The Last Pirate review
936457
The book The Last Pirate was very good. I love the way it ended. The author Wilson Hawthorne did a amazing job explaining it. I've met him in person and he's very inspiring and he's worked so hard on this book. I personally love the characters and how they all relate together. You also can see the way the characters change from the beginning of the book to the end. It also has a good theme to it. It's around the time when Hurricane Charlie hit. That's kind of a personal time for those who actually experienced it. What makes the story so interesting is there are many problems. There are so many problems to fix so the story keeps getting more interesting as you read on. There's a little teenage love story throughout it too. I loved this book my eyes were drawn to it and I kept reading on and on. Fabulous job, I suggest this book for anyone.
3541204
I had read a lot of reviews that weren't pleased with the last in the series. I thought it was very good.
1488562
This book was recommended to me by author, Nick Webb. It is the first book where you can witness the feelings of both Captains facing each other in battle. The losing Captain talks to her able opponent before self destructing her ship. A very different type of story and look forward to the next book.
4855187
This is an excellent read and a great addition to my library.  I highly recommend it to those who love the golden age of piracy.
3651344
This is a wonderful book! I read it cover to cover and was completely unable to set it down. The characters are very lovable and easy to relate to. One great thing about it is that it is very clean! It wasn't nearly as gory as other pirate books I have read. I was able to read it to my 11 year old sister without skipping around. And the fact that it had some Christian elements makes it even better! Over all just a very tasteful and exciting book! I recommend it and its sequel to anyone of any age looking for a good read.
4029758
This was an interesting read.  Pirates are interesting, but FEMALE pirates are down right mind-boggling.  I also found it interesting that there was a romance that did NOT center around the main character.  I'm definitely finishing this series.
3322794
I received Pirate Latitudes as a gift from my Wish List.  I was drawn to this novel more because of the subject than the author as I had not read anything previously from Michael Crichton.  I did thoroughly enjoy the story.  Set in 1665 in the English colony of Jamaica in Port Royal, it is standard pirate fare.  Charles Hunter is a "privateer" in Port Royal who is loosely in the service of the Governor Sir James Almont.  Almont has learned from his new Secretary Robert Hacklett that there is a Spanish "warship" in Matanceros that did not attack his ship as he came over from England.  Almont and Hunter know that this is a galleon ship loaded with treasure that would better serve in English hands than Spanish.  Almont gives Hunter cover papers for his "official" business so that his crew of privateers can "acquire" the booty.  Hunter rounds up a crew, and their quest makes up the remainder of the story.  There is plenty of fast paced action on land and see among many islands and ports before all is said and done.  Crichton paces the story very well, and I found it to be a captivating and quick read (I usually finish books in about a week, but I managed this one in three days).  The characters are interesting but not overly developed - this is an adventure novel after all.  I would describe it as a combination of Pirates of the Caribbean, Star Wars, and Lord of the Rings.  The Star Wars aspects are for some of the campy and unlikely plots that Hunter hatches while the Lord of the Rings angle covers the long journey against all odds of succeeding.  The story contains a fair amount of violence and some casual sex so it is not for younger audiences.  If you are looking for a good adventure novel to read over the summer, this is a good place to start.

Overall:  B
4195063
Lady Constance Danbury is aboard the Octavia when it is attacked by pirates.  When the room that she and her governess are in is stormed by the band of pirates she immediately panics but won't let her fear over take her back bone against the one-eyed pirate.  She is soon taken by this pirate who demonstrates that there are more facets to a pirate then what you see.  Captain Frink, who is the pirate captain, soon fights with the one-eyed pirate and mutiny soon follows.  Once Frink is dispatched and the one-eyed pirate is captain Constance is taken to the new captains bunk as his prize.

Percy Avery, aka Thomas Sexton, aka the one-eyed pirate immediately recognizes Lady Constance as his real captains niece.  So for her safety she is taken to his quarters where he thinks he can keep her safe.  The problem is that Percy finds Constance too much of a distraction and too appealing for someone such as himself.  While he is protecting Constance who can protect her from him.  Soon neither can resist and Constance gives Percy or Thomas the one gift a woman has to give in Regency England.  Percy knows that even after indulging in his pleasure with Constance they must part and never meet again.  This plan is nice but doesnt work.  Both Constance and Percy need each other to solve mysteries that tie both of their families together.  When the smoke finally clears can Constance and Percy find what is real or will they be left with only empty half-truths.

This was quite a fun and entertaining read.  I really like indulging in a good Regency romance especially when there are pirates involved.  This one provides for all those readers out there who like a little adventure with your regency romance.  There aren't as many dances but a lot more witty banter and word play amongst the characters.  I really loved both Constance and Percy.  They were definitely good for each other and evolved in a very believable way.  Besides the romance I also liked the little bit of intrigue that came along with book.  It was very reminiscent of Sally MacKenzies The Naked Viscount.  This book really reels you in and won't let go until you feel like you are the one that was taken captive.  I really recommend this as a great beach read.

***this was given to me by the author for an unbiased review***
4255385
CAPTAIN PHILLIPS

I am sure you all remember when this happened and those pirates took over Phillips ship. It was a big news story for obvious reasons which lead to a happy ending for the Captain. So when the movie was announced I was thinking, wow that was fast. I was sure the film would be good though as most true story flicks are. The director was behind United 93 and the Bourne movies while the writer who wrote this based on the book had written Hidden Assassin, Harts War, and The Hunger Games among other fun flicks. So I knew going in that this would be good plus Tom Hanks looked like he was back in his prime with this role.

The film follows Captain Phillips and his crew leading up to and after they are attacked and taken hostage by some Somali pirates. So to save his crew he lets them take him and he is held for a ransom. But the United States military are making their way there to try and work this situation out. The mission is to save the Captain and bring him home.

Now I am sure you all knew that so I could have gone into detail but just in case I decided not to. I will say that the film is really well made and Tom Hanks is back. He does an excellent job here as does the entire cast including the young man that played the lead Somali pirate here. That dude was excellent so I hope he continues with this career. The Blu-Ray/DVD comes with a great making of and behind the scenes feature as well as a commentary among other things. This was a really good film and I think anyone who has yet to see it should.
1913403
I enjoyed it very much. I'll bet I am far from the only person who knew little about the pirates off our shore and about Blackbeard himself, except for the little bit I learned or, should better say, heard as a child.  So all of this was quite new to me and very interesting. I like the way the author gets us to know all the people and how she described what was going on at that time. All the characters felt very real to me. I was delighted to meet them and learn about them, even those who were not historical. It didn't feel like a novel so it made me curious to find out who were real people of that time and who came from your imagination because I felt I got to know them equally well. I also felt I learned a great deal about that time in our history without it being dry like some history books. I think even young teens would enjoy it.
3698055
The story is about Tobias Hopkins, a young sea captain, on a quest to find his father who disappeared from their family when he was a child.
Toby is a likeable character. I felt like he was afraid to trust anyone being that he lost everything, (his mother and sisters died in a London fire). He goes on a journey to find the only family he believes he has left merely to learn that his father had been killed six years ago by maroons while protecting the slaves in a village. I think Toby felt this sense of betrayal. After his attempts to find his father fail, he must now accept his fathers infidelity. The story Magdalena, the kindly slave woman who bore his half-brother Eduardo, told him about how his father too had believed hed lost all of his family to the fires was poignant. I felt empathy for the father, and in a way I understood why he sought comfort in Magdalena.
The writing is very descriptive. I noticed at once the authors classical writing style (almost all of my favorite books were written by authors of the past centuries). Ive never actually read a story about sailing and I liked the Pirates of the Caribbean-ish atmosphere I felt from this book. The author did a wonderful job at creating mystery and suspense and adventure and combining it altogether. It was an enjoyable read.
4812128
Deadweather and Sunrise is a great pirate adventure that I think will appeal to its target audience - middle grade boys. The hero has some familiar qualities - a dead mother and a father and siblings who don't treat him that well. I haven't seen a pirate adventure recently though - I think it will be a nice change for boys who have already read all the wizard and dragon books out there. This is the first book of a trilogy so I think some of the characters will be fleshed out more in the next two books. I know that Guts, a thirteen year old pirate missing a hand, must have a great back-story that comes out at some point. I'm also looking forward to finding out why the pirate Burn Healy is so helpful to Egg when he is ruthless to everyone else.

This book is recommended for 5th grade (10 years old) and up, which I think is spot-on. It's packed full of adventure, which I think boys that age will love, but it does have some killing and death and threats of killing that may be too violent for younger readers to handle even if they are reading at the 5th grade level. Also, when a 13 year old girl gets captured by pirates, it's clear to an adult reader that she's in danger of being sexually assaulted. However, it's written cryptically enough that I don't think the middle grade reader will catch on. They might ask you a question about it though. I have an 8 year old that could read this book but I'm going to wait a couple of years to pass it on to him. When I do, I think he'll really like it.
342255
Awesome story. The author's use of descriptive narrative allows you to hear and smell the sea. And find you looking for a
pirate or two in your thoughts. Easy read, great vocabulary and superb characters. The author puts you in the moment and you
may want to skip lunch in order to read more. I will recommend this author/book to my friends.
3266441
It's unusual to think of pirate adventure stories and Christian literature being in the same category, but Wayne Thomas Batson has managed to combine the two successfully into an action-packed adventure in Isle of Fire. This story is the sequel to Isle of Swords at the end of which Cat Thorne loses his memory and nearly loses his life.

In this new tale, Cat slowly regains his memory as bits and pieces of his past come back to him. With horror he realizes who he is and who his father is. His father is Bartholomew Thorne, a notorious pirate who nearly killed his own son.

But Cat is befriended by the monks of Monasterio de Michael Arcangel, who are not only servants of God but ferocious soldiers in the fight for truth and justice. They tell him that he doesn't have to be like his father. Father Brun believes Cat's life has been spared and he has been delivered to the monastery in order to carry out a divine mission. The monks want him to lead their fleet when they set out to destroy the forces of evil.

Cat wants to put the past behind him and bring his father to justice but he's terrified he is destined to continue on his father's legacy, one of murder and mayhem. Bartholomew Thorne is believed to be dead, but he resurfaces. He not only wants to seek revenge on the British Empire, he captures his son and wants Cat to join him in his quest. Will Cat be able to resist his father or will he conquer his past and his father's evil?

The story involves a whole cast of colorful characters: Cat and Bartholomew Thorne, the brethren of the monastary, a colony of Vikings, Cutlass Jack, Declan Ross, Red Eye, Edmund Scully, Commodore Blake and many, many others. The author includes a list of "Principal Cast" members to help the reader keep everyone straight. He also includes a drawing of a typical pirate ship complete with the parts labeled and their uses explained.

What I Like: Even though I hadn't read the first book in this series, I was able to keep up with the storyline because the author provided enough background information to fill in the missing parts.

What I Dislike: My only complaint is that the pages of the book are blue. It doesn't really make the book difficult to read, but it was a bit distracting, at least at first, to concentrate on the words and not the color of the pages. It's not a big deal, but I thought it was worth mentioning.

Overall Rating: Excellent.

Christine M. Irvin - Christian Children's Book Review
501124
What more do you need for a grand adventure story?  I enjoyed this yarn and read it in a couple of days.  The writing style was concise and allowed the reader to "see" what the author wanted.  The characters were engaging and it was easy to get caught up in their plight.  I would recommend this book for all who love a good pirate adventure.
3197386
I've been an avid reader of Michael Crichton for a long time.  I believe I've read all his books, and I can happily say that this one ranks up there with his best.  Earlier this year I was re-reading Treasure Island, and it lamenting the lack of similar pirate-themed books.  Well Michael Crichton delivers!

The book is about an English Pirate (or "Privateer") captain and his motley crew, attempting to make an extremely daring score of some Spanish booty.  It features lots of thrilling sea-battles, intrigue, double-crosses, heroism, and treachery.  While it certainly falls short of Treasure Island, it is certainly a fine book on its own.  I enjoyed pretty much all of it, aside from a really silly battle with a giant Sea-monster *rolls eyes*, that really had no place in this book.

Anyhow, I'm definitely saddened by Crichton's recent death, and he remains one of my all-time favorite authors.  At least he went out with a worth book, which he will no doubt be remembered for in fond terms.

And for those considering the audiobook: it is very well done.  The reader is excellent.
808365
Great pirate romance.  I enjoyed this book so much that I will check out the other books in the series.