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26th out of 251 books
—
299 voters
Piratica: Being a Daring Tale of a Singular Girl's Adventure Upon the High Seas (Piratica #1)
by
Tanith Lee
Artemesia is the daughter of a pirate queen, and she's sick of practicing deportment at the Angels Academy for Young Maidens. Escaping from the school, she hunts up her mother's crew and breezily commands them out to sea in a leaky boat. Unfortunately, Art's memories of her early life may not be accurate-her seasick crew are actors, and Art's infamous mother was the darlin...more
Hardcover, 288 pages
Published
September 23rd 2004
by Dutton Juvenile
(first published 2003)
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435th out of 1,171 books
—
4,755 voters
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I picked up this book for two reasons: 1) I've been meaning to read something by Tannith Lee 2) I'm addicted to the Bloody Jack series and fear it's drawing to a close.
At first I was dismayed.. she's nothing like Jacky. No fun, no silliness, all seriousness. But it was probably a good thing, really, as the comaparisons in my mind stopped pretty early on.
I'm not much of a plot discusser so I'll say this: The begining was a bit slow but... maybe lots of books are and I should just quit being crit...more
At first I was dismayed.. she's nothing like Jacky. No fun, no silliness, all seriousness. But it was probably a good thing, really, as the comaparisons in my mind stopped pretty early on.
I'm not much of a plot discusser so I'll say this: The begining was a bit slow but... maybe lots of books are and I should just quit being crit...more
Artemisia Blastside (Art) had a mother who was a fearsome female pirate known as Piratica. Her mother is killed when a cannon explodes and Art is handed over to the custody of her father. She has lost all memory of her life with her mother in the blast.
Six years later ... Art is kicking her heels in the dreary Angels Academy for Young Ladies. Walking along one day with books balanced on her head, Art trips, falls down the stairs, hits her head and regains her memory. The experience while amazing...more
Six years later ... Art is kicking her heels in the dreary Angels Academy for Young Ladies. Walking along one day with books balanced on her head, Art trips, falls down the stairs, hits her head and regains her memory. The experience while amazing...more
I have probably read this book at least a half dozen times and every time I start out by asking myself why I'm reading it; I hate the writing style. But everytime I get past the first few chapters and am so enthralled with the plot and the humour that I forget about it and enjoy the book to no end. Tanith Lee is a master at wit and humour (despite the writing style that can be grating at times). This book is highly enjoyable and I highly recommend it.
Art, at the age of sixteen, is emprisoned in...more
Art, at the age of sixteen, is emprisoned in...more
so this is my second book about pirates and it was awesome!It had many twist and turns that i didn't know what to expect. i mean it almost look liked it wasn't going to be about pirates for one moment. the main character was at an all girls academy and she falls and bonks her head and she's like "WAIT, i am not girly lady, i am daughter of the most feared pirate Queen of England!' then from that point on she is trying to make her way back to the her mother's crew. it gets crazier from there and...more
Feb 25, 2012
Rhiannon
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Pirates, Steampunkers, historical fiction lovers, and mystery buffs
Piratica - a pirate tale, a slightly fantastical voyage, a mystery, another great adventure from author Tanith Lee. To say more than this would be revealing some of the plot twists and mystery, and would therefore be a total spoiler.
I should explain at the beginning of this review that I am a confirmed fan of the Tanith Lee and probably wouldn't have read this book if she was not the author. The book is less of a fantasy than some of her other books - there are no unicorns or goddesses - yet it...more
I should explain at the beginning of this review that I am a confirmed fan of the Tanith Lee and probably wouldn't have read this book if she was not the author. The book is less of a fantasy than some of her other books - there are no unicorns or goddesses - yet it...more
I enjoyed this book because it was action packed! I would recommend it to someone else because it is an amazingly awesome book! I wanted to keep reading it to finish it because, for example, if I had to stop reading to go to bed, I would be anxious to get up the next day to finish it!The emotions that this book crated for me were shock, and happiness because it just left me speechless. It also left me stunned by the plot.
The main character in this book is Artemesia ("Art) Fitz-Willoughby Weather...more
The main character in this book is Artemesia ("Art) Fitz-Willoughby Weather...more
Just not for me. I thought it was YA and checked it from the library, but it's geared more towards ten year olds. The pirates are silly and hang out in a coffee house and drink coffee rather than rum. Kinda strange. But if I was ten, I would probably love it I'm not ten though and not in the mood for coffee drinking pirates. I didn't finish.
1 like · like · see review
Apr 26, 2007
Taylor
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
young women and little girls of all ages
What is cooler than a non-violent,terribly cunning, utterly devious, sixteen-year-old Pirate Queen? And who in their right mind wouldn't want to read about her? This book rocks. If I were flying a flag, it would totally be a pink skull-and-crossbones (pink for a girl).
Piratica is a swashbuckling romp, set in what Lee calls a "closely parallel world", in what would be 1802 in our world. Sixteen-year-old Art (short for Artemesia) hits her head one day at her boarding school and suddenly remembers what she's forgotten for six years: her childhood at sea with her mother, the famous buccaneer Piratica. Although Art knows that her mother is dead, she sets off to find her crew and go off to board, where she encounters the nefarious Goldie Girl and her pirate crew as...more
Eh. I think I liked it a smidgen better than the Jacky Faber books. There was anachronistic language that even with the "it's a parallel universe" setup was distracting. And she insisted on underlining (well, technically, putting in parentheses) her puns; if you explain the joke, it's way less funny. I can imagine that being an editor thing ("Kids these days won't get it!"). And she used The Dash to indicate pauses in dialogue instead of ellipses - that was odd. Obviously the writing distracted...more
This book, is by far one of my favorites of all time! Pirates in a parallel universe, action, cunning, and a terrific characters. What more could you possibly want! The main character, Art, is an amazing example of a perfect runaway, she powerful and confident and refuses to take no for an answer. Paired with the crew and the handsome Felix, and strung against the manipulative Goldie, the cast of this book is irrefutably awesome. I more than implore everyone who comes across this book to read it...more
Acting upon my personal favor for pirates and a bit nostalgic of the elementary days were I'd crave books of adventure, I picked up this book. Though I'd love to discuss so many parts of it, I'd rather not give spoilers, but it's not what you'd expect. That is meant in the best way possible, however, the different twists and surprises in this book quite exciting in themselves. Extremely satisfying to those who enjoy adventure and pirates, it even comes with a cinematic ending. Can't wait to read...more
Lately it seems half the books I read were written by fourth graders. I love L.A.Meyer's Bloody Jack series; I was hoping Piratica would be similar. But there is absolutely nothing well-done about this book, from the writing to the plot to the characters, everything is mediocre.
The writing is awful. Commas are apparently unnecessary. Sometimes I had to read a sentence three or four times because it was gobbledy-gook until I filled in my own commas. Take this, for example: "Out of which the bald...more
The writing is awful. Commas are apparently unnecessary. Sometimes I had to read a sentence three or four times because it was gobbledy-gook until I filled in my own commas. Take this, for example: "Out of which the bald...more
Why was this book not around when I was younger? This had everything my young self loved: adventure, romance, pirates who don't kill, a treasure hunt, and an awesome young woman at the helm. Had I read this book when I was young, I would love it to pieces.
Alas, I'm older now, and I couldn't help but see flaws rather than the parts I loved. The style of this book is choppy and abrupt. There's some creative imagery, but there's also a treasure hunt scene with a distinct lack of tension, an issue w...more
Alas, I'm older now, and I couldn't help but see flaws rather than the parts I loved. The style of this book is choppy and abrupt. There's some creative imagery, but there's also a treasure hunt scene with a distinct lack of tension, an issue w...more
Jan 07, 2008
Georgie Penn
rated it
2 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
People who like to read Pirate stories.
I thought this was a really fun book. A lot of sword fighting, and treasure seeking. I really thought it was great that the main character would not kill anyone even though she was a pirate.
However at the end of the book, Art Blastside is about to be hanged when Felix, the guy she loves, jumps up on the gallows, and stops the hanging with a magnificent speech, and Art, or Piratica as she is called by all her many fans, is spared!
Felix uses the excuse that Piratica never hurt anyone, she may ha...more
However at the end of the book, Art Blastside is about to be hanged when Felix, the guy she loves, jumps up on the gallows, and stops the hanging with a magnificent speech, and Art, or Piratica as she is called by all her many fans, is spared!
Felix uses the excuse that Piratica never hurt anyone, she may ha...more
1 like · like · see review
Ahoy, Mateys!
This book started slow, but man, once it got started, did it get GOING! I'm glad I stuck with it.
The characters are amazing. I love Art, the fearless captain of the ship. She's definitely a pirate to look up to. I think she ties with Jack Sparrow as my favorite pirate. The crew, too, was a grand band of thieves. The enemy Goldie was a sly little fox, and though I hate to say it, man, do I love to hate her. The only disappointment was Felix. I don't know why, but I didn't particularl...more
This book started slow, but man, once it got started, did it get GOING! I'm glad I stuck with it.
The characters are amazing. I love Art, the fearless captain of the ship. She's definitely a pirate to look up to. I think she ties with Jack Sparrow as my favorite pirate. The crew, too, was a grand band of thieves. The enemy Goldie was a sly little fox, and though I hate to say it, man, do I love to hate her. The only disappointment was Felix. I don't know why, but I didn't particularl...more
What do you do when you hit your head and wake up to remember you're the daughter of a pirate? Run away from boarding school to become a pirate yourself, of course!
This is relatively unknown book by Tanith Lee, and it's so good I think it deserves more attention. There's a fantastic female protagonist, a wonderful female antagonist, a reluctant love interest, and more piracy and adventure than you can shake a stick at. I loved it, all of it.
This is relatively unknown book by Tanith Lee, and it's so good I think it deserves more attention. There's a fantastic female protagonist, a wonderful female antagonist, a reluctant love interest, and more piracy and adventure than you can shake a stick at. I loved it, all of it.
Feb 08, 2011
Trisha
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
reviewed,
young-adult
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Artemisa has just had a knock on the head, and now she remembers a few things. Like her mother was a pirate queen, and she used to live on a ship. Now she must leave the Angel's Academy for Young Ladies and find her mother's old crew. Her will binds them together, and Captain Art Blastside and her band of clever pirates who takes ships by tricks, not violence, are the talk of the seas. And now there is this treasure map . . .
I found this slow going at first, though it really picked up in the second half, once the heroine encounters her nemesis and really sets off on her quest. If the whole book had been as good as the second half, I'd have easily given it four stars.
Something that bothered me a tad is the way the book tries to deal with the ethics of piracy. The book is very careful to make the heroine and her crew nice pirates - they never actually kill anyone, and somehow they only seem to rob unpleasant people w...more
Something that bothered me a tad is the way the book tries to deal with the ethics of piracy. The book is very careful to make the heroine and her crew nice pirates - they never actually kill anyone, and somehow they only seem to rob unpleasant people w...more
1 like · like · see review
This book is for romantics who prefer to be tough on the outside and keep their gushy-ness in. Why? Well, because the characters are like that.
It wasn't the plot that made this a 5 star book, simply the characters. Art Blastside, oh she was amazing! Felix Phoenix, funny name- cunning guy! Ebad...oh, I fell in love.
This book is the romance novel that doesn't make you want to puke. And I found that wonderful...
It wasn't the plot that made this a 5 star book, simply the characters. Art Blastside, oh she was amazing! Felix Phoenix, funny name- cunning guy! Ebad...oh, I fell in love.
This book is the romance novel that doesn't make you want to puke. And I found that wonderful...
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
This book has all the makings for a great story. I loved it! I especially loved the ending. It took me a while to get used to reading the authors writing style. Sometimes her sentences sounded a bit incomplete, but after a while I get over that, or I had to re-read a few parts.
It's such a great story plot, I love all the characters, and of course it's left open for the second book. I can't wait to read the next Piratica.
This is a great book for all who love and adventure.
It's such a great story plot, I love all the characters, and of course it's left open for the second book. I can't wait to read the next Piratica.
This is a great book for all who love and adventure.
This was an alright teen fiction. The first half was quite slow, but I became rather intrigued by the last quarter. But some of the side pirate characters were hard to keep remember who was who. The book was clean, it didn't have any YA smut. Clearly from the title you can tell it is about a girl who becomes a Pirate, she is trying to follow her mom's path.
This is a really unique, highly stylized story about a girl who becomes a pirate following in her mother's footsteps. The characters are fun, the language is priate-y, and the story is entertaining. It's slightly predictable and the characters could have been developed more, but I enjoyed the story nonetheless. It's a good kids book.
If this book was a movie, it would be one of those movies that you watch whilst shoving popcorn into your mouth and laughing with friends. That's not necessarily a bad thing, and I could picture myself adoring this book when I was younger, but presently I found it was sort of lulzy, and not really in a way that seemed deliberate.
Jun 16, 2012
Branwen
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
fans of swasbuckling, fun-filled pirate stories
Shelves:
fantasy-science-fiction,
young-adult
I really really enjoyed this book. This is a fun-filled, action adventure story about a young girl who is very strong spirited; enough so that she becomes Capt. of a pirate crew (sort of) and becomes the most notorious and well loved Pirate Queens! If you're looking for a fun book about pirates, then look no further!
With such over-the-top subject matter, this book had the potential to be excellent. The author does use some clever phrasing, and although it's ridiculously predictable, the ending is good. The characters aren't developed enough to be sympathetic, though, and the first several chapters are hard to get into.
It's been a while since I read this one, but I came across it again today and after just a few pages I found myself engrossed once more. This was one of the first pirate books I ever encountered, and I've since fallen in love with the genre. I'm looking forward to re-reading it sometime soon.
Aug 18, 2011
Lisle Library Youth Services
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Shelves:
jh-fiction-for-girls,
rochelle-s-favorites
Swashbuckling, clever, and funny (loved the parrot!), this tale of a girl who leads an unlikely crew of men (with colorful, pirate-y names) off on adventure after she escapes the Angels Academy of Young Maidens is a well-crafted addition to the piratical oevre.
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Tanith Lee is a British writer of science fiction, horror, and fantasy. She is the author of 77 novels, 14 collections, and almost 300 short stories. She has also written four radio plays broadcast by the BBC and two scripts for the UK, science fiction, cult television series "Blake's 7."
Before becoming a full time writer, Lee worked as a file clerk, an assistant librarian, a shop assistant, and a...more
More about Tanith Lee...
Before becoming a full time writer, Lee worked as a file clerk, an assistant librarian, a shop assistant, and a...more
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“The kind of teacher who never learned anything herself. Or taught anything, except sarcasm or fear.”
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Oct 14, 2010 06:58am