Friday 56 and Book Beginning: Beyond a Darkened Shore by Jessica Leake ||Friday 50/50: Freebie! - Most/Least Intricately Built World

Please join us over at RoseCityReader every Friday to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires. Please remember to include the title of the book and the author’s name.

This is a weekly meme hosted by Freda's Voice
These are the rules:

1. Grab a book, any book.

2. Turn to page 56, or 56% on your eReader.

3. Find any sentence (or a few, just don't spoil it) that grabs you.

4. Post it.

5. Add the URL to your post in the link on Freda's most recent Friday 56 post.

Synopsis:

 The ancient land of Éirinn is mired in war. Ciara, Princess of Mide, has never known a time when Éirinn’s kingdoms were not battling for power, or Northmen were not plundering their shores. 

 The people of Mide have thankfully always been safe because of Ciara’s unearthly ability to control her enemies’ minds and actions. But lately, a mysterious crow has been appearing to Ciara, whispering warnings of an even darker threat. Although her clansmen dismiss her visions as pagan nonsense, Ciara fears this coming evil will destroy not just Éirinn, but the entire world. 

 Then the crow leads Ciara to Leif, a young Northman leader. Leif should be Ciara’s enemy, but when Ciara discovers that he, too, shares her prophetic visions, she knows he’s something more. Leif is mounting an impressive army, and with Ciara’s strength in battle the two might have a chance to save their world. 

 With evil rising around them, they’ll do what it takes to defend the land they love…even if it means making the greatest sacrifice of all.

Book Beginning:

Kingdom of Mide, Ireland, AD 1035

I learned to hate the sea. Not because it was unbearably cold, and not because I loathed swimming in its salty depth. I hated it because, in spite of its raw beauty, it brought death to our doorstep.

Page 56:

The Morrigan. It had been her voice, her crows that had warned me of impending death.

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50/50 Friday is a new weekly link-up hosted by Carrie @ The Butterfly Reader and Laura @ Blue Eye Books.  Every week they have a new topic featuring two sides of the same coin - you share a book that suits each category and link up on the hosts' blogs.

Again, rubbish at thinking up my own topic. Old one from the past.


Most
Tolkien's world
He wrote an entire history, it's nuts.

Least

Honestly, the world of The Hunger Games. 

I probably wouldn't feel this way if there was an official Map.