Review – Dance of a Burning Sea (The Mousai, Book 2) by E.J. Mellow (4/5 stars)
Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Length: 511 pages
Publisher: Montlake
Release Date: October 19, 2021
ASIN: B08TLWCC4L
Stand Alone or Series: 2nd book in The Mousai series
Source: Borrowed ebook through Kindle Unlimited
Rating: 4/5 stars
“Within the world of Aadilor, there is a hidden place called the Thief Kingdom, where both magic and pleasure abound. There, the Mousai, a trio of deadly sorceresses bound by oath and blood, use their powers to protect the kingdom’s treasures.
Niya Bassette brings the potent gift of dance to the Mousai, but behind her tempting twirls, she carries a heavy secret—that the infamous pirate lord, Alōs Ezra, has been threatening to exploit for years. Now banished from the Thief Kingdom for smuggling, Alōs resurfaces in Niya’s life with a plot to hold her hostage, leveraging what he knows to extort a pardon from the Thief King.
But Niya makes her own deal with Alōs to guard her secret and guarantee her freedom—yet in doing so binds herself aboard his pirate ship, where she must navigate deadly waters, a bloodthirsty crew, and her own traitorous heart. Soon, a simmering attraction between her and Alōs threatens their delicate truce and makes for a tumultuous ride on the open seas. Far from her kingdom, Niya is entangled in a dangerous dance indeed.
Welcome to the world of Aadilor, where dark deeds can mask noble hearts and the most alluring of sways often ends with a burn. Care for a spin?”
Series Info/Source: This is the second book in The Mousai trilogy. I borrowed a copy of this book through Kindle Unlimited.
Thoughts: This ended up being a fairly quick read for me (considering the long page length) and I enjoyed it. It is a fun adventure fantasy romance with magic in it. This book features the middle sister of the Mousai, Niya.
Niya made a mistake in revealing the secret of the Mousai to Alos (the pirate lord) years ago and Alos has finally decided it’s time to exploit that secret to get a pardon from the Thief King. Unfortunately, Niya can’t resist a bet and ends up binding herself to Alos and his pirate ship for a year. The time brings and understanding between the two the reignites a previous attraction.
This book definitely has some romance but it takes a back seat to the broader story and the adventure that Niya ends up on with Alos and his crew. Alos has a big secret and is trying to find an item to save his home kingdom and Niya is the only one who can help him. They have a very enemy to lovers thing that ends up going on but with a twist since they were lovers before as well. While I don’t personally agree with how they treat each other, it seems to work for them…so to each their own.
I continue to really enjoy the close relationship Niya has with her sisters and her father. Their family dynamic is so much fun and so intriguing. I loved learning about Niya’s magical powers and watching her grow both in her powers and her own maturity. Alos’s home kingdom was absolutely magical and was truly a treat to visit.
The writing in these books has been very well done. They are incredibly engaging, incorporate some light humor, and practically read themselves. The description is magical and I can always picture these fantastic settings we adventure through perfectly. This was a fun, guilty pleasure read and I can’t wait to read the final book in The Mousai series.
My Summary (4/5): Overall I really enjoyed this book. It is a fun fantasy adventure read with a lot of magic and some romance. The writing is beautiful and very engaging. The book practically reads itself and is incredibly entertaining throughout. I love the Thief Kingdom and the Bassette family. I can’t wait to read the final book in this series which features the oldest sister.