Der Tempel der Wunder

The Ship of Shadows #2

by Maria Kuzniar

Aleja ist überglücklich: Gemeinsam mit Kapitänin Quint und den Piratinnen des Schattenschiffs segelt sie über die Weltmeere – auf der Suche nach weiteren Teilen der magischen Schatzkarte, die alle Geheimnisse der Welt offenbart. So ein Leben hat sie sich immer erträumt! Als Aleja und die Piratinnen von einem verborgenen Tempel voller Geheimnisse erfahren, hissen sie sofort die Segel. Dort soll der zweite Teil der magischen Schatzkarte versteckt sein. Der Besatzung des Schattenschiffs steht ein Wettlauf gegen die Zeit bevor, denn ein gefährlicher Piratenjäger ist ihnen dicht auf den Fersen.

Genres: Middle Grade, Fantasy, Adventure, Fiction, Childrens, Audiobook, Mystery

352 pages, Hardcover

First published July 8, 2021

About the author

Maria Kuzniar (who is also published as M.A. Kuzniar) spent six years living in Spain, teaching English and travelling the world which inspired her children’s series The Ship of Shadows. Her adult debut novel Midnight in Everwood was inspired by her love of ballet and love of The Nutcracker. She lives in Nottingham with her husband, where she reads and writes as much as can and bookstagrams @cosyreads.

Reviews

[Gavin Hetherington · Rating 5 out of 5]

I did a spoiler-free interview with author Maria Kuzniar on my YouTube channel, which you can watch here: https://youtu.be/WGw5N83D1q8

If you're looking for a book that bleeds adventure, then look no further than 'Secrets of the Stars', the highly anticipated sequel to 'The Ship of Shadows'.

It is so wonderful to be thrust back into Aleja's world on the high seas, along with the entire crew of the magical Ship of Shadows. You don't realise just how much you missed the cast of characters, from Frances to Captain Quint and even Malika. Oh, and I just know everyone's new favourite character is going to be Claws! Aleja as a character really grew from the start, as she seems to mess up a lot to begin with and has to learn to work better if she wants to remain part of the crew. This added a lot of emotional depth to her and it was great to see her development through the course of her latest adventure.

What I loved about the first book is in the sequel in bucket loads - adventure, charm, whimsy, danger. I love the pursuit of the parts of the map and how it takes the crew from place to place. Each location is rich in its description, and dangers lurk around every single corner. It's also a race against time AND an enemy, so there really is no slowing down in this book. There is so much at stake and you can feel it in every page.

I was so shocked by something in this book too that I audibly shouted "what?" and stared at the page for a good five minutes. It really does show you that anything could happen in this world, and I am SO excited for more. I read this book too quickly I think because now I'm like "well WHEN will I get to read the next one?" The waiting is torture!!

All in all, a fantastic follow-up to one of my favourite books of 2020. If this series keeps this pace, I just know it will be one of my favourite middle grade series of all-time.

[Pris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This Ship an it’s crew just feel like a warm blanket on a cold, rainy night! 🥺🖤

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5☆ and rounding up because:

- Yes!! More adventure! This is probably the most that I've ever enjoyed a middle grade adventure book.

- Maria Kuzniar thanks Gavin in the acknowledgments! How cool is that!

- More world travel (this time, across Asia!) and more female awesomeness.

But hey, let me just ask one thing - what happened!? I think the series is only halfway completed - two more pieces and a finale are needed. But book 1 came out in 2020, book 2 in 2021. Did Maria jump ship? Or are our favorite pirate friends taking a holiday before continuing on their quest? I need more!!! ❤️

[Livy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was absolutely phenomenal and I raced through it in almost no time at all. Maria is such a gifted writer and I am so excited to see what else she comes out whit it because I know that it is going to be incredible.

I mean I don't think it's possible not to love the characters that Maria has created to live aboard the Ship of Shadows from the human crew to the shadows that live there and the mischievous new character Claws the cat. I just absolutely adore Aleja and her relationship with all of the crew, especially Frances, as well as her love for reading and sense of adventure. Of course, Frances and her love of cake still hold a special place in my heart becasue I too always need to eat cake and am fiercely loyal. Obviously, there are other awesome crew members and I really loved spending more time with Velka and Malika letting us know more about their pasts before they joined the crew. I just love all the characters in this book so much!

The plot of course followed really nicely on from the first book in the series, continuing the quest that the crew had started in The Ship of Shadows taking them across the world from Europe to Asia running away from the fierce pirate hunter and storms and some even creepier enemies (no spoilers here folks). I just adored the fast-paced nature of this book and found it so addictive that I couldn't put it down becasue I had to know how it ended, especially with the final chapters being so exciting. I really liked how this book was slightly darker than the first and explored some slightly darker themes, such as Aleja feeling isolated and unsure of herself. Something that I'm sure everyone can relate to on some level as well as the resolve of that conflict is the absolute sweetest thing ever.

And I'm sure it is no secret that Maria's writing is absolutely stunning. Her description is heavenly and I actually get hungry when I read about the cake and I can imagine myself in the settings that she has created. I just adore these books and the writing and the characters and I genuinely cannot wait for not only this series to continue but for the other books that she brings out in the future.

[Sifa Poulton · Rating 4 out of 5]

SECRETS OF THE STARS is such a fun follow up to THE SHIP OF SECRETS, an MG high-seas adventure that is also a quest and has sections that happen on land too.

Rather than staying in and around the Mediterranean this time, the ship heads off towards Asia in a cat-and-mouse game with their mortal enemies. The unease over how much their enemy knew - and how they were arriving ahead of them - added a great dash of mystery, on top of the riddles and visions showing Aleja what was going on.

We learn a lot more about the magic in this book, though it still really has a "anything goes feel", which fits the nebulous mystery of the ship. I love the idea of the ship's magic being powered through legends told about it, which craft which rooms appear. Plus mysteries around the shadows are slowly peeled back - certainly not all the way, but a bit.

There's more time spent with the crew, digging into their pasts and dynamics. Something nasty happens, but it really helps to explore how they all feel and reinforces the idea of sisterhood and found family. The book also probes into Frances and Aleja's relationship - exploring a really silly mistake we all make with our friends at some point but can be so hard to notice and fix at the time.

I didn't really notice Tinta, the shapeshifting shadow that attaches itself to Aleja, in the first book. However, during my re-read and then while reading this one, I absolutely fell in love with it. I'm not usually a fan of animals (I have no interest in ever owning a pet) and pets in books just past me by, but I think the fact that Tinta was a shadow helped. He was just a cute lot of fun.

There is certainly at least one more book, but hopefully I'm right in thinking that, given there are two more map pieces out there, there are two more books to go?

[Hana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series is just so much fun! I really enjoyed the crew in this instalment: we got a much better sense for the rest of the women (Griete - the romance-reading, fancy dress-wearing, maths nerd-engineer-inventor - was definitely my favourite!).

I found it even harder to suspend my disbelief about the world though. I know you’re just supposed to put it all down to magic, and some things I could get over these way, but I absolutely refuse to believe that Aleja could teach herself Mandarin - a tonal language - just from a book. And things like the ship being able to sail through Egypt to get from Europe to China in a time (I’m fairly sure) before the Suez Canal really threw me off.

[Christine Spoors · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was absolutely stunning, I was completely hooked from the first page and just adored following Aleja and the crew on another trip across the globe. I love all the puzzles woven into the plot and I can never guess what will happen next which has me gripped. I just adore Kuzniar’s writing and can’t wait to see where the crew goes next!!

My best friend writes amazing books!!

[Onka · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5*
This has everything I want from MG and more! Adventure, lady pirates, traveling, treasures and languages! I still cannot believe that knowledge and languages are such a vital part of adventure story. Suddenly I feel like a superhero 😊
Need the third one asap!!

[Laura]

all those griddle cakes and the only thing i could think about was gideon’s nickname

[Kelly Gartland · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Sabrina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just love everything about this. The magical ship of shadows, with all its hidden magical rooms, cute little kitten Claws, Tinta the shadow and of course all the delicious food.

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inhalt

Alejas zweites Abenteuer mit dem Schattenschiff führt sie nach Asien. An Bord fühlt sie sich so daheim wie noch nie und lebt endlich das Leben, das sie sich immer gewünscht hat. Als das nächste Abenteuer ruft, ist sie umso aufgeregter.
Die Crew begibt sich auf die Suche nach dem zweiten Stück der magischen Schatzkarte, wobei sie Konkurrenz vom grössten Piratenjäger der Welt, genannt der «Rächer» bekommen. Und der ist nicht ihr einziges Problem, denn die Piratinnen befinden sich zudem im Wettkampf gegen die Zeit, und die Uhr tickt…

Cover und Schreibstil

Ich bin total in das Cover verliebt. Es passt nicht nur gut zum ersten Band der Reihe, sondern entspricht auch dem Inhalt und der Zielgruppe.
Durch den angenehmen Schreibstil habe ich sofort wieder in die Geschichte gefunden. Er ist genauso magisch und leicht wie die Story selbst. Die Orte wurden so bildhaft und lebendig beschrieben, dass ich für eine Weile in eine andere Welt eingetaucht bin.

Handlung

Nach dem ersten Buch der Piratinnen geht es genauso spannend und rasant weiter. Ich mag es immer gerne, wenn es einen Auftrag gibt, den die Charaktere zu erfüllen haben. So gibt es ein ersichtliches Ziel, worauf hingearbeitet werden kann. Neben dem eigentlichen Ziel gab es hier aber auch so einige Sub Plots, die Abwechslung brachten. Die Geschichte war abwechslungsreich, in manchen Momenten witzig, in anderen ernsthaft und traurig. Auf jeden Fall war immer etwas los.
Den Abschluss fand ich ebenfalls sehr gelungen. Zwar gab es ein klares Ende, trotzdem sind noch lange nicht alle Fragen geklärt und machen mich total neugierig auf den nächsten Teil (den ich sofort lesen muss, wenn er erscheint).

Charaktere

Ich liebe einfach jedes einzelne Mitglied der Crew. Die Piratinnen haben alle ihre eigenen Stärken und Schwächen, wurden lebhaft beschrieben und blieben die Story über ihren Charakteren treu.
Aleja ist definitiv eine dieser Protagonisten, mit denen man sich identifizieren kann. Sie ist neugierig, mutig und lebendig, hat aber, was man hier noch besser sehen kann als im ersten Band, auch ihre dunkleren Momente. Genau das macht sie so stark und liebenswürdig.
Frances war wieder ein Highlight. Sie bereichert die Geschichte mit einer Portion Witz und bringt einen öfters zum Lachen. Sie und Aleja geben ein gutes Zweiergespann ab, das so manchen Unsinn anstellt und am Ende immer zusammenhält.
Den Rest der Crew feiere ich genauso. Frauen sollten sich zusammentun und unterstützen, ist die Message der Story, die gut rübergebracht wird.
Ganz besonders gefällt mir die Repräsentation. Die Piratinnen stammen aus aller Welt und, was unumgänglich ist, wenn man so viel Zeit zusammen verbringt, verlieben sich eben auch mal ineinander. Zwar spielt das in der Geschichte keine grosse Rolle, doch ich persönliche finde es super! Einer guten Piratenstory hat ein bisschen Queerness noch nie geschadet;)

Fazit

Eine gelungene Fortsetzung, voller Action, Magie und Freundschaft. Perfekt, um aus dem Alltag auszubrechen und für ein paar Stunden in die weite Welt zu reisen. Das verlangt eindeutig nach dem dritten Band!

[Lesekaiser · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eine spannende, lustige und fantasiereiche Fortsetzung!

Inhalt:
Zusammen mit der Besatzung des Schattenschiffes begibt sich Aleja auf die Suche nach einem weiteren Stück der geheimnisvollen Schatzkarte.
Nachdem sie im Schutz der Dunkelheit die Geheimpläne eines Kartographen gestohlen haben, müssen sie enttäuscht feststellen, dass ein Teil der Schatzkarte verschwunden ist. Plötzlich taucht auch noch der Piratenjäger Francois auf. Glück im Unglück. Sie erfahren durch eine belauschte Unterhaltung, dass sich ein Teil der Karte in Asien befindet. Sofort hissen sie die Segel und begeben sich auf eine geheimnisvolle Reise voller Abenteuer und Überraschungen. Als dann auch noch eine alte Uhr, die seit Jahren nicht funktioniert hat und auch kein Besatzungsmitglied reparieren konnte, zu ticken beginnt, steht ein Wettlauf gegen die Zeit bevor!

Fazit:
Das erste Buch hat mir bereits gut gefallen, doch das zweite war sogar noch eine Spur besser. Der Schreibstil ist angenehm zu lesen und überrascht immer wieder mit unvorhergesehenen Wendungen. Ein wichtiges Thema in dem Roman ist Freundschaft, welche in der Geschichte sowohl in ihren Höhen und Tiefen gut umgesetzt wurde.
Vor allem die Abwechslung und die Kreativität gefielen mir sehr gut in dem Buch.
Durch detailreiche Beschreibungen kann man sich die vielen Orte gut vorstellen. Auch die Protagonisten wirken sympathisch (mit der Ausnahme von Francois).
Aufgrund des Endes tippe ich darauf, dass schon bald ein dritter Teil veröffentlich werden wird, auf den ich mich schon sehr freue!
Falls euch die Geschichte interessiert, könnt ihr euch gerne meine Rezension über den ersten Band und das Interview, welches ich mit der Autorin gemacht habe, durchlesen.
Ich würde das Buch ab einem Alter von zehn Jahren empfehlen,
Fun-Fact: Die Autorin meinte in einem Gespräch, dass ich die erste Person war, die das Buch gelesen hat, aber nicht am Buch beteiligt war (Verlag!).

[Kerry https://likeherdingcatsblog.wordpress.com Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adored The Ship of Shadows so was over the moon when this tour landed in my inbox. The cover alone is simply stunning and I’d grown so fond of the characters and settings in book 1, I couldn’t wait to dive into The Secrets of the Stars.
If you hadn’t already realised, The Secrets of the Stars is part of a series aimed at middle grade (8-12ish) but is such a fun read for adults too. It manages to remain age appropriate but is never patronising and the language, description and characters are so vividly developed it’s so entertaining.
What’s better than a swashbuckling pirate adventure? A swashbuckling adventure where the pirate crew are a team of girls that’s what! Aleja is now a crew mate on board The Ship of Shadows but is still working hard to prove her worth to the captain and the others. She’s such a great character and I love how clever she is at solving puzzles. The other crew members all bring something different to the team and as well as enjoying their adventures, I loved how their relationships evolved throughout.
On their adventures, the ship visits a variety of places, all brought to life by beautiful description. For me, it was like backpacking on whirlwind tour of places and every sight, smell and sound was richly brought to life.
This is such a fun story of adventure on the high seas but I cannot promise that you won’t spend the next few days wanting to be a pirate. Highly recommended for children and adults alike.

[Willemijn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once again, a very fun and exciting adventure alongside the crew on the Ship of Shadows.

+ We got more content about the shadows on the ship
+ We got a better look inside the different rooms on the ship
+ We got to know the different characters better
+ Aleja got a strange new ability which brought a new kind of tension to the story
+ We literally travelled across the globe
+ We not only travelled by ship, but also by hot air balloon
+ There was a lot of cake content
+ There was quite a lot of personal growth for Aleja

To summarize, it was very fun! I enjoyed this book more than the first.

However, I was hoping for the story to come to an end in this second book. It took the crew the entire book to find the second piece of the map. That means that they now have 50% of the complete map and that the other two pieces still have to be found. Don't get me wrong, I like reading the Ship of Shadows stories, but I don't know if I like it that much to read another two books. It's starting to feel a bit repetitive.

[Anna || BooksandBookends · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was thrilled to see the sequel to The Ship of Shadows had been released so I was extremely eager to join this blog tour. The first book was one of my favourite reads in 2020.

If you’re looking for a magical adventure, step aboard the Ship of Shadows. The story continues to follow Aleja’s journey on board the ship with the familiar cast from the previous novel. There are a few new additions to the cast of characters in this story and they really added to it.

This book has everything you can hope for in a children’s pirate adventure. A tale full of charm, danger, adventure, mystery and friendship. The writing style is gorgeous and effortless. Kuzniar transports you the many places the crew visits with rich, beautiful description that brings her world to life.

A fantastic sequel that will have you clinging on to every word. I cannot wait to find out what happens next in this series!

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read the first book of the Ship of Shadows series during lockdown in 2020 and it was a brilliant escape from the reality we were facing at the time.

If you need a one-line summary of this series: Female pirates aboard a magical ship on a quest to find pieces of a missing map.

Aleja, the main character, is the newest recruit aboard the ship of shadows having been recruited in Seville with a knack for languages and puzzles. The second story in the series was full of twists and turns, it was so fast paced I devoured it in mostly one sitting.

I love the pirate ship setting and couldn’t wait to find out how the story ended. I think this would appeal to boys and girls alike from around the age of 9. I really hope there is a third instalment coming soon so I can find out what happens next!

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

A worthy follow-up to one of the best adventure stories I've read in a long time!

I can't praise these books enough, for me, there doesn't seem to be a wasted page. It's such a quick action-packed read, but Maria Kuzniar still manages to weave in character growth, hopes, dreams, and fears, and not just that of the main character, Aleja (who by the way is such a real and strong female protagonist), but also with the side characters, and the relationships they all have with each other. Add to that spies, codes, puzzles, secrets, magic, and the villain who's presence is an ongoing threat, and what more can you ask for?

I can't get over just how much story is fit into such a short space, and it's so well written, there's such nice themes of friendship and family and kindness underlying all of the action, but no point ever feels laboured or contrived.

I can't wait for the next instalment!

[Marthabethan · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a delightful sequel! This book was fast paced, exciting and full of adventure. I really love these characters and the world that the author has built.
Aleja and Frances are definitely my two favourites, as was Claws, and Tinta (of course). But all the characters are great and it is so empowering and feminist to have an all female pirate crew!!
I loved how the plot carried on from book one with even more adventures on the high seas, books, cake and heists! I definitely recommend this series and hope that a third is on the way soon.

[Tamar · Rating 5 out of 5]

This sequel to the very beloved ships of shadows hits the nail on the head. It is just so much more cozy and full with adventure. I absolutely adore the crew and the twists and turns keep you on your toes. I love the descriptions of food and other details. The ship is one of my favourite things. This book also tackled some harder topics and Kuzniar did that really well and in an accessible way. I really hope we will see more of Aleja. More maps, more shenanigans. Please sign me up! 9.43 on CAWPILE TW// death, grief

[Mani · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to read the first book The Ship of Shadows for the Ultimate Blog Tour organised with by The Writes Read back in 2020, and having really enjoyed it, I couldn’t wait to give this second book a go. This was another fun fast paced adventure story. It was nice to see my favourite characters back together again as they continue their search for the pieces of the legendary map. A great sequel and based on the ending can’t wait for the next book in the Ship of Shadows adventure.

[Amy (Golden Books Girl) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Maria’s debut the Ship of Shadows last year, so I was very excited to pick this sequel up, and it didn’t disappoint. It sees Aleja and the crew of the magical Ship of Shadows go in search of the second map piece, the first of which they found in book one. Aleja is a wonderful character for lots of reasons, but my two favourite things about her are how much she cares about the other girls and women on the ship, and her love of languages, which really appeals to me because I too am an absolute languages geek and I just adore seeing characters who love them too. Frances and Claws were other definite highlights in terms of characters, as was Malika for being a total badass, but really I just love all of the pirates who are part of the crew, and seeing them mourn someone close to them was definitely a tearjerker moment for me! The descriptions of the setting were all so vivid, and I really loved learning a bit more about the ship too, especially the shadow magic of it. Based on the ending, I’m assuming there will be another Ship of Shadows adventure, and I for one can’t wait to set sail with Aleja and her crew again.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this sequel to The Ship of Shadows, we once again join Aleja and the rest of the crew as they continue their search for pieces of the legendary map.

This is another swashbuckling adventure that takes you on a journey across the seas and around the world. The all-female crew are feisty and brave as they let nothing stand in their way.

Another great addition to my class bookshelf.

[Michaela · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a wonderful story.

A pirate ship with a full female crew - full of secrets and ever shifting rooms.

I loved the hot air balloon. What a vivid tale to tell. It was all so wonderfully written and described I felt like I was really there.

Remind me very much of the world of Harry Potter.

[Paula Hale · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding! This is one of the best series ever written. I have loved them so far and I just know as a child I would have felt the same. Feisty females at their best. They are full of adventure, magic and so much more.

[Lauren Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another thrilling tale from Maria Kuzniar! I love following Aleja on her adventures and the plot just seems to thicken with each book. So many fun twists and tales, heartbreaks and fear. Looking forward to the next one!

[Tori · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you haven't read Ship of Shadows, go read it. Right now - you're going to miss out on the adventures if you don't read it first!! Go.

... This is so good. I can't wait for the next book though, that's gonna be torture. We have a map to piece together!!

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book even more than the first one somehow! The adventures in this were abaolutely fantastic. And the twists and reveals were so well done. The ending of this book? Warmed my heart and brought tears to my eyes! I adore this series.

[Frances June · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic follow up to Ship of Shadows! Just as much fun and piracy as last time, but with more magic and mystery! Could not love more!

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this installment 😁