Review #323: Sea of Shadows- Kelley Armstrong

Title: Sea of Shadows
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Series: Age of Legends #1
Pages: 416
Rating: 4/5 Stars
Summary: The first book of a bold and hugely anticipated new YA trilogy by the phenomenal Kelley Armstrong.
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.
Ambushed and separated by an ancient evil, the sisters' journey to find each other sends them far from the only home they've ever known. Accompanied by a stubborn imperial guard and a dashing condemned thief, the girls cross a once-empty wasteland, now filled with reawakened monsters of legend, as they travel to warn the emperor. But a terrible secret awaits them at court--one that will alter the balance of their world forever.
Review: When I saw that Kelley Armstrong had a new YA book out, I knew that I needed it. This book was a bit different to get into because instead of Armstrong's usual paranormal, it was a fantasy read. I still very much enjoyed Sea of Shadows and going on this very epic coming of age journey. There were definitely a lot of things that happened that I would never have guessed. The ending was by no means a cliffhanger ending but the unanswered questions that lead up to that ending really sold me on needing the next book.
I enjoyed our two main characters and most of the secondary characters immensely. I loved that Ashyn and Moria were redheads, We don't see enough of that in books. Also I loved that they were opposites but got along so well. I loved their animals, they each had such personalities and were protectors. The boys were a different story lol. I liked them, but they disappointed me, so we will have to see if they are able to redeem themselves. 
I really liked this story overall and I want to continue on with the series. I am excited to follow these characters and watch them continue to grow. I would recommend this novel to fantasy lovers.

About this author

Kelley Armstrong has been telling stories since before she could write. Her earliest written efforts were disastrous. If asked for a story about girls and dolls, hers would invariably feature undead girls and evil dolls, much to her teachers' dismay. All efforts to make her produce "normal" stories failed.
Today, she continues to spin tales of ghosts and demons and werewolves, while safely locked away in her basement writing dungeon. She's the author of the NYT-bestselling "Women of the Otherworld" paranormal suspense series and "Darkest Powers" young adult urban fantasy trilogy, as well as the Nadia Stafford crime series. Armstrong lives in southwestern Ontario with her husband, kids and far too many pets.