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livetgjennomb_ker's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
This book unfortunately suffers from a case of overpromising and under delivering.
It presents itself as Bridgerton meets Peaky Blinders which makes it sound like it’s about to be a whole lot grittier than it is. I’d say this is closer to Bridgerton meets Pirates of the Caribbean but with houses. It’s silly and camp, so why is it trying to distance itself from that silliness by dragging PB into it?
In addition to this none of the supposed danger feels real. It’s all extremely surface level. I am supposed to believe that both Cecilia and Ned are super dangerous pirates who can kill you quickly and easily, without so much as a second thought, but at no point in the entire book do they do anything to back up their claims of villainy?
It’s a fine book if you’re after some silliness that doesn’t take itself (or history) too seriously, but don’t expect anything life changing.
ETA: it feels like a book written about twenty years ago. Had it come out then I’m 78% sure it would have had a film adaptation, as it leans towards the kind of adventure film that was available in the early aughts
It presents itself as Bridgerton meets Peaky Blinders which makes it sound like it’s about to be a whole lot grittier than it is. I’d say this is closer to Bridgerton meets Pirates of the Caribbean but with houses. It’s silly and camp, so why is it trying to distance itself from that silliness by dragging PB into it?
In addition to this none of the supposed danger feels real. It’s all extremely surface level. I am supposed to believe that both Cecilia and Ned are super dangerous pirates who can kill you quickly and easily, without so much as a second thought, but at no point in the entire book do they do anything to back up their claims of villainy?
It’s a fine book if you’re after some silliness that doesn’t take itself (or history) too seriously, but don’t expect anything life changing.
ETA: it feels like a book written about twenty years ago. Had it come out then I’m 78% sure it would have had a film adaptation, as it leans towards the kind of adventure film that was available in the early aughts
Content Warnings
Minor: Murder, Death of parent, Sexual content, Colonisation, Kidnapping, and Misogyny
mariahmmm's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Cecilia Bassingthwaite, lady pirate, has finally had her first assassination attempt from a charming rake. Thus starts a wild and unhinged adventure of flying houses, double-crossing agents, a slow-burn romance, and a battle royale (literally) - all while maintaining the decorum and quality of an English lady.
What a chaotic story! Nothing makes sense, and that is part of the book's charm. Filled with quirky characters with a strange set of morals and values, this was mostly a fun epic adventure. The book was a 4/5 until the (literal) climax of the slow-burn romance, with the experienced Ned seemingly taking advantage of naive Cecilia that left a sour taste.
What a chaotic story! Nothing makes sense, and that is part of the book's charm. Filled with quirky characters with a strange set of morals and values, this was mostly a fun epic adventure. The book was a 4/5 until the (literal) climax of the slow-burn romance, with the experienced Ned seemingly taking advantage of naive Cecilia that left a sour taste.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Violence, Death, Death of parent, and Blood
Moderate: Infidelity, Cursing, Misogyny, Murder, Drug use, Sexual content, and Kidnapping
Minor: Abandonment
ursa_arlo's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Positives. This book has an amazing concept: Victorian lady pirates with flying houses and dastardly banter?? Sign me up! The humour was fantastic and the characters were quirky in their own unique way.
Negatives. In spite of the great premise, I was left disappointed. The book had a flying start but by the end it had committed the greatest crime of all: it was boring. The story slowed down greatly near the middle of the book and never recovered. It's not a good sign when you're left wondering what could happen to draw out the story for another hundred pages. I was also disappointed in Cecilia's character development: she was a great main character with lots of agency but had accomplished little by the end. Instead of keeping an adventurous touch, this novel devolved into a cliché romance story and that was not a great choice in my opinion.
Negatives. In spite of the great premise, I was left disappointed. The book had a flying start but by the end it had committed the greatest crime of all: it was boring. The story slowed down greatly near the middle of the book and never recovered. It's not a good sign when you're left wondering what could happen to draw out the story for another hundred pages. I was also disappointed in Cecilia's character development: she was a great main character with lots of agency but had accomplished little by the end. Instead of keeping an adventurous touch, this novel devolved into a cliché romance story and that was not a great choice in my opinion.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Death of parent, Death, and Murder
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Blood
puddleshoes's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder, Sexual content, and Violence
sweetchocolatez's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny and Sexism
Moderate: Death of parent, Violence, Medical content, Murder, and Alcohol
Minor: Body shaming, Adult/minor relationship, Kidnapping, Drug use, Gun violence, and Cursing
franzi_'s review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexism, Drug use, Alcohol, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, and Death of parent
buttermellow's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder and Death of parent
Minor: Adult/minor relationship
a_novi's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
This book is a little all over the place, there’s a lot of fluff and I found it kind of boring. It is not family friendly as there is a pretty detailed sex scene in it too. I will probably DNF the series because I just found it uninteresting and the pretentious attitude of the main characters is actually annoying. What do they have against freckles? It sounds like colorism and classism and it made the main characters unlikable.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Sexual content, and Violence
persephonefoxx's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
It is violence that best overcomes hate, vengeance that most certainly heals injury, and a good cup of tea that soothes the most anguished soul
Fun. Lighthearted. Witty. Trope-y.
All in the best ways of course. Flying houses, pirates, badass (but still proper) ladies, and a fun romance to boot. Sometimes all you need is a fun book that takes you on a wild ride, and yep. That’s this.
All in the best ways of course. Flying houses, pirates, badass (but still proper) ladies, and a fun romance to boot. Sometimes all you need is a fun book that takes you on a wild ride, and yep. That’s this.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Sexual content, Gun violence, and Murder
Moderate: Misogyny
Minor: Drug use and Alcohol
jessthanthree's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Drug use, Alcohol, Murder, Death of parent, and Sexual content
Minor: Blood