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3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
Decent overall. Imaginative, with some very good ideas.
However, the pacing is all over the place, and the plot meanders quite a bit.
However, the pacing is all over the place, and the plot meanders quite a bit.
Really enjoyable tale that was a bit slow in the middle. Fantastic descriptions of magic and lots of historical tidbits, but nowhere near enough storms for the Caribbean. The two female characters were flat. This is the first novel I've read by Tim Powers, and I look forward to more. Also, I still haven't seen any of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies.
This book was fun! I enjoy Powers’s magic system a lot, and the way he depicts voudoun is really evocative and interesting.
Some pedantic things I noted that I thought were out of place (far from an expert, though, could be wrong):
• Pretty sure there is a moment where he implies that gaff-rigged sails are triangular; my understanding is that they are four-sided.
• I don’t think that the term “Haiti” was in common use among Europeans in 1718—the name I have seen used for the French colony on Hispaniola is Saint-Domingue. My impression is that “Haiti” was revived by revolutionaries in the 1790s with the liberation of the region from colonial rule.
• I don’t believe that Stede Bonnet was as old as he is here depicted in 1718; obviously there are problems with the birth records, but the basic internet sources I can find seem to indicate that he was about thirty when he died. (Piracy is a tough gig.)
• I don’t think breadfruit grew in the Caribbean in 1718—wasn’t the ill-fated Bounty expedition intended, in part, to gather specimens of breadfruit to be planted in the West Indies?
Some pedantic things I noted that I thought were out of place (far from an expert, though, could be wrong):
• Pretty sure there is a moment where he implies that gaff-rigged sails are triangular; my understanding is that they are four-sided.
• I don’t think that the term “Haiti” was in common use among Europeans in 1718—the name I have seen used for the French colony on Hispaniola is Saint-Domingue. My impression is that “Haiti” was revived by revolutionaries in the 1790s with the liberation of the region from colonial rule.
• I don’t believe that Stede Bonnet was as old as he is here depicted in 1718; obviously there are problems with the birth records, but the basic internet sources I can find seem to indicate that he was about thirty when he died. (Piracy is a tough gig.)
• I don’t think breadfruit grew in the Caribbean in 1718—wasn’t the ill-fated Bounty expedition intended, in part, to gather specimens of breadfruit to be planted in the West Indies?
Great mixture of adventure, fantasy and non-fiction
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
On Stranger Tides is a historical romance in the best sense of the word; an old-fashioned adventure story that knows exactly what it is and will happily take yet another reader along for the ride. Pirates! Zombies! Voodoo! The famed Fountain of Youth! Villainous evil villains! (The famous Blackbeard is a dark sorcerer in this book.) Ghosts! Ghost ships! Dark, sticky magic!
The setting is great. Tim Powers has done his homework very well, and at the same time he paints an image of the Caribbean that truly belongs in a romance – a world where adventures happen all the time and heroes prevail against all odds.
Also, if you have read The Anubis Gates, you’ll love how On Stranger Tides begins with quotes from Coleridge and William Ashbless. “Yes,” you’ll say, “now I know exactly what to expect.”
The setting is great. Tim Powers has done his homework very well, and at the same time he paints an image of the Caribbean that truly belongs in a romance – a world where adventures happen all the time and heroes prevail against all odds.
Also, if you have read The Anubis Gates, you’ll love how On Stranger Tides begins with quotes from Coleridge and William Ashbless. “Yes,” you’ll say, “now I know exactly what to expect.”
Now I have to replay Monkey Island, possibly Assassin's Creed Black Flag, rewatch all the Pirates of the Caribbean saga, finish Black Sails, and every other pirate medium I've watched before. There's so much based on this book. Loved it.
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
With the new Pirates of the Caribbian movie coming out I thought I would read this one first. Didn't quite finish it before we saw the movie, but no problem, it had absolutely nothing to do with the movie. When they say the movie is loosely based on it, they sure do mean it. The only thing in common is that they are searching for the fountain of youth. That's where the similarities end.
It was a good read though. At least I can say I have read a pirate book now.
It was a good read though. At least I can say I have read a pirate book now.
This was a good swashbuckling pirate story. While reading it I kept thinking that it seemed like a knock-off of Pirates of the Caribbean, but since the book was written in 1988, I guess maybe PotC is actually the knock-off. But since the newest PotC movie is based on this book, I guess it's all okay. My only complaint with the book, since you know I have to have one, is that there seemed to be too much downtime on the pirate island and not enough cool pirate battles and adventures. But other than that, it was a fun, quick read.
I prefer books that are a mix of plot-driven and character-driven. This book is all plots, no thoughts.