsters and mercenaries in this overlong but exciting series opener. Ashyn and Moria, 16, may defy tradition at every turn, beginning with their shared birth and continuing with their unauthorized weapons training, but they intend to fulfill their roles as Seeker and Keeper for the small town of Edgewood. With execution outlawed in the empire, guards regularly maroon exiles in the Forest of the Dead; the Seeker retrieves their corpses and lays their angry spirits to rest while the Keeper protects the village during the Seeking. But when Ashyn enters the forest and finds a few survivors, she also discovers monstrous creatures straight out of Moria's favorite legends. After a long—and vividly described—massacre, Ashyn and Moria flee Edgewood, trek across treacherous wastes and seek an audience with the emperor, accompanied by con man Ronan, scorned warrior Gavril Kitsune, and the girls' bonded animal companions, Daigo, a wildcat, and Tova, a Hound of the Immortals. Armstrong (The Rising, 2013, etc.) smoothly switches from her customary modern paranormal setting to a high-fantasy adventure, but she still favors relationship drama and reversals of fortune. Strong female protagonists make this trilogy opener a standout, if not a stand-alone read. (Fantasy. 14 & up)

Kirkus Reviews