TL;DR: The second book in the Mousai series is full of adventure, magic and romance. This action-packed story takes you on a journey across vast oceans to so many new places in Aadilor that were yet to be explored in the first book. Niya and Alōr’s story had so much mischief, wild passion, and heart in it and I loved how both characters evolved throughout the journey. The pirate crew bring a nice found-family element as well but don’t be fooled because Mellow doesn’t pull punches when it comes to the darker side of this world and its characters. Overall, I loved it!

Do you love pirates and high-seas adventures? Magic, mischief and all of the mayhem? A high-stakes journey that, if unfulfilled, could lead to the downfall of a kingdom? An angst-fueled, second-chance romance between two frenemies who become passionate lovers? If any or all of this sounds appealing to you then I would recommend you check out this book because it has all that and, to be honest, much more as well. Mellow takes us beyond Jabari and the Thief Kingdom and across oceans to visit so many new locations in Aadilor and I loved every single one of them. This world is a wide and diverse place and the author fantastically brings each one to life. From the city of interconnected ships to the underwater kingdom full of lost magic to the majestic desert savannah and its towering rock monoliths to the shockingly sophisticated and modern island of man-eating giants. This book will satisfy your craving to explore the unknowns of this world while also leaving you wanting to learn even more!

This book moves at a faster pace than Song of the Forever Rains and the adventurous plot with pirates doing pirate-y things across the high seas was so much fun to read! I think it made up for the fact that my favourite element from the previous book didn’t play as big of a role here. With so much action packed into these pages, it was a wonder that there were still moments for quiet but Mellow managed to create pockets of solitude and reflection for our characters. At over 500 pages though I have to admit that at times this does feel overly drawn-out. I enjoyed it but I will say that this could have been shortened without doing away with anything significant.

That said, I think the strength of this book was in the characters. Niya and Alōr have interesting energy, both individually and together, and that created an intense vibe! I was a bit disappointed that the Bassette family didn’t have as big a role as they did in the first book but I understand how that fit Niya’s story as she had a lot of growing to do that she couldn’t have done if she had her sisters and family to fall back on. Initially, Niya is depicted as an immature spoiled princess who is prone to rash decisions, who acts first and thinks later and is quick to ignite and react with her fire magic. Ngl, I was a bit put off but it made me appreciate her growth, even if it took time and a lot of bad wagers and decisions to get there. 😂 She was still feisty and flirted freely with danger but she also took time to reflect and mature. In her time being part of the pirate crew, she experienced a lot of tough moments but the resulting found family that formed between her and the crew was so great and it’s safe to say I loved this crew so much!

Her passion and wildness made her the perfect pairing for Alōr who was much the same but more somberly and darkly. Alōr was an intriguing character and it took me time to figure out what I felt about him. He’s known for being one of the most ruthless and cutthroat pirates which comes across immediately when we first meet him. He’s unapologetic for his actions and what he did to Niya when they were younger was pretty damn horrible. Mellow gave him a pretty interesting redemption arc though and I loved his storyline, which was pretty heartbreaking, but what it revealed attested to the true loyalty, kindness and bravery of his character. There’s a lot of acceptance and forgiveness that needed to be given between these two and they had peak frenemies-to-lovers energy! It created such delicious angst and tension the longer it went on and there were plenty of will-they-won’t-they moments. It was so good!! I didn’t think that they could get past, well, the past, but (again) maturity, growth, and learning helped them overcome it and I’m so glad they did. For real, that last chapter did me in and I surprised myself by getting a bit weepy with the swoons while reading it! I must share a quote and that is also how I’m ending this lengthier-than-expected review, lol. 😂

“Why were you looking for me?” She peered up at Alōs through her mask.

“I’m always looking for you, fire dancer,” he said. “In every port we dock, I search for hair that burns like yours.” He lifted a hand to pull at a loose curl. “In every city we walk, I watch for curves that I have memorized with my fingers and mouth.” His gaze drank in the length of her, sending warmth to pool deep in her core. “And when I sleep, that’s when I search the hardest and where, most nights, I find you.”

Have you read Dance of a Burning Sea or is it on your TBR or does it sound like something you’d enjoy reading?

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