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irl_bookworms's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I absolutely love me a good pirate story, and Crossbones by Kimberly Vale did not disappoint!
Our three main characters are Csilla, a young captain of an all female crew, Kane, an even younger captain who struggled to build his crew up under the shadow of his father’s legacy, and Lorelei, an unlikely girl who lives on the coast, and whose fate is nothing anyone could have foreseen.
Their paths are crossed when the Pirate King dies and each captain of his fleet must present themselves to a trial that will determine who wears the Bone Crown…
Crossbones is a solid, fun, pirate adventure. The characters are excellent, and each ship having their own set of governing rules really gave a sense of distinction between each group. The “big twist” is fairly easy to spot early on, but the author doesn’t dwell on it too long and continues with the story regardless, so that was appreciated. There are fights, betrayals, monsters, and dramatic escapes. Crossbones is all around a very good time for a standalone YA fantasy.
The one thing I wanted more from was that pirates historically arise when there is a severe imbalance of power tied with colonialism or expansion, and I wished that the author would have dug into that a little more, because it makes for such interesting discussion and story. But then I do understand that the majority of the focus of this book was on the trials and the fight over the Bone Crown - so think more inter-pirate conflicts rather than pirates vs the nation they are up against.
Overall, if you like pirates or any sea adventures, you can’t go wrong with Crossbones!
Content warnings for violence, murder, & death of a parent
*Thank you Wattpad Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review*
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder, Death of parent, and Violence
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