Very good pirates tale
346689
Even though I detest endings that do not end I gave four stars due to an excellent overall read. The characters were superb and the action was continuous.
2832223
I loved pirates stories growing up and this brings back the best of them -- like Robert Louis Stevenson but with a bit more kick to it. Great fun.
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***
3720894
I loved so many things about this. What drew my attention first was the animal relationship and the amount of details surrounding their lives and training. I also loved the level of description within the ship and the characters. Especially Cas and Swift were complex and had wonderful histories (but would have liked a few more quirky bits that are just extra personality details). In addition, the plot was suitably twisty and had a phenomenal growing up experience for Cas as she compares her life and the pirates. My only two small complaints are that I wish there had been more atmosphere, not just plain details, but ambience. Additionally, I am not entirely satisfied with the wrapping up of the plot, there are still a few remaining questions.
2672189
I really enjoyed this prequel to Peter Pan that lets you in on the backstory of one of the world's most notorious pirates (and includes some interesting pieces about other pirates, both real and literary, from non-related works.)  It makes Captain Hook a sympathetic character and left me with a desire to revisit the original Peter Pan works.

The transitions from 3rd to 1st person were a bit disconcerting but after a paragraph or two it ceased to matter. Otherwise, a very well told story.
3993678
I thoroughly enjoyed this tale and the mystery and intrigue laced within the tale.  The characters were well written and there was some humor as well.  The tale did leave a few questions -- I wondered who the Lord's niece was taking care of (on the island where Savage was found onshore), how many survived the shipwreck, and where did Savage and McHualyin (sp?) go back to Ireland?  All on all, a good story.
3877201
yep the second of a captain becomes a pirate. very good stuff. loved it. now is there more?
4816972
Arrrrghhh! This tale brought out the nasty, mean, ugly side of pirateering. Some really great action sequences that helped you appreciate just how difficult and bloody this lifestyle could be.

As with much pirate lore, it is a bit shocking how sudden the deaths are. The author did a great job of painting a picture of life at sea with many of its pitfalls (or literally falls into the briny depths with shark fins).

The read moves right along at a satisfying clip. A few of the situations seemed a bit contrived, but many of them didn't, which was good. Terrific tension and action!

This would make a really good Indiana Jones style movie!

(possible spoiler)

The main pirate, Bloodbeard, was definitely an awesome picture of an evil pirate Captain. John is a basically good kid who has to get thrown into a pirate's life right up close to this evil man.

Rollicking adventure, much death, treasure maps, sea battles, and he even gets to meet a girl named Isabella along the way.

The father-son relationship in the midst of a fallen world is explored here. The addition of the Parson, and his wisdom in situations added much depth to the tale.
4399983
I just saw the author and bought the book.  Did not think I would like it, but it turned out to be very good.  Gave some background on Spain and England that I had not heard before, also a summary of how pirates really worked in the 1600's.  Overall good reading, very fast paced.
2067519
Love pirate stories, and this one is was pretty good.  In as visiting Punta Cana in DR, son made a point to read this on the plane ride.  Found out that Samana Bay is four hour drive from Punta Cana.  Maybe next visit would be fun to visit to see where the sea battle and ship were found.  Very quick read, and very interesting ....
4237880
The Pirate Devlin is a light, easy read that has humor, fun, and lots of adventure. There's even a little intrigue to keep you guessing. There is no romance in it, so look elsewhere if that's what you're after. But, if you want a lighthearted swashbuckler with terrific characters and great descriptions, this is it.

There's a little foul language, but not much, and the local bawdy ladies make an appearance, although there's nothing graphic. On board ship there's technical references to rigging and such, but not enough to bore the reader. This is a pirate story so there's battles and fights, to be sure, and the accompanying brief descriptions of gore. But, all in all, the language is pretty tame.

I loved the ending and hope it means a sequel is in the works. The pirate Devlin surely has more adventures ahead of him!
4775924
This is the story of how young bookish James Hoodkins became the wicked pirate Captain Hook. Its a tale full of tricks, escapes, defeats, captures, treasure, Never Never Land, and lost love. After giving this book a listen, I, too, wanted to hunt Peter Pan down and tie him to the main mast.

The story starts off in Port Royal in the Caribbean, probably in the 1600s or 1700s. At first, it reads a bit like a historical fiction, which I enjoyed. Young James is a scholarly kid and much more into books than into sword fighting or sailing. His mother quite enjoys telling him fantastical tales right before bedtime or during his bouts of illness. So, of course, when Peter Pan makes his first appearance in Jamess life, he has no problem believing.

Jamess father is not the coddling sort and makes a final decision, against the wishes of both wife and son, to take James on his next sailing venture. Jamess best friend will be going with him, so at least he has that. James makes a  sweet farewell to his friend (and perhaps more than friend) Emily. As you might imagine, the venture doesnt go as planned and little by little we see how the quiet, timid, sweet James Hoodkins turns into the bold, wretched, determined Captain Hook.

Theres death and romance, sword fights and alligators, pirate treasure and the English Navy. The fantasy elements are firmly grounded in events that could have really happened in our world. This lent a gravity to the story that made me appreciate it all the more. I read Barries original Peter Pan novel sometime ago. I enjoyed it, though it was written for its age and contained touches of racism and sexism. It was very refreshing to have all the awesome bits of the tale without the disappointing bits in this fascinating retelling.

There are only two female characters in this tale but the authors write them well. We only get a few glimpses of Jamess mom but she is her own character. We see much more of Emily and she has even more personality. Both women leave an indelible mark on the man who becomes Captain Hook.

I received a copy of this audiobook at no cost from the narrator (via Audiobook Blast) in exchange for an honest review.

Narration:  David Stifel did an excellent job bringing this story to life. Over the course of the book, James goes from a pretty mellow kid to a hardened pirate. Stifel hardened the characters voice as the tale went along and that was well done! He also had this great voice for Peter Pan being a youngish, mostly oblivious voice. His female character voices were believable.
18202
This is a good read, I love anything to do with pirates! And when you mix romance and Pirates together you get amazing.
961944
Well written and adventurous tale of the high seas during the era of the tall ships. The characters were engaging; the story arc hooked me. Comparable to the works of Patrick O'Brian
3364523
The author did a good job of luring me into the story with the plot and the settings.  A few of the characters seem like stereotypes, but he still manages to make us care what happens to them, even if it's because we'd like them to be killed!  An enjoyable adventure and sailing tale.
4648863
I was given an ARC of this book from NetGalley in return for an honest review.  When I got this book I did not realize that it was a children's book but soon discovered it while I was reading it.  I really enjoyed it though, children's book or not.  It was exciting and I kept turning the pages to find out more, not being able to read quick enough.  It was fun and exciting, very interesting and just a nice well written story.  The characters are wonderful, they are lively and colorful.  The island setting was great and I really liked that, especially how the community really pulled together.  It was a nice story and I could easily see how children would be drawn to it with all of the pirate stories and search for treasure.  The details were wonderful and I love how the Underground Railroad was weaved into the story.  The story is well written and overall just a good book whether you are a child or an adult  The children were great characters who were thoughtful and considere not only of each other but of Miss Theo both when she was alive and after she passed away, and their determination made the story..  I especially like how it reminded me of how I felt as a child, when you had something to believe in and went on an adventure to follow what you thought you should do, just brought back great memories.
1441417
This was a great book really well written.  Patrica/Patrick was a great character in conflict trying to live in 2 worlds, very well written.  Being a Pirates nut I was really impressed with the authors attention to detail and time period.  She must have a sailing background, because she did a wonderful job with making the reader feel the life on a 1700's ship.  Some scenes make you squirm a little, like her first amputation, but I liked she did not sugar coat it and kept it real.  There is some romance in the book, but it does not over power the action storyline.  If you like a good nautical historical fiction you will love this book.