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stephanialopez's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
I had fun reading this. I thought the characters and their dynamics together had a lot of potential. Each character brought something to the table and I found myself attached to them. All of the characters were kind of battling with themselves as well as with each other and that created a bit of tension about what would happen. However, something about most of their relationships with each other felt flat or rushed. I didn't 100% buy that they were suddenly friends, though I did see some foundation for strong friendships. I just don't see it as something that should've happened in this first novel. I hope to better understand their connections in future novels.
There's some casual worldbuilding that did leave a little something to desire, but I look forward to seeing how this world is expanded on in future novels. I'm really curious about this world and the next steps the characters will take. The whole concept of this pirate kingdom is super interesting and I hope to see it fully fleshed out. I will say though that a good portion of the story was predictable, but I'm not upset about that. I think within the first third of the novel I could already see what was going to happen on the large scale, but there were still a good few surprises I didn't see coming. The twists of betrayal really hit me!
Vale's style was straightforward and this was overall just an easy read. I didn't find myself having to think too much about what was going on and could just have a good time reading.
She got my attention, and I cannot wait to read the next book!
There's some casual worldbuilding that did leave a little something to desire, but I look forward to seeing how this world is expanded on in future novels. I'm really curious about this world and the next steps the characters will take. The whole concept of this pirate kingdom is super interesting and I hope to see it fully fleshed out. I will say though that a good portion of the story was predictable, but I'm not upset about that. I think within the first third of the novel I could already see what was going to happen on the large scale, but there were still a good few surprises I didn't see coming. The twists of betrayal really hit me!
Vale's style was straightforward and this was overall just an easy read. I didn't find myself having to think too much about what was going on and could just have a good time reading.
She got my attention, and I cannot wait to read the next book!
Content Warnings
Minor: Death of parent and Blood
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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