Life as a cabin boy aboard the pirate hunting ship HMS Dolphin is a dream come true for Jacky Faber. He has food to eat, a place to sleep, and no worries about the dead collector coming around to sell his body to the medical researchers. There's just one small problem with this picture- Jacky is actually a girl, and her very life depends on keeping her gender a secret from everyone.Hardship, adventures, and triumph abound in this historical novel. You can't help but enjoy Jacky, and her spunky narration is an interesting viewpoint from which to observe the shipboard life in this time period. Jacky turns out to have some talent for her duties as a cabin boy, and it makes for exciting reading as she fights pirates and tries to evade discovery among her peers. There are also a few funny moments, as when Jacky visits a whorehouse in order to get some information about the facts of life and her cronies spot her as she's leaving.
The only downside to this book in my opinion is that the author was a little too effective at capturing the inner ramblings and obsession of a crush-struck teenage girl. Realistic, probably, but I found it slowed the last third or so of the book more than I would have liked.
The final word: I rate this 4, as in four bloodthirsty pirates out of five. Adventure on the high seas and even a marooning. What's not to like?
Thanks to Ink Mage for giving me the heads up on LA Meyer's website.
Want someone else's opinion?
Review by Ink Mage at The Magic of Ink
Click the book cover image to purchase from Amazon.
Watch out for my giveaway posting tomorrow!
4 comments:
If you liked this enough to give it a four, you should *definitely* read the next books in the series because they get better and better! Bloody Jack is a nice introduction to the characters and setting, but is only a small taste of what kinds of scrapes Jacky can get herself in (and out) of!
The official Jacky/L.A. Meyer site is: http://www.JackyFaber.com/
I actually listened to this one and thought it was fantastic! Ink Mage I had no idea there were more in the series - thanks!
Great review! This sounds like a really good book! Reminds me a bit of The Liveship Traders series by Robin Hobb, but they have some fantasy thrown in!
I came across this book while going through Paperback Swap's daily digest. It sounded like something right up my alley, and your review confirms it!
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