Cindy Vallar's Blog - Posts Tagged "sirens"

Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Pretending to be someone she’s not and hiding skills that could free her are difficult for Alosa, but to succeed in her mission, she has no other choice. She just can’t make her capture seem too easy for Captain Draxen and the rest of the pirates of Night Farer. She also wants to make certain her crew gets away unharmed . . . well, at least the three she trusts who are true members of her real crew. Her father handpicked the rest from among the debtors, thieves, and disobeyers who come to his attention.

Once he boards her ship, Draxen reveals that he knows exactly who she is: Princess Alosa, daughter of Kalligan, the Pirate King. When she attempts to negotiate her surrender, a battle of wits ensues. An accord is finally reached, but not without shedding blood, and his crew puts her crew in longboats and tells them it will take them 2 ½ days to reach the nearest port. Once there they are to deliver his ransom note to the Pirate King. Then Draxen sinks their ship.

Furious at losing face in front of his men, Draxen threatens Alosa before locking her in a cell. Getting out isn’t a problem; she’s quit adept at picking locks and well-trained by her father, but sneaking out must wait until the pirates are asleep. Only then will it be a tad safer to search Night Farer to complete her mission.

Many years ago a map was torn into sections and given to three pirate lords. These pieces have been handed down from father to son through generations. Her father has one. The second was held by Draxen’s father, but he’s dead now, which means Draxen may or may not have the map. In fact, he may not even know about it. It’s her job to find it; only then can she set in motion the rest of her father’s plan. Once he has all three sections and reassembles the map, it will lead him to the Isla de Canta – an island filled with treasure and protected by magical sirens.

Draxen’s brother Riden is tasked with interrogating Alosa to discover the exact location of Kalligan’s hideaway. While he’s out searching for herhter, Draxen will sail to the hideaway and lay an ambush. The Pirate King introduced the concept of honesty to make deals and negotiate with rival lords. Draxen prefers the old ways and being honest goes against the grain of many pirates. Hence his reason for capturing Alosa.

Having been raised by a vicious father, Riden has seen the crueler side of life. He doesn’t want to see Alosa hurt, but he’s not against allowing others to hurt her if she fails to answer his questions. Almost from the start, she recognizes Riden feels responsible for some situation. She just doesn’t know what or why. But she does understand that all he truly wants is to be loved and accepted.

Riden has a special skill, one that allows him to elicit information without others knowing this is what he’s doing. His technique differs from usual interrogations, and Alosa enjoys their cat-and-mouse game. Until she realizes she has shared some secrets, such as her willingness to do whatever her father asks just to please him. Riden also senses Alosa keeps a more important secret . . . but it’s one she can’t afford to reveal to him or anyone else.

From first sentence to last, Alosa weaves a magical web filled with powerful emotions that compel you to keep turning pages. She drops hints throughout her tale, but never reveals the truth until the exact moment you need to know. Levenseller deftly melds fantasy with pirate lore and betrayal. Just when you think you know what comes next, she inserts an unexpected twist that heightens the tension and sends you plummeting. The intended audience may be young adults, but anyone will enjoy this story because it touches on themes we all can relate to: the need for acceptance, a desire to be loved, and trying to please one’s parents no matter how high they set the bar.

Daughter of the Pirate King is a great fantasy made even better with the promise of a sequel. After all, there’s still one piece of map to find.




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Eldorado: The Pyrate Chronicles by Wayne Savage

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


In this second book of The Pyrate Chronicles, journalist Nathaniel Bagshaw returns to prison to learn more from the condemned pirate William Benton. His fantastical tale begins when supplies are low and a strange mist envelops the ships of Captain Björn "Ironside" Gunnarsson and Captain Wolfenden, who sail in consort. Their emergence from the murky cloak reveals a stone fort flying a Spanish flag. Not knowing how much time has passed since they entered the fog or whether their countries are at war or peace, they devise a plan. Gunnarsson and a small contingent approach the fort directly. Wolfenden and his men sail farther down the coast and sneak ashore.

The pirates are astounded to be greeted by 200 soldiers who look like the conquistadores of the past, and many enslaved natives. This domination doesn’t set well with the pirates, especially ship's surgeon Faustus Quiddington, but being outnumbered and the tenuousness of their plight forces Gunnarson, his wife Cassandra, and the rest of the shore party to keep their true feelings hidden.

Governor Hidalgo’s welcome raises some questions, which he answers. A treasure ship departed the viceroyalty in 1543. Ever since, they’ve been waiting for another galleon to return. In the intervening 175 years, an uprising resulted in the loss of some information and a blending of two cultures, such as the Holy Catholic bible of our Lord Jesus Christ-Quetzalcoatl. The other tidbit that gains the pirates’ attention is the fact that the governor has been stockpiling the annual collections of gold and silver while they wait for the treasure galleon to return.

The pirate who is particularly intrigued is Will Benton. Obeying orders isn’t his strong suit, and being a true pirate, he only heeds the captain’s commands in battle. Since gold is to be had, he has every intention of claiming his portion. Swiping one piece of gold proves relatively easy. No one notices because gold and silver adorn everything in the governor’s home. Purloining may lead people to believe that Will has no scruples, but he draws the line at human sacrifice. His disruption of such an act gains him a sentence of death. It takes all of Gunnarsson’s negotiating skills to gain Will’s freedom, but Governor Hildalgo’s price may prove too high.

This historical fantasy takes place in the early 18th century. Think of it as “a book in which Black Sails meets Gulliver’s travels [sic] with a dash of the authentic humour of that loveable pirate band Ye Banished Privateers.” (5) Savage’s depiction of piracy and the brutal realities of life in this time period show the depth of his research. There are occasions where too much data is conveyed in characters’ conversations; the dialogue is a device to show the passage of time and these details are interesting, but they aren’t always relevant to what’s happening in the unfolding scene. There are also some errors that a copyeditor would have caught.

Aside from the greed and allure that gold tends to spark, not everyone gets away with treasure. Rifts arise and this time around, they prove unmendable. The encounter with Hildalgo, however, is only one of the piratical adventures in this book. The second one involves sirens, sea serpents, and mermaids. It also shines a light on some minor characters, especially the women in the crew, in unique ways. It will be interesting to see what comes next for this band of pirates, especially since Gunnarsson’s captaincy may be in jeopardy.


(This review originally appeared at Pirates and Privateers: http://www.cindyvallar.com/adult-fant...)



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