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A review by kylosten
Saltblood by Francesca De Tores
adventurous
dark
tense
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? No
4.0
Very gritty and probably one of the more realistic depictions of the violence, illness, adventure, and tragedy of life as a pirate.
I liked the nuanced thoughts about gender identity and expression throughout the story.
I've never read the historical documents pertaining to Mary Read and Anne Bonny (just what historians and experts have said about them) but I didn't really enjoy the weird possessiveness Mary had over her. It seemed in opposition to the several times she notes that Anne would always do what she wants. I'm not sure if that was a choice by the author or if there is historical record to back up that particular aspect of their relationship. Either way, it did make me less invested in their shared story and some of the internal monologue from Mary was uncomfortable and felt out of place.
I thought hearing about Mary's childhood and life in the navy, army, and as a merchant was interesting and helped set up her overall detached nature when it came to relationships with other people, too.
My favorite part of this story was the crow and the way Mary accepted her with no expectations she be anything but what she is. I thought it made sense that someone with a life full of trauma's strongest relationship would be with an animal who has no expectations of her and vice versa.
Overall I did like this and it was an interesting read. Some of the usage of older language did slow me down a bit but it didn't take away from my enjoyment of reading this.
I liked the nuanced thoughts about gender identity and expression throughout the story.
I've never read the historical documents pertaining to Mary Read and Anne Bonny (just what historians and experts have said about them) but I didn't really enjoy the weird possessiveness Mary had over her. It seemed in opposition to the several times she notes that Anne would always do what she wants. I'm not sure if that was a choice by the author or if there is historical record to back up that particular aspect of their relationship. Either way, it did make me less invested in their shared story and some of the internal monologue from Mary was uncomfortable and felt out of place.
I thought hearing about Mary's childhood and life in the navy, army, and as a merchant was interesting and helped set up her overall detached nature when it came to relationships with other people, too.
My favorite part of this story was the crow and the way Mary accepted her with no expectations she be anything but what she is. I thought it made sense that someone with a life full of trauma's strongest relationship would be with an animal who has no expectations of her and vice versa.
Overall I did like this and it was an interesting read. Some of the usage of older language did slow me down a bit but it didn't take away from my enjoyment of reading this.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Gun violence, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Violence, War
Moderate: Cancer, Medical content, Pregnancy
Minor: Animal cruelty, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Vomit