Cindy Vallar's Blog - Posts Tagged "red-pirate"

Girl Before the Legend by S.K. Minnis

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Jacquotte Delahaye. The name may mean nothing to most readers, or perhaps a few have heard of this female buccaneer of the 17th century. Mystery surrounds her . . . if she ever existed. If Jacquotte was a real person, who was she and what transpired to make her become a fearsome pirate captain? This is the premise of Minnis’s new trilogy, The Red Pirate, and Girl Before the Legend recounts how Jacquotte went on the account.

A carnival comes to the village where Jacquotte lives. She has a wonderful time with her father and younger brother until she swipes a necklace she covets. She could have purchased it, but doing so lacks adventure and that is something she craves. Perhaps because of her father’s many stories of his adventures. Perhaps because she already knows what life has ordained for her, and she’s not particularly thrilled with getting married and obeying society’s rules.

Sometimes, wishes are granted, but not in the way we expect or want. That night, intruders come. Her father takes Jacquotte and her brother into the smuggler’s tunnels under the house. After making sure they are hidden, he surrenders to the English soldiers and before Jacquotte’s eyes, she watches them kill him. She exacts retribution, but in the process, her brother is traumatized. They must leave even though a storm rages. They set sail in a boat, which causes Etienne further health problems. At sixteen, Jacquotte is too young and lacks the means to take care of him, especially after wanted posters for her appear. If they are to survive, she has only one choice: surrender Etienne into the safekeeping of others while she flees the island aboard her father’s ship. But who’s going to allow a girl aboard a pirate ship? And once there, how can she reclaim what rightfully belongs to her?

This coming-of-age story deftly shows how a series of unconnected events lead Jacquotte onto paths she never expects. At the same time, she must come to grips with what happens to her. Although no specific time frame is provided, references are made to the period when Lord Protectors ruled England during the 1650s. Minnis crafts a realistic pirate tale with touches of swashbuckling adventure in which there are always consequences to face. The only misstep is making Paragon, her father’s ship, a galleon, which in real-life did not possess the sailing qualities needed for these adventures. Revenge, secret codes, a treasure map, slave trading, mysticism, and empire-building are just some of the interwoven threads that make for riveting, action-packed exploits.


This review originally appeared at Pirates and Privateers: http://www.cindyvallar.com/youngadult...



View all my reviews