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A review by trisarey
Blacksouls by Nicole Castroman
4.0
I received a free copy of Blacksouls as part of the FFBC Blog Tour in exchange for an honest review.
Enter the GIVEAWAY on my blog, Absolute Bookishness. (Ends 5/3/2017.)
A lovers’ drama sails across the open seas in Nicole Castroman’s long-awaited second installment in the Blackhearts series. A tale of two lovers–Anne Barrett and Edward “Teach” Drummond–trying to carve out their own existence in a world where wicked men with even more sinister aims wield unnatural stores of resources and power. Blacksouls is a journey through the troubled waters of Anne and Teach’s uncertain circumstances as they struggle to reunite and, later, hold on to each other as forces work to rend them apart. Often, it reflects back to the cruelties and abduction that forced Anne onto the Providence (a sorry excuse for a seaworthy vessel) and Teach, the Deliverance (the pride of the seas). With the help of her new friends, Cara and Coyle, Anne makes her way to Nassau, a strange land filled more treachery than she first surmised, despite its turquoise waters and paradisaical landscape. Whatever she can learn of the Deliverance‘s fate and the inner workings of the island is through Alastair, Cara and Coyle’s uncle, and Beth, the object of his affection. As danger, in the form of two approaching pirate ships, lurks off the coast of New Providence, Teach battles his way to shore, only to be accused of mutiny. To spare his crew’s lives, Teach must find a notorious pirate, George Easton,* and bring him to justice.
Castroman’s story treks both leagues of seawater and a spectrum of civil right issues–touching on abolition, feminism, and miscegenation–that still bear relevance in our modern era. Yet, within the depths of it all rests Anne and Teach’s resistance against the restraints of tyrannical authority figures and seizure of their own autonomy. They war to become lords and masters of their own fate, and champions of freedom for others, even in the face of terrible risks. But what they lack in patience, wisdom, and experience, they make up for in strength, bravery, resourcefulness, and loyalty…and allies. Anne and Teach’s efforts don’t go unnoticed or unrewarded. And they each bear scars to prove it. But that’s not all that awaits…
Castroman wields her literary craft to weave an intricate tale filled with passion, intrigue, and deception that wrenches your gut and leaves you emotional yet hopeful. (Though I anticipated more depth where some issues were concerned, Castroman did not disappoint.) As she does so, Castroman breathes life into new dynamic characters to love and hate, and brandishes nautical terms and details of the period like a seasoned corsair. Arrr! Blacksouls is a Pirates-of-the-Caribbean-esque novel of love, independence, and injustices you’ll want to dive into, that cries out for a captivating, swashbuckling sequel.
*I assume he’s based off of Peter Easton, a lesser known pirate of the early 17th century–with some liberties taken with his timeline.
The original review was posted on Absolute Bookishness.
Enter the GIVEAWAY on my blog, Absolute Bookishness. (Ends 5/3/2017.)
A lovers’ drama sails across the open seas in Nicole Castroman’s long-awaited second installment in the Blackhearts series. A tale of two lovers–Anne Barrett and Edward “Teach” Drummond–trying to carve out their own existence in a world where wicked men with even more sinister aims wield unnatural stores of resources and power. Blacksouls is a journey through the troubled waters of Anne and Teach’s uncertain circumstances as they struggle to reunite and, later, hold on to each other as forces work to rend them apart. Often, it reflects back to the cruelties and abduction that forced Anne onto the Providence (a sorry excuse for a seaworthy vessel) and Teach, the Deliverance (the pride of the seas). With the help of her new friends, Cara and Coyle, Anne makes her way to Nassau, a strange land filled more treachery than she first surmised, despite its turquoise waters and paradisaical landscape. Whatever she can learn of the Deliverance‘s fate and the inner workings of the island is through Alastair, Cara and Coyle’s uncle, and Beth, the object of his affection. As danger, in the form of two approaching pirate ships, lurks off the coast of New Providence, Teach battles his way to shore, only to be accused of mutiny. To spare his crew’s lives, Teach must find a notorious pirate, George Easton,* and bring him to justice.
Castroman’s story treks both leagues of seawater and a spectrum of civil right issues–touching on abolition, feminism, and miscegenation–that still bear relevance in our modern era. Yet, within the depths of it all rests Anne and Teach’s resistance against the restraints of tyrannical authority figures and seizure of their own autonomy. They war to become lords and masters of their own fate, and champions of freedom for others, even in the face of terrible risks. But what they lack in patience, wisdom, and experience, they make up for in strength, bravery, resourcefulness, and loyalty…and allies. Anne and Teach’s efforts don’t go unnoticed or unrewarded. And they each bear scars to prove it. But that’s not all that awaits…
Castroman wields her literary craft to weave an intricate tale filled with passion, intrigue, and deception that wrenches your gut and leaves you emotional yet hopeful. (Though I anticipated more depth where some issues were concerned, Castroman did not disappoint.) As she does so, Castroman breathes life into new dynamic characters to love and hate, and brandishes nautical terms and details of the period like a seasoned corsair. Arrr! Blacksouls is a Pirates-of-the-Caribbean-esque novel of love, independence, and injustices you’ll want to dive into, that cries out for a captivating, swashbuckling sequel.
*I assume he’s based off of Peter Easton, a lesser known pirate of the early 17th century–with some liberties taken with his timeline.
The original review was posted on Absolute Bookishness.