Daughter of the Pirate King
My Review: 4.7/5
Genre: YA Fiction, Pirate, Romance
When I was eight years old I saw the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie and I haven’t been the same since. I mean, Johnny Depp? Yes, thanks. But beyond enlightening me to men with eyeliner it also introduced me to a genre of adventure I’d never seen before. The pirate kind. I loved vicariously roving the wide open seas alongside Jack Sparrow and Elizabeth Swan. So imagine my pleasant surprise as I scrolled through my local library's e-book selection and found Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller.
The featured summary immediately hooked me and I placed it on hold. That summary read:
Sent on a mission to retrieve an ancient hidden map—the key to a legendary treasure trove—seventeen-year-old pirate captain Alosa deliberately allows herself to be captured by her enemies, giving her the perfect opportunity to search their ship.
More than a match for the ruthless pirate crew, Alosa has only one thing standing between her and the map: her captor, the unexpectedly clever and unfairly attractive first mate Riden. But not to worry, for Alosa has a few tricks up her sleeve, and no lone pirate can stop the Daughter of the Pirate King.
In Daughter of the Pirate King, debut author Tricia Levenseller blends action, adventure, romance, and a little bit of magic into a thrilling YA pirate tale.
Alosa is a memorable character; someone smart, witty, and funny– the ultimate trifecta when it comes to my favorite kind of protagonists. Levenseller manages to also make her relatable. Amidst her high stakes mission Alosa struggles with budding romantic feelings and conflicting emotions towards her parents. I enjoyed this read and would highly recommend it to those looking for a carefree, fast paced young adult series to sink their teeth into.
Spoilers beyond this point:
What cemented my feelings for, Daughter of the Pirate King was the introduction of magic. Alosa is half siren, half mortal. This combination made for an interesting twist. I also enjoyed the mechanics of her magic. Alosa requires the ocean water to recharge, which allows her to heal and have increased senses along with feminine persuasion. The drawback of needing the ocean means that every time she fully submerges then her siren instincts kick in and she wants to drag souls below the waves. Kind of a bummer, but a nice way to illustrate a cap for her power.
Introducing: Riden! Riden is the love interest that is only 18 but somehow the first mate of a ship. (Ya gotta love young adult books.) Riden and Alosa have great chemistry and dialogue that left me grinning from ear to ear. It seems Riden is also the only one capable of keeping her from fully embracing her siren instincts. I’m excited to see more of their interactions in the sequel. However, Riden loses a bit of his spunk towards the end of the book. Granted, he was shot twice– but even before that his cockiness dims quite a bit and I hope the sequel continues to show his smartassery that was introduced at the beginning of Daughter of the Pirate King.
Overall, Daughter of the Pirate King is a lighthearted, easy to read, adventure that I would recommend to anyone looking for some solid escapism.