Review: The Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller

There will be plenty of time for me to beat him soundly once I’ve gotten what I came for.

Sent on a mission to retrieve an ancient hidden map—the key to a legendary treasure trove—seventeen-year-old pirate captain Alosa deliberately allows herself to be captured by her enemies, giving her the perfect opportunity to search their ship.

More than a match for the ruthless pirate crew, Alosa has only one thing standing between her and the map: her captor, the unexpectedly clever and unfairly attractive first mate, Riden. But not to worry, for Alosa has a few tricks up her sleeve, and no lone pirate can stop the Daughter of the Pirate King.

Because I’m obsessed with reading challenges this year, I’m also slowly ticking off the Oasis badges. One of the prompts was ‘Pirates’, and this was the first interesting book I could find on Scribd. It wasn’t too long and I can’t get enough of YA fantasy so it was an easy choice.

I didn’t know much about it aside from the cover and blurb and only found out later that people loved this book and that the sequel was already out. I need pirates, and that’s what I got. Lots of pirates. I like going in blind because that means I don’t have any expectations and I enjoy the book more. This was a nice surprise too.

Alosa is our pirate princess and she has the skills to be named that. People underestimated her because she’s only sixteen but her sword fighting was better than most grown men. Her wits and strategic insights surpassed most pirates in her father’s ranks. That’s what a harsh upbringing will do. Still, she’s soft and kindhearted towards her own crew.

Parts of the book reminded me a lot of The Pirates of the Carribean movies. A few details here and there, the ship life, pirates codes, and the scheming. There’s a thin layer of magic, superstition, and the paranormal. No one ever shares their whole agenda. You need to have the upper hand, always. Trust means you can be betrayed. The constant action means it’s fast-paced. Don’t start this one just before bed because you’ll want to keep reading.

I give The Daughter of the Pirate King four stars. It’s an enjoyable fast-paced adventure story with great characters. I’d highly recommend it to people who are looking for a quick fantasy read with not too much romance. I’m looking forward to reading The Daughter of the Siren Queen