On These Black Sands

Aisling Sea, Book 1

By: Vanessa Rasanen

Narrated by: Sarah Kramer

An heir on the run.

In one month, Aoife Cascade will turn 20 and take her seat on the Council of Cregah, an honor she's been preparing for her whole life. But when she lets a secret slip to her mother with devastating consequences, all her plans for the future crumble. Believing her people to be better off without her, she flees Cregah, stowing away aboard a pirate ship bound for dangerous waters.

A Pirate Captain who needs her help.

Captain Declan McCallagh is young compared to the pirate lords, but after 12 years on the grueling sea, he has earned a well-respected ship and the attention of the lords, who'd like nothing better than to see his ruin. All he wants is to leave the Aisling Sea - and his past-behind him. But when his sister demands he find the enchanted dagger her rebel faction needs to overthrow the ruling Council, he'll have to decide whether to cast off all family ties or take the perilous voyage to waters guarded by sirens, only passable with the help of the last remaining fae, currently imprisoned by the Council.

With murder and betrayal at every turn, can Aoife and Declan learn to rely on one another?

Or will the secrets they carry destroy their people-and each other?

©2021 Vanessa Rasanen (P)2021 Vanessa Rasanen

Pirates and Fae??? Yes please

I’m not one to read a book with no spice but this book was phenomenal! I loved the story and fell in love with all the characters! The narration is WONDERFUL. The accents are done so well and I can’t wait to listen to book 2!

Great start to a new pirate fantasy series

If you like pirate fantasies, books with fae, slow burn romance, sheltered/naive MC’s and morally grey characters - pick this one up!

I listened to the audiobook as a reread before reviewing book 2. I have to say it was a pleasure to listen to. The narrator was excellent and I feel the characters were brought to life even more than when I read the book the first time around thanks to the narrator’s performance.

I’ll admit that sheltered/naive MC’s aren’t my favourite but mainly just because they tend to be a tad annoying at first, I do however love their character arcs since they undergo so much growth. I found some of Aoife’s internal monologs to be a bit repetitive and that resulted in the first part of the book feeling a bit slow to me. But wowwweeee does this book pick up speed towards the end. I was left in utter emotional turmoil. Declan is absolutely delicious - as a character and love interest haha - and you can’t give me a great love interest like that and leave me on such a cliffhanger! I absolutely didn’t know what to do with myself after finishing this book the first time around.

A huge thanks to the author for the audiobook code. All opinions are my own.

Loved it even more!

I read this book in physical form and really enjoyed it; however, the audiobook made me love it even more! The narrator’s delivery of Aoife with an accent makes her more likeable to me as a reader.

The Irish influence used to develop this fantasy world comes across much clearer in the audiobook.

For fans of fantasy with an Irish flare, complete with morally gray pirates. Declan will forever be my favorite snarky character.

A compelling pirate story with the perfect blend of adventure and romance

Can I just say how much I adore this story? Aoife and Declan are such great characters, and I loved their unique POVs. Kate was fun too, and I hope we hear more about her in the next one. The narrator was also perfect!
Absolutely masterful with her accents and the portrayal of so many different characters. The world building is amazing, and I’m just holding in all the feels cos I heard the cliffhanger was in.tense. Perfect for fans of Fable or Daughter of the Pirate King with the right amount of sass and spice.

Love this world! Amazing pirate adventure.

Incredible world building, and I love the characters. It’s a well crafted pirate adventure. Can’t wait to get into book two!! Highly recommend.