Blacksouls ~ Nicole Castroman (earc) review [@nicolecastroman @Simonteen]

Blacksouls (Blackheart #2)
Simon Pulse
April 11, 2017
400 pages
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Nicole Castroman brings the dangerous pirate ports of the Caribbean to life in this vibrant sequel to Blackhearts—the reimagined origin story of history’s most infamous pirate, Blackbeard.

Edward “Teach” Drummond is setting sail to the Caribbean as first mate on the most celebrated merchant ship in the British fleet—until he rebels against his captain. Mutiny is a capital offense and Teach knows it could cost him his life, but he believes it worth the risk in order to save his crew from the attacking Spanish ships.

Sailing on the same blue waters, Anne barely avoids the Spanish attack, making it safely to Nassau. But lawless criminals, corrupt politics, and dangerous intentions fill the crowded streets of this Caribbean port. Soon, Anne discovers that the man entrusted to keep the peace is quite possibly the most treacherous of them all—and he just happens to hold Teach’s fate in his terrifying hands.

Life and death hang in the balance when Teach and Anne are given a dangerous mission. It’s a mission that will test their love, loyalty and devotion, forcing them down a path neither one could have ever imagined.

After the ending of Blackheartsyou knew it was not going to be a Happily Ever After for Teach and Anne - at least not an easy one. Even when things started to look up, like they were going more positively for the two something else would happen (or be looming over them with the possibility of happening) that I started to despair at them ever not being separated.

Nicole Castroman does a fantastic job giving readers a glimpse at life in Nassau and aboard different kinds of ship in the late 17th, early 18th century. It seemed that here was greater attention (versus in Blackhearts) given to Anne's place in a white world (with a Caribbean mother and white father). Slavery and slavers are more present and a part of this book. We can see how slavery affects Anne both emotionally and mentally but also in how others view her. It is more that Anne and Teach have to contend with and a smart inclusion.

Even if you think you know Blackbeard and can guess where things are going, how something will happen or even what will happen, Blacksouls will surprise you. Everything fit incredibly well with the time period and location, even with some of what we know historically, while also being unpredictable and surprising. Castroman takes a more modern approach to who Blackbeard might have been - and why. It makes for a great read.

I loved Anne even more in this book than the first. She is strong and smart, she loves Teach, she doesn't quite seem to fit in and is looking for somewhere she does. I liked that we (and she) got to see more of the world and a look at her place in it.

The new characters we meet in Blacksouls were all great additions to the story - even those who were amazingly not great people - and I enjoyed the roles they played in the characters lives. (Along with the possibilities they presented for the future, both within the book and after the story ended.)

Blackhearts and Blacksouls were everything I wanted this 'origin pirate story' to be but so, so much more. The characters are smart the attention given to the time period, views on race in both England and the Caribbean (and slavery), and how women were viewed and treated is fantastic. This is a great romance that builds through the tow books - and that faces more than a few hardships. The Blackhearts books are a must read.








digital copy received for review from publisher via NetGalley

The Edge of the Abyss ~ Emily Skrutskie (earc) review [@skrutskie @Fluxbooks]

The Edge of the Abyss (The Abyss Surrounds Us #2)
Flux
April 18, 2017
281 pages
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Three weeks have passed since Cassandra Leung pledged her allegiance to the ruthless pirate-queen Santa Elena and set free Bao, the sea monster Reckoner she’d been forced to train. The days as a pirate trainee are long and grueling, but it’s not the physical pain that Cas dreads most. It’s being forced to work with Swift, the pirate girl who broke her heart.

But Cas has even bigger problems when she discovers that Bao is not the only monster swimming free. Other Reckoners illegally sold to pirates have escaped their captors and are taking the NeoPacific by storm, attacking ships at random and ruining the ocean ecosystem. As a Reckoner trainer, Cas might be the only one who can stop them. But how can she take up arms against creatures she used to care for and protect?

Will Cas embrace the murky morals that life as a pirate brings or perish in the dark waters of the NeoPacific?

The Edge of the Abyss is the sequel to 2016's The Abyss Surrounds Us (see my review here). The division of the two books was very smartly done. As only weeks have passed since the events of The Abyss Surrounds Us's ending not much time has passed, the big change is with (and in) Cas. Especially when comparing the beginning of the first book and the beginning of the second there's a marked difference in Cas's mindset: how she sees the pirates, how she sees the SRC and Reckoner training and, most importantly, her role with either/both.

This novel does a great job building on the world and relationships introduced in the first book. We now know about Reckoners, why they need training and what they can do. We know about Cas, her past and the decision she made to stay on the Minnow - and why. Now we get to see some of the repercussions of decisions made and things discovered in the first book. It's time for Cas to figure things out, to piece things together, and hopefully right some wrongs. Maybe even without dying in the process.

Things between Cas and Swift are not easy this second go round and the complications in their relationship help show us more of the pirate world, of how things operate and just how tricky things can be. I liked learning more about both of them and seeing how what they find out affected them.

Events of The Edge of the Abyss were not what I would have guessed would happen but were definitely the natural progression of things introduced in The Abyss Surrounds Us. It was a fun, exciting, sometimes frustrating, at times frustrating but always rewarding read. The development of the characters' relationships was wonderful. The ending was different than I thought it would be - even right up until it happened (and I love that!).

This was a great read and I look forward to more from author Emily Skrutskie.







digital copy received for review from publisher, via NetGalley

Daughter of the Pirate King ~ Tricia Levenseller (earc) review [@tricialevensell @FierceReads @FeiwelFriends]

Daughter of the Pirate King (Daughter of the Pirate King #1)
Feiwel & Friends
February 28, 2017
320 pages
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A 17-year-old pirate captain intentionally allows herself to get captured by enemy pirates in this thrilling YA adventure.

Sent on a mission to retrieve an ancient hidden map—the key to a legendary treasure trove—seventeen-year-old pirate captain Alosa deliberately allows herself to be captured by her enemies, giving her the perfect opportunity to search their ship.

More than a match for the ruthless pirate crew, Alosa has only one thing standing between her and the map: her captor, the unexpectedly clever and unfairly attractive first mate, Riden. But not to worry, for Alosa has a few tricks up her sleeve, and no lone pirate can stop the Daughter of the Pirate King.

Debut author Tricia Levenseller blends action, adventure, romance, and a little bit of magic into a thrilling YA pirate tale.

"Do you have any idea how hard it was to find a girl my size to steal those from?”

-pg 22, Alosa (regarding her dresses)

Despite being a fantasy, set in the fictitious Maneria in an unspecified (but seemingly not present day) time, Tricia Levenseller's Daughter of the Pirate King has one of the most modern and real portrayals of a female character I've had the pleasure of reading. Alosa is a fierce, sometimes even ruthless pirate. Alosa is also a girl, who likes her dresses, appreciates makeup and wants to keep her hair as it is. These two things (being a pirate, being feminine) need to be mutually exclusive and I really enjoyed the fact that Levenseller didn't make one preclude the other.

The different elements of Alosa's personality and how well the inclusion of each is executed was really something and one of my favorite parts of the book. This is a book I have a lot of favorite things about, though.

I really, really love this book and all of the feelings that came with it. Alosa is both mentally and physically strong, she's stubborn, she's smart, but can also second guess herself and be unsure. Her being held (intentionally) prisoner on another's ship gives us ample opportunity to see what she's capable of and to learn more about her past.

It is also a great way for readers to learn about Riden. We see how he treats her based on her (assumed) captive status, see some of his relationship with the Night Fever's captain, and who he is. Having them start out on such uneven footing (in relationship to her 'prisoner' status and all that entailed) was smart. It allowed a lot more interaction and of a different sort than their positions would have otherwise allowed.

While it was clearly not appropriate, there were so many times I wanted to give one or both of them a hug. (I say not appropriate because they're fearsome pirates, have swords, readily use them, etc.) All of the secrets they were keeping, the roles they were playing and how they thought they needed to be was somehow sweet, heartbreaking, endearing all at the same time. While also leaving me very hopeful!

Starting Daughter of the Pirate King, I didn't realize it was the first book in a series; now I don't know how I'll wait a full year to read more! What we learned not only about Alosa's upbringing as the Pirate King's Daughter, but also how she viewed or relayed those events has me especially curious about what's to come.


And we can't forget that there's a pirate who might like rum as much as Captain Jack Sparrow . . .

digital review copy received thanks to publisher, via NetGalley