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gkaltam's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Sexual content
kcmag1's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Moderate: Sexual content
lasunflower's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.5
Undoubtedly the author meant for the story to be fantastical, silly, out of the box and over the top. However, it was not executed well enough for me to be able to follow it well.
The plot is quite hard to keep up with as it's so fast moving and plot points are revealed piecemeal and halfway through the book.
For pirate lovers, it might disappoint. Its more like a secret society than pirates as no pirating actually happens. Its mostly the characters trying to kill each other with a hint of kleptomania.
I found this book okay. If not for the book club, I probably would have dnf'ed at around 60%. I think it would have worked much better as a film.
Graphic: Sexual content
readingwithkaitlyn's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.25
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Blood, Misogyny, Classism, Gun violence, and Violence
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Murder, Domestic abuse, Kidnapping, Bullying, Sexual harassment, Grief, Incest, Alcohol, and Confinement
Minor: Fatphobia, Vomit, Body shaming, Animal death, Infidelity, War, Terminal illness, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Fire/Fire injury, Torture, and Pregnancy
livetgjennomb_ker's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
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
Minor: Murder, Death of parent, Sexual content, Colonisation, Kidnapping, and Misogyny
mariahmmm's review against another edition
- 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
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.
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
- 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
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.
Graphic: Sexual content, Death of parent, Death, and Murder
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Blood
puddleshoes's review against another edition
- 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
Moderate: Murder, Sexual content, and Violence
jkoncurat's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Moderate: Sexual content
a_novi's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Murder, Sexual content, and Violence