What do you think?
The Witch from the Sea
Pirates! History! Romance! No zombies!
A swashbuckler set in the West Indies of the early 19th Century THE WITCH FROM THE SEA is a love story, a coming-of-age adventure and an eccentric comedy of manners about a woman who runs with the pirates to free herself from the conventional "rules" of gender, race and class.
Tory Lightfoot, an orphan of mixed white and Mohawk blood, flees the stifling gentility of 1823 Boston for the freedom of the open sea. But the merchant ship on which she stows away is boarded by pirates off the coast of Cuba, and Tory is forced to join the pirate crew to save her life. Making herself useful as both log-keeper and spy, she begins to earn a measure of the independence she craves. But fate, fever and the relentless U. S. Navy West Indian Squadron close in, and Tory must risk her hard-won freedom to save the man she loves.
A swashbuckler set in the West Indies of the early 19th Century THE WITCH FROM THE SEA is a love story, a coming-of-age adventure and an eccentric comedy of manners about a woman who runs with the pirates to free herself from the conventional "rules" of gender, race and class.
Tory Lightfoot, an orphan of mixed white and Mohawk blood, flees the stifling gentility of 1823 Boston for the freedom of the open sea. But the merchant ship on which she stows away is boarded by pirates off the coast of Cuba, and Tory is forced to join the pirate crew to save her life. Making herself useful as both log-keeper and spy, she begins to earn a measure of the independence she craves. But fate, fever and the relentless U. S. Navy West Indian Squadron close in, and Tory must risk her hard-won freedom to save the man she loves.
321 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1998
About the author
Lisa Jensen
4 books190 followersI've painted pottery, sold movie tickets and books, drawn cartoons, and hand-crafted fabric dolls. Now I get to write full-time; the hours are flexible and there's no dress code. My movie reviews appear on Rotten Tomatoes. My novel, "Beast: A Tale of Love and Revenge," came out in 2018, from Candlewick. My historical/fantasy "Alias Hook," was published by Thomas Dunne Books in July, 2014. My historical pirate novel, "The Witch From the Sea," was published in 2001. Visit me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Lisa-Jensen-...
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
June 9, 2010
Usually I avoid books from independent publishers like a plague. Prior to this, every book I'd read from a small, (often 'feminist') press was really just something that shouldn't have been published in the first place - amateur or worse.
However 'Witch from the Sea' got really good reviews, and I love pirate fiction - so I picked it up. What a pleasant surprise! The writing is fully professional-calibre, and the story is a fun adventure-romance - in the early 19th-century, a young woman, Tory, runs away from the girls' school where she is scorned for being a 'half-breed.' Running away to sea disguised as a boy, she falls in with a ship of Cuban pirates. While learning the tricks of seamanship and piracy, amongst the exotic islands of the West Indies, she also becomes infatuated with the handsome and well-born Mateo. It's obvious to the reader nearly from the outset that Matty is a cad, but what will it have to come to to get Tory to realize that?
The historical setting is not enormously realistic - this is really one remarkably egalitarian group of pirates - non-sexist, non-racist, fairly non-violent, and not even the slightest little bit homophobic. But this isn't a history primer, it's a fantasy of life at sea that portrays piracy as we wish it had been - with enough dirt and grit to make it exciting, but not so much that it spoils the romance.
Jensen has two sequels planned, and I'll definitely try to pick them up as they're published. I've also got another pirate novel from the same publisher on my wish list (Captain Mary, Buccaneer).
However 'Witch from the Sea' got really good reviews, and I love pirate fiction - so I picked it up. What a pleasant surprise! The writing is fully professional-calibre, and the story is a fun adventure-romance - in the early 19th-century, a young woman, Tory, runs away from the girls' school where she is scorned for being a 'half-breed.' Running away to sea disguised as a boy, she falls in with a ship of Cuban pirates. While learning the tricks of seamanship and piracy, amongst the exotic islands of the West Indies, she also becomes infatuated with the handsome and well-born Mateo. It's obvious to the reader nearly from the outset that Matty is a cad, but what will it have to come to to get Tory to realize that?
The historical setting is not enormously realistic - this is really one remarkably egalitarian group of pirates - non-sexist, non-racist, fairly non-violent, and not even the slightest little bit homophobic. But this isn't a history primer, it's a fantasy of life at sea that portrays piracy as we wish it had been - with enough dirt and grit to make it exciting, but not so much that it spoils the romance.
Jensen has two sequels planned, and I'll definitely try to pick them up as they're published. I've also got another pirate novel from the same publisher on my wish list (Captain Mary, Buccaneer).
October 31, 2012
Once upon a time I read this book five or six times in a row. I should probably try it again.
January 10, 2012
It's been years since I sat down and read this entire book again, cover to cover. And although there was a time I could have recited it from memory, I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly the story gets going, and how smoothly it percolates along. No one reading it now would ever suspect the original manuscript ran to (ulp) 900 pages — typed!
I still love my protagonists: accidental seafarer Tory and sardonic Jack, failed actor-turned-pirate, and I'm still caught up in the bond they form as compañeros aboard the black schooner Blesséd Providence in the turbulent West Indies of the early 1800s. I am so glad I wrote two more novels to complete their adventures!
Okay, I wrote this book. But here's what nautical historian/author Joan Druett says: "The Witch From the Sea is a historical adventure with guts as well as glamour. Wild-spirited Tory is an irresistible character." Over at Reading Rocks, the reviewer says: "I am in love with this book. A+"
I still love my protagonists: accidental seafarer Tory and sardonic Jack, failed actor-turned-pirate, and I'm still caught up in the bond they form as compañeros aboard the black schooner Blesséd Providence in the turbulent West Indies of the early 1800s. I am so glad I wrote two more novels to complete their adventures!
Okay, I wrote this book. But here's what nautical historian/author Joan Druett says: "The Witch From the Sea is a historical adventure with guts as well as glamour. Wild-spirited Tory is an irresistible character." Over at Reading Rocks, the reviewer says: "I am in love with this book. A+"
June 7, 2018
Rip-roaring pirate adventure with just the right touch of romance. (Warning: There are a couple of mildly graphic sex scenes, in case that's not your thing, but it's not over the top.)
I thought this read well as a stand-alone, but if you enjoyed this book and want more, you can read the rest of the story on the author's blog here:
Part 2 - https://runaways-jonkanoo.blogspot.com/
Part 3 - https://comedy-marriage.blogspot.com/...
Still enjoyed Alias Hook better, but I can see the beginnings of that novel in this one. Lots of pirate fun!
I thought this read well as a stand-alone, but if you enjoyed this book and want more, you can read the rest of the story on the author's blog here:
Part 2 - https://runaways-jonkanoo.blogspot.com/
Part 3 - https://comedy-marriage.blogspot.com/...
Still enjoyed Alias Hook better, but I can see the beginnings of that novel in this one. Lots of pirate fun!
January 25, 2012
No, I can't actually read this book in German (I wrote it in English, but it has an average 4-star rating on Amazon.de, so I'll trust the opinion of those kind-hearted German readers!) I do know that this edition is about 50 pp longer than the English-language version, The Witch From The Sea, so if you'd like to read more of the story, brush up on your German...
September 29, 2011
This is a terrific historical fiction swashbuckler! An exciting adventure told from a woman's point of view this engaging story will suck you in. Couldn't put it down.
June 9, 2014
I have read and re-read this book many times over the years, and it still sticks with me. Beautiful writing, beautiful setting, and amazing characters. I wish there were more!
September 1, 2019
Lisa Jensen has a way of pulling you right inside a story. I'm now talking like a pirate.
April 7, 2020
It was a fast read, well written, and well developed characters.
July 9, 2017
I don’t know whether The Witch from the Sea should be classified as a seafaring pirate adventure or just plain old chick lit—although I guess it could be both. It is, somewhat unfortunately, better at being chick lit than a historical pirate adventure—a tad disappointing, since I would have preferred more swashbuckling fun, but the piracy in this book isn’t much to write home about, so maybe it’s for the best.
It’s strange that so much of the book failed to hold my interest, especially because the premise—girl runs away and joins the pirates!—is a pretty good one. Maybe I need mermaids or the supernatural action of Pirates of the Caribbean or Daughter of the Pirate King to engage me in a pirate story, or the ridiculousness and wit of The Pirates of Penzance. Perhaps if I was more of a history buff, I would have appreciated the author’s efforts to connect the story to real-world events, but most of it left me cold.
The whole thing is neither here nor there. I found Tory to be a relatively unengaging narrator who claims to desire freedom but spends ninety percent of the time thinking about certain men and wishing they’d fall in love with her. The relationships in the book aren’t particularly strong, although Tory and her love interest have their moments. I did like the pirate crew, who used illusions and fair play rather than being the violent, bloodshedding scoundrels you might expect. And the second half, when Tory and her lover leave the piracy behind and try to make their way in the world (and, yes, have some love scenes) is, if not exactly “fun”, much more entertaining than the adventures and mishaps on the high seas of beforehand.
I doubt I was the intended audience for this novel—I’m not a huge fan of historical fiction or chick lit—so I’m sure there are others who will appreciate it more than I. Jensen writes well and, as a retellings buff, I am very interested in reading her other books. While The Witch from the Sea certainly isn’t a perfect novel and has its fair share of problems (the pacing being the most obvious one that comes to mind), I suspect the bigger problem at hand is just that it wasn’t my kind of book.
2.5 stars.
It’s strange that so much of the book failed to hold my interest, especially because the premise—girl runs away and joins the pirates!—is a pretty good one. Maybe I need mermaids or the supernatural action of Pirates of the Caribbean or Daughter of the Pirate King to engage me in a pirate story, or the ridiculousness and wit of The Pirates of Penzance. Perhaps if I was more of a history buff, I would have appreciated the author’s efforts to connect the story to real-world events, but most of it left me cold.
The whole thing is neither here nor there. I found Tory to be a relatively unengaging narrator who claims to desire freedom but spends ninety percent of the time thinking about certain men and wishing they’d fall in love with her. The relationships in the book aren’t particularly strong, although Tory and her love interest have their moments. I did like the pirate crew, who used illusions and fair play rather than being the violent, bloodshedding scoundrels you might expect. And the second half, when Tory and her lover leave the piracy behind and try to make their way in the world (and, yes, have some love scenes) is, if not exactly “fun”, much more entertaining than the adventures and mishaps on the high seas of beforehand.
I doubt I was the intended audience for this novel—I’m not a huge fan of historical fiction or chick lit—so I’m sure there are others who will appreciate it more than I. Jensen writes well and, as a retellings buff, I am very interested in reading her other books. While The Witch from the Sea certainly isn’t a perfect novel and has its fair share of problems (the pacing being the most obvious one that comes to mind), I suspect the bigger problem at hand is just that it wasn’t my kind of book.
2.5 stars.
July 14, 2015
Delightful pirate yarn, based in the early 1800s, following the War of 1812. Nice interweaving of action and historical fiction. Plot and characters are interesting. I had pretty low expectations in the first few chapters, but a couple nice little plot twists made the book pretty enjoyable and not as formulaic as I was expecting.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews