Review: Tarnished Empire (Dark Shores #0.5) by Danielle L. Jensen

Tarnished Empire
(Dark Shores #0.5)
by Danielle L. Jensen

January 26, 2021
230 pages

Goodreads Summary:

DEFIANCE IS TREASON. TREASON IS DEATH.

A siege is laid against the last resistance to the Senate’s rule. As the battle rages, a commander, a soldier, and a rebel will decide how far they are willing to go for victory.

THE COMMANDER

Marcus is forced to choose between destroying the rebel forces and liberating his legion. He must face the true cost of being a leader. And an oppressor.

THE SOLDIER

Agrippa sets his sights on glory to fill the deepening void within him. He discovers that the price of fame might not just be paid in blood, it might be paid by his heart.

THE REBEL

Silvara joins the rebel forces to fight against the legions who would see her family dead. While she dreams of being a warrior, she finds her sharpest weapon is seduction. But to defeat the Empire, she’ll have to betray the young man who now has her heart.

Inspired by the harsh world of ancient Rome, readers are obsessed with this martial tale of fiery romance, friendship, and enmity. Told from three points of view, TARNISHED EMPIRE is filled with twists you’ll never see coming but will keep you turning the pages all night.

TARNISHED EMPIRE is set in the world of Danielle L. Jensen’s DARK SHORES. But readers new to the world can begin here.

Review

Thank you Danielle L. Jensen for writing Tarnished Empire because it's a story we didn't know we needed until we got it. This book is a solid addition to the Dark Shores series!

Marcus is so good and pure (ironic given his status, I know). To protect the Thirty-Seventh, he shoulders all the pressure, negativity and pain while simultaneously maintains an outward appearance of control and cool indifference. Poor boy can never catch a break. Marcus was admirably too honourable.

Tarnished Empire introduces us to Agrippa who I dare you not to like. I'm most fond of his sarcastic humour but he's also irresistible, reliable, cheeky, sharp and irresistible (yes, I know I said that twice). He didn't always make the best choices but Agrippa was fiercely loyal. The bromance between him and the Thirty-Seventh was my favourite.

I wasn't the biggest fan of Silvara's because for a rebel, she was extremely indecisive and wimpy. But given her youth, I gave her the benefit of the doubt. My patience paid off. Silvara was a changed girl by the end of Tarnished Empire. I have a feeling she's going to be pretty badass if we ever see her again ;)

The romance between Agrippa and Silvara was one big whirlwind of insta-love. It's not my favourite but I understand why things happened fast. They were cute and steamy ;) Though I knew their love probably wouldn't have survived them being on opposite sides of the battle, I was still shocked by how things 'went down' between them. Oh my heart...

The two main antagonists in Tarnished Empire had surprising depths. One seemed lazy and the other controlling but as the story went on, they showed they were more cunning and ruthless than could be anticipated. I know we will be seeing them again but I can't say I look forward to it.

I'm so beyond happy and thankful that Danielle wrote Tarnished Empire. It's an inside scoop everyone needs before reading The Gilded Serpent! I can't wait to continue this series and be assaulted (in a good way!) by all the emotions because that's what Danielle L. Jensen always gives. ALL THE FEELS.

*I was gifted a digital Advance Reading Copy of this book by the author. All opinions are my own and not affected in any way. Any quotes included in my review were taken from the eARC I received.