Title: Daughter of the Pirate King
Author: Tricia Levenseller
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Release Date: February 28th, 2017
17-year-old pirate captain intentionally allows herself to get captured by enemy pirates in this thrilling YA adventure.
If you want something done right . . .
When the ruthless pirate king learns of a legendary treasure map hidden on an enemy ship, his daughter, Alosa, knows there’s only one pirate for the job—herself. Leaving behind her beloved ship and crew, Alosa deliberately facilitates her own kidnapping to ensure her passage on the ship, confident in her ability to overcome any obstacle. After all, who’s going to suspect a seventeen-year-old girl locked in a cell? Then she meets the (surprisingly perceptive and unfairly attractive) first mate, Riden, who is charged with finding out all her secrets. Now it’s down to a battle of wits and will . . . . Can Alosa find the map and escape before Riden figures out her plan?
Summary from Goodreads.com
My Review: Daughter of a Pirate King is a book that keeps coming up on my friends Goodreads pages as a great book and I was lucky enough to get a copy through NetGalley, yay! Before I review the book can we talk about that cover? I like the concept behind it, but the execution I think is off. To me, this cover looks like a middle grade book and it most definitely is not. It is more an upper high school level to me just because of the content and some of the things that going on throughout the novel. However, as the phrase goes, don’t judge a book by its cover and you should listen in this case, because the cover does not do this book justice!
Now onto the book itself, which was awesome. The main character, Alosa, is the daughter of the pirate king (hence the title) and is one kick ass heroine. She is smart, sassy and resourceful. I loved how she could take care of herself and never made foolish or reckless decisions that would just not fit with her character. Too many heroines in YA books seem to make stupid, out of character, decisions as the plotlines unfold, which becomes annoying, but not Alosa. She knows exactly what needs to be done, analyzes the best way to get there and follows through. She is easily one of my favorite heroines of all time. She was always surprising me, making me laugh out loud and I fell in love with her.
We also get to know Riden, the first mate on the ship that Alosa lets herself be captured on. He was pretty great as well. He has a fierce loyalty for his brother that seems a little misplaced, but he is the only family he has left so he will defend him at all costs. Riden is torn between that loyalty and the feelings he is developing for Alosa. He is also a heck of a fighter and gives Alosa a run for her money when they are sparring, both verbally and physically. I really enjoyed the banter between them and watching them try to cope with how they feel for one another. They are on opposite sides, each trying to get information out of the other, but they have a slow burning romance that builds naturally and is very sweet.
The plot itself moves along very quickly and as a result, I devoured the book in just one day. I was so engaged with the storyline that I never even looked to see how much longer I had to read, which is rare for me. I love the descriptions of a pirate life, the folklore in this world and how Alosa fits into all of it. She really makes the story worth reading. The plot itself was very clever, but she was just an outstandingly well written character who made the book the standout novel that it was.
I am hoping this is part of a series since the ending is open ended with a lot of questions still unanswered. I want to learn more about the girls is Alosa’s crew and more about the other pirates that sail that same seas as her. I am also eager to learn more about Riden and this connection that he and Alosa share. I am hoping to see much more from Alosa and Riden in the future and will be interested to see how they tackle the obstacles that are now laid before them. Daughter of a Pirate King is in my top three of favorite books this year, it was clever, funny, has an amazing female lead and drew me in from the very first page. I absolutely loved this world and all is had to offer. It was original in a world where many of the books seem to blend together. I will be recommending this book again and again and eagerly look forward to when I get to spend more time with Alosa and her crew.
FTC: I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
