Alosa’s mission is finally complete. Not only has she recovered all three pieces of the map to a legendary hidden treasure, but the pirates who originally took her captive are now prisoners on her ship. Still unfairly attractive and unexpectedly loyal, first mate Riden is a constant distraction, but now he’s under her orders. And she takes great comfort in knowing that the villainous Vordan will soon be facing her father’s justice.
When Vordan exposes a secret her father has kept for years, Alosa and her crew find themselves in a deadly race with the feared Pirate King. Despite the danger, Alosa knows they will recover the treasure first . . . after all, she is the daughter of the Siren Queen.
As some of you may remember, I kind of love pirates and mermaids. It has been a consistent theme in my life. I know I went into depth on this love when I reviewed the predecessor to this book, Daughter of the Pirate King. But, ‘tis true, I. Love. Pirates. And. Mermaids. So, maybe I am kind of biased in my love of this book. But, still. I love it. So, keep that in mind as I review it.
So, there are few series that I have read recently where I honestly was like, “why is this series so short?” This novel tied up the plot line perfectly, everything was so happy and great, but I so, so desire more of Alosa’s story. The characters were beautiful and complex, and the plot was so captivating, mixing history and mythology seamlessly. In fantasy (or fantasy-esque, like this) novels, the story can be burdened down with world building, or general explanations of the morals and the worlds. This novel managed to give us all the info we needed, whilst still keeping the swashbuckling plot fast.
As I mentioned in my previous review of this series, one of the most interesting aspects of this book is the way that it deals with “good and bad,” specifically in pirate life. Characters were killing each other left and right out of necessity and survival, but you still saw them valuing each other as humans. It is a really complex and fascinating dynamic, and some of the most thought provoking material I have encountered in YA. The general way that Alosa deals with the morals of pirate life; not letting them destroy her personal morals, but also accepting it as a part of her life.
Overall, this is a fantastic YA novel. There is some PG-13 material, as one would expect from pirates, but it is all pretty docile. The adventure and romance has a wonderful spark of comedy, and basically I adored it and cannot say enough good things. I want nothing more than more quality pirate/mermaid YA novels. Plz.
5 out 5 stars.
Maddie