FINALLY! A REAL Pirate Story and It Was BLOODY BRILLIANT!!!

Title: Daughter of the Pirate King
Author: Tricia Levenseller
Series: Daughter of the Pirate King, book #1
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Publication Date: February 28, 2017
Source: ARC received from publisher
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

A 17-year-old pirate captain intentionally allows herself to get captured by enemy pirates in this thrilling YA adventure.

Sent on a mission to retrieve an ancient hidden map—the key to a legendary treasure trove—seventeen-year-old pirate captain Alosa deliberately allows herself to be captured by her enemies, giving her the perfect opportunity to search their ship.

More than a match for the ruthless pirate crew, Alosa has only one thing standing between her and the map: her captor, the unexpectedly clever and unfairly attractive first mate, Riden. But not to worry, for Alosa has a few tricks up her sleeve, and no lone pirate can stop the Daughter of the Pirate King.

Debut author Tricia Levenseller blends action, adventure, romance, and a little bit of magic into a thrilling YA pirate tale.

I am always on board for more pirate stories. (Heh.) But all of the books I've read recently that were supposed to be about pirates...weren't. Not really. Not even the one called Lady Pirate. These books all featured pirate ships on the covers and sounded like they'd be a welcome romp on the high seas, but none of them could hold a candle to Daughter of the Pirate King.

First and foremost, I think you should know that I wouldn't consider this YA, except for the age of the main characters and that very middle-grade-looking cover. Oh, and the fact that there's no actual sex, though I've read plenty of adult novels that don't include that either, so that's not actually all that telling. Daughter of the Pirate King is violent and brutal and bloody and clever AF. And it deserves a better cover, in my opinion. I know the publisher gave it an "upgrade", but all that did was add a few more spots of blood and give boobs to the main character. It needs a cover more representative of how badass this book is.

But I digress. This book was everything I'd hoped for in a pirate book. For one, the plot actually occurs at sea, rather than on land. There's thieving and treasure and all manner of fighting. A lot of death, too. Some random. Some unnecessary. And some just outright vengeful. And I don't know what this says about me, but I loved every second of it.

Oh, and the magical aspect is just brilliant. I didn't know it was happening until it was happening, and then I was like, damn, son. I was blind-sided by a few aspects of this novel, and I couldn't be happier. But then Alosa would point something out as she narrated and seemed relatively oblivious as to why she'd noticed in the first place, and then I felt like I had one up on her. Even though she was the master of surprises herself.

And now we come to the part where I discuss the romance, which was just UNGH. I. Love. Banter. And these two pirates are relentless with it. He's cocky and arrogant and I can't help but feel it's all a facade. Alosa is...the same, but not. Her secrets mean she keeps most at arm's length, but little by little, she lets him in. And the teasing, will-they-won't-they just about drove me nuts. I am SO on board for this ship.

I pretty much loved everything about this book. Daughter of the Pirate King was so good. So good. And then it just...ended. I was like, wait, where's the final chapter? It wasn't a cliffhanger. Nothing like that. But I think I still had all that battle lust going on and then it was just over and I just had all these feelings left over. Which means a very torturous wait for the next installment, but at least I know it'll be worth it.

GIF it to me straight:

About the author:

Tricia Levenseller writes historical fantasies for young adult readers. Her debut, DAUGHTER OF THE PIRATE KING, is set to release Feb. 2017 from Feiwel and Friends, an imprint of Macmillan Publishers.

Initially from a small town in Oregon, Tricia now lives next to the Rocky Mountains with her bossy dog, Rosy. She received her degree in English Language and editing and is thrilled that she never has to read a textbook again. When she’s not writing or reading, Tricia enjoys putting together jigsaw puzzles, playing volleyball, and watching shows while eating extra-buttered popcorn.

Find Tricia:

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Labels: daughter of the pirate king, fantasy, favorites, macmillan, pirates, reviews, tricia levenseller