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Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea
A Good Morning America Buzz Pick
For readers of Outlawed , Piranesi , and The Night Tiger , a dazzling historical novel about a legendary Chinese pirate queen, her fight to save her fleet from the forces allied against them, and the dangerous price of power. As Recommended By
The TODAY Show * Washington Post * Goodreads * LitHub * Real Simple * Time * Popsugar * HuffPost * Los Angeles Times * Ms. Magazine * Book Riot * Elle.com * The Rumpus * Tor.com * Polygon * Debutiful * Electric Lit * Shondaland * When Shek Yeung sees a Portuguese sailor slay her husband, a feared pirate, she knows she must act swiftly or die. Instead of mourning, Shek Yeung launches a new immediately marrying her husband's second-in-command, and agreeing to bear him a son and heir, in order to retain power over her half of the fleet. But as Shek Yeung vies for control over the army she knows she was born to lead, larger threats loom. The Chinese Emperor has charged a brutal, crafty nobleman with ridding the South China Seas of pirates, and the Europeans--tired of losing ships, men, and money to Shek Yeung's alliance--have new plans for the area. Even worse, Shek Yeung's cutthroat retributions create problems all their own. As Shek Yeung navigates new motherhood and the crises of leadership, she must decide how long she is willing to fight, and at what price, or risk losing her fleet, her new family, and even her life. A book of salt and grit, blood and sweat, Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea is an unmissable portrait of a woman who leads with the courage and ruthlessness of our darkest and most beloved heroes.
For readers of Outlawed , Piranesi , and The Night Tiger , a dazzling historical novel about a legendary Chinese pirate queen, her fight to save her fleet from the forces allied against them, and the dangerous price of power. As Recommended By
The TODAY Show * Washington Post * Goodreads * LitHub * Real Simple * Time * Popsugar * HuffPost * Los Angeles Times * Ms. Magazine * Book Riot * Elle.com * The Rumpus * Tor.com * Polygon * Debutiful * Electric Lit * Shondaland * When Shek Yeung sees a Portuguese sailor slay her husband, a feared pirate, she knows she must act swiftly or die. Instead of mourning, Shek Yeung launches a new immediately marrying her husband's second-in-command, and agreeing to bear him a son and heir, in order to retain power over her half of the fleet. But as Shek Yeung vies for control over the army she knows she was born to lead, larger threats loom. The Chinese Emperor has charged a brutal, crafty nobleman with ridding the South China Seas of pirates, and the Europeans--tired of losing ships, men, and money to Shek Yeung's alliance--have new plans for the area. Even worse, Shek Yeung's cutthroat retributions create problems all their own. As Shek Yeung navigates new motherhood and the crises of leadership, she must decide how long she is willing to fight, and at what price, or risk losing her fleet, her new family, and even her life. A book of salt and grit, blood and sweat, Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea is an unmissable portrait of a woman who leads with the courage and ruthlessness of our darkest and most beloved heroes.
304 pages, Paperback
First published May 30, 2023
467 people are currently reading
48513 people want to read
About the author
Rita Chang-Eppig
5 books213 followersRita Chang-Eppig received her MFA in fiction from NYU. Her stories have appeared in The Best American Short Stories 2021, McSweeney’s Quarterly Concern, Conjunctions, Clarkesworld, The Rumpus, Virginia Quarterly Review, and elsewhere. She has received fellowships from the Rona Jaffe Foundation/Vermont Studio Center, the Bread Loaf Writers' Conference, the Writers Grotto, and the Martha Heasley Cox Center for Steinbeck Studies at San Jose State University. She lives in California.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,031 reviews
May 30, 2023
Happy release day!
Thanks to Netgalley for a copy to review; this title will be out May 30th.
I thought I would enjoy this, but in hindsight, words like "portrait" and comparisons to Piranesi in the Netgalley summary should've let on that this was more cerebral and thoughtful than action-packed. I think I was anticipating a lot more of a swashbuckling adventure story with more action on-page. Instead, and while it was educational for fiction, this book...Pardon the old adage, but told a lot and didn't show much. Another reviewer compared it to a research paper and I...kind of agree.
The story was often made up of dense explanatory passages, punctuated by awkward turns of phrase, like a paragraph of a character ruminating that began with "Let's say that __XYZ__ happened" when it was an internal monologue. That just read oddly to me.
I think this book is being mis-marketed, which is unfortunate for it. I'd call this literary fiction slash historical fiction that happens to be about a female pirate; it's packed with insight and information, but was not a high octane read.
Thanks to Netgalley for a copy to review; this title will be out May 30th.
I thought I would enjoy this, but in hindsight, words like "portrait" and comparisons to Piranesi in the Netgalley summary should've let on that this was more cerebral and thoughtful than action-packed. I think I was anticipating a lot more of a swashbuckling adventure story with more action on-page. Instead, and while it was educational for fiction, this book...Pardon the old adage, but told a lot and didn't show much. Another reviewer compared it to a research paper and I...kind of agree.
The story was often made up of dense explanatory passages, punctuated by awkward turns of phrase, like a paragraph of a character ruminating that began with "Let's say that __XYZ__ happened" when it was an internal monologue. That just read oddly to me.
I think this book is being mis-marketed, which is unfortunate for it. I'd call this literary fiction slash historical fiction that happens to be about a female pirate; it's packed with insight and information, but was not a high octane read.
March 29, 2023
2.25/5 stars
I thought the premise of this book was very interesting and it caught my attention immediately. Female pirates?! Absolutely count me in.
Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea is a historical fiction about Shek Young, a woman forced into piracy. The story starts off with Shek Young having to gain control of her husband's fleet after he is killed in battle. She strikes a deal with her husband's second in command, Cheng Po, to maintain her position within the crew. However, there is a new threat looming in the distance as China pushes to rid of piracy.
While the plot seemed intriguing, I lost interest almost immediately and struggled to wade through the entirety of the story. I don't doubt the author's passion for this story and the lore, as well as the immense amount of research that went into writing this book...because it read sort of like a research paper. For a book about pirates, there was a whole lot of nothing going on the entire time. Even the battles were almost entirely skipped over so there was no thrill or any pick up in pacing.
Thank you to NetGalley and nd Bloomsbury Publishing for the eARC of this book. in exchange for my honest review.
I thought the premise of this book was very interesting and it caught my attention immediately. Female pirates?! Absolutely count me in.
Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea is a historical fiction about Shek Young, a woman forced into piracy. The story starts off with Shek Young having to gain control of her husband's fleet after he is killed in battle. She strikes a deal with her husband's second in command, Cheng Po, to maintain her position within the crew. However, there is a new threat looming in the distance as China pushes to rid of piracy.
While the plot seemed intriguing, I lost interest almost immediately and struggled to wade through the entirety of the story. I don't doubt the author's passion for this story and the lore, as well as the immense amount of research that went into writing this book...because it read sort of like a research paper. For a book about pirates, there was a whole lot of nothing going on the entire time. Even the battles were almost entirely skipped over so there was no thrill or any pick up in pacing.
Thank you to NetGalley and nd Bloomsbury Publishing for the eARC of this book. in exchange for my honest review.
January 8, 2023
"The world was full of people who'd triumphed because they'd clung to their secrets and people who'd succumbed because they'd loosed their secrets too easily or too early."
"All this world is, is people exacting their will on others."
This is a historical adventurous tale about the legendary Chinese pirate queen Shek Yeung. After assaulting a Portuguese ship and her partner dies, Yeung allies with Cheung Po (second-in-command) through marriage to secure her position and control over the army.
From a person of humble origins to a leader who commands the largest pirate fleet in China, there's something about how Yeung grapples with power in a ruthless way that makes her a magnetic character. She does what it takes to survive in a world on a brink and defies women's role in a male-dominated place. However Yeung is far from a perfect character - Eppig details human experiences such as love and grief while the MC deals with womanhood and motherhood.
When one finally has a voice and turn at dictating the course of things, it's hard to navigate between the tenuous line of "freedom x chasing power". What I appreciate the most is that Eppig weaves Chinese mythology and historical elements in the narrative (Mazu, the goddess of the sea and the Empress of Heaven; and the Qing dynasty), bringing known characters to life. Furthermore, the inclusion of Taiwan is the chef's kiss.
Other compelling topics in the story are Western imperialism; legacy; unlikely alliances; betrayal and revenge. The great amount of ship battle scenes is refreshing while also being challenging for those unfamiliar with it. The story felt distant at times and I was expecting further development of some aspects as this book could have been longer.
DEEP AS THE SKY, RED AS THE SEA is a powerful portrait of a woman on the high seas who leads with courage and ferocity. I knew next to nothing about the 'pirate queen' prior to reading this book and Shek Yeung is a figure that deserves to have her story told.
[ I received an ARC from the publisher - Bloomsbury Publishing . All opinions are my own ]
"All this world is, is people exacting their will on others."
This is a historical adventurous tale about the legendary Chinese pirate queen Shek Yeung. After assaulting a Portuguese ship and her partner dies, Yeung allies with Cheung Po (second-in-command) through marriage to secure her position and control over the army.
From a person of humble origins to a leader who commands the largest pirate fleet in China, there's something about how Yeung grapples with power in a ruthless way that makes her a magnetic character. She does what it takes to survive in a world on a brink and defies women's role in a male-dominated place. However Yeung is far from a perfect character - Eppig details human experiences such as love and grief while the MC deals with womanhood and motherhood.
When one finally has a voice and turn at dictating the course of things, it's hard to navigate between the tenuous line of "freedom x chasing power". What I appreciate the most is that Eppig weaves Chinese mythology and historical elements in the narrative (Mazu, the goddess of the sea and the Empress of Heaven; and the Qing dynasty), bringing known characters to life. Furthermore, the inclusion of Taiwan is the chef's kiss.
Other compelling topics in the story are Western imperialism; legacy; unlikely alliances; betrayal and revenge. The great amount of ship battle scenes is refreshing while also being challenging for those unfamiliar with it. The story felt distant at times and I was expecting further development of some aspects as this book could have been longer.
DEEP AS THE SKY, RED AS THE SEA is a powerful portrait of a woman on the high seas who leads with courage and ferocity. I knew next to nothing about the 'pirate queen' prior to reading this book and Shek Yeung is a figure that deserves to have her story told.
[ I received an ARC from the publisher - Bloomsbury Publishing . All opinions are my own ]
March 17, 2023
A fierce lady pirate. Need I say more?
But I will. Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea is foremost an examination of womanhood and gender roles. It is sprinkled with magical realism, backed by a brutal, historical world of piracy in Asia. I initially expected more of a dark-toned but still swashbuckling adventure, but this story read as quite literary. The narrative is slower-paced and insular, deeply tied to the development and inner turmoil of our pirate queen, Shek Young.
She is intelligent, strategic, pragmatic, but also flawed. She loves but fears just as fiercely. She reminded me a bit of an older, middle-aged Rin (from The Poppy War) might be. Shek Young is ambitious and willing to do anything to survive and succeed, but is also jaded by trauma, buried guilt, and the limitations of her gender. Chang-Eppig considers what it is to be a woman from Shek Young's perspective, and much of it resonated with my own experiences. The ways we are treated, the ways we are expected to act, how then the treatment and expectations influence how we act, and how we rebel. It was realistic, raw, and piercing.
Though Shek Young was supposedly hailed as a legendary pirate queen, I didn't feel as if I got that vibe a lot. There's certainly the pirate, but very little legend or queen in my opinion. However, it does fit into the themes of the overall story--how in the end, she was just a person, before any story told about her. I suppose I just overestimated how much action there was going to be. Another small gripe I had was the pacing. This is more personal preference, but I felt that it slogged a bit in places, especially with the introspective nature of the narration. Finally, I thought the prose was awkward at times, with vocabulary or descriptions that pulled me out of the story. (But this may be edited before publication.) I still loved Chang-Eppig's unique narrative style.
Overall, it was a great read and left me with a lot of thoughts, as a good book should do! It is definitely worth the read if the synopsis has drawn your attention!
But I will. Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea is foremost an examination of womanhood and gender roles. It is sprinkled with magical realism, backed by a brutal, historical world of piracy in Asia. I initially expected more of a dark-toned but still swashbuckling adventure, but this story read as quite literary. The narrative is slower-paced and insular, deeply tied to the development and inner turmoil of our pirate queen, Shek Young.
She is intelligent, strategic, pragmatic, but also flawed. She loves but fears just as fiercely. She reminded me a bit of an older, middle-aged Rin (from The Poppy War) might be. Shek Young is ambitious and willing to do anything to survive and succeed, but is also jaded by trauma, buried guilt, and the limitations of her gender. Chang-Eppig considers what it is to be a woman from Shek Young's perspective, and much of it resonated with my own experiences. The ways we are treated, the ways we are expected to act, how then the treatment and expectations influence how we act, and how we rebel. It was realistic, raw, and piercing.
Though Shek Young was supposedly hailed as a legendary pirate queen, I didn't feel as if I got that vibe a lot. There's certainly the pirate, but very little legend or queen in my opinion. However, it does fit into the themes of the overall story--how in the end, she was just a person, before any story told about her. I suppose I just overestimated how much action there was going to be. Another small gripe I had was the pacing. This is more personal preference, but I felt that it slogged a bit in places, especially with the introspective nature of the narration. Finally, I thought the prose was awkward at times, with vocabulary or descriptions that pulled me out of the story. (But this may be edited before publication.) I still loved Chang-Eppig's unique narrative style.
Overall, it was a great read and left me with a lot of thoughts, as a good book should do! It is definitely worth the read if the synopsis has drawn your attention!
April 26, 2025
c'est un livre dont j'ai hérité en tant qu'éditrice, déjà signé lorsque j'ai pris mon poste, et il y a parfois de ces très jolis miracles lorsqu'on fait mon métier, des livres qu'on n'a pas choisis et qu'on choisit d'autant plus, des livres pour lesquels on n'a finalement aucune autre décision stratégique à prendre que "est-ce que j'aime ou pas", et j'ai tellement, tellement aimé ce livre, j'ai adoré travailler dessus, peaufiner sa traduction, et j'ai adoré l'idée de m'associer au geste éditorial de sa publication. je le trouve tellement précieux, tellement important, tellement passionnant dans sa façon de raconter un portrait de "FEMMEFORTE" extrêmement nuancé, qui MONTRE toutes les compromissions et tous les compromis auxquels doit se livrer une femme souhaitant accéder au pouvoir, qui nous fait "root" pour la "strong girl" mais sans jamais fermer les yeux sur les exactions qu'elle commet, j'adore cette façon de démonter le girlboss feminism par quelque chose de tellement plus gris et gluant : Shek Yeung est pleinement victime de la violence qu'elle a subie de la part des hommes, et pleinement responsable de celle qu'elle impose à ses propres victimes, et dans le même temps, quel autre rôle de sécurité aurait-elle pu se garantir que celui de cheffe pirate, nous demande-t-elle - et à ça il y a en réalité des tas de réponses, mais c'est celle-là, celle de la piraterie, qu'elle a choisie, parce qu'elle en a envie, elle a envie au fond de ce souffle et de ce grandiose et de cette puissance, et c'est passionnant de complexité et de petites épluchures de nuance toute cette histoire. c'est formidablement écrit, c'est hyper malin et bien construit dans ses tiroirs, et c'est profondément nourri d'histoire, de mythologie, d'art, de poésie, de religion, par une personne qui sait très bien de quoi elle parle et qui nous fait un très très joli cadeau d'écriture et de transmission. s'il vous plaît lisez ce livre !!!! ça parle de la femme pirate la plus puissante de l'histoire. y a un côté Game of Thrones extrêmement plaisant. et aussi et surtout, c'est hyper, hyper, hyper subtil, hyper poétique, hyper beau et hyper cruel. trop trop bien ce livre.
July 5, 2023
*more of a 3.5 for me* Ultimately I think this Book was just marketed wrong. It was not the fast paced, high stakes and high octane swashbuckling read that I was expecting, but more of an introspective narrative about gender roles, destiny, and trauma. Once I got halfway through I understood that and was able to enjoy the book more. Shek Yeung is a complicated character and I enjoyed reading about her.
I did feel as though the pacing was off sometimes, it would randomly skip time and I never knew how much had passed. And I wish the battles were more a part of the book. The only real one talked about is the one at the end, all of the others are just skipped over. But by no means a bad book, and I liked the parallel between her and the goddess Ma-Zou.
I did feel as though the pacing was off sometimes, it would randomly skip time and I never knew how much had passed. And I wish the battles were more a part of the book. The only real one talked about is the one at the end, all of the others are just skipped over. But by no means a bad book, and I liked the parallel between her and the goddess Ma-Zou.
October 28, 2023
Rating: 4.5⭐️
When I tell you I’m not a historical fiction girlie, I mean it. But something about the premise of this book caught my attention. I think it’s mostly the idea of a female pirate. I’m happy that I wasn’t just not disappointed, I truly enjoyed this book so much.
I will say that don’t go in thinking that this is a fantasy book.I would consider this a historical fiction as well as a literary fiction. Knowing that beforehand allowed me to be aware and comfortable with the way the book is written. I think the author did an amazing job telling Shek Yeung story through Shek’s perspective.
I was in disbelief when I realized that I read this in one sitting. I was THAT hooked on the plot and the characters. I truly was enamored with Shek Yeung, she was tough yet vulnerable. I can tell that the author did her research on the time period because I felt engulfed in the setting.
I also highly recommend listening to the audiobook as well.
Thank you Bloomsbury Publishing for a free copy of Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea in exchange for a review.
When I tell you I’m not a historical fiction girlie, I mean it. But something about the premise of this book caught my attention. I think it’s mostly the idea of a female pirate. I’m happy that I wasn’t just not disappointed, I truly enjoyed this book so much.
I will say that don’t go in thinking that this is a fantasy book.I would consider this a historical fiction as well as a literary fiction. Knowing that beforehand allowed me to be aware and comfortable with the way the book is written. I think the author did an amazing job telling Shek Yeung story through Shek’s perspective.
I was in disbelief when I realized that I read this in one sitting. I was THAT hooked on the plot and the characters. I truly was enamored with Shek Yeung, she was tough yet vulnerable. I can tell that the author did her research on the time period because I felt engulfed in the setting.
I also highly recommend listening to the audiobook as well.
Thank you Bloomsbury Publishing for a free copy of Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea in exchange for a review.
May 29, 2025
an interesting historical fiction novel about a legendary chinese pirate queen
September 4, 2023
2.5 ⭐️
How you make a female pirate uninteresting is baffling.
This book is well written and obviously well researched. It’s dry. I didn’t really like the FMC. She annoyed me.
If you’re looking for adventures on the high seas with dashing characters and swashbuckling excitement - this ain’t it.
How you make a female pirate uninteresting is baffling.
This book is well written and obviously well researched. It’s dry. I didn’t really like the FMC. She annoyed me.
If you’re looking for adventures on the high seas with dashing characters and swashbuckling excitement - this ain’t it.
July 21, 2023
"All this world is, is people exacting their will on others. The sooner one understands that, the sooner one can move on. Otherwise, you spend your whole life grieving."
A beautifully rendered story of early 19th century maritime rebellion, the fallacy of power, and motherhood's unique position to temper the tides of war. Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea is a historical fiction that seamlessly weaves in magical realism and transports readers from the Manchu Qing-ruled Canton, to Taiwan, Maynila (modern day Philippines), and all the deep and dark expanses that lie between.
We follow Shek Yeung, historical pirate queen who, to this day, is lauded as one of the most (if not THE most) influential and powerful pirates who ever lived, and her journey from being violently ripped away from her family of fishermen to being turned over and used as chattel among the nefarious "flower boats." And let me tell you—that term is NOT what I had envisioned. But it is the flower boats where Shek Yeung learns to listen and observe and develops her sense of wits and knack for strategy and information, which ultimately elevates her to serve as the wife of respected (and highly feared) Red Banner Fleet captain and enforcer of the pirate alliance, Cheng Yat. It is a few years into their marriage (Shek Yeung is 31 years old when we meet her), when the story begins.
I couldn't put this book down and finished it a day after I picked it up. The writing was brutally vivid, the protagonist embodied—at best—shades of gray, and yet the story somehow managed a more hopeful ending than I could have anticipated. I found Shek Yeung to be a really complex character and was yelling for her to make different decisions throughout, but that's part of what made her story so compelling. She is ruthless and strong and we get to watch her grapple with what it means to be soft and maternal—if she's even capable of being those things—and would that compromise her position of power?
This is a book heavy on seafaring politics, espionage, and skirmishes, which I enjoy, but I perhaps was more invested in Shek Yeung's evolution at the end. I was very pleasantly surprised and felt the book posed so many important ideas to mull over. The writing and character work were excellent, and I greatly enjoyed the story's themes around the precariousness of power, survival, and gender roles.
5 stars.
"How full of nothing all humans are, just bits of substance drawn and held stubbornly together by will, animal habit, and the fear of what comes after."
A beautifully rendered story of early 19th century maritime rebellion, the fallacy of power, and motherhood's unique position to temper the tides of war. Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea is a historical fiction that seamlessly weaves in magical realism and transports readers from the Manchu Qing-ruled Canton, to Taiwan, Maynila (modern day Philippines), and all the deep and dark expanses that lie between.
We follow Shek Yeung, historical pirate queen who, to this day, is lauded as one of the most (if not THE most) influential and powerful pirates who ever lived, and her journey from being violently ripped away from her family of fishermen to being turned over and used as chattel among the nefarious "flower boats." And let me tell you—that term is NOT what I had envisioned. But it is the flower boats where Shek Yeung learns to listen and observe and develops her sense of wits and knack for strategy and information, which ultimately elevates her to serve as the wife of respected (and highly feared) Red Banner Fleet captain and enforcer of the pirate alliance, Cheng Yat. It is a few years into their marriage (Shek Yeung is 31 years old when we meet her), when the story begins.
I couldn't put this book down and finished it a day after I picked it up. The writing was brutally vivid, the protagonist embodied—at best—shades of gray, and yet the story somehow managed a more hopeful ending than I could have anticipated. I found Shek Yeung to be a really complex character and was yelling for her to make different decisions throughout, but that's part of what made her story so compelling. She is ruthless and strong and we get to watch her grapple with what it means to be soft and maternal—if she's even capable of being those things—and would that compromise her position of power?
This is a book heavy on seafaring politics, espionage, and skirmishes, which I enjoy, but I perhaps was more invested in Shek Yeung's evolution at the end. I was very pleasantly surprised and felt the book posed so many important ideas to mull over. The writing and character work were excellent, and I greatly enjoyed the story's themes around the precariousness of power, survival, and gender roles.
5 stars.
"How full of nothing all humans are, just bits of substance drawn and held stubbornly together by will, animal habit, and the fear of what comes after."
September 11, 2024
Please note this is NOT a middle grade, or young adult book. It may look like one on the cover, and read like one in the blurb but it has prostitution, violence, sex, etc. in it. Nothing worse than Sarah J. Maas has in Court of Thorn and Roses; but it should be listed as Teen, in my opinion.
Onto my review...
Piracy in Asia looked a bit different than you might think… or at least according to Rita Chang-Eppig and her leading lady in Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea.
We meet our lead gal as she is in a conundrum. Her husband has just passed and she needs to find a way to hold onto the captaincy of her ship, a small fleet, and protect those she loves on board her vessel (and keep herself alive as well). Thus she makes decisions that are justifiable; but perhaps not always in everyone's best interest. Although it is worth noting she is a pirate after all...
In no ways is our leading gal a hero; but she's not a villain either. Instead she is the perfect kind of morally grey character most of us are in life. We make good decisions, we make bad decisions; and overall we just have to keep on moving to stay alive. This is the main theme and take away from Chang-Eppig's story. Sometimes it's just about surviving.
I loved the enduringness of these characters, the detail and narrative of the story was also excellent. Although near the end I was kind of tired of our crew and certainly of our leading gal. You can only hear someone express regret so many times before you lack empathy, sympathy, or even any emotion towards them. And so I think a quicker ending would have served this book and our leading lady better.
Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.
Onto my review...
Piracy in Asia looked a bit different than you might think… or at least according to Rita Chang-Eppig and her leading lady in Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea.
We meet our lead gal as she is in a conundrum. Her husband has just passed and she needs to find a way to hold onto the captaincy of her ship, a small fleet, and protect those she loves on board her vessel (and keep herself alive as well). Thus she makes decisions that are justifiable; but perhaps not always in everyone's best interest. Although it is worth noting she is a pirate after all...
In no ways is our leading gal a hero; but she's not a villain either. Instead she is the perfect kind of morally grey character most of us are in life. We make good decisions, we make bad decisions; and overall we just have to keep on moving to stay alive. This is the main theme and take away from Chang-Eppig's story. Sometimes it's just about surviving.
I loved the enduringness of these characters, the detail and narrative of the story was also excellent. Although near the end I was kind of tired of our crew and certainly of our leading gal. You can only hear someone express regret so many times before you lack empathy, sympathy, or even any emotion towards them. And so I think a quicker ending would have served this book and our leading lady better.
Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.
December 29, 2023
3.5 Stars
I love pirate stories so I had to check out this new release. I loved the feminist angle in a kind of story that is normally male centric.
I usually pick up pirate stories for some rompy fun so I was surprised that this one was so much more serious in tone. I liked it, but I had hoped I would absolutely love it.
I love pirate stories so I had to check out this new release. I loved the feminist angle in a kind of story that is normally male centric.
I usually pick up pirate stories for some rompy fun so I was surprised that this one was so much more serious in tone. I liked it, but I had hoped I would absolutely love it.
March 3, 2024
**Mother and daughters book club read, February, 2024**
*3.5 stars rounded up. One of my favorite things about historical fiction is being introduced to an historical figure I know little about. In this case, it's a fearsome female pirate named Shek Yeung who commanded over 1800 ships with 80,000 crewmen in the South China Sea in the early 1800s. And she was the mother of three!
I thought this was an interesting story about a fascinating woman but could have used a touch more swashbuckling adventure.
*3.5 stars rounded up. One of my favorite things about historical fiction is being introduced to an historical figure I know little about. In this case, it's a fearsome female pirate named Shek Yeung who commanded over 1800 ships with 80,000 crewmen in the South China Sea in the early 1800s. And she was the mother of three!
I thought this was an interesting story about a fascinating woman but could have used a touch more swashbuckling adventure.
May 28, 2023
Power was rarely presented on a platter to women. If a woman grew fat with power, she grew from scraps that had fallen off the table.
2.5 stars. Deep as the Sky, Read as the Sea is a book that suffers from mis-marketing. Rather than the swashbuckling high seas adventure that the blurb promises, it is instead a much more cerebral examination of womanhood in the time of Chinese imperialism...and a portrait of one woman who lives a life of piracy rather than fills a traditional female role. I would classify it as feminist historical literary fiction, not an adventure novel, so potential readers should know that going in and temper their expectations.
The protagonist is Shek Yeung, who built her reputation as a legendary pirate queen (although we are never really told what exploits earned her that title) alongside her pirate husband. Together they led a dominant pirate fleet in the South China seas, pillaging European and Chinese imperial ships and amassing large quantities of gold and goods. When her husband is slain, everything Shek Yeung has worked to build is threatened, and she must act quickly to maintain her alliances and her power.
It's clear that lots of research went into writing this novel; it's an immersive glimpse into Chinese history, culture, and belief systems during the 19th century. I also really enjoyed Rita Chang-Eppig's writing style, which was straightforward but still included several thought-provoking, insightful passages. Unfortunately, I just felt like I never engaged with the story she was trying to tell; I kept waiting for the adventures to start, and they never really did. We got lots of battle strategy planning sessions, but very few actual battles -- and therefore not a lot of excitement. The pace just sort of plods along with the tone of a history textbook and although the characters were interesting, I couldn't connect with them emotionally -- not even Shek Yeung.
I can definitely appreciate Chang-Eppig's examination of gender roles and meticulous historical references, but it didn't result in the most compelling reading experience. Thank you to Bloomsbury Publishing and NetGalley for the early reading opportunity.
March 11, 2023
Rating: 2.5
I really like the concept, but I didn't like the writing. It was more of a telling not showing style. I definitely think there should be more books about pirates (other than historical romance).
I really like the concept, but I didn't like the writing. It was more of a telling not showing style. I definitely think there should be more books about pirates (other than historical romance).
2023
October 13, 2025ANHPI TBR
📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing
📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing
May 30, 2023
The cover for Deep As The Sky, Read As The Sea by Rita Chang-Eppig is EXCELLENT! It says it all, a woman pirate on the high seas. I would have grabbed the book no matter what, so, yes, a cover does have a big influence over me when it comes to choosing books.
I love anything to do with water, and women pirates, well, how awesome is that? They can be just as vicious as the men. Sometimes it’s a choice between fighting or death, and Shek Young chose life. She can birth a baby and behead an adversary. Her life is a strategy, with few she can trust. She suffers losses, but cannot let it show, or those watching on the sidelines, waiting for an opportunity, would see it as a sign of weakness, putting her life in jeopardy.
In the beginning, she had no power over her life. Once she found it, she did everything to keep it. Yes, she had to make compromises, but she was the one making the choice, not someone making it for her. And what waits for her at the end? Will her death be violent?
Deep As The Sky, Red As The Sea by Rita Chang-Eppig is an action packed adventure novel of life on the high seas and how many of those who chose or were forced came to be there, living, loving, fighting, dying.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Deep As The Sky, Red As The Sea by Rita Chang-Eppig.
I love anything to do with water, and women pirates, well, how awesome is that? They can be just as vicious as the men. Sometimes it’s a choice between fighting or death, and Shek Young chose life. She can birth a baby and behead an adversary. Her life is a strategy, with few she can trust. She suffers losses, but cannot let it show, or those watching on the sidelines, waiting for an opportunity, would see it as a sign of weakness, putting her life in jeopardy.
In the beginning, she had no power over her life. Once she found it, she did everything to keep it. Yes, she had to make compromises, but she was the one making the choice, not someone making it for her. And what waits for her at the end? Will her death be violent?
Deep As The Sky, Red As The Sea by Rita Chang-Eppig is an action packed adventure novel of life on the high seas and how many of those who chose or were forced came to be there, living, loving, fighting, dying.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Deep As The Sky, Red As The Sea by Rita Chang-Eppig.
November 19, 2022
I love pirates and historical fiction, so I was excited to see Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea by Rita Chang-Eppig pop up as an eARC on NetGalley. Boy did it deliver on the premise: there are elaborate naval battles and lots of hand-to-hand combat. I looked up a bunch of things about Shek Yeung after reading, and it turns out this really happened!
The prose is hauntingly beautiful. Also, the main story is interwoven with myths of the sea goddess Ma-Zou. These tales give a dreamy quality to the book and inject a lot of interesting existential questions.
The main character Shek Yeung is really interesting. And she's not the only interesting woman pirate in the book. There's a ruthless woman captain in another fleet who is kind of a sniper and has a reverse harem.
This is my favorite book I've read this year, maybe even one of my all-time favorites. I can't wait to read the next book from Chang-Eppig.
The prose is hauntingly beautiful. Also, the main story is interwoven with myths of the sea goddess Ma-Zou. These tales give a dreamy quality to the book and inject a lot of interesting existential questions.
The main character Shek Yeung is really interesting. And she's not the only interesting woman pirate in the book. There's a ruthless woman captain in another fleet who is kind of a sniper and has a reverse harem.
This is my favorite book I've read this year, maybe even one of my all-time favorites. I can't wait to read the next book from Chang-Eppig.
Want to read
May 30, 2023I'm so attracted to this cover, it's so beautiful and reminds me of an old tale in our part of the world in the Red Sea and Mediterranean White Sea. I don't remember it well, but it's about a face of a beautiful woman that appears on the surface of the water but you shouldn't speak to her, but if she speaks listen but don't look in her eyes.
May 29, 2023
A fantastic historical fiction novel that explores the life of Shek Yeung, one of China's most notorious pirates. Shek Yeung lived a fascinating life, and this book did a great job of displaying just how fearsome she is. Shek Yeung is known for her cunningness and the way she overthrew societal gender roles in every way known, while still embracing femineity, and wielding it like a knife. The key element of this book is how hard Shek Yeung had to fight for every scrap of power, and then continue fighting to hold onto it. She is neither bad nor good, and makes horrific and honorable judgment calls. We explore her traumatic childhood, and how she was forced into becoming a pirate's wife in the first place. I really enjoyed this book, and the way Shek Yeung was portrayed. If you are a fan of historical fiction, or even just epic pirate adventures, I would recommend this book.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for the advanced copy, in exchange for an honest review!
Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for the advanced copy, in exchange for an honest review!
did-not-finish
May 25, 2023DNF @ 10%
Thank you to Libro.fm for providing me with an ALC in exchange for an honest review!
It is perhaps time to admit to myself that I actually do not enjoy pirates as much as I once thought I did. There's nothing inherently wrong with this book, I just am not interested in what is happening (is there even anything happening?) enough to continue on.
Thank you to Libro.fm for providing me with an ALC in exchange for an honest review!
It is perhaps time to admit to myself that I actually do not enjoy pirates as much as I once thought I did. There's nothing inherently wrong with this book, I just am not interested in what is happening (is there even anything happening?) enough to continue on.
January 7, 2024
This book was a bit of a let down. The premise was great but it ended up being poorly executed and confusing.
December 4, 2025
”I feel remorse for some of the things I’ve done. I would do all of them again. What is remorse if not a privilege, the time to sit alone and cry for oneself?” —p. 266
A slow burn, but eventually worth it. Don’t go into this one expecting pages of high-octane action. Instead, come for meticulously researched historical detail and a complex portrait of China’s most successful female pirate.
A slow burn, but eventually worth it. Don’t go into this one expecting pages of high-octane action. Instead, come for meticulously researched historical detail and a complex portrait of China’s most successful female pirate.
April 22, 2023
Thank you NetGalley and Bloomsbury for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea is an adventurous historical fiction account of Shek Yeung, better known to the histories as “Ching-Yi Sao” or “Zheng Yi Sao,” a legendary pirate queen, 'The Scourge of the South China Sea'.
This is not a pretty tale, yet it’s a beautiful one, a gritty human kind of beautiful. We meet Shek Yeung just after her husband, commander of a pirate fleet, has been mortally wounded. We learn that they have been partners, each running half of the fleet; that a trust has grown between them, that she has fought daily to earn and keep that trust. We see her internal conflict over being grateful for that trust, somehow caring for this man, despite the fact that he purchased her to be his wife from a flower boat, that she had ended up there after being abducted by pirates and sold into sex work years before. She is his partner, she is his wife, she is also his property. The respect she has earned in the fleet has also been granted to her because of him, and now she must figure out how to move forward, how to keep her half of the fleet and her tenuous position, when another younger man is the named successor.
As a work of historical fiction this is fascinating, and I loved learning about early 19th Century pirates and politics and colonialist powers in and around the South China Sea. I enjoyed that the plot doesn’t build to some incredible end, because it’s loosely following a real historical set of events, and the point of it isn’t that story arc. The point of it is Shek Yeung herself.
What I truly loved this novel for is not the history, not the plot. It’s the compelling female perspective, the commentary and discourse on society and roles within it, the examination of gender and empire and capitalism and colonial oppression and patriarchal oppression and power. I love how we are shown Shek Yeung’s perspective as a female in this world, and how self aware and honest and devastating and f*&%ing relatable it is. I highlighted so many quotes, and out of context they could be commentary on our world today, on a hundred other societies and points in history, on this bloody struggle women+ and non-males and non-ruling-class persons have continued to battle decade after decade, century after century. I love that the author, through Shek Yeung’s thoughts and observations, never shies away from reality, from the way the world is, how it’s different for different genders, for different peoples.
Shek Yeung grapples with survival, with womanhood, with freedom, with personhood, with power, with want, with meaning in life. She observes how everything is impacted by societal social constructs, how these expectations and roles permeate and bind us, and internally she questions these things, she chafes at these things. Externally she does what she must to survive.
There are SO MANY quotes I highlighted and took note of and can’t wait to share. I want to be respectful of not posting these before the publishing date, in case anything changes, as I’m reading an Advanced Copy. After May 30th I’ll update this review with some of those quotes. For now here are some notes and themes:
Women are deemed unworthy of power until a man decides otherwise; power is given to women by powerful men, granted to them, and this can be so easily taken away. (This is part of why I hate the word empowered.)
Women are seen as inferior, as lesser than men, because of lesser physical strength (on average), and in no small part due to the debilitating act of childbirth.
Women have to show they can do anything a man can do, constantly prove themselves to be as tough as the man, but they also have to do more, because they are also expected to be women, to be able to turn that womanhood on and off as needed, to “save” men when needed.
Childbirth is a risk but also one of the only bargaining chips for power a woman has.
I'm so glad I read this. It's not what I expected, but it's what I needed.
Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea is an adventurous historical fiction account of Shek Yeung, better known to the histories as “Ching-Yi Sao” or “Zheng Yi Sao,” a legendary pirate queen, 'The Scourge of the South China Sea'.
This is not a pretty tale, yet it’s a beautiful one, a gritty human kind of beautiful. We meet Shek Yeung just after her husband, commander of a pirate fleet, has been mortally wounded. We learn that they have been partners, each running half of the fleet; that a trust has grown between them, that she has fought daily to earn and keep that trust. We see her internal conflict over being grateful for that trust, somehow caring for this man, despite the fact that he purchased her to be his wife from a flower boat, that she had ended up there after being abducted by pirates and sold into sex work years before. She is his partner, she is his wife, she is also his property. The respect she has earned in the fleet has also been granted to her because of him, and now she must figure out how to move forward, how to keep her half of the fleet and her tenuous position, when another younger man is the named successor.
As a work of historical fiction this is fascinating, and I loved learning about early 19th Century pirates and politics and colonialist powers in and around the South China Sea. I enjoyed that the plot doesn’t build to some incredible end, because it’s loosely following a real historical set of events, and the point of it isn’t that story arc. The point of it is Shek Yeung herself.
What I truly loved this novel for is not the history, not the plot. It’s the compelling female perspective, the commentary and discourse on society and roles within it, the examination of gender and empire and capitalism and colonial oppression and patriarchal oppression and power. I love how we are shown Shek Yeung’s perspective as a female in this world, and how self aware and honest and devastating and f*&%ing relatable it is. I highlighted so many quotes, and out of context they could be commentary on our world today, on a hundred other societies and points in history, on this bloody struggle women+ and non-males and non-ruling-class persons have continued to battle decade after decade, century after century. I love that the author, through Shek Yeung’s thoughts and observations, never shies away from reality, from the way the world is, how it’s different for different genders, for different peoples.
Shek Yeung grapples with survival, with womanhood, with freedom, with personhood, with power, with want, with meaning in life. She observes how everything is impacted by societal social constructs, how these expectations and roles permeate and bind us, and internally she questions these things, she chafes at these things. Externally she does what she must to survive.
There are SO MANY quotes I highlighted and took note of and can’t wait to share. I want to be respectful of not posting these before the publishing date, in case anything changes, as I’m reading an Advanced Copy. After May 30th I’ll update this review with some of those quotes. For now here are some notes and themes:
Women are deemed unworthy of power until a man decides otherwise; power is given to women by powerful men, granted to them, and this can be so easily taken away. (This is part of why I hate the word empowered.)
Women are seen as inferior, as lesser than men, because of lesser physical strength (on average), and in no small part due to the debilitating act of childbirth.
Women have to show they can do anything a man can do, constantly prove themselves to be as tough as the man, but they also have to do more, because they are also expected to be women, to be able to turn that womanhood on and off as needed, to “save” men when needed.
Childbirth is a risk but also one of the only bargaining chips for power a woman has.
I'm so glad I read this. It's not what I expected, but it's what I needed.
September 14, 2023
I liked the author’s prose style a lot, I liked the protagonist, and I appreciate the work that went into the accuracy of the historical period. Even so, I never really felt completely drawn in by the plot.
January 19, 2023
"deep as the sky, red as the sea" is a fantastic novel about a common girl who becomes the leader of a fleet of pirates. shek yeung is a fierce woman who has known as much grief and trauma, if not more, than any man on her fleet. after witnessing the death of her brother, and perhaps her father as well, she is sold into prostitution. she becomes a big sister to many of the young girls on the flower boat and proves her worth as a sailor above all else. after her husband dies in battle, she is left to pick up the pieces and strengthen the allyships within her own fleet and the other pirates.
filled with conniving, bold characters, shek yeung is a woman of great strength. she uses her speech to form allies and survive famine and battle. the prose is lovely, the battles fierce, and the wounds gruesome. reading this strong woman's story was a pleasure, especially watching her overcome obstacle after obstacle. the story is beautifully woven in with legends of ma-zou, goddess of the sea. haunting and brutal, this was a fantastic novel. i look forward to reading more from rita chang-eppig.
thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this arc copy in exchange for a honest review!
filled with conniving, bold characters, shek yeung is a woman of great strength. she uses her speech to form allies and survive famine and battle. the prose is lovely, the battles fierce, and the wounds gruesome. reading this strong woman's story was a pleasure, especially watching her overcome obstacle after obstacle. the story is beautifully woven in with legends of ma-zou, goddess of the sea. haunting and brutal, this was a fantastic novel. i look forward to reading more from rita chang-eppig.
thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this arc copy in exchange for a honest review!
July 13, 2024
First off, I'm not sure why this book is classified by so many people as fantasy, it's clearly feminist historical fiction. Is it because Rita Chang-Eppig didn't keep the story close to what we know of the real world model for her main protagonist? There are some unexplained phenomena, but they are in no way a central plot point and in my understanding nothing else magical appears.
I really love the book. It paints a thoughtful and deeply invested picture of a historical figure. While it strays quite far from what we know about the real Shek Yeung, for me that's not problematic at all. Everyone who has dived a bit into how history portrays women knows how opaque and unrealistic much of the documentation is.
Even though Shek Yeung is a pirate leader, a lot of the book is spent in pensive, quiet introspection thinking about her life, her opportunities and the future. The story skips large time spans and dwells long on others, but in my opinion the pacing is excellent and made it very easy to read.
I really love the book. It paints a thoughtful and deeply invested picture of a historical figure. While it strays quite far from what we know about the real Shek Yeung, for me that's not problematic at all. Everyone who has dived a bit into how history portrays women knows how opaque and unrealistic much of the documentation is.
Even though Shek Yeung is a pirate leader, a lot of the book is spent in pensive, quiet introspection thinking about her life, her opportunities and the future. The story skips large time spans and dwells long on others, but in my opinion the pacing is excellent and made it very easy to read.
January 16, 2023
1.75/5 stars! The cover and concept of this book were phenomenal. Historical fiction + pirates? Sign me up. My issue with this book wasn't the idea; it was the follow-through. This book had all the pacing of a college textbook. I wouldn't mind trying this author again, but there was a definite struggle getting through the heaviness of this book.
I received an advance review copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily
I received an advance review copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily
July 21, 2023
This should not be compared to Piranesi.
July 3, 2024
I am DEVASTATED and so disappointed in this book - it was almost a DNF if it wasn’t for my stubbornness. How do you make a story about a female pirate boring?! 😭
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