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3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A great pastiche, this thing has pirates, Blackbeard, the Fountain of Youth and a whole lot of swashed buckles. It's the inspiration for Lucasfilm's series of Monkey Island games, and is well worth your time.
I've heard rumours of this story being adapteded for a possible next PotC movie, but I wouldn't hold my breath.
I've heard rumours of this story being adapteded for a possible next PotC movie, but I wouldn't hold my breath.
I give this book 3.5 star.
From a perspective, this is a unique book for me. I have never read a pirate fiction, or naval adventure fiction before, or voodoo-based magic. I admit I am still confused with the ship terms, which means i could not imagine a complete picture when reading about a scene on a ship. Regardless of the trivial details of the setting, I could follow the storyline.
But from other perspective, this book is so standard with stereotype plot formula. The first and second chapter is good for introductions, but I believe many readers could read/predict some details will be important to make surprises at the end of the book.
Then the story development is a bit predictable at middle part of the book. Even with surprises of the voodoo magic and fantastic realms, the middle part up to 3/4 of the book is just passable 2 star for me.
After reading a lot of stories with good character development this year, I found many of the characters of this book feel flat, but I can tolerate it because this novel only has 322 pages.
The last quarter of the book saves this story. I don't know if it is intentional or not, but the border between 3rd and 4th quarter is on chapter 23, which I praised so much on the comment. I can say that I satisfied with the climax and ending.
I cannot help myself comparing this book with The Anubis Gates for the writing style and the magic rules (I won't spoil more), but unfortunately TAG has superior plot with the time-travel twists.
In summary, it is a good novel, but definitely not the Tim Power's best.
From a perspective, this is a unique book for me. I have never read a pirate fiction, or naval adventure fiction before, or voodoo-based magic. I admit I am still confused with the ship terms, which means i could not imagine a complete picture when reading about a scene on a ship. Regardless of the trivial details of the setting, I could follow the storyline.
But from other perspective, this book is so standard with stereotype plot formula. The first and second chapter is good for introductions, but I believe many readers could read/predict some details will be important to make surprises at the end of the book.
Then the story development is a bit predictable at middle part of the book. Even with surprises of the voodoo magic and fantastic realms, the middle part up to 3/4 of the book is just passable 2 star for me.
After reading a lot of stories with good character development this year, I found many of the characters of this book feel flat, but I can tolerate it because this novel only has 322 pages.
The last quarter of the book saves this story. I don't know if it is intentional or not, but the border between 3rd and 4th quarter is on chapter 23, which I praised so much on the comment. I can say that I satisfied with the climax and ending.
I cannot help myself comparing this book with The Anubis Gates for the writing style and the magic rules (I won't spoil more), but unfortunately TAG has superior plot with the time-travel twists.
In summary, it is a good novel, but definitely not the Tim Power's best.
This is a fantastic introduction to pirate fiction. Powers introduces the characters with enough detail to visualize this historical world, yet not so much as to bore through trying too hard.
Also, unlike certain films, it doesn't spend the whole time glorifying the pirates. At times you are ashamed of the lead character, and shocked by some of the things that are done. But at the same time the actions and decisions seem realistic in this world of decreasing magic.
Well worth a read if you like action, magic, treasure, and a fat bowl of treachery with a light side salad of romance.
Also, unlike certain films, it doesn't spend the whole time glorifying the pirates. At times you are ashamed of the lead character, and shocked by some of the things that are done. But at the same time the actions and decisions seem realistic in this world of decreasing magic.
Well worth a read if you like action, magic, treasure, and a fat bowl of treachery with a light side salad of romance.
Almost entirely nothing like the movie (or really, the movie was nothing like this book), but a fun piratey romp, with voodoo and romance thrown in. Yarr!
One hell of an adventure. Everything about this book rocked, and it's a shame that Disney wasted the rights to it on a lackluster Pirates sequel. On Stranger Tides is a fantastic novel with a fast and twisting plot, great characters, and a satisfying ending.
[An updated review]
A while back I picked up On Stranger Tides. I had heard that it would be the template for the next installment in Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean franchise (#4) and because I'm such a huge fan (not, really). It was a whim, one I thought that would pass after just a few pages, as whims often.
Boy, was I wrong.
Within just the first couple pages, John Chandagnac has been captured by pirates, stabbed and nearly killed the pirate captain, and been "invited" to either join the pirate crew or, proverbially speaking, to walk the plank.
"Adopt our purposes as your own," the bleeding pirate tells him, or die "where you stand." Pretty standard pirate fare, right?
The plot only gets weird from there. But I shouldn't be surprised, right? Because we're talking pirates, right?
Before he knows it, Chandagnac, or Jack Shandy as he is dubbed by his new crew, is plotting his escape back to respectability and lawful society, hoping to take with him the lovely, and also kidnapped, Beth Hurwood. Just as he's about to effect his escape, he finds himself, unwittingly, the quartermaster to his captor embarking on an expedition to the fabled Fountain of Youth.
With stops to Jamaica, Haiti, Florida, the Carolinas, and an odd assortment of Caribbean blink-and-you-miss-it islands, not to mention a supporting actor/villain/antagonist role played by the most famous pirate of all--Blackbeard--On Stranger Tides proves to be a creative ride of a story that I thoroughly enjoyed. If it's not one thing happening to Chandagnac, it's another, and the leaps are as fantastical as any that made their way into Disney's adaptation. Powers has a talent for showing with subtle but colorful language that reflects end of an era at the closing of the 17th century and the birth of the 18th. Or at least it so seems to this reader, separated by several centuries from Caribbean swashbuckling in the dawn of the New World.
My only regret? That Disney would be working its limited magic to diminish the fun and fantastic that Power's pirate tale gives to the reader. It's unfortunate, and it is why I suspect that this is one book that cannot be improved by cinematography or Johnny Depp. (Spoiler alert: the book is much better than the movie).
A while back I picked up On Stranger Tides. I had heard that it would be the template for the next installment in Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean franchise (#4) and because I'm such a huge fan (not, really). It was a whim, one I thought that would pass after just a few pages, as whims often.
Boy, was I wrong.
Within just the first couple pages, John Chandagnac has been captured by pirates, stabbed and nearly killed the pirate captain, and been "invited" to either join the pirate crew or, proverbially speaking, to walk the plank.
"Adopt our purposes as your own," the bleeding pirate tells him, or die "where you stand." Pretty standard pirate fare, right?
The plot only gets weird from there. But I shouldn't be surprised, right? Because we're talking pirates, right?
Before he knows it, Chandagnac, or Jack Shandy as he is dubbed by his new crew, is plotting his escape back to respectability and lawful society, hoping to take with him the lovely, and also kidnapped, Beth Hurwood. Just as he's about to effect his escape, he finds himself, unwittingly, the quartermaster to his captor embarking on an expedition to the fabled Fountain of Youth.
With stops to Jamaica, Haiti, Florida, the Carolinas, and an odd assortment of Caribbean blink-and-you-miss-it islands, not to mention a supporting actor/villain/antagonist role played by the most famous pirate of all--Blackbeard--On Stranger Tides proves to be a creative ride of a story that I thoroughly enjoyed. If it's not one thing happening to Chandagnac, it's another, and the leaps are as fantastical as any that made their way into Disney's adaptation. Powers has a talent for showing with subtle but colorful language that reflects end of an era at the closing of the 17th century and the birth of the 18th. Or at least it so seems to this reader, separated by several centuries from Caribbean swashbuckling in the dawn of the New World.
My only regret? That Disney would be working its limited magic to diminish the fun and fantastic that Power's pirate tale gives to the reader. It's unfortunate, and it is why I suspect that this is one book that cannot be improved by cinematography or Johnny Depp. (Spoiler alert: the book is much better than the movie).
I enjoyed this book. The whole weaving of facts with fiction was well-done, some of the action scenes I literally couldn't stop reading until they were over, and I thought the whole thing was engaging. I'm not sure why I consider this a good but not great book. Maybe too many lulls between actions scenes, maybe it was a little too meandering at times. I know it's a 3 and not higher, but I can't really explain why. Maybe I just didn't like the characters enough. But it's a good read, and I recommend it.
With a damsel in distress, pirates and pirate ships, voodoo, magic, ghosts, the Fountain of Youth, swashbuckling sword fights, puppet theater, cannons, prisoners, games of wits, Blackbeard, and zombies--with all of these elements, a book like this has got to be fun! And it is; a bunch of really fun characters, fast-moving plot, humorous twists in the story line, all help to make this an enjoyable read.
Actually, I did not read this book; I listened to the audiobook. Bronson Pinchot does an excellent narration, giving each character a unique sound. My only complaint is with the sound engineering. The sound level is very weak, and some characters are barely audible. Blackstone Audio should do better.
Actually, I did not read this book; I listened to the audiobook. Bronson Pinchot does an excellent narration, giving each character a unique sound. My only complaint is with the sound engineering. The sound level is very weak, and some characters are barely audible. Blackstone Audio should do better.
I liked every other chapter. The pirates vodun magic was my favorite part. Blackboard with smoking slowmatch in his hair and beard is frightening. The baddies are all awful and the elements of historical child abuse to explain that were a bit much for me. Elizabeth is a cypher in distress, poor thing. He wrote it in 1987 which I didn't realize when I bought the newly published paperback. Good for Tim Powers. Read his trilogy Last Call, Expiration Date and Earthquake Weather instead.