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Sea and Stone Chronicles #2
Sea of Shadows
1459. A gifted woman artist. A ruthless Scottish privateer. And an audacious plan that throws them together—with dangerous consequences.
No one on the Greek island of Rhodes suspects Anica is responsible for her Venetian father’s exquisite portraits, least of all her wealthy fiancé. But her father’s vision is failing, and with every passing day it’s more difficult to conceal the truth.
When their secret is discovered by a powerful knight of the Order of St. John, Anica must act quickly to salvage her father’s honor and her own future. Desperate, she enlists the help of a fierce Scottish privateer named Drummond. Together, they craft a daring plan to restore her father’s sight.
There’s only one problem—she never imagined falling in love with her accomplice.
Before their plan can unfold, a shocking scandal involving the knights puts Anica’s entire family at risk. Her only hope is to turn to Drummond once again, defying her parents, her betrothed, even the Grand Master of the Knights himself. But can she survive the consequences?
With this captivating tale of passion, courage, and loyalty, Amy Maroney brings a lost, dazzling world to vivid life.
Sea of Shadows is a stand-alone historical novel in the Sea and Stone Chronicles collection.
No one on the Greek island of Rhodes suspects Anica is responsible for her Venetian father’s exquisite portraits, least of all her wealthy fiancé. But her father’s vision is failing, and with every passing day it’s more difficult to conceal the truth.
When their secret is discovered by a powerful knight of the Order of St. John, Anica must act quickly to salvage her father’s honor and her own future. Desperate, she enlists the help of a fierce Scottish privateer named Drummond. Together, they craft a daring plan to restore her father’s sight.
There’s only one problem—she never imagined falling in love with her accomplice.
Before their plan can unfold, a shocking scandal involving the knights puts Anica’s entire family at risk. Her only hope is to turn to Drummond once again, defying her parents, her betrothed, even the Grand Master of the Knights himself. But can she survive the consequences?
With this captivating tale of passion, courage, and loyalty, Amy Maroney brings a lost, dazzling world to vivid life.
Sea of Shadows is a stand-alone historical novel in the Sea and Stone Chronicles collection.
- GenresMedieval
396 pages, ebook
Published April 12, 2022
26 people are currently reading
71 people want to read
About the author
Amy Maroney
15 books99 followersAmy Maroney lives in the Pacific Northwest with her family. She studied English literature at Boston University and public policy at Portland State University, and spent many years as a writer and editor of nonfiction. When she’s not diving down research rabbit holes, she enjoys hiking, traveling, dancing, and reading. She is the author of the Miramonde Series and the Sea and Stone Chronicles.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
March 25, 2022
Amy Maroney’s second book in the Sea & Stone Chronicles returns us to Rhodes and reintroduces the family of Anica and Heleni—sisters in blood only, as they’re very different personalities. And Maroney’s ability to create specific individuals in her books gives each character a true uniqueness that is rare in commercial fiction.
Anica is the strong one, the brave and honorable one, and she is forthright and intelligent until she meets Drummond, a privateer and everything foreign to her. However, she swiftly ascertains Drummond’s own brand of honor when he rescues her from a besieged village and later aids in the restoration of her sister’s honor.
This book certainly revisited the characters of Island of Gold, but is flavored differently with slower pacing and a plot that more or less maintains its location in Rhodes. It’s a quick and entertaining read, with Maroney’s gift for timing, world-building, and even a searing sex scene! Again, I commend her depth of research, the colorful, sense-awakening, descriptive elements, as well as an innate feel she has as a writer for what creates a compelling story. Sea of Shadows churns with adventure and romance, transporting the reader to a time and place that few authors have bothered to explore.
BRAVO!
Anica is the strong one, the brave and honorable one, and she is forthright and intelligent until she meets Drummond, a privateer and everything foreign to her. However, she swiftly ascertains Drummond’s own brand of honor when he rescues her from a besieged village and later aids in the restoration of her sister’s honor.
This book certainly revisited the characters of Island of Gold, but is flavored differently with slower pacing and a plot that more or less maintains its location in Rhodes. It’s a quick and entertaining read, with Maroney’s gift for timing, world-building, and even a searing sex scene! Again, I commend her depth of research, the colorful, sense-awakening, descriptive elements, as well as an innate feel she has as a writer for what creates a compelling story. Sea of Shadows churns with adventure and romance, transporting the reader to a time and place that few authors have bothered to explore.
BRAVO!
June 1, 2023
This was an excellent histfic. It started slow for my taste, but the characters are richly developed and well woven. The history is good, well researched. It was great to read a Greek centred story for a change!
April 2, 2022
This was a great book! Since, I'm an artist, any book about one, is interesting to me. The fact that the main character has to pretend that her father does all the painting, instead of her, make me feel lucky to be an artist today. Amy has done her research, you feel like you are in the time period! The historical aspect is very interesting. I not only enjoy reading her books, I learn a lot, too. I was given a free copy of the book before release.
April 6, 2022
Visit the island of Rhodes during a fascinating time in history. No one writes historical fiction better than Amy Maroney! This series is enthralling from the start and only gets better.
Rhodes may be a Greek island but in the fifteenth century it was visited and inhabited by people from all over the world. Get caught up in a family’s saga during this dangerous period.
Rhodes may be a Greek island but in the fifteenth century it was visited and inhabited by people from all over the world. Get caught up in a family’s saga during this dangerous period.
November 18, 2022
It took me a little while to get into this one. The pace is leisurely and there are a lot of characters to get to grips with. But after a few chapters, I really fell in love with the prose and the plot. The historical detail is so rich and gorgeous, utilising a unique location and time period. There is so much atmosphere, through big overarching themes of political intrigue, international war and gender issues, right down to the little things like clothing, rituals and tradition, and city and house descriptions. I really loved Anica, the lead, and although I'm not really a romance fan, her budding relationship with the Scottish privateer, Drummond, was lovely. All the sideplots about her family, the knights of the Order, and piracy were brilliantly woven too.
A fabulous, warm piece of historical fiction. I definitely want to check out the other standalone in this series too!
A fabulous, warm piece of historical fiction. I definitely want to check out the other standalone in this series too!
May 2, 2022
The second book in Amy Maroney’s Sea and Stone Chronicles trilogy, Sea of Shadows is also set in Rhodes, an exciting—if sometimes dangerous—port city. The Knights Templar are all that stands between the denizens of Rhodes Town and the infidels of nearby Turkey. As a result, the knights run the city.
The reader is immediately immersed in the bustle of the harbor, where galleys, merchant ships, and fishing vessels enter the port. Gulls’ screeches mix with French, Arabic, Russian, Hebrew--languages filling the air as much as the spice merchants' wares scent it. A Syrian doctor in colorful, flowing silks, a French falconer, and knights wearing black tunics embroidered with the eight-pointed cross of the Order of St. John, are some of the characters in this most multi-cultural of stories. Anica Foscolo is one such citizen of Rhodes Town, with a Greek mother and a father of Genoese and Venetian descent.
Anica is an artist who works with her father. She buys the minerals from Alexandria that serve as pigments for paints, prepares the oak panels that come from the Black Sea, and applies gold leaf on icons of saints. (See the icon of the Virgin & Child.) She used to paint the tempera backgrounds for her father, but more and more, she completes entire paintings as her father loses his vision. Not only that, but she has to teach herself how to paint in the new Northern European style patrons want.
And that’s not Anica’s only problem. She’s of marriageable age, and her father has promised her to the son of a man to whom he’s deeply in debt. Anica didn’t expect to marry for love, but Troilo Salvieti is truly repulsive. And if Anica marries, she must give up painting. Who will support her family? On top of everything, Anica’s younger sister, Heleni, falls for a foppish French aristocrat, with disastrous results.
It's a good thing Anica is such an intelligent and resourceful young woman, because even as conflict upon conflict piles up, she is restrained by her sex from implementing solutions. That’s where the Scottish privateer, Drummond Fordun, comes in. Anica resists her attraction to the handsome privateer—who transports everything from passengers and mail to plunder and slaves—but resistance proves difficult as she discovers that he is an honorable man, one who can help her fight for her family.
This is a fully realized story. Every character has a backstory, the pacing increases exponentially as the plot grows more complex, and the setting is utterly fascinating. Also, as someone who writes about women artists, I was pleased with how the author described both the joy of being a virtuoso artist along the frustration of having to keep her talent a secret, lest her father’s paintings lose value.
The reader is immediately immersed in the bustle of the harbor, where galleys, merchant ships, and fishing vessels enter the port. Gulls’ screeches mix with French, Arabic, Russian, Hebrew--languages filling the air as much as the spice merchants' wares scent it. A Syrian doctor in colorful, flowing silks, a French falconer, and knights wearing black tunics embroidered with the eight-pointed cross of the Order of St. John, are some of the characters in this most multi-cultural of stories. Anica Foscolo is one such citizen of Rhodes Town, with a Greek mother and a father of Genoese and Venetian descent.
Anica is an artist who works with her father. She buys the minerals from Alexandria that serve as pigments for paints, prepares the oak panels that come from the Black Sea, and applies gold leaf on icons of saints. (See the icon of the Virgin & Child.) She used to paint the tempera backgrounds for her father, but more and more, she completes entire paintings as her father loses his vision. Not only that, but she has to teach herself how to paint in the new Northern European style patrons want.
And that’s not Anica’s only problem. She’s of marriageable age, and her father has promised her to the son of a man to whom he’s deeply in debt. Anica didn’t expect to marry for love, but Troilo Salvieti is truly repulsive. And if Anica marries, she must give up painting. Who will support her family? On top of everything, Anica’s younger sister, Heleni, falls for a foppish French aristocrat, with disastrous results.
It's a good thing Anica is such an intelligent and resourceful young woman, because even as conflict upon conflict piles up, she is restrained by her sex from implementing solutions. That’s where the Scottish privateer, Drummond Fordun, comes in. Anica resists her attraction to the handsome privateer—who transports everything from passengers and mail to plunder and slaves—but resistance proves difficult as she discovers that he is an honorable man, one who can help her fight for her family.
This is a fully realized story. Every character has a backstory, the pacing increases exponentially as the plot grows more complex, and the setting is utterly fascinating. Also, as someone who writes about women artists, I was pleased with how the author described both the joy of being a virtuoso artist along the frustration of having to keep her talent a secret, lest her father’s paintings lose value.
April 29, 2022
A Discovering Diamonds Reviewer's Choice and Longlisted for the Richard Tearle Discovering Diamonds Award
This is the second in Ms Maroney's Sea and Stone Chronicles and, whilst I heartily recommend that you read the first, (Island of Gold), this new book can absolutely be read as a standalone. Those familiar with the cast will recognise Anica's family, and will be delighted to know that the falconer Cédric makes a brief appearance, but this story is new, and does not relate to the previous book beyond those brief connections and the fact that we are, once more, on the island of Rhodes.
And my, oh my, we are really there. The author conjures up this hot, dazzling, multi-cultural place with enough detail to allow us to feel the heat, or the stinging rain, to smell the aromas of the harbour, and to hear the noise of the merchants and those coming down to meet the ships.
The tale is brilliantly woven, with many a twist and turn before the final pages. I didn't so much read, as watch the people as they played their parts, and I could see every detail of the settings, the clothes, and the movement of the characters who are all well drawn. The burgeoning relationship between Anica and Drummond is beautifully, and believably, played out.
Once again, Ms Maroney has delivered a cracking story which whisks along, has a detailed plot with jeopardy aplenty, and yet never dispenses with characterisation or setting. And here's the most satisfying thing: that setting. Not only is this a cracking story but it is one so firmly rooted in its time and place that it simply could not be told were it set anywhere else in the world, or at any other period. Yes, it's a love story. Yes, it's an adventure story. But above all, it is a story about what happens to those bound by convention and caught up with the Knights, and everything that happens in the book remains true to that. The victims become so not only because they encounter the villains, but because they are hide-bound by the rules of the Order, and by the social rules of the day, and everyone in the book acts within those parameters, never stepping out of their period.
Because of this, I 'closed' the book feeling that not only had I been thoroughly entertained and caught up in the lives of Anica, her family, and the rather enigmatic Drummond, I felt that I really had witnessed Medieval Rhodes and had learned about its history. Highly recommended.
Originally Reviewed for Discovering Diamonds
This is the second in Ms Maroney's Sea and Stone Chronicles and, whilst I heartily recommend that you read the first, (Island of Gold), this new book can absolutely be read as a standalone. Those familiar with the cast will recognise Anica's family, and will be delighted to know that the falconer Cédric makes a brief appearance, but this story is new, and does not relate to the previous book beyond those brief connections and the fact that we are, once more, on the island of Rhodes.
And my, oh my, we are really there. The author conjures up this hot, dazzling, multi-cultural place with enough detail to allow us to feel the heat, or the stinging rain, to smell the aromas of the harbour, and to hear the noise of the merchants and those coming down to meet the ships.
The tale is brilliantly woven, with many a twist and turn before the final pages. I didn't so much read, as watch the people as they played their parts, and I could see every detail of the settings, the clothes, and the movement of the characters who are all well drawn. The burgeoning relationship between Anica and Drummond is beautifully, and believably, played out.
Once again, Ms Maroney has delivered a cracking story which whisks along, has a detailed plot with jeopardy aplenty, and yet never dispenses with characterisation or setting. And here's the most satisfying thing: that setting. Not only is this a cracking story but it is one so firmly rooted in its time and place that it simply could not be told were it set anywhere else in the world, or at any other period. Yes, it's a love story. Yes, it's an adventure story. But above all, it is a story about what happens to those bound by convention and caught up with the Knights, and everything that happens in the book remains true to that. The victims become so not only because they encounter the villains, but because they are hide-bound by the rules of the Order, and by the social rules of the day, and everyone in the book acts within those parameters, never stepping out of their period.
Because of this, I 'closed' the book feeling that not only had I been thoroughly entertained and caught up in the lives of Anica, her family, and the rather enigmatic Drummond, I felt that I really had witnessed Medieval Rhodes and had learned about its history. Highly recommended.
Originally Reviewed for Discovering Diamonds
December 13, 2023
Take a magical trip to fifteenth century Rhodes.
I am a great fan of Amy Maroney’s work. The second book in the ‘Sea and Stone Chronicles’ is every bit as captivating as the first. It’s rare to find an author who can transport you back in time, appealing to all your senses so skilfully that you can actually feel your feet on the ground she is describing. Ms Maroney has this talent in abundance.
Once again, as in all her books, we have an engaging heroine, Anica Foscolo, a painter of great promise, who is determined not to allow the confines of her time to prevent her from achieving her goals. Easier said than done. Her beloved Venetian father is losing his sight and it is imperative that he learn the very latest technique in oil painting. A skill that is beyond his present capabilities. Will his daughter be able to help?
It is always great fun to accompany Ms Maroney’s heroines on their journey as the path to success for a woman in the fifteenth century was one that required expert navigation. And a little help from a dashing, unexpected hero in the form of a highly-regarded Scottish privateer, Drummond Fordun, who works for the Knights Hospitallers.
Of course, the moment Drummond Fordun appears, the reader is hoping for romance between the two, but as in real life, nothing is as simple as it seems. Anica’s father has no choice but to accept a marriage offer from the very unsavoury Salviati family. I like the way Ms Maroney highlights the plight of young girls who are forced into unwanted marriages where the law favours the husband. As Anica says in despair on one occasion: “I am bound to marry him whether he beats me or not.”
Ms Maroney’s writing sparkles throughout. She has a deft way with words and even manages to find humour in difficulty. There was one particular moment that made me laugh out loud. Anica is deciding whether to accept a different offer of marriage from a wealthy Genoese merchant. Unfortunately, he is seated beneath a portrait of his late wife at the time: “It was slightly disconcerting to see his dead wife’s wife peering over his shoulder. Did she harbor an expression of slight disapproval?”
Buckle up for a fast-paced story of adventure and romance that will leave you feeling breathless and eager to read Book Three in the series.
I am a great fan of Amy Maroney’s work. The second book in the ‘Sea and Stone Chronicles’ is every bit as captivating as the first. It’s rare to find an author who can transport you back in time, appealing to all your senses so skilfully that you can actually feel your feet on the ground she is describing. Ms Maroney has this talent in abundance.
Once again, as in all her books, we have an engaging heroine, Anica Foscolo, a painter of great promise, who is determined not to allow the confines of her time to prevent her from achieving her goals. Easier said than done. Her beloved Venetian father is losing his sight and it is imperative that he learn the very latest technique in oil painting. A skill that is beyond his present capabilities. Will his daughter be able to help?
It is always great fun to accompany Ms Maroney’s heroines on their journey as the path to success for a woman in the fifteenth century was one that required expert navigation. And a little help from a dashing, unexpected hero in the form of a highly-regarded Scottish privateer, Drummond Fordun, who works for the Knights Hospitallers.
Of course, the moment Drummond Fordun appears, the reader is hoping for romance between the two, but as in real life, nothing is as simple as it seems. Anica’s father has no choice but to accept a marriage offer from the very unsavoury Salviati family. I like the way Ms Maroney highlights the plight of young girls who are forced into unwanted marriages where the law favours the husband. As Anica says in despair on one occasion: “I am bound to marry him whether he beats me or not.”
Ms Maroney’s writing sparkles throughout. She has a deft way with words and even manages to find humour in difficulty. There was one particular moment that made me laugh out loud. Anica is deciding whether to accept a different offer of marriage from a wealthy Genoese merchant. Unfortunately, he is seated beneath a portrait of his late wife at the time: “It was slightly disconcerting to see his dead wife’s wife peering over his shoulder. Did she harbor an expression of slight disapproval?”
Buckle up for a fast-paced story of adventure and romance that will leave you feeling breathless and eager to read Book Three in the series.
April 12, 2022
A passionate slow-burn love story, exotic locations and fast-paced action thrill in Sea of Shadows, a glorious historical fiction immersion into a world fraught with intrigue and adventure. Ms Maroney has created a stunning gallery of characters and places that take us on a voyage to 15th century Rhodes, and the secret world of the Knights Templars. I fell in love with Anica, a spirited Venetian artist who meets her match in Drummond, an equally full-blooded Scottish privateer. These two attract and repel like magnets, creating a tense and increasingly fated relationship, with each impacting the other’s destiny.
In their fascinating medieval world of grand deceits and threatening invasions, Anica and Drummond follow their own emotional life paths, always drawing closer in their growing attraction. Ms Maroney doesn’t make it easy for them, and along with absolutely gorgeous details of art and sorcery, warfare and politics, family feuds and tender love, these two encounter tragedy and heartache on their journey. Fortune comes in many guises, and ultimately Anica and Drummond discover the true meaning of love, loyalty – and sacrifice.
Ms Maroney’s superb scene-setting and historical detail is built on a foundation of research that supports the exciting story, but never dominates. I loved the opportunity to sink into a world that I knew little about, and found myself unwilling to leave. Sea of Shadows is all about action, adventure, fabulous settings and a love story that gifts us the full spectrum of the human heart. An enthralling and enchanting novel. Highly recommend.
In their fascinating medieval world of grand deceits and threatening invasions, Anica and Drummond follow their own emotional life paths, always drawing closer in their growing attraction. Ms Maroney doesn’t make it easy for them, and along with absolutely gorgeous details of art and sorcery, warfare and politics, family feuds and tender love, these two encounter tragedy and heartache on their journey. Fortune comes in many guises, and ultimately Anica and Drummond discover the true meaning of love, loyalty – and sacrifice.
Ms Maroney’s superb scene-setting and historical detail is built on a foundation of research that supports the exciting story, but never dominates. I loved the opportunity to sink into a world that I knew little about, and found myself unwilling to leave. Sea of Shadows is all about action, adventure, fabulous settings and a love story that gifts us the full spectrum of the human heart. An enthralling and enchanting novel. Highly recommend.
April 11, 2022
Amy Maroney did not disappoint with this second book in the series: Sea and Stone Chronicles. While the book revisits the family from book 1, this is still a book that can be read as a standalone. This time we have a female artist and woman of strong morals, Anica, who must hide her talent in this period, the 15th century in Rhodes. The male protagonist is a Scottish privateer who turns out to be more honourable than some of the Knights that rule the island. I must admit that Drummond's country of origin was a delightful touch for me personally.
As always, Amy uses her research to flesh out the landscape, townscape, and cultures of the groups who live on Rhodes. The supporting characters who appear in the story are drawn lightly and they add depth to the tale. The character and personality of the two protagonists are slowly revealed to each other in a believable way and the relationship that develops is nicely described in a way that has the reader rooting for their future happiness.
The book taken as a whole is an interesting and engaging read, and I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical novels.
I received a copy of this book before release.
As always, Amy uses her research to flesh out the landscape, townscape, and cultures of the groups who live on Rhodes. The supporting characters who appear in the story are drawn lightly and they add depth to the tale. The character and personality of the two protagonists are slowly revealed to each other in a believable way and the relationship that develops is nicely described in a way that has the reader rooting for their future happiness.
The book taken as a whole is an interesting and engaging read, and I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical novels.
I received a copy of this book before release.
April 6, 2022
The island of Rhodes in the times of the Knights Templars, 15th century. Two sisters with different values. A swashbuckling privateer, forbidden love and wealthy townsmen who aren’t what they seem.
Mix these ingredients with the skill of an accomplished writer who has a sharp eye for accurate historical detail and you get a great read.
Anica is a brilliant female artist who can’t let her artist father’s patrons know he’s going blind. For the family’s safety, financial security and honour no-one must know she’s the one with the paint brush in her hand.
Her younger sister, Heleni, is greedy for life. She flaunts her beauty and doesn’t think of consequences. Bad idea.
For good measure, throw in the ever-constant risk of invasion from the infidels only a short distance away, jealousies and great wealth. The story races along, with tension and drama right up to the end.
I read everything from Amy Maroney. This is right up there. Although it’s a stand-alone story, there are small links to her previous title in this Sea and Stone series, Island of Gold.
Mix these ingredients with the skill of an accomplished writer who has a sharp eye for accurate historical detail and you get a great read.
Anica is a brilliant female artist who can’t let her artist father’s patrons know he’s going blind. For the family’s safety, financial security and honour no-one must know she’s the one with the paint brush in her hand.
Her younger sister, Heleni, is greedy for life. She flaunts her beauty and doesn’t think of consequences. Bad idea.
For good measure, throw in the ever-constant risk of invasion from the infidels only a short distance away, jealousies and great wealth. The story races along, with tension and drama right up to the end.
I read everything from Amy Maroney. This is right up there. Although it’s a stand-alone story, there are small links to her previous title in this Sea and Stone series, Island of Gold.
April 18, 2022
Amy Maroney delivers a stirring romantic adventure between a female artist and a Scottish privateer, while recreating the feel of 15th century Rhodes. The island was a bustling centre of trade and under the protection of the Knights Hospitallers. In this instalment, we follow Anica Foscolo, a gifted artist, as she tries to help her family survive the changing times and protect them against harm. Drummond Fordun is a highly regarded privateer in the employ of the Knights. He’s a brilliant seaman and is clever enough to manoeuvre the changing tides. Their union will either destroy them both or bring them what they both truly desire.
I loved getting lost in Rhodes at this time. There is an authenticity in Maroney’s descriptions that make you feel you are in a sun-baked square, assaulted by the cacophony of sounds and smells of the marketplace. The faithfully captured traditions and historical details make Sea of Shadows stand out as a perfect balance between historical fiction and romantic fiction.
Highly recommended!
I loved getting lost in Rhodes at this time. There is an authenticity in Maroney’s descriptions that make you feel you are in a sun-baked square, assaulted by the cacophony of sounds and smells of the marketplace. The faithfully captured traditions and historical details make Sea of Shadows stand out as a perfect balance between historical fiction and romantic fiction.
Highly recommended!
November 30, 2022
Another winner from Amy Maroney! This second book in the Sea and Stone Chronicles again returns you to Rhodes and the lives of the people there and their interactions with the Knights Hospitaller. Well developed characters and exquisite description of scenery draw you into this book from page 1. Looking forward to the third book of these Chronicles. Highly recommended.
May 13, 2022
Very Well Researched and Written!
I knew nothing about Rhodes before reading this book, but quickly became fascinated with the many different countries and cultures living there. I was the perfect location for this historical romance.
I knew nothing about Rhodes before reading this book, but quickly became fascinated with the many different countries and cultures living there. I was the perfect location for this historical romance.
October 7, 2024
Interesting and absorbing
I travel to Rhodes tomorrow and so this book has provided valuable historical background information. I found the plot and characters well developed making an interesting and absorbing take based on much research.
I travel to Rhodes tomorrow and so this book has provided valuable historical background information. I found the plot and characters well developed making an interesting and absorbing take based on much research.
September 15, 2022
Sea of Shadows by Amy Maroney has received a Chill with a Book Readers' PREMIER Award
www.chillwithabook.com
www.chillwithabook.com
October 8, 2022
Historical Romance
Liked the notes on the background research to develop the book. It certainly kept my interest from beginning to the end.
Liked the notes on the background research to develop the book. It certainly kept my interest from beginning to the end.
June 14, 2025
my favorite of the Sea and Stone Chronicles series
May 8, 2022
I was transported back in time in beautiful Rhodes! One of the best books I' ve read this year and I can't wait for the next installment! Thanks Amy Maroney!
May 18, 2023
With the first few paragraphs of Sea of Shadows by Amy Maroney the reader steps into the reality of fifteenth century Rhodes – the heat and shadows, the swirl of myriad scents and colours, the bustle of the city and the port, the people drawn from countless nations, all under the control of the of Knights of St. John.
Anica Foscolo is a gifted artist who, as her father’s sight is failing, is doing far far more than merely preparing the backgrounds to his paintings, as most assume. She is also facing the threat of marriage to the spoilt arrogant son of one of her father’s customers, a man her father is deeply in debt to. As her father’s sight worsens, Anica is forced into an alliance with Drummond Fordun, a Scottish privateer whose brutal skills are highly valued by the Knights of St John. In normal circumstances, their paths would never cross but to their surprise and consternation each is drawn to the other.
The dangers to Anica and her family’s wellbeing are clear from the first chapter. Initially unspoken, they are shown subtly through characters’ actions and as much by what they do not say as what is said. Threat builds through the story, encompassing not only Anica’s fears for her father’s sight and the possible unwanted marriage but through the constraints of the society they live in, as well as the demands of the Grand Master of the Knights of St John and the dangers of war and international politics.
Both Anica and Drummond are likeable and their developing relationship is plausible and in keeping with their times. All characters are well rounded, even the more minor, their personalities and histories revealed naturally as the narrative develops, explaining too why at times they press at the boundaries of what is expected of them. In the same way, the complexities of politics, business and war on an island controlled by the Knights of St John are threaded through the story, showing how these impinged on the daily lives of ordinary people without the reader ever losing sight of the main characters and how the machinations of those with power and influence affected them.
This is my favourite type of historical fiction – a story that can be told in no other time and place, with fictional characters placed within an exquisitely described historical setting, enhanced by a touch of romance. Like a skilfully woven tapestry, it is a play light and shadow, in places highlighted with shining filament. Sea of Shadows is a beautifully-written, vivid and compelling novel.
Sea of Shadows is the second book in Amy Maroney’s Sea and Stone Chronicles but it can be read as a standalone novel.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews