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Vyper
Vyper is a dashing pirate whose name strikes fear in the hearts of blackguards and civilians alike. A fortuitous message in a bottle leads Vyper to the island of Jamaica, but soon entangles him in a web of lies, deceit, and double-crosses, and introduces him to the man who may plunder Vyper's heart and destroy his world.
Byron Caldwell is a handsome, titled British landowner, whose holdings include a thriving plantation on the island of Jamaica. The only shadow on his otherwise brilliant future is his shrew of a sister, Elizabeth. It's his intention to marry her off as soon as possible, if only he can find someone willing to take her off his hands.
Elizabeth wants one thing and one thing only, the key to the Caldwell fortune, and she'll stop at nothing to get it, including arranging the kidnapping and eventual death of her brother by hiring the most ferocious pirate she can find.
The events spurred by a seemingly innocuous message found in a bottle washed ashore on a tiny island in the Caribbean soon set Vyper's life on its ear, and may ultimately bring about his demise.
Byron Caldwell is a handsome, titled British landowner, whose holdings include a thriving plantation on the island of Jamaica. The only shadow on his otherwise brilliant future is his shrew of a sister, Elizabeth. It's his intention to marry her off as soon as possible, if only he can find someone willing to take her off his hands.
Elizabeth wants one thing and one thing only, the key to the Caldwell fortune, and she'll stop at nothing to get it, including arranging the kidnapping and eventual death of her brother by hiring the most ferocious pirate she can find.
The events spurred by a seemingly innocuous message found in a bottle washed ashore on a tiny island in the Caribbean soon set Vyper's life on its ear, and may ultimately bring about his demise.
204 pages, ebook
First published November 30, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
November 13, 2012
4 1/2 Hearts
Review written for MM Good Book Reviews
http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com/
Now this is a good read. Vyper is a pirate hunted over the seas by the British and Spanish alike; when his cabin boy Toby passes him a message in a bottle he decides to head on over and help the young lady out… Pirate style. Byron is trying his best to find a suitable husband for his sister, unfortunately his sister is not co-operating, and the next thing he knows he is being carried off by pirates… on his sister’s orders.
I really enjoyed this book as it has a bit of swashbuckling, danger, deceit, backstabbing, lying, murder, plotting, anger, lust, want, need, kidnapping, revenge, a lost heir and amazingly enough a happy ever after. This book isn’t just about Vyper and Byron, it’s also about Toby, Vyper’s cabin boy and Elizabeth *sneer*, Byron’s sister, the four of them are connected together and it is an intriguing story.
I have got to say that I thought that Vyper was the very essence of roguish pirate, living life by his rules and claiming the loyalty of his men through his actions. Byron does at first come across as stuck up and staid but I think that has to do with the responsibility he has shouldered over the years. Toby is eighteen to old really to be a cabin boy any longer but he enjoys his life with Vyper who rescued him five years earlier from years of abuse and he will do anything for him and now we come to Elizabeth who has a blacker heart than any pirate who ever sailed the seas.
I am sure that some people will excuse Elizabeth’s actions and be all 'oh the poor woman' because of what happened in her past and I say HA! Toby suffered worse and did nothing like that evil woman did, she had no redeemable quality’s and should have been killed in the battle (in my honest opinion) and Byron really deserved a medal for putting up with her and not killing her and his devastation at her betrayal was well done. Toby’s reaction and jealousy was spot on and Vyper, oh Vyper, loses his heart.
There was only one problem through this entire book and that was Elizabeth’s age, early on she declares herself twenty-three, the oldest and the way that she describes it she and Bryon are twins. Now we know from other things that get mentioned that, Yes she is the oldest, No she’d be thirty and No Bryon is two years younger than her. It confused the hell out of me trying to keep it straight in my head and then I just ignored everything that she said… Well she is a liar after all.
So I have got to recommend this to those who love historical romance, pirates, hot sex, mystery and intrigue because honestly if I didn’t hate Elizabeth’s character so much this would have been a 5 heart.
Review written for MM Good Book Reviews
http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com/
Now this is a good read. Vyper is a pirate hunted over the seas by the British and Spanish alike; when his cabin boy Toby passes him a message in a bottle he decides to head on over and help the young lady out… Pirate style. Byron is trying his best to find a suitable husband for his sister, unfortunately his sister is not co-operating, and the next thing he knows he is being carried off by pirates… on his sister’s orders.
I really enjoyed this book as it has a bit of swashbuckling, danger, deceit, backstabbing, lying, murder, plotting, anger, lust, want, need, kidnapping, revenge, a lost heir and amazingly enough a happy ever after. This book isn’t just about Vyper and Byron, it’s also about Toby, Vyper’s cabin boy and Elizabeth *sneer*, Byron’s sister, the four of them are connected together and it is an intriguing story.
I have got to say that I thought that Vyper was the very essence of roguish pirate, living life by his rules and claiming the loyalty of his men through his actions. Byron does at first come across as stuck up and staid but I think that has to do with the responsibility he has shouldered over the years. Toby is eighteen to old really to be a cabin boy any longer but he enjoys his life with Vyper who rescued him five years earlier from years of abuse and he will do anything for him and now we come to Elizabeth who has a blacker heart than any pirate who ever sailed the seas.
I am sure that some people will excuse Elizabeth’s actions and be all 'oh the poor woman' because of what happened in her past and I say HA! Toby suffered worse and did nothing like that evil woman did, she had no redeemable quality’s and should have been killed in the battle (in my honest opinion) and Byron really deserved a medal for putting up with her and not killing her and his devastation at her betrayal was well done. Toby’s reaction and jealousy was spot on and Vyper, oh Vyper, loses his heart.
There was only one problem through this entire book and that was Elizabeth’s age, early on she declares herself twenty-three, the oldest and the way that she describes it she and Bryon are twins. Now we know from other things that get mentioned that, Yes she is the oldest, No she’d be thirty and No Bryon is two years younger than her. It confused the hell out of me trying to keep it straight in my head and then I just ignored everything that she said… Well she is a liar after all.
So I have got to recommend this to those who love historical romance, pirates, hot sex, mystery and intrigue because honestly if I didn’t hate Elizabeth’s character so much this would have been a 5 heart.
April 8, 2012
This was a fun, sexy story. Lots of suspension of disbelief needed for this one (at least for me) since it's a historical dealing with (supposedly bad-ass) pirates and no one seems to have a problem with men having sex with men. Also the super big coincidence with the cabin boy was worthy of major eye-rolling BUT it all worked for me. I really enjoyed it.
November 21, 2019
I listened to this on audible and it was fantastic! I love historicals and pirates. I need more books like this. Joel Leslie did an amazing job telling this story. The accent, the snark, all of it had me a chapter one. This book also had an amazing character named Elizabeth who was gutsy, bitter, strong, cunning and a woman not be underestimated. Highly recommend.
February 17, 2023
***Spoilers***
I really wanted to like this one, but unfortunately the story didn't work for me. I liked that this had multiple points of view from characters other than the romantic couple. That isn't something you tend to see in this genre. The problem with that is the story introduces the character of Toby first. I immediately began to root for he and Vyper to get together right from the start, so by the time Byron was finally introduced, he felt like an intruder. From that point on, anytime there were romantic moments between Vyper and Byron, it didn't feel right, and I felt angry and jealous on Toby's behalf. This led me to wish that Toby would take the money and run away to a new life in Australia leaving Vyper finally realizing all too late what he's lost. That's just me. Spending the ENTIRE story in that mind frame left me with an ending that was...unconscious upon arrival. Overall, the story was engaging, and I was interested in the characters. If the story would have been structured differently, I think it would have been a more satisfying read. I would read Kiernan Kelly again. Joel Leslie, brilliant as always.
I really wanted to like this one, but unfortunately the story didn't work for me. I liked that this had multiple points of view from characters other than the romantic couple. That isn't something you tend to see in this genre. The problem with that is the story introduces the character of Toby first. I immediately began to root for he and Vyper to get together right from the start, so by the time Byron was finally introduced, he felt like an intruder. From that point on, anytime there were romantic moments between Vyper and Byron, it didn't feel right, and I felt angry and jealous on Toby's behalf. This led me to wish that Toby would take the money and run away to a new life in Australia leaving Vyper finally realizing all too late what he's lost. That's just me. Spending the ENTIRE story in that mind frame left me with an ending that was...unconscious upon arrival. Overall, the story was engaging, and I was interested in the characters. If the story would have been structured differently, I think it would have been a more satisfying read. I would read Kiernan Kelly again. Joel Leslie, brilliant as always.
July 8, 2021
Let me start off by saying Joel Leslie was the most perfect narrator for the audio verson. Vyper kinda sounded like Jack Sparrow and that made me happy. The next thing, damn I never wanted a character to ge their come uppance like I did with Elizabeth. She is a physcopath. Or is it a sociopath? Which ever, chick is crazy. Kinda bummed she survived. Oh, but Byron and his pirate... That was an amazing story and pretty darned hot too! Is it wrong of me to pretend that the new Lord Byron, with his repressed background grows up to be the infamous Lord Byron? Because this is how i see this story. It's an amazing piece of writing that has me daring to imagine all kinds of possible futures for the characters.
September 8, 2023
Audiobook Review:
Overall – 5
Performance – 5
Story – 5
A great sexy pirate story!
Joel Leslie has been one of my favorite voice artists for quite a while and he didn’t disappoint with this one. I also love all of the Kiernan Kelly books I’ve read.
The characters were interesting; I didn't really expect such a strong female character or the things that happened with her. There were three great male characters and the story went in a different direction than what I thought it was going to when it first started out. Props go to the author for keeping me guessing and surprising me more than once.
Overall – 5
Performance – 5
Story – 5
A great sexy pirate story!
Joel Leslie has been one of my favorite voice artists for quite a while and he didn’t disappoint with this one. I also love all of the Kiernan Kelly books I’ve read.
The characters were interesting; I didn't really expect such a strong female character or the things that happened with her. There were three great male characters and the story went in a different direction than what I thought it was going to when it first started out. Props go to the author for keeping me guessing and surprising me more than once.
June 22, 2021
Listened to the audiobook. It was ok. I feel like all the characters except Elizabeth were shallow. She was my favorite, and I did like her arc, but it didn’t quite feel earned.
May 17, 2018
I feel like I'm in the minority here as a lot of people seem to really like this book, but I guess that's just the way it goes sometimes.
For me, the subplot of Toby having a crush on Vyper who would later be described as being "like a father to him" was handled in such a way that I found it a little unsettling. I get Toby's hero worship and his crush, but one of the earliest scenes in the book is a scene where Toby is told to hide so he can watch Vyper with another man. It's sort of played like the equivalent of a teen watching porn on the internet for the time period, but it still feels weird to me that this grown man, Vyper, tells a young man that he can hide and watch sex between two older men one of which doesn't know they have an audience. That set the tone for me.
Further, the way the book is written I end up far more invested in Toby's crush on Vyper than I was on what happened between the pirate and the lord.
There was a ton of abuse, sexual assault, rape, and mistreatment of slaves. I can mostly get past the issue of some of the main characters owning slaves since it's "realistic" of the time and their station, however, for there to be the use of slaves in a sexual way made me dislike those characters.
And then ultimately I just didn't feel like the evolution from intrigued characters attracted to each other to two characters in love and committing to each other. I just didn't feel any chemistry between them and the whole story was flat to me.
The narrator was pretty good, but I had to listen to this at double speed to get through it.
For me, the subplot of Toby having a crush on Vyper who would later be described as being "like a father to him" was handled in such a way that I found it a little unsettling. I get Toby's hero worship and his crush, but one of the earliest scenes in the book is a scene where Toby is told to hide so he can watch Vyper with another man. It's sort of played like the equivalent of a teen watching porn on the internet for the time period, but it still feels weird to me that this grown man, Vyper, tells a young man that he can hide and watch sex between two older men one of which doesn't know they have an audience. That set the tone for me.
Further, the way the book is written I end up far more invested in Toby's crush on Vyper than I was on what happened between the pirate and the lord.
There was a ton of abuse, sexual assault, rape, and mistreatment of slaves. I can mostly get past the issue of some of the main characters owning slaves since it's "realistic" of the time and their station, however, for there to be the use of slaves in a sexual way made me dislike those characters.
And then ultimately I just didn't feel like the evolution from intrigued characters attracted to each other to two characters in love and committing to each other. I just didn't feel any chemistry between them and the whole story was flat to me.
The narrator was pretty good, but I had to listen to this at double speed to get through it.
March 23, 2016
Vyper by Kiernan Kelly
Narrated by Joel Leslie
Overall: ****
Performance: *****
Story: ***
"Swashbuckling M/M Romance"
Would you listen to Vyper again? Why?
Yes. Loved the narration. Vyper was wonderful. Family ties and interactions proved intriguing.
What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)
It finished the story but allowed for future stories of Toby and Elizabeth should the author desire to tell them. I liked the way the strings were tied up at the end and the future laid out seemed possible for the remaining characters.
Have you listened to any of Joel Leslie’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
Yes. I listened to "The Duke in Denial" and loved it. Joel Leslie provides a diverse range of voices, dialects and accents that work so very well. His voice is excellent to listen to.
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
I hated the aspect of abuse and the fact that it was perpetrated on the young - wanted to smash more than one person mentioned. Also hated the idea of slavery though realize it was commonplace in the time and location of this story.
Any additional comments?
Thoroughly enjoyable read and I thank the narrator for the copy to listen to. It made exercising SO much more enjoyable. My review is my honest response to what I listened to. I would recommend this to those who enjoy and are looking for a M/M historical romance.
4 Stars
Narrated by Joel Leslie
Overall: ****
Performance: *****
Story: ***
"Swashbuckling M/M Romance"
Would you listen to Vyper again? Why?
Yes. Loved the narration. Vyper was wonderful. Family ties and interactions proved intriguing.
What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)
It finished the story but allowed for future stories of Toby and Elizabeth should the author desire to tell them. I liked the way the strings were tied up at the end and the future laid out seemed possible for the remaining characters.
Have you listened to any of Joel Leslie’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
Yes. I listened to "The Duke in Denial" and loved it. Joel Leslie provides a diverse range of voices, dialects and accents that work so very well. His voice is excellent to listen to.
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
I hated the aspect of abuse and the fact that it was perpetrated on the young - wanted to smash more than one person mentioned. Also hated the idea of slavery though realize it was commonplace in the time and location of this story.
Any additional comments?
Thoroughly enjoyable read and I thank the narrator for the copy to listen to. It made exercising SO much more enjoyable. My review is my honest response to what I listened to. I would recommend this to those who enjoy and are looking for a M/M historical romance.
4 Stars
March 25, 2016
Audio book Review:
Hot smexy pirate times. This was my first foray into the mm pirate trope and I must say I have mixed emotions about it. On one hand I was absolutely appalled at the treatment and attitude towards slaves in Port Royal, Jamaica. Although I’m sure historically accurate, that was hard to stomach. It made it hard to like any of the MCs. This book is well written with complex MCs that are neither totally good nor totally evil. Keep that in the back of your mind as you listen. It is primarily told from Vyper, Byron, Elizabeth and Toby’s POV, but some minor characters also get a POV at times. The story requires a little suspension of disbelief to enjoy as there is an element of insta lust. I was pleasantly surprised by how my attitude about Elizabeth changed over the course of the story. Like many of the people of that time, I found myself judging her more harshly than I judged Vyper; who if truth be told was just as ruthless as Elizabeth. But he could hide behind be a pirate to justify his behavior and she could not. All in all a really enjoyable listen.
Joel Leslie once again does a masterful performance. He is really one of the most talented narrators out there. His timing and characterizations are spot on and really brings this story to life. I definitely would not have enjoyed it as much if I had read it
Hot smexy pirate times. This was my first foray into the mm pirate trope and I must say I have mixed emotions about it. On one hand I was absolutely appalled at the treatment and attitude towards slaves in Port Royal, Jamaica. Although I’m sure historically accurate, that was hard to stomach. It made it hard to like any of the MCs. This book is well written with complex MCs that are neither totally good nor totally evil. Keep that in the back of your mind as you listen. It is primarily told from Vyper, Byron, Elizabeth and Toby’s POV, but some minor characters also get a POV at times. The story requires a little suspension of disbelief to enjoy as there is an element of insta lust. I was pleasantly surprised by how my attitude about Elizabeth changed over the course of the story. Like many of the people of that time, I found myself judging her more harshly than I judged Vyper; who if truth be told was just as ruthless as Elizabeth. But he could hide behind be a pirate to justify his behavior and she could not. All in all a really enjoyable listen.
Joel Leslie once again does a masterful performance. He is really one of the most talented narrators out there. His timing and characterizations are spot on and really brings this story to life. I definitely would not have enjoyed it as much if I had read it
August 5, 2016
I listen to the audiobook, it was a nice book. I wasn’t too much fond on either of the main characters, but there were some interesting moments in the book that made enjoyable.
The story was nice, I wasn’t sure about it in the beginning, I didn’t see the story going anywhere, but near the half it start to become more interesting and I was very intrigued by some events. The pace is steady, it does have some exciting moments and, of course, some fights.
Vyper was an unlikable character, I don’t know why but I just couldn’t care for him. I wasn’t able to connect to any of his feelings, I just didn’t believe him. Byron was a little the same, he was just so plain, so boring, I just didn’t like him at all, and I didn’t care either for their relationship.
Toby, on the other hand, was a very nice character, he was very sweet but I wished he would be a little more developed. Elizabeth was also a great character. She was the one who generate all sort of emotions in me. She was so histrionic that it was so fun to know about her, I laugh so much of all of her plots. She seemed so spoiled at first and it was very nice to see that there was so much more behind that.
I liked the narration, I felt it made the story a little more interesting for me. I loved the voice that was given to Toby, I felt like it add something to the, already there, sweetness of the character.
The story was nice, I wasn’t sure about it in the beginning, I didn’t see the story going anywhere, but near the half it start to become more interesting and I was very intrigued by some events. The pace is steady, it does have some exciting moments and, of course, some fights.
Vyper was an unlikable character, I don’t know why but I just couldn’t care for him. I wasn’t able to connect to any of his feelings, I just didn’t believe him. Byron was a little the same, he was just so plain, so boring, I just didn’t like him at all, and I didn’t care either for their relationship.
Toby, on the other hand, was a very nice character, he was very sweet but I wished he would be a little more developed. Elizabeth was also a great character. She was the one who generate all sort of emotions in me. She was so histrionic that it was so fun to know about her, I laugh so much of all of her plots. She seemed so spoiled at first and it was very nice to see that there was so much more behind that.
I liked the narration, I felt it made the story a little more interesting for me. I loved the voice that was given to Toby, I felt like it add something to the, already there, sweetness of the character.
October 2, 2012
I'm disappointed.
I liked pirates, and I liked the premise - it had lots of potential, but the author squandered it. On what went wrong:
1. Half the book is narrated by Elizabeth and Toby. While I'm all for different perspectives, the book is short and they're unbelievably long-winded. Especially Elizabeth. Especially the earthquake part. I almost wished she would be buried under the mud just to stop her narration.
2. I actually root more for the Toby-Vyper attraction than the Byron-Vyper one. Mostly because Toby is the first character the reader meets, so you bond with him and his unrequited love... Only to find it'll be unrequited forever.
3. Byron is so boring. He has no redeeming qualities. He's a stick in the mud. His entire personality can be coined in that sentence.
4. The romance has no development at all, nor time to develop. In between the Elizabeth & Toby's narration, and all the plots, the most romantic thing they do is the sex before they get sucked back into all the action. Which is not romantic at all.
I could go on and on, but the bottom line is unlikeable characters, a hammed up plot, and boring narrations.
I liked pirates, and I liked the premise - it had lots of potential, but the author squandered it. On what went wrong:
1. Half the book is narrated by Elizabeth and Toby. While I'm all for different perspectives, the book is short and they're unbelievably long-winded. Especially Elizabeth. Especially the earthquake part. I almost wished she would be buried under the mud just to stop her narration.
2. I actually root more for the Toby-Vyper attraction than the Byron-Vyper one. Mostly because Toby is the first character the reader meets, so you bond with him and his unrequited love... Only to find it'll be unrequited forever.
3. Byron is so boring. He has no redeeming qualities. He's a stick in the mud. His entire personality can be coined in that sentence.
4. The romance has no development at all, nor time to develop. In between the Elizabeth & Toby's narration, and all the plots, the most romantic thing they do is the sex before they get sucked back into all the action. Which is not romantic at all.
I could go on and on, but the bottom line is unlikeable characters, a hammed up plot, and boring narrations.
December 3, 2011
3.5 stars
Remember Pirates of the Caribbean movies (the earlier ones)? This book seems to be the gay version of that movies with some twists and without the magical parts. Imagine Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann are siblings, so Will can be Jake Sparrow's love interest... Oh, throw in another hot young male character who is in love with Jake, and it's complete story! BTW, even the feisty heroine's name is Elizabeth (must be in 100 most frequent names for baby girls at the time).
It's actually fun reading. Full of pirates, family intrigues, feminism, and sexual abuse. And of course, love. I felt like being in a POtC theme park for gays.
Arrrr.....Ahoy!
Remember Pirates of the Caribbean movies (the earlier ones)? This book seems to be the gay version of that movies with some twists and without the magical parts. Imagine Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann are siblings, so Will can be Jake Sparrow's love interest... Oh, throw in another hot young male character who is in love with Jake, and it's complete story! BTW, even the feisty heroine's name is Elizabeth (must be in 100 most frequent names for baby girls at the time).
It's actually fun reading. Full of pirates, family intrigues, feminism, and sexual abuse. And of course, love. I felt like being in a POtC theme park for gays.
Arrrr.....Ahoy!
January 8, 2012
Pirates of the Caribbean with a gay Jack Sparrow, but without the magic and paranormal stuff. Well developed and likable characters, interesting and well paced plot. One niggle though. Everything seemed to be historically accurate, but how come the MCs got such an easy HEA? I'm pretty sure the buggery laws were very much in force in that time period, no matter where the citizens of England lived. That's not to mention the scandal it would cause.
Anyway, other than that, very enjoyable read.
Anyway, other than that, very enjoyable read.
December 13, 2011
I liked it then again what's not to like when a sexy pirate is involved and he's kidnapping a lord and decides to sweeten the deal with alittle love on the side throw in a slightly jealous cabin boy with a bad past and a conniving shrew of a sister and you get a tale of jealousy, betrayal, love,and pirate booty ;)
April 15, 2021
Loved the narrator, but the story just kind of lost me.
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