Mistress of the Sea Review

Mistress of the Seas

Jenny Barden

Publisher: Ebury

Mistress Cooksley may be a wealthy merchant's daughter, but she blushes at my words and meets my eyes look for look. Yet I cannot hope to court her without fortune, and a dalliance with a pretty maid will not hinder me from my path. Captain Drake's endeavour might bring me gold, but I, Will Doonan, will have my revenge. 
The Spaniards captured my brother and have likely tortured and killed him. For God and St George, we'll strike at the dogs and see justice done. I thought I'd left Mistress Cooksley behind to gamble everything and follow Drake, and here she is playing the boy at the ends of the world. She's a fool with a heart as brave as any man's. Yet her presence here could be the ruin of us all...

Ellyn Cooksley is fed up of everyone expecting her to choose between two very boring and dull suitors and get married. Especially when the only man who makes her heart flutter is the frustrating Will Doonan, who has just signed up with Sir Francis Drake to find Spanish gold in the New World. So she sneaks aboard Drake’s ship dressed as a boy, not expecting to find herself so far from all she knows amongst pirates, escaped slaves, and the Spanish...

It’s a pleasure to find a historical fiction novel set in Tudor times that doesn’t focus on royalty and the English court. Not that the court hi-jinks aren’t fascinating but variety is the spice of life! Ellyn is the daughter of a merchant trader so has a slight advantage in that she has options in who she can marry but the limits of class at the time still means she can’t follow her heart. So instead she follows her father to sea and finds herself in the Spanish Caribbean.

I have mixed thoughts about this story...I liked Ellyn as a leading lady – she had quick wit and an independence that was unusual in that day and age. However, after a spirited start she spends a lot of time waiting for Will to come and rescue her. Will I had plenty of issues with as he never really put Ellyn first – he was not much of a hero to her really. It’s difficult to fully enjoy a historical romance if you don’t like one of the leading characters.

The story of Drake’s adventures in the Caribbean is fascinating and I really liked the battles and adventures they have - in fact I wish a lot more time had been spent on that rather descriptions of Ellyn’s days on various islands. There was a lot of waiting especially as the story takes place over three years and that slowed down the pace. However, the atmosphere and historical detail is vibrant and exhilarating and I would interesting in the next book Jenny Barden writes!

Recommended for fans of Philippa Gregory and Anne O’Brien. 7 out of 10

The Assassin's Curse Review

The Assassin’s Curse

-       Cassandra Rose Clarke

Publisher: Strange Chemistry

E-Arc copy courtesy of Netgalley and Strange Chemistry

Ananna of the Tanarau abandons ship when her parents try to marry her off to an allying pirate clan: she wants to captain her own boat, not serve as second-in-command to her handsome yet clueless fiance. But her escape has dire consequences when she learns the scorned clan has sent an assassin after her. And when the assassin, Naji, finally catches up with her, things get even worse. Ananna inadvertently triggers a nasty curse — with a life-altering result. Now Ananna and Naji are forced to become uneasy allies as they work together to break the curse and return their lives back to normal. Or at least as normal as the lives of a pirate and an assassin can be.

Ananna was raised on board ship by her pirate parents, but when they want to marry her off in return for political support in their war, she takes an instant dislike to her husband to be and runs away. Pursued by an assassin sent by her suitors family, Ananna ends up saving his life  instead and being dragged into a curse that bind her and her assassin Naji close together.

This book is very easy to read. Told from Ananna point of view with liberal use of local slang and dialect, it really feels like you are in someone else’s head. There are some great scenes – the fight in the desert, the storm at sea which are well described and visual. I liked the world with the difference between the pirates, cities and ice-islands all feeling part of the same world. Some of these images have stayed with me long after closing the book. There are some intriguing characters that I wanted to get to know better – especially the woman first mate of the ship, but this is really the story of Ananna and Naji.

It is with Ananna and Naji that I had a couple of reservations – Ananna seems easily won over by Naji. One minute he’s trying to kill her, the next she trusts him enough to blindly follow him wherever he wants. I know she is only sixteen, but she feels much younger to me with plenty of teenage mood-swings and jealousy. Naji remains a mystery throughout – I never really felt like I knew his motivations at all. He seems incredible ignorant of women and bizarrely aware of his scar for a cold-blooded assassin. However my biggest issue is with the ending, which seems to arrive suddenly. Not a cliff-hanger so much as just a stop – it meant that the story up to that point doesn’t feel like a coherent plot. This is supposed to make you desperate to read the next book, but I just felt like I was short changed with this book.

There is a cool idea here – pirate girl and assassin out to break the curse on them, and I think this would be adored by some younger teens. However, I was expecting something more.

Recommended for fans of Rae Carson and Gwenda Bond. 6.5 out of 10      

Early Review: Wake of the Bloody Angel

Wake of the Bloody Angel (Eddie LaCrosse #4)

-       Alex Bledsoe

Publisher: Tor (Published 3^rd July 2012)

Ecopy courtesy of netgalley and Tor Books

Twenty years ago, a barmaid in a harbor town fell for a young sailor who turned pirate to make his fortune. But what truly became of Black Edward Tew remains a mystery—one that has just fallen into the lap of freelance sword jockey Eddie LaCrosse.
For years, Eddie has kept his office above Angelina’s tavern, so when Angelina herself asks him to find out what happened to the dashing pirate who stole her heart, he can hardly say no—even though the trail is two decades old. Some say Black Edward and his ship, The Bloody Angel, went to bottom of the sea, taking with it a king’s fortune in treasure. Others say he rules a wealthy, secret pirate kingdom. And a few believe he still sails under a ghostly flag with a crew of the damned.
To find the truth, and earn his twenty-five gold pieces a day, Eddie must take to sea in the company of a former pirate queen in search of the infamous Black Edward Tew…and his even more legendary treasure

I didn’t realise when I first requested this book that it was the fourth book following the adventures of sword-jockey, Eddie LaCrosse – a cross between a mercenary and detective. Luckily this book can be read as a complete stand-alone, although a couple of small references to pass adventures do have me curious and on the basis of this story, I will be catching up with Eddie again soon.

Angeline, the owner Eddie’s local bar – and his office landlady asks Eddie to discover what happened to her former sweetheart, a pirate who went missing twenty years earlier. With the help of fellow sword-jockey Jane Argo, Eddie enters the world of pirates, sea-monsters and lost treasure. On the high seas, the line between pirate and pirate-hunter is thin and can crossed easily – especially when rumours of Black Edward’s treasure starts circulating...

Despite the fantasy setting, this reads much more like an Urban Fantasy to me. Eddie has been hired for a job and he is determined to do his best to discover what happened to Black Edward and if he might still be alive. To this end he hires Jane Argo, a former pirate herself turned pirate hunter turned sword-jockey to help guide him at sea. I loved how determined Eddie was to do his job – he wasn’t distracted by talk of treasure at all. He was honourable and smart. Eddie and Jane’s adventure takes them to the sea where superstitions run riot and pirates threaten.

There is plenty of action in this story to keep the adrenaline going and some very atmospheric scenes at sea that will send a shiver down your spine. Without wanting to give too much away, I was on the edge of my seat a lot and completely immersed in the story – I read in within a day and enjoyed every word! Eddie is a great hero and a guy I would like to meet. He already know who he is so there is little soul searching. I was as keen as Eddie to find out had happened to Black Edward – it kept me guessing to the end. Fun and entertaining from beginning to end.

Recommended for fans of Sarah J Maas and Rachel Aaron. 8 out of 10.

The Assassin and the Throne of Glass Novellas Review

The Assassin and the Pirate Lord (Throne of Glass Novella 0.1)

- Sarah J Maas

Kindle Book

A Throne of Glass novella.
On a remote island in a tropical sea, Celaena Sardothien, feared assassin, has come for retribution. She’s been sent by the Assassin’s Guild to collect on a debt they are owed by the Lord of the Pirates. But when Celaena learns that the agreed payment is not in money, but in slaves, her mission suddenly changes—and she will risk everything to right the wrong she’s been sent to bring about.

This was so much fun to read! Celaena Sardothien is a sixteen year old assassin – beautiful, confident and deadly. When she and her colleague and rival, Sam are sent to the Pirate Lord by the King of Assassins in order to conduct a business exchange, she is horrified to find they will be bringing back slaves. Celaena is cocky but extremely competent – always looking for an edge. Yet despite this prickly service she has real heart and a strong sense of honour. Not that she has a heart of gold – but I feel she may have a streak of gold in her heart somewhere!

Added to this is an exciting world where pirates and assassins have leaders, there is a conquering land hinted at in the back ground and there is plenty of action. The action is smoothly done, thrilling and very visual. I could easily see events in my mind and would love to see a TV series or film with these characters! While short, this is the perfect introduction to a new fantasy world and one I very much want to explore! Luckily for me there are another three novellas and a full length novel which is published soon so I will definitely be exploring this world in more detail!

Recommended for fans of Robin Hobb and Rae Carson. 8 out of 10.

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The Assassin and the Desert (Throne of Glass Novella 0.2)

-       Sarah J Maas

Kindle Book

The Silent Assassins of the Red Desert aren’t much for conversation, and Celaena Sardothien wouldn’t have it any other way. She’s not there to chatter, she’s there to hone her craft as the world’s most feared killer for hire. When the quiet is shattered by forces who want to destroy the Silent Assassins, Celaena must find a way to stop them, or she’ll be lucky to leave the desert alive

Following on from The Assassin and the Pirate Lord, this story follows Celaene as she spends time in the Desert with the Master of the Silent Assassins, hoping for a letter of recommendation to allow her to return home. The difference between the Master and his silent assassins and the Kind of Assassins who raised Celaene is marked – particularly the difference in how they treat their followers – one encouraging and the other dissenting is fascinating. The desert is always a interesting place to set a story and this is no exception. I loved the chase scene as well as Celaene’s frustrations that the master won’t train her.

I found this story more enjoyable than the Pirate Lord, Celaene is more relaxed in this story as she’s not on a mission. Her developing friendships with people in the desert is a joy especially given the different personalities of them all. This felt like a much more emotional story with Celaene making some decisions on how she wants to live her life, but at the same time there is plenty of action as Celaene doens’t lack for skills!

Fun, exciting and fulfilling this is a perfect teaser for Throne of Glass – as soon as I finished this story, I pre-ordered the novel which is out in August!

Recommended for fans of Rae Carson and Maria V Synder. 9 out of 10  

Ninja Verses Pirate Featuring Zombies Review

Ninja Verses Pirate Featuring Zombies (How To End Human Suffering 1)

-       James Marshall

Publisher: Chizine Publications

E-Arc Received Courtesy of netgalley and Chizine Publications

In a world where Zombies control banks and governments, only one young man sees the way things are and emerges from the Chaos and destruction: Guy Boy Man. While he tries to end human suffering worldwide and in his high school, Guy Boy Man meets a cute Pink-Haired girl named Babydoll15 who has a Unicorn that follows her everywhere. An Epic Romance begins, but forces Beyond Their Control are intent on keeping the young couple apart. One of those Forces may - or may not be! - Guy Boy Man's closest friend, a handsome African-American Ninja named Sweetie Honey; another could be four Exotically Beautiful, genetically engineered and behaviorally modified Eastern European Girls; yet another, the principal of their High School ...not to mention an impending standardized test known as the Zombie Acceptance Test! Will Guy Boy Man find a way to be with Baby Doll15 in a World Where Everyone Is Doomed to become either zombies or zombie food?

It took me a long time to read this book. I even put it down and read a few other books before I finished it (something unheard of for me as I like to just focus on one book at a time!). I requested this book thanks to the title –  Ninja Verses Pirate Featuring Zombies...of course, I wanted to read it! However, I really struggled with this book.

It is written in first person by our ‘hero’ Guy Boy Man and as such is close to a stream of consciousness with rambling asides and clever word play, but this makes it very difficult to follow. Two pages will go by as a he digresses on a series of episodes about how horrible humans are before returning to the conversation in high school that he was having. I found this very hard to focus and meant that my concentration wandered nearly as much as Guy Boy Mans.

For some time I was intrigued as to whether the zombies and troubled teens were real or just one guys interpretation of society today. This idea kept me reading for a while as I continued to translate the happenings into ‘real’ world, but after a while this wore a little thin. There are some funny lines in here but you have to dig through a lot to find them and it’s a lot of effort. To be honest this felt like a lot of work to read and I don’t know if I could recommended it to anyone else.

2 out of 10 (for a few funny lines and a great title only!)

Early Review: The Iron Duke

The Iron Duke (The Iron Seas 1)

-          Meljean Brook

Publisher: UK – Berkley (Released in UK on 12th April 2012)

After the Iron Duke freed England from Horde control, he instantly became a national hero. Now Rhys Trahaearn has built a merchant empire on the power-and fear-of his name. And when a dead body is dropped from an airship onto his doorstep, bringing Detective Inspector Mina Wentworth into his dangerous world, he intends to make her his next possession.
But when Mina uncovers the victim's identity, she stumbles upon a conspiracy that threatens the lives of everyone in England. To save them, Mina and Rhys must race across zombie-infested wastelands and treacherous oceans-and Mina discovers the danger is not only to her countrymen, as she finds herself tempted to give up everything to the Iron Duke.

Mina is a police inspector in London nine years after the Horde were beaten – conceived during a frenzy, she has to deal with the prejudice of her Horde heritage every day. However, she doesn’t let this stop her from doing her job and doing it well – even if that means clashing with England’s most famous pirate turned saviour, the Iron Duke himself. Together they find themselves caught up in a deeper conspiracy and mystery than they could have thought possible...

This book is like rocky road ice cream – lots of yummy ingredients that you usually enjoy separately, mixed together to create something entirely different and yet delicious and more-ish. You want an independently strong female lead, you got it. You want a handsome alpha male, you got it. You want an intriguing mystery, you got it. Nano-agents? Check. Adventure? Check. Romance? Check. Zombies? Check. Sea battles? Check. Sea Monsters? Check. And of course no steampunk novel would be complete without an airship or two... Somehow, this book has become so much more than the sum of it parts to create something truly unique.

I will confess I struggled a little at the beginning as the world and history was so different from anything I could recognise – a lot of background is thrown at you in a short space of time – the Horde, the buggers, the blounders, but it is all needed in order to truly understand the detailed and comprehensive world that Meljean Brook has created.  After the first fifty pages or so, you are up to date and then watch out! The pace is frantic, but detailed. The relationships are complex and more than just typical romantic stereotypes. While reading, it feels like you’ve had the emotion and excitement of a full season of your favourite show. My heart was racing so many times during The Iron Duke. Despite the steampunk trappings this could easily belong to any other genre as well – romance (there are some truly smexy scenes here!), horror (the ratcatchers really terrified me!), conspiracy, pirating – I could go on, but instead I will highly, highly recommend this book!

Recommended for fans of Nalini Singh and Nicole Peeler. 9.5 out of 10.