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shalini_gunnasan's review against another edition
4.0
Okay so this was a whole lot of fun, even better than the previous. I feel a little bit cheated that we won't be hanging out on New Sevrelain anymore, but oh well, further adventures await!
selinadragonair's review
4.0
I think this was a solid second book to a duology.
It had lots of action and battles, new places, old secrets and the characters didn't fall short either (at least most of them). There were some light Pirates of the Caribbean - vibes in it again, but nothing too big and I liked it that way.
When it comes to the twists and surprises I need to say that I was not entirely pleased by all of them, altough there were some developments I really liked.
And dammit, how did Princess get his name? Did I really miss it???
It had lots of action and battles, new places, old secrets and the characters didn't fall short either (at least most of them). There were some light Pirates of the Caribbean - vibes in it again, but nothing too big and I liked it that way.
When it comes to the twists and surprises I need to say that I was not entirely pleased by all of them, altough there were some developments I really liked.
And dammit, how did Princess get his name? Did I really miss it???
vaderbird's review
3.0
5 star - Perfect
4 star - i would recommend
3 star - good
2 star - struggled to complete
1 star - could not finish
4 star - i would recommend
3 star - good
2 star - struggled to complete
1 star - could not finish
barb4ry1's review
4.0
The Pirate Isles are united under Drake Morrass’ flag, but the war has only just begun. There’s still a long way to go before he’s able to call himself King.
I immensely enjoyed Where Loyalties Lie - first installment of Best Laid Plans duology. It’s one of my favorite SPFBO2017 books (among 24 I read so far). I preordered sequel and once it was released, I decided to alter my reading plans and find out as soon as possible what fates awaited my favorite pirates.
Drake Morrass was my favorite character in WLL. He’s a scum, sure. But he also has charisma and, besides, I like sociopathic characters. In TFEOM Drake tries to forge a pirate kingdom. Not an easy task given his potential followers are all thieves, murderers and worse.
There’s one more problem. The Five Kingdoms and Sarth have assembled a fleet of ships unlike any the world has ever seen, and they intend to purge the Pirate Isles once and for all.
While the first book had some humorous elements, the sequel is much more violent, bloody and grim. Drake gets less attention as the story focuses on Elaine Black, Keelin Stillwater and T’Rack Khan. Truth be told I don’t particularly enjoy Keelin. He lacks Drake charisma and even though his actions are fueled by the need for revenge he’s a bit flat to me. Happily other characters, especially T’Rack Khan and Elaina are more than cool. I especially like T’Rack. He’s an unstoppable war machine, especially with the help of Nerine Tsokei who unleashes some damn dark powers.
We get a lot of Elaina Black. That’s good. I have a weakness for strong and clever woman, even those with a short temper. Elaina becomes a very important figure in the book.
The pacing is very fast, it rarely slows down. The book is filled with visual descriptions of fights and naval battles. Blood is spilled, body parts float around and some of them are used to kill others. Dark magic is unleashed, hundreds of people die or become physically and/or emotionally crippled. There’s a bit of politics and intrigue but mostly we’re lead from one action scene to the other. Important characters die. Some in a shocking way.
It’s great and entertaining book I didn’t want to put down. It’s not perfect. Some battle scenes were too chaotic to my taste, there were some spelling errors (I spotted just a few) and the final naval battle was slightly too long. It’s, however, a personal opinion – I’m not a fan of epic battles. I’m pretty sure others will love it. Personally, I think that Where Loyalties lie is a better book. It’s more character driven and richer. I’m not satisfied with the conclusion of some arcs and I mourn at least two characters. Having me mourning fictional characters proves Rob J.Hayes is good at what he does and the guy can be sure I’ll buy his next series.
Also, the ending suggests we may meet some of the characters in the future and at least one of them will play an important role in a fight much bigger and important than this for Pirate Isles.
In summary – Best Laid Plans is my favorite pirate series ever. It’s entertaining and engaging. It’s exciting. It has plenty of great and unique ideas. The pacing is excellent. I highly encourage you to read it. I never particularly enjoyed pirates and now I consider getting myself an eye-patch.
I immensely enjoyed Where Loyalties Lie - first installment of Best Laid Plans duology. It’s one of my favorite SPFBO2017 books (among 24 I read so far). I preordered sequel and once it was released, I decided to alter my reading plans and find out as soon as possible what fates awaited my favorite pirates.
Drake Morrass was my favorite character in WLL. He’s a scum, sure. But he also has charisma and, besides, I like sociopathic characters. In TFEOM Drake tries to forge a pirate kingdom. Not an easy task given his potential followers are all thieves, murderers and worse.
There’s one more problem. The Five Kingdoms and Sarth have assembled a fleet of ships unlike any the world has ever seen, and they intend to purge the Pirate Isles once and for all.
While the first book had some humorous elements, the sequel is much more violent, bloody and grim. Drake gets less attention as the story focuses on Elaine Black, Keelin Stillwater and T’Rack Khan. Truth be told I don’t particularly enjoy Keelin. He lacks Drake charisma and even though his actions are fueled by the need for revenge he’s a bit flat to me. Happily other characters, especially T’Rack Khan and Elaina are more than cool. I especially like T’Rack. He’s an unstoppable war machine, especially with the help of Nerine Tsokei who unleashes some damn dark powers.
We get a lot of Elaina Black. That’s good. I have a weakness for strong and clever woman, even those with a short temper. Elaina becomes a very important figure in the book.
The pacing is very fast, it rarely slows down. The book is filled with visual descriptions of fights and naval battles. Blood is spilled, body parts float around and some of them are used to kill others. Dark magic is unleashed, hundreds of people die or become physically and/or emotionally crippled. There’s a bit of politics and intrigue but mostly we’re lead from one action scene to the other. Important characters die. Some in a shocking way.
It’s great and entertaining book I didn’t want to put down. It’s not perfect. Some battle scenes were too chaotic to my taste, there were some spelling errors (I spotted just a few) and the final naval battle was slightly too long. It’s, however, a personal opinion – I’m not a fan of epic battles. I’m pretty sure others will love it. Personally, I think that Where Loyalties lie is a better book. It’s more character driven and richer. I’m not satisfied with the conclusion of some arcs and I mourn at least two characters. Having me mourning fictional characters proves Rob J.Hayes is good at what he does and the guy can be sure I’ll buy his next series.
Also, the ending suggests we may meet some of the characters in the future and at least one of them will play an important role in a fight much bigger and important than this for Pirate Isles.
In summary – Best Laid Plans is my favorite pirate series ever. It’s entertaining and engaging. It’s exciting. It has plenty of great and unique ideas. The pacing is excellent. I highly encourage you to read it. I never particularly enjoyed pirates and now I consider getting myself an eye-patch.
celeste57's review
5.0
Full review now posted!
Original review can be found at Booknest.
I received an ARC of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. While I appreciate the gift, the giving of it in no way influenced my view of the book.
I try to be kind of stingy with my 5 star reviews. Now, I don’t always succeed at this, but my 5 star reviews tend to be reserved for books that move me in some way, be that through character development or plot or the prose itself, books that make me nostalgic, or books by authors that I adore. So, in order to get 5 full stars from me (unless it’s a classic novel, which I rate differently), a book needs to either be deep and philosophical, have gorgeous prose, bring me back to my childhood, or be written by someone that I’ve loved for years. Very seldom do I give a book 5 stars just because it entertained me and kept me reading late into the night, but that’s exactly what I’m doing here.
I really enjoyed the first half of this duology, Where Loyalties Lie. It introduced interesting characters, unique locals, and a magic system intriguing in its mystery. The main reason I accepted the ARC request was because PIRATES. I love pirates so much. I have a road sign pointing toward Tortuga in my living room. Pirate stories aren’t something I could just read nonstop, but it’s a niche I heartily enjoy on occasion. That is, when I can find one that works for me, one that’s actually well-written and compelling without feeling cliche. And Where Loyalties Lie worked for me. It was engaging and fun and exciting, and it always felt original. It was a solidly good book.
But Hayes upped his game in the second half of his duology. The Fifth Empire of Man is one of the best follow-up books I’ve ever read. I couldn’t put it down. It made me gasp and laugh out loud and tense up as I read, which I’m pretty sure is the best compliment a reader can give an author. It was just so darn entertaining, and the brevity of the chapters made it hard not to decide to read just one more when you really needed to put it down to eat or sleep or do laundry or walk your dog or help your sister-in-law with your new niece. The rest of my life suffered just a little until I finished this book, which is unusual for me. That addictive readability is why this book earned 5 stars from me. That and the fact that some of the writing choices that Hayes made in Where Loyalties Lie either weren’t present or weren’t noticeable to me. (Also, no brutal rape scene! Yay!)
Hayes yet again told the story from varying perspectives, each falling under the heading of whichever ship they called home. And once again those main perspectives were: Captain Drake Morrass, the wily and charming instigator of a rebellion, set on seeing himself in a crown; Arbiter Beck, Drake’s lovely and confusing and scarily badass partner; Captain T’ruck Khan, still obsessed with the adage that bigger is better; Captain Keelin Stillwater, a better man than he thinks but with a past that haunts him; and Captain Elaina Black, daughter of the most dreaded pirate in the Isles and hellbent on carving a name for herself outside of that relationship. But there are other characters whose perspectives we get on occasion, though they’re still linked with the ships of their captains.
The scope of the story felt larger than that of its predecessor, and that broadening of scope worked marvelously well. There were new locales that were weird and lovely and honestly terrifying. We learn a little more about the vast and varied magic running like veins beneath the surface of Hayes’ world and are exposed to creatures beautiful and wild and deadly that are imbued with or spawned from that magic. I was completely caught up in this world, and I really enjoyed my stay.
And then there’s the battles on the open sea. You haven’t lived until you read about someone sword fighting with a severed arm, let me tell you. I have a hard time staying engaged in battle scenes, but these were fun. Even in the midst of carnage, I was just so entertained. The variety of perspectives helped, as well. I do have to say, there was a plot twist that caught me completely off-guard, and I’m still surprised by it as I type this review.
One last thing I really want to applaud Hayes for is how well he wrote strong women. There were a handful of women in the book who were very central to the plot, and they were all strong and honestly kind of scary. Beck and Elaina are both awesome, but my favorite was actually a supporting character, Lady Tsokei. She’s one of the scariest, coolest women who ever boarded a ship. I would love more of her story.
All of the above gushing boils down to this: Rob J. Hayes has crafted one of the most entertaining duologies I’ve ever read in Where Loyalties Lie and The Fifth Empire of Man. This is not a tome littered with lovely prose. It’s not deep. It’s not a heartbreaking work of staggering genius. That’s not the type of story he set out to write. And I’m thankful. Sometimes you just need to read something fun and action-packed that will keep you reading late into the night, long after your eyes should have closed. That’s exactly what Hayes produced here. If you like your fun littered with pirates and carnage and more than a little vulgarity, I can’t recommend this duo enough.
Thanks for giving me such a swashbuckling adventure, Hayes. It was a wild ride.
Original review can be found at Booknest.
I received an ARC of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. While I appreciate the gift, the giving of it in no way influenced my view of the book.
I try to be kind of stingy with my 5 star reviews. Now, I don’t always succeed at this, but my 5 star reviews tend to be reserved for books that move me in some way, be that through character development or plot or the prose itself, books that make me nostalgic, or books by authors that I adore. So, in order to get 5 full stars from me (unless it’s a classic novel, which I rate differently), a book needs to either be deep and philosophical, have gorgeous prose, bring me back to my childhood, or be written by someone that I’ve loved for years. Very seldom do I give a book 5 stars just because it entertained me and kept me reading late into the night, but that’s exactly what I’m doing here.
I really enjoyed the first half of this duology, Where Loyalties Lie. It introduced interesting characters, unique locals, and a magic system intriguing in its mystery. The main reason I accepted the ARC request was because PIRATES. I love pirates so much. I have a road sign pointing toward Tortuga in my living room. Pirate stories aren’t something I could just read nonstop, but it’s a niche I heartily enjoy on occasion. That is, when I can find one that works for me, one that’s actually well-written and compelling without feeling cliche. And Where Loyalties Lie worked for me. It was engaging and fun and exciting, and it always felt original. It was a solidly good book.
But Hayes upped his game in the second half of his duology. The Fifth Empire of Man is one of the best follow-up books I’ve ever read. I couldn’t put it down. It made me gasp and laugh out loud and tense up as I read, which I’m pretty sure is the best compliment a reader can give an author. It was just so darn entertaining, and the brevity of the chapters made it hard not to decide to read just one more when you really needed to put it down to eat or sleep or do laundry or walk your dog or help your sister-in-law with your new niece. The rest of my life suffered just a little until I finished this book, which is unusual for me. That addictive readability is why this book earned 5 stars from me. That and the fact that some of the writing choices that Hayes made in Where Loyalties Lie either weren’t present or weren’t noticeable to me. (Also, no brutal rape scene! Yay!)
Hayes yet again told the story from varying perspectives, each falling under the heading of whichever ship they called home. And once again those main perspectives were: Captain Drake Morrass, the wily and charming instigator of a rebellion, set on seeing himself in a crown; Arbiter Beck, Drake’s lovely and confusing and scarily badass partner; Captain T’ruck Khan, still obsessed with the adage that bigger is better; Captain Keelin Stillwater, a better man than he thinks but with a past that haunts him; and Captain Elaina Black, daughter of the most dreaded pirate in the Isles and hellbent on carving a name for herself outside of that relationship. But there are other characters whose perspectives we get on occasion, though they’re still linked with the ships of their captains.
The scope of the story felt larger than that of its predecessor, and that broadening of scope worked marvelously well. There were new locales that were weird and lovely and honestly terrifying. We learn a little more about the vast and varied magic running like veins beneath the surface of Hayes’ world and are exposed to creatures beautiful and wild and deadly that are imbued with or spawned from that magic. I was completely caught up in this world, and I really enjoyed my stay.
And then there’s the battles on the open sea. You haven’t lived until you read about someone sword fighting with a severed arm, let me tell you. I have a hard time staying engaged in battle scenes, but these were fun. Even in the midst of carnage, I was just so entertained. The variety of perspectives helped, as well. I do have to say, there was a plot twist that caught me completely off-guard, and I’m still surprised by it as I type this review.
One last thing I really want to applaud Hayes for is how well he wrote strong women. There were a handful of women in the book who were very central to the plot, and they were all strong and honestly kind of scary. Beck and Elaina are both awesome, but my favorite was actually a supporting character, Lady Tsokei. She’s one of the scariest, coolest women who ever boarded a ship. I would love more of her story.
All of the above gushing boils down to this: Rob J. Hayes has crafted one of the most entertaining duologies I’ve ever read in Where Loyalties Lie and The Fifth Empire of Man. This is not a tome littered with lovely prose. It’s not deep. It’s not a heartbreaking work of staggering genius. That’s not the type of story he set out to write. And I’m thankful. Sometimes you just need to read something fun and action-packed that will keep you reading late into the night, long after your eyes should have closed. That’s exactly what Hayes produced here. If you like your fun littered with pirates and carnage and more than a little vulgarity, I can’t recommend this duo enough.
Thanks for giving me such a swashbuckling adventure, Hayes. It was a wild ride.
bulbasaurusthe7th's review
Did not finish. I just feel this book is not for me, at least not right now. Something about it feels slower than the first one and I will be honest, I don't give a shit about Elaina being hyped up as queen of the motherfucking universe because the Rose (who, again, did what? We just get told she is the bestest and are expected to just buy it) acts like a stupid stronk womyn character stereotype and decides that any woman who goes her way is her best friend and obviously the person who is the most important ally. Without know her. Duh. We women bond like that. Vagina? Vagina. Now I trust you with my life.
Something just feels boring here. Keelin, I hoped for him being cool, but he is just meh. Drake FEELS cool but nothing really happens, I want him to pull of something crazy and he is just there.
Do I feel I will never ever read this? Nah. Maybe I will later. But right now I want something much better.
Something just feels boring here. Keelin, I hoped for him being cool, but he is just meh. Drake FEELS cool but nothing really happens, I want him to pull of something crazy and he is just there.
Do I feel I will never ever read this? Nah. Maybe I will later. But right now I want something much better.
kittyg's review
4.0
Another very solid continuation (and in fact conclusion) to this series and it's a story I really enjoyed. I do hope that we see more from these characters and this world in future series (and there is certainly room for this at the end of the events) but I felt that the book ended on a solid ending and we had lots of things tied up.
This once more follows the captains, Elaina, Stillwater, Tanner and Drake. We're following them as they try to unite the pirates under a common home and goal, against the guards who try to squash them down. Each character has their own reasons for wanting this, and it's quite unusual to get pirates to work together, but they are a combined force to be reckoned with and with them all in the picture it's possible they may just do it...
We get some more lady-power in this book and also more magic compared to the first one, and these were both good things in my opinion. I found learning more about both these characters and the magic meant I was more into the story as a whole, and I found it a fast-paced exciting read which picked straight back up from the ending of the first.
Overall, another great pirate-y adventure and a story and world I really liked. A solid 4*s from me :)
This once more follows the captains, Elaina, Stillwater, Tanner and Drake. We're following them as they try to unite the pirates under a common home and goal, against the guards who try to squash them down. Each character has their own reasons for wanting this, and it's quite unusual to get pirates to work together, but they are a combined force to be reckoned with and with them all in the picture it's possible they may just do it...
We get some more lady-power in this book and also more magic compared to the first one, and these were both good things in my opinion. I found learning more about both these characters and the magic meant I was more into the story as a whole, and I found it a fast-paced exciting read which picked straight back up from the ending of the first.
Overall, another great pirate-y adventure and a story and world I really liked. A solid 4*s from me :)
vinayvasan's review
4.0
Rob J Hayes is quickly becoming the spiritual successor of Joe Abercrombie's First Law series. While Abercrombie hasnt visited that world in some time, Hayes through his works (admittedly in his own worlds) has quietly made a name for himself
What is really amazing is how he has crafted this wonderfully tight pirate-based duology with a host of characters who are suitably anti-heroes for most of it and still one ends up rooting for them. While Drake doesnt get as much space as he does in the previous book, he still remains an supremely selfish, enigmatic and resourceful character. Keelin Stillwater gets a fair amount of space and his character and growth is depicted quite well. His motivations of revenge examined well and how it pans out is almost Last Jedi-ish subversive. Elaina Black playing all sides gets her chance to really shine and doesnt let circumstances stop her at all. Tanner Black is well Tanner Black. Kebble is a truly tragic character and it was interesting to see his journey through the book, working around his curse while tapping into its benefits
The book examines a lot of angles - human angles, characteristics and motivations and supplements it with some frantic sea-faring action as well as swordplay. Basically a book that has it all with interesting set up and hints for the next series set in this world. Rob J Hayes is definitely going places if he keeps this up. Fantastic
What is really amazing is how he has crafted this wonderfully tight pirate-based duology with a host of characters who are suitably anti-heroes for most of it and still one ends up rooting for them. While Drake doesnt get as much space as he does in the previous book, he still remains an supremely selfish, enigmatic and resourceful character. Keelin Stillwater gets a fair amount of space and his character and growth is depicted quite well. His motivations of revenge examined well and how it pans out is almost Last Jedi-ish subversive. Elaina Black playing all sides gets her chance to really shine and doesnt let circumstances stop her at all. Tanner Black is well Tanner Black. Kebble is a truly tragic character and it was interesting to see his journey through the book, working around his curse while tapping into its benefits
The book examines a lot of angles - human angles, characteristics and motivations and supplements it with some frantic sea-faring action as well as swordplay. Basically a book that has it all with interesting set up and hints for the next series set in this world. Rob J Hayes is definitely going places if he keeps this up. Fantastic
chrish's review
4.0
4.5
This is a solid followup to Where Loyalties Lie. It delves further into the magic and expands the politics of the world, but maintains a focus on what really makes this duology enjoyable; the characters. Each captain is entertaining in their own way, as is their crew.
Once again, pour a stiff drink, turn up the Alestorm, and annoy everyone around you by talking like a pirate while you read this.
This is a solid followup to Where Loyalties Lie. It delves further into the magic and expands the politics of the world, but maintains a focus on what really makes this duology enjoyable; the characters. Each captain is entertaining in their own way, as is their crew.
Once again, pour a stiff drink, turn up the Alestorm, and annoy everyone around you by talking like a pirate while you read this.
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