A swashbuckling good tale!
927296
As a huge fan of Pirates of the Caribbean,  I was sold on this book when one of the reviews compared the main character Alosa to a "female Captain Jack Sparrow". Although the beginning of this story was a bit slow, it picked up the pace about 6 chapters in and I was completely hooked. I really enjoyed the character-building and the premise of the story. If you are interested in pirates, adventure,  and a dash of romance that doesn't detract from the main plot, pick up this book! Can't wait until Daughter of the Siren Queen comes out in February... the author definitely did a good job of ending this book with a cliffhanger!
3312157
Anthony Hope's "Prisoner of Zenda" is a classic swashbuckler in the fun-loving tradition of Rafael Sabatini (Captain Blood, Scaramouche). The book's enduring success has led to several stage and screen adaptations, including a popular version from 1937 starring Ronald Colman.

It's easy to see why "Prisoner" has captured so many imaginations. Hope, in highly readable prose, delivers a thrilling yarn of mistaken identities, doomed romance, daring rescues, and stylish nemeses. There's a hero named Rudolf, a princess named Flavia, a castle named Zenda, and a moustache-twirling villain named Black Michael. All that one could Hope for!

As deeply as I love serious writers like Joseph Conrad and Walker Percy, one cannot live by brood alone. Prisoner of Zenda is old-fashioned fun, swift and sharp as an Errol Flynn-wielded blade.
269530
Who would have thought with a title like "The Princess Bride" that I would be introduced to this film by my 4 sons who had played it over and over again? The title had me thinking that it was a chick film, but with 4 males from 18 down to 4 watching it over and over again, it had to be something more. I sat down, and was pleasantly surprised with a tale of swashbuckling adventure, with unapologetically cartoonish characters. The tale is narrated at times by a grandfather portrayed by Peter Falk as he is reading this tale to his cynical grandson, played by a young Fred Savage.
When the tale goes beyond the realm acceptable by a reasonable person, the grandson complains to the grandfather, who always offers to quit reading the story, but gives enough of a teaser as to leave his grandson begging for more.
Is this movie silly? YES, YES, YES! Is it fun? YES! With the magical cast assembled here, they can take this preposterous tale and make it sing. If you cannot suspend your sense of disbelief for the duration of a movie, get something else, heavier and darker. If you want a cute little diversion of a movie, pop this one in. It is a fun, up-beat, fast paced movie.
As I detest spoilers I won't give you any more plot elements, but rest assured, the ending is good. Don't be surprised if little boys in your household start yelling, "I'm Inigo Montoya, you killed my father. Prepare to die!" and jumping about the house. (After hearing that line a few hundred times I had to see the movie.)
1364615
I have just read "The Pirate and the Puritan", and I feel as though I was given a gift by the author, Mary Clayton. A sweeping, swashbuckling, enthralling romance! Thrilling battle scenes, rich historical detail, a reminder of the horrific Salem "witch hunts", and a sweetly sensual, deeply devoted romance. Second chances and a hard-fought-for hope of a happily ever after life! This is a "true" historical romance. Set sail with the Pirate Captain and his Puritan for one of the most romantic adventures of your life!
1793079
A swashbuckling, romantic historical bounty! This adventure was a pleasure!
Princess Emlyn is a warrior in spirit and training.  She has her father's (King Llywelyn Iorwerth) respect and love and her mother's dismay (for Emlyn isn't proficient in womanly pursuits). Her  betrothed was murdered by William Marshall, their enemy.
James is a special guardian to Laird Gunn.  James is honorable, loyal,  honest and dedicated to his laird and fellow guardsmen - a warrior.
William Marshall has shown himself to be dishonest, cruel and a thief.  He offers a peace treaty if Llewelyn agrees to send Emlyn to wed William. Fearing for Emlyn's safety, and not trusting the treaty would be honored, Llewelyn arranges protection for Emlyn.  Her protector is James.
This is where the action heats up! Two alphas - James and Emlyn, imagine the fireworks!
This is a well written, page turning adventure.  Ms. Griffin's characters and dialog make you laugh, cry, cheer and rant!
This is the first book I've read by this author.  This is the latest in a series but reads as a stand alone  book. The author takes you through a tour of Wales and Scotland of ancient times while providing a thrilling tale. I'll read the previous books!
i was provided this book for free for an honest review through Netgalley.
3210307
I have always enjoyed a good re-telling of a classic that shifts things from the traditional perspectives! And this, the origin story of Captain Hook, neatly succeeds in just that! From the first page, the reader learns that Peter Pans side of the story may not be the most accurate version of the truth. This novel reveals Jamies story  Peters first lost boy and the events that take him from that exalted position in Neverland as a forever young boy to a grown pirate with a vendetta against Peter Pan.

Its a fast-paced adventure (I read this in just one sitting!), but with a darker edge to this Neverland with boys more savage than lost. Theres plenty of violence and excitement  along with twists to the plot. Its a really easy book to paint Captain Hook in a more heroic and tragic light (though unfortunately some of the crocodile phobia isn't really touched on  though there are sharks, which is exciting!). Its a great summer read and one that I think will appeal to a wide age range of readers!
777141
Drake Ashbell is a swashbuckling space-pirate and the only person who can rescue the Human Empire's princess and stop the one responsible for kidnapping her! The author does a fantastic job of making Drake cunning and ruthless yet still honorable and likable. In general, the story's characters were one of its strongest points. From Drake's half-brother, Vahn, to Angela, the rescued slave, each character has a distinct voice and personality that really shows through in the writing. I found myself caring deeply for the characters, and I loved reading their interactions with one another. The Vhy'Rai is a very interesting magic system that integrated well with the story's tech.

There are some minor editing issues, but they're not so glaring or frequent that they take you out of the story. If you like science fantasy, action, and stories rife with danger and daring-do, then I recommend giving A Soul Divided a read! It's quite enjoyable!
314380
Swashbuckling adventure filled with villans,hero's and  treasure found an lost. In day's gone by.  Pirate's abound. An all around good read.
4226018
If you like exciting tales bursting at the seams with death-defying action, crazy technology, memorable characters, and a likeable heroine whose transformation from farm girl to airship captain actually makes sense in the context of the story, this is the book for you! It doesnt take itself too seriously (with character names like "von Monocle" and "von Cravat", how could it?), and yet it's seriously enjoyable. It follows Zaira von Monocle, daughter of a famous war hero, who finds herself thrust into one hair-raising exploit after another. I don't think I'm the only reviewer to have enjoyed how skilfully the author portrays Zaira's growth, and he deftly avoids the trap of making her invincibly great at everything while also making her plausibly useful, even essential, to the crew of the airship Liliana.

Also, she has a pet ferret, which is just cool! :)

I really enjoyed the book, and yes, I am eagerly awaiting the next one in what I hope will be a long series!
4077321
It's great to find a young girl as the swashbuckling heroine of a fine graphic novel, so that's a wonderful place to start from right there.

  Added to that is the fact that the story really does have a great deal of swash and buckle. The Cursed Pirate Girl starts out as a sort of whimsical and deluded character, but then takes charge of her own adventure as she sets out on the Omerta Seas to find her lost father. With good companions and worthy foes she reasons and fights her way through a number of well-thought out adventures.

  I think the real question is where you come out on the artwork. The illustrations are exaggerated and fantastical, with outrageous amounts of detail and incidental matter. Think of political cartoons from the late 1800's or the kinds of illustrations you see in old copies of "Punch" and the like. Caricature, lots of bits of dialogue slipped in around the edges, lots of detail and business. If you like that, you'll love this. If you find that style too busy or unattractive, then this book will be heavy going. I fall somewhere in the middle and appreciate what the artist was doing, and so that and the engaging story were enough for me.

  For what it's worth, the description above on this Amazon page mentions a new epilogue created just for this collection. That's fine, but the neatest thing is that at the end of the book there are way more than a dozen versions of pirate girl drawn in almost every style imaginable. For me that was worth the cost of the book because each drawing was a fascinating expression of just how differently many distinct artists can represent a single character. Totally cool.

  Please note that I received a free electronic copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a frank review.
1022666
This is a great fantasy tale on the high seas with plenty of action-driven plot. Join Mya and her crew as they sail the world of Asharia. You won't be disappointed.
4547667
Alicia A. Willis has woven another fantastic tale of adventure, peril, and the grace of God. This book was very well written and by the first paragraph I was hooked into this story of a grace triumphant! I received this book as a Christmas present and was definitely not disappointed.

What I Liked: As I said above, this story was very well written and researched. I learned a lot more about John Newton by this historical work of fiction and desire to study him a bit more in the future. What a wonderful testimony of God's grace he had to tell!

All of the characters were very well done and all of them that I was supposed to like, I did. I think my favorites were Elizabeth and Jack. I felt for Jack as he felt the heartache of being taken away from his family and impressed into the Royal Navy. As he fought to keep bitterness at bay and to trust God, I was cheering him on as he stood strong for his God at all times, no matter the cost.

And about Elizabeth; her resolve to stand up for her convictions, no matter what it would do to her reputation, was inspiring. I loved the encouragement of William Jones to Elizabeth. I felt like I walked through Elizabeth's joys and sorrows with her and was cheering her on.

From the very first page to the last I was lost in this story. This was certainly NOT a light read, and I'm glad of that. Alicia did not hide the horrors of the slave trade, she wrote it how it really was. I definitely recommend this book to older readers though, as some parts of this story are harder to read than others.

What I Disliked: There was really nothing that I disliked about this book. The only thing that got a bit much for me were all the exclamations of surprise that were in it. I know Alicia was trying to make it as authentic as she could, but it still became a little much for me. But that's really the only comment I have to make in this section of the review.

I give this book 5 stars because of the strong message of the grace of God woven into it. Well done, Alicia, on another adventurous tale!
3954222
The is one of the best books of adventure that I know of! I read it first when I was a young teen - and since then, several times! Its a swashbuckling romp through a life. The true story of Catalina de Erauso - who was put into a nunnery when she was five and who escaped at 15 before making her vows. Climbed the walls, ripped up her habit and sewed it into britches and proceeded to live her life as a man. And she lived a long life! Went into the army, went to sea - came to the new world... Really good writing! Really good story! (told in first person so you really come to feel like you know her)... Excellent!
2458547
This was a rousing romp of an adventure story, with a bad boy hero, a strong heroine and a captivating story line.

Although the setting is Regency England, bring it forward a dozen decades and the hero, Archer Croft, The Marquess of Hawksfield , would be a rebel on a motorcycle.  Set it back a few decades and he would be Robin Hood. As it is, in protest of his father's ways and treatment of his mother, Archer turns himself into a highwayman, with all the proceeds from his activities donated to the poor. Unfortunately for him, one of his first robberies turns out to be the neighbors, including their lovely daughter, Lady Briannon Findlay.  Unlike most of the simpering misses of the ton, Lady Briannon is miffed that she doesn't have her pistol with her to stop the robbery. Unconventional in every sense, Briannon rides astride and bareback, calmly takes on a wild boar, shoots a highwayman, and yet can dance and converse in the loftiest society circles.

As the two are thrown together, both in social circles and as neighbors, Briannon begins to realize who the highwayman really is-but when an imposter begins robbing people-and hurting them-she is prepared to turn him into the authorities.  Can Archer find a way to stop the imposter, clear his name, and keep Briannon safe?

Both main characters were easy to like, and the story line kept the reader's interest.  There were no obvious anachronisms, although a lady wearing pants and riding astride would have been unheard of in Regency England.

A very pleasant read with charming characters, a strong story, and a glimpse at a far different age, this one rates 4 stars.

ARC provided with no expectations.
4927861
Cinderella Dreams Of Fire had me hooked from the first page with its sense of impending danger. When Cinderella appears on the scene, I was happy to see she wasn't playing the victim. She may be scrubbing the floors by day, but by night she's an adventurous, black-clad masked thief who jumps from rooftop to rooftop, disarming her enemies with the flick of her sword. And her quick wit. During the fight scenes, I was reminded of all the swashbuckling movies I've seen. I could almost hear the music. Casey Lane retells this fairy tale classic in the spirit of Disney, but with an even fierier heroine. I'm looking forward to more from this author.

* I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review
3270738
Gereinte, a prince, is enslaved by tough pirateer-type tribe and has to earn his release and attempt to regain his heirdom. A task fraught with obstacles but a touch of magicand a princess rescue sees him on his way, until more hurdles appear. This is a delightful, historical fantasy tale for young readers crafted with literate care and finesse.

Gereinte's life with the rough but honorouble mariners was the making of him in many ways: "The healthy open-air life and strenuous exercise was quickly developing the sinews and muscles of his lean frame at a phenomenal rate. The evenings were always an enjoyable time for Gereinte, as the Coustillers took a great liking to him, nurturing his fighting prowess and encouraging
participation in their games and rituals."

This a rollicking, fast action, adventure spiced with magic that will enthrall near and young teens.
75476
Set in 16th century England and Scotland, this is a magnificent tale of strength born of hardship and love that develops even when denied.

He was the Black Robert of Craighdhu, a remote island castle in Scotland, where he was laird. Half Spanish and experienced in their tortures as well as their pleasures, he'd been a pirate and had incurred both the praise and anger of Queen Elizabeth, who has now seized him for another assignment: The Queen wants him to wed Kathryn Kentyre who, he is told, is Queen Mary's illegitimate daughter.

Kathryn ("Kate"), now 16, has been raised in seclusion by a vicar who is going insane and beats her. She is bent on escape. But Robert McDarren will find her and handfast with her and then sweep her away to his castle in the Highlands where he intends to keep her for only a year. For he knows who she is threatens Craighdhu and he will do anything to protect his lands and his people.

You won't regret reading this one. It is well written and the characters wonderfuland the plot believable. The action will draw you into the world of treachery, envy, betrayal and deception that existed at the time of Queen Elizabeth and King James.

A romance well worth re-readinga keeper!