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Devil's Fire #1
The Devil's Fire
The waters of the Caribbean run red in this brutal tale of revenge set during the Golden Age of Piracy. Katherine Lindsay, the pampered young wife of a wealthy ship captain, has left her leisurely life in London to accompany her husband to America. But when ruthless pirates suddenly storm on board to plunder her husband's riches, Katherine is one of the treasures they steal, sparking a bloody chain of events that will change the Caribbean forever. Pirate lovers will find no shortage of treachery, cutlass duels, ship-to-ship battles, buried treasure and much, much more.
300 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 8, 2011
578 people are currently reading
3918 people want to read
About the author
Matt Tomerlin
10 books118 followersMatt Tomerlin specializes in historical fiction. He has released four novels set during the Golden Age of Piracy.
For updates on Tomerlin's current projects, visit www.mtomerlin.com
For updates on Tomerlin's current projects, visit www.mtomerlin.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 190 reviews
January 29, 2012
You know when a book is simply incredible when you’re thinking about it constantly. This book was absolutely amazing and my mind was on nothing else. It tells the tale of a woman whose unfortunate circumstances cause her to end up on a ship full of pirates. Tomerlin has unflinchingly written this novel with an interesting and attention-grabbing plot. It contains some scenes that are somewhat gruesome but they simply add to the irresistibility of turning the pages. The main character is extremely admirable and Tomerlin easily created a sense of each of the characters highlighting their unique individualities.
This honestly is the best book I read in a long while and I cannot wait for the next in the series to be released. This is a rare gem and I am so glad I found it. Now I'm off to buy Tomerlin's novella for my kindle!
This honestly is the best book I read in a long while and I cannot wait for the next in the series to be released. This is a rare gem and I am so glad I found it. Now I'm off to buy Tomerlin's novella for my kindle!
January 4, 2012
Once I got through the first half, which takes a lot of time setting up the characters, I couldn't put this down. The ending threw me for a loop. I don't usually talk to books, but I caught myself yelling, "Don't do it!" at the heroine. Looking forward to the next one.
November 27, 2014
To be fair, I'd give the book 3.5 stars but that's not possible so 3 it is. All in all I think it is a good book because I've quickly read through it, not being able to put it down.
Some characters became very predictable, others were not even worth my interest. I didn't expect the way it ended or how it ended. That was surprising but also surprisingly unsatisfying as I felt the novel had built up very good as pages progressed but the end felt completely rushed. And while I did enjoy it (I mean the woman kinda is a badass which speaks to me on so many levels, condemning a whole crew and leaving the ship aflame while safely returning to land is actually more than badass) the ending kinda put me off. Now, I understand that it's a trilogy and it's probably intended as a cliffhanger but it's also not really a cliffhanger in my opinion. So yes, the ending left me unsatisfied.
I have no problem with the violence and gore depicted throughout the book (at least the author refrained from writing out a rape scene for which I'm grateful because that would've been the point where I would put the book down and never pick it up again) but there was a thing that was not okay and it -almost- made me put down the book: killing the kitten in the way Livingston did. Or killing an animal like that at all (it was not killed to act as food source after all), I'm not a fan of such things especially not if they're meant to get back at another character. Call me stupid for that opinion but I don't like cruelty against animals and I stand for that.
BUT I liked the book nonetheless because it doesn't romanticise piracy but depicts it as cruel as it probably was/is. I will most certainly buy the second and third book because it's really hard to find a good story about pirates out there.
Some characters became very predictable, others were not even worth my interest. I didn't expect the way it ended or how it ended. That was surprising but also surprisingly unsatisfying as I felt the novel had built up very good as pages progressed but the end felt completely rushed. And while I did enjoy it (I mean the woman kinda is a badass which speaks to me on so many levels, condemning a whole crew and leaving the ship aflame while safely returning to land is actually more than badass) the ending kinda put me off. Now, I understand that it's a trilogy and it's probably intended as a cliffhanger but it's also not really a cliffhanger in my opinion. So yes, the ending left me unsatisfied.
I have no problem with the violence and gore depicted throughout the book (at least the author refrained from writing out a rape scene for which I'm grateful because that would've been the point where I would put the book down and never pick it up again) but there was a thing that was not okay and it -almost- made me put down the book: killing the kitten in the way Livingston did. Or killing an animal like that at all (it was not killed to act as food source after all), I'm not a fan of such things especially not if they're meant to get back at another character. Call me stupid for that opinion but I don't like cruelty against animals and I stand for that.
BUT I liked the book nonetheless because it doesn't romanticise piracy but depicts it as cruel as it probably was/is. I will most certainly buy the second and third book because it's really hard to find a good story about pirates out there.
March 9, 2012
I picked this book up thinking it was a romance. Nothing could have been further from the truth!! While it starts out as a typical pirate romance,it changes course about mid way through the book. I began to have a love hate relationship with the central male character. I really wanted to like him but i just couldn't. I'm interested to see where the next book goes.
I really liked the story line. The gore was a little much for me but not off based for true pirate stories. My only negative comment is that there should have been a little more research into the injuries suffered by the main character and her stay on the main mast. I will definitely be reading the second installment.
I really liked the story line. The gore was a little much for me but not off based for true pirate stories. My only negative comment is that there should have been a little more research into the injuries suffered by the main character and her stay on the main mast. I will definitely be reading the second installment.
June 9, 2012
Reading 'The Devil's Fire' is not unlike sailing the high seas. You are pitched from the dizzying torrents of murder, gore and battles one moment, then dragged into the roiling undercurrents of the pirates' discontent and quarrels the next.
"Katherine Lindsay, a timid young woman from London, must contend with an ambitious pirate captain who has murdered her husband and taken her hostage aboard his fearsome ship, Harbinger. As Lindsay grows accustomed to life among pirates, she finds it increasingly difficult to resist her attraction to their wayward lifestyle and the thrill of high-seas adventure. But the memory of her dead husband weighs heavily on her conscience, and her swelling guilt may prove to be the ultimate undoing of her kidnappers."
Tomerlin tempers the guilty thoughts of our heroine - if one can call her actions heroic - with moments of pleasure with newfound friends and her personal growth. And make no mistake; Katherine goes through an extreme journey of development.
Originally I gave this book three stars because of how I felt about the conclusion. However this soon changed to four. This book stuck with me hours after I had closed the pages... or rather Katherine did. What was it about her actions that bothered me so? I had certainly read a lot of horror before and although some readers may need a sick bucket at hand while reading this, I resisted (despite making a rather unwise choice of tomato soup for lunch!)
It soon struck me that the idea of a women indulging in extreme acts of vengeance, in what appeared to me to be quite detached manner discomforted me. I read quite a bit of urban fantasy with strong female characters, but few act as coldly as the heroine of ‘The Devil’s Fire’. While I’ve always considered myself to be somewhat of a feminist, it is apparent I’ve fallen into the trap of accommodating social norms of acceptable and unacceptable forms of female insanity and violence. The author has certainly challenged my views of gender.
"Katherine Lindsay, a timid young woman from London, must contend with an ambitious pirate captain who has murdered her husband and taken her hostage aboard his fearsome ship, Harbinger. As Lindsay grows accustomed to life among pirates, she finds it increasingly difficult to resist her attraction to their wayward lifestyle and the thrill of high-seas adventure. But the memory of her dead husband weighs heavily on her conscience, and her swelling guilt may prove to be the ultimate undoing of her kidnappers."
Tomerlin tempers the guilty thoughts of our heroine - if one can call her actions heroic - with moments of pleasure with newfound friends and her personal growth. And make no mistake; Katherine goes through an extreme journey of development.
Originally I gave this book three stars because of how I felt about the conclusion. However this soon changed to four. This book stuck with me hours after I had closed the pages... or rather Katherine did. What was it about her actions that bothered me so? I had certainly read a lot of horror before and although some readers may need a sick bucket at hand while reading this, I resisted (despite making a rather unwise choice of tomato soup for lunch!)
It soon struck me that the idea of a women indulging in extreme acts of vengeance, in what appeared to me to be quite detached manner discomforted me. I read quite a bit of urban fantasy with strong female characters, but few act as coldly as the heroine of ‘The Devil’s Fire’. While I’ve always considered myself to be somewhat of a feminist, it is apparent I’ve fallen into the trap of accommodating social norms of acceptable and unacceptable forms of female insanity and violence. The author has certainly challenged my views of gender.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 14, 2014
I came across this book whilst searching for books set in the Caribbean for a reading challenge I'm doing.
Not usually the type of thing I read, but it sounded good and turned out to be fantastic. I loved. I loved the style of writing, and the story was brilliant.
Well plotted, rounded full blooded and lively characters. Interesting characters too as even the good guys were a more than a little questionable in their actions (but they're all pirates, so what do you expect?) Even the female lead who started off quite weak and vaid turned into an unbelievably awesome character. There were a decent mix of characters to root for and bad guys to hope would come to a grisly demise.
The descriptions of the ships, the fights, the ports and the seas and islands were wonderfully vivid. So clear and easy to picture. Some it was very violent and gory and was very well written without being excessive or over the top.
And a fantastic twist at the end.
All in all a brilliant book.
Crossed off a square for my Book Bingo challenge - A book set in the Caribbean.
Not usually the type of thing I read, but it sounded good and turned out to be fantastic. I loved. I loved the style of writing, and the story was brilliant.
Well plotted, rounded full blooded and lively characters. Interesting characters too as even the good guys were a more than a little questionable in their actions (but they're all pirates, so what do you expect?) Even the female lead who started off quite weak and vaid turned into an unbelievably awesome character. There were a decent mix of characters to root for and bad guys to hope would come to a grisly demise.
The descriptions of the ships, the fights, the ports and the seas and islands were wonderfully vivid. So clear and easy to picture. Some it was very violent and gory and was very well written without being excessive or over the top.
And a fantastic twist at the end.
All in all a brilliant book.
Crossed off a square for my Book Bingo challenge - A book set in the Caribbean.
March 12, 2012
A really great pirate story. Pirates attack a ship, the pirate Captain kills the attacked ships Captain and takes his wife prisoner. She tries to kill him with a cutlass, bites off his ear and so she's tied to the mast as punishment for 5 days. That was only 25% in!!! I won't tell you any more as it would ruin the surprises you'll find. There is a lot of action in this book, it's jam packed to say the least all the way to the end where it has the perfect opening to the second book (wish it were out now).
January 25, 2014
Would give it 4.5 stars if it was an option. It was one of the more enjoyable pirate adventure books i've read. Relatively realistic, it has nothing paranormal/fantasy related and it is not a romance (finally!).
Be warned though, it is NOT for the faint at heart. There is sex, implied rape, violent deaths, and very detailed gore. I thought the author did a very good job describing fights and gore in detail, something most other pirate themed novels will kind of skip over.
Certainly no happy ending which is a refreshing change.
Be warned though, it is NOT for the faint at heart. There is sex, implied rape, violent deaths, and very detailed gore. I thought the author did a very good job describing fights and gore in detail, something most other pirate themed novels will kind of skip over.
Certainly no happy ending which is a refreshing change.
January 12, 2012
The cover grabbed me, and I'm glad it did. This is gritty, bloody, realistic pirate fiction. Katherine Lindsay is a very memorable character who evolves throughout the story. Entertaining combination of Robert E. Howard pulp and George R.R. Martin's deep characterizations. It doesn't wear out its welcome, and leaves you craving a sequel.
December 15, 2011
Excellent Read, not your typical pirate story. A holiday must have and must read.
August 24, 2014
The Scarlet Age of Piracy
The Devil's Fire by Matt Tomerlin as reviewed by K.M. Alleena
The Golden Age of Piracy was anything but golden. The first thing I always thought of when I heard the term was, of course, those fantastic tales told in Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean – you know, a silly protagonist meets a mythological or otherwise supernatural enemy and a slightly comedic action-packed adventure ensues. Pirates have long been romanticized like that, since well before Pirates of the Caribbean. Tomerlin's novel takes our fictitious notion of what piracy was and keelhauls it completely. This book shows us a story of what piracy really might have been – all the blood and gore included.
The book begins with a point of view chapter featuring the main character, Katherine Lindsay. Almost immediately, we learn of her stubborn nature in that she insisted to be taken along on her husband's ship – something completely unheard of at the time. After all, bringing women aboard a ship was bad luck. It isn't long before conflict appears on the horizon as a set of black sails, and the world Katherine Lindsay knew rapidly is sliced to ribbons, all due to her foolhardy request.
Another major character is Captain Griffith. He seems, at first, to be the enemy when he steals Katherine away to become his own wife, heedless of the fact that he had just brutally murdered her husband on his own ship. We learn through Griffith's point of view chapters that he had turned to piracy as a result of mutiny against ruthless captains. Although almost none of the merchant sailors aboard Lindsay's ship perished due to his promise not to harm them, he does declare he never makes such promises for the captains. The way the pirate treats Katherine Lindsay begins the spiral of her slow descent into fierce madness, but I'll leave the gruesome details for the reader. The way Tomerlin describes the violence of pirates is more on-point for me than other authors of pirate stories have managed. The fact that the two aforementioned main characters always seem weirdly at odds, even when the seas are relatively calm, is what drives the narrative forward. Katherine Lindsay was Griffith's bad luck, just as his crew predicted.
Katherine Lindsay isn't the only character whose slow decent into madness is shown through aptly written chapters. Edward Livingston, the quartermaster of the ship on which Katherine was taken hostage, was by far the most violent of them all. He made the other pirates around him seem like women in a sewing circle – but this too was revealed piece by painstaking piece. At first, I was apprehensive of his character and how he made decisions in regards to things – but after a while, I grew to hate him. I hated how he purportedly solved his problems. In several instances, he resorted to torture if for no better reason than to watch his target suffer. All in the name of what? The good of the crew? As that same crew often murmured amongst themselves, Livingston was a monster. It takes some excellent writing for any reader to feel inclined to love or hate characters. It is an investment of much more than time to read a book so closely, so if an author can catch their readers in such a way, you better believe they're the real deal.
Speaking of which, Tomerlin's decision to use character point-of-view chapters was particularly ingenious – the storytelling is as diverse as possible through many different lenses. If you think about it, the only way a ship will sail is when all the crew works together to make it so. That being the case, each chapter fit together seamlessly. There didn't seem to be any points where I was taken out of the narrative as I switched from the perspective of one character over another. Each chapter had a point to make or a specific detail of characterization to showcase, and did so in a way that made me wish I didn't have to sleep, just so I could finish another chapter.
The story really does tear down the classic “pirate story” stereotype, giving it a more realistic twist. It incorporates many details from history, including fictionalization of prominent figures of the time period. It utilizes real details, such as the earthquake which destroyed Port Royal, and the collapse of the pirate port, Nassau. It brings to light details about why certain sailors chose lives of piracy – because oftentimes, working aboard any other vessel would lead a man to the same grisly fate, only with less coin and even less power over his own life. The way history tells it, captains and quartermasters on other, supposedly honest ships could be even more cruel than pirate captains. The waters of the Caribbean really did run red, as the book description so morbidly proclaims.
It should also be noted that when Tomerlin describes the settings in any given chapter, there are realistic, factual details to cling to – such as blight-stricken livestock and pirates having nothing to live on but hardtack and rum towards the end of their voyage, or between raids. There's also the truth that some pirates lost limbs in their service. If they didn't die from injury, they died from disease and infection. Certain people who claimed to be surgeons on other ships were press-ganged into piracy as an attempt to stave off those dangers. Woven in among the narrative so naturally, these horrifyingly interesting facts bring the narrative to life, setting the tone of the work much darker than any other pirate story I have read so far. It is masterfully done in a way that even history buffs would appreciate, especially if they aren't normally too big a fan of the classic pirate tales.
I believe that The Devil's Fire is one of those rare gems in the literary world. Sometimes, it is hard to get your name out there when self-publishing – that world is also one of brutal competition. For instance, some authors must suffer snotty opinions from people who “only read books that have been properly published,” as one of my acquaintances said when I recommended the book to them the other day. To be honest, had I not been researching this very same topic, I may have never stumbled upon the work. But I'm glad I did, and even more glad am I to discover that there are two more books in this series. This brings up another point – self-published authors can be just as talented as those who have gone the traditional route, and sometimes maybe even more so. I think Tomerlin's debut novel proves that point perfectly. Some of us don't have a marketing bone in our bodies. Some of us aren't graphic designers, and most of us aren't very good copy editors. That's fine. But a few of us are, and if they can produce books like this, I say self-publish away. Tell your story to the world however you can. That will always be the most important part of the process.
My final opinion on the book? If you loved stories like On Stranger Tides by Tim Powers or Pirate Latitudes by Michael Crichton – or conversely, wanted to see more of the pirate's side of the story in Treasure Island, I know you'll love The Devil's Fire. Give it a shot.
The Devil's Fire by Matt Tomerlin as reviewed by K.M. Alleena
The Golden Age of Piracy was anything but golden. The first thing I always thought of when I heard the term was, of course, those fantastic tales told in Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean – you know, a silly protagonist meets a mythological or otherwise supernatural enemy and a slightly comedic action-packed adventure ensues. Pirates have long been romanticized like that, since well before Pirates of the Caribbean. Tomerlin's novel takes our fictitious notion of what piracy was and keelhauls it completely. This book shows us a story of what piracy really might have been – all the blood and gore included.
The book begins with a point of view chapter featuring the main character, Katherine Lindsay. Almost immediately, we learn of her stubborn nature in that she insisted to be taken along on her husband's ship – something completely unheard of at the time. After all, bringing women aboard a ship was bad luck. It isn't long before conflict appears on the horizon as a set of black sails, and the world Katherine Lindsay knew rapidly is sliced to ribbons, all due to her foolhardy request.
Another major character is Captain Griffith. He seems, at first, to be the enemy when he steals Katherine away to become his own wife, heedless of the fact that he had just brutally murdered her husband on his own ship. We learn through Griffith's point of view chapters that he had turned to piracy as a result of mutiny against ruthless captains. Although almost none of the merchant sailors aboard Lindsay's ship perished due to his promise not to harm them, he does declare he never makes such promises for the captains. The way the pirate treats Katherine Lindsay begins the spiral of her slow descent into fierce madness, but I'll leave the gruesome details for the reader. The way Tomerlin describes the violence of pirates is more on-point for me than other authors of pirate stories have managed. The fact that the two aforementioned main characters always seem weirdly at odds, even when the seas are relatively calm, is what drives the narrative forward. Katherine Lindsay was Griffith's bad luck, just as his crew predicted.
Katherine Lindsay isn't the only character whose slow decent into madness is shown through aptly written chapters. Edward Livingston, the quartermaster of the ship on which Katherine was taken hostage, was by far the most violent of them all. He made the other pirates around him seem like women in a sewing circle – but this too was revealed piece by painstaking piece. At first, I was apprehensive of his character and how he made decisions in regards to things – but after a while, I grew to hate him. I hated how he purportedly solved his problems. In several instances, he resorted to torture if for no better reason than to watch his target suffer. All in the name of what? The good of the crew? As that same crew often murmured amongst themselves, Livingston was a monster. It takes some excellent writing for any reader to feel inclined to love or hate characters. It is an investment of much more than time to read a book so closely, so if an author can catch their readers in such a way, you better believe they're the real deal.
Speaking of which, Tomerlin's decision to use character point-of-view chapters was particularly ingenious – the storytelling is as diverse as possible through many different lenses. If you think about it, the only way a ship will sail is when all the crew works together to make it so. That being the case, each chapter fit together seamlessly. There didn't seem to be any points where I was taken out of the narrative as I switched from the perspective of one character over another. Each chapter had a point to make or a specific detail of characterization to showcase, and did so in a way that made me wish I didn't have to sleep, just so I could finish another chapter.
The story really does tear down the classic “pirate story” stereotype, giving it a more realistic twist. It incorporates many details from history, including fictionalization of prominent figures of the time period. It utilizes real details, such as the earthquake which destroyed Port Royal, and the collapse of the pirate port, Nassau. It brings to light details about why certain sailors chose lives of piracy – because oftentimes, working aboard any other vessel would lead a man to the same grisly fate, only with less coin and even less power over his own life. The way history tells it, captains and quartermasters on other, supposedly honest ships could be even more cruel than pirate captains. The waters of the Caribbean really did run red, as the book description so morbidly proclaims.
It should also be noted that when Tomerlin describes the settings in any given chapter, there are realistic, factual details to cling to – such as blight-stricken livestock and pirates having nothing to live on but hardtack and rum towards the end of their voyage, or between raids. There's also the truth that some pirates lost limbs in their service. If they didn't die from injury, they died from disease and infection. Certain people who claimed to be surgeons on other ships were press-ganged into piracy as an attempt to stave off those dangers. Woven in among the narrative so naturally, these horrifyingly interesting facts bring the narrative to life, setting the tone of the work much darker than any other pirate story I have read so far. It is masterfully done in a way that even history buffs would appreciate, especially if they aren't normally too big a fan of the classic pirate tales.
I believe that The Devil's Fire is one of those rare gems in the literary world. Sometimes, it is hard to get your name out there when self-publishing – that world is also one of brutal competition. For instance, some authors must suffer snotty opinions from people who “only read books that have been properly published,” as one of my acquaintances said when I recommended the book to them the other day. To be honest, had I not been researching this very same topic, I may have never stumbled upon the work. But I'm glad I did, and even more glad am I to discover that there are two more books in this series. This brings up another point – self-published authors can be just as talented as those who have gone the traditional route, and sometimes maybe even more so. I think Tomerlin's debut novel proves that point perfectly. Some of us don't have a marketing bone in our bodies. Some of us aren't graphic designers, and most of us aren't very good copy editors. That's fine. But a few of us are, and if they can produce books like this, I say self-publish away. Tell your story to the world however you can. That will always be the most important part of the process.
My final opinion on the book? If you loved stories like On Stranger Tides by Tim Powers or Pirate Latitudes by Michael Crichton – or conversely, wanted to see more of the pirate's side of the story in Treasure Island, I know you'll love The Devil's Fire. Give it a shot.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 26, 2020
DNF at 58%
I don't remember how this book ended on my kindle (it was for a while there), but lately, I wanted more books that involve sailing, so I thought to pick it up. I didn't realize when I picked it that it was self-published. I might have thought better. I don't know, I've heard many people saying that there are good self-published books, but my experience with all five of them I've read hasn't been good. However, the other got two stars; this is the first one to only get one. Actually, I don't remember the last time I gave only one star to a book.
The author didn't lack talent, but this looked like some of the stories I beta read: like something unfinished, something that still needs some work to reach the final version. It might have been ok if it was free, but I checked, and the author is selling this book for 12.99$. Aside from the serious developmental issues that an editor might've helped with (I doubt he used one. I looked on his site and at the afterword of his book, and there was never mentioned one. If there was an editor, the author should give their name, so all the other writers out there who are interested in publishing a good book to be able to avoid that person), the author didn't even bother to invest in a proofreader. I had no problem with a few misplaced commas, but when there started to be prepositions missing, or repeated words, or a 'from' where it shouldn't be... well, that's when I got really angry, because you don't get people to pay for something that isn't top quality. Nobody is perfect, and we all make these mistakes (and even bigger ones) when we write, but that's why we get somebody else to look at our books, and we make sure that somebody else is someone who sees damn well.
But spelling issues aside, this book had serious problems in terms of story. First of all, there were a tone of POVs we don't actually need. This was Katherin's story, and maybe Captain Griffin's (since I didn't finish, I don't know if the author intended a romance between them and to have them as a pair of pirates leading the other, or her taking over the ship and forming her own crew). So we didn't actually need to know what Nathan, Livingstone, Teacher, etc. thought, or their backstories. And sure as hell, no one cared about the backstory of the prostitute Nathan falls in love with, but who appears only episodical. It seemed like we had a chapter in her POV just because the author wanted to fill more pages.
And since I started talking about characters, none was interesting. They could've become with a little more work, by keeping a little mystery, by knowing when and how much to share about each of them. Each time the author switched to a new POV, the chapters started with the backstory of the POV character.
Which reminds me of the beginning of the book. It started with Katherine gazing at her reflection in the waters of the ocean. Aside from the fact that I don't consider the character's appearance the most catchy beginning, is it even possible? I mean, the ocean isn't a clear and unmoving lake, so that you would be able to see yourself reflected in it. Not to mention that the waters in close proximity with a ship are never still.
Another thing that I consider unrealistic is the gore. A fight is no doubt a gory thing, but would the person fighting stop to notice how fragments of bone are flying, or when a person's head is flashed open by a cannonball in the middle of the fight, could an observer actually tell if it was bone or blood or brain that flew in the air? I can't say I'm a fan of gore in books, but nor do I mind it, but it shouldn't be there just for the sake of being there. Besides, in this situation, it even slowed down the pace. Besides, that the author chose to include a gory seen after 50% is not the best idea, especially considering that since that place, he had purposely stayed away from gory details. Really, there were scenes where I would've liked to see more.
I could go on, but I'll stop here. I don't know how this book ended on the bestseller list on Amazon, but there's not one person in the world I would recommend it to, not even as an example of what not to do. Maybe only to those who still wonder why they should invest in an editor. Or maybe they'll just think that if this book ended up a bestseller, maybe theirs would as well, and we'd have more bad books out there. I know writing a book is not an easy thing, but I appreciate authors who work on theirs the required amount of time to make it really shine. Authors who follow suggestions, authors who use editors, authors who are really devoted that at the moment they would ask the others for money to have something actually worth paying for.
Bad experience. Really bad. Something like this shouldn't be there in exchange for money.
I don't remember how this book ended on my kindle (it was for a while there), but lately, I wanted more books that involve sailing, so I thought to pick it up. I didn't realize when I picked it that it was self-published. I might have thought better. I don't know, I've heard many people saying that there are good self-published books, but my experience with all five of them I've read hasn't been good. However, the other got two stars; this is the first one to only get one. Actually, I don't remember the last time I gave only one star to a book.
The author didn't lack talent, but this looked like some of the stories I beta read: like something unfinished, something that still needs some work to reach the final version. It might have been ok if it was free, but I checked, and the author is selling this book for 12.99$. Aside from the serious developmental issues that an editor might've helped with (I doubt he used one. I looked on his site and at the afterword of his book, and there was never mentioned one. If there was an editor, the author should give their name, so all the other writers out there who are interested in publishing a good book to be able to avoid that person), the author didn't even bother to invest in a proofreader. I had no problem with a few misplaced commas, but when there started to be prepositions missing, or repeated words, or a 'from' where it shouldn't be... well, that's when I got really angry, because you don't get people to pay for something that isn't top quality. Nobody is perfect, and we all make these mistakes (and even bigger ones) when we write, but that's why we get somebody else to look at our books, and we make sure that somebody else is someone who sees damn well.
But spelling issues aside, this book had serious problems in terms of story. First of all, there were a tone of POVs we don't actually need. This was Katherin's story, and maybe Captain Griffin's (since I didn't finish, I don't know if the author intended a romance between them and to have them as a pair of pirates leading the other, or her taking over the ship and forming her own crew). So we didn't actually need to know what Nathan, Livingstone, Teacher, etc. thought, or their backstories. And sure as hell, no one cared about the backstory of the prostitute Nathan falls in love with, but who appears only episodical. It seemed like we had a chapter in her POV just because the author wanted to fill more pages.
And since I started talking about characters, none was interesting. They could've become with a little more work, by keeping a little mystery, by knowing when and how much to share about each of them. Each time the author switched to a new POV, the chapters started with the backstory of the POV character.
Which reminds me of the beginning of the book. It started with Katherine gazing at her reflection in the waters of the ocean. Aside from the fact that I don't consider the character's appearance the most catchy beginning, is it even possible? I mean, the ocean isn't a clear and unmoving lake, so that you would be able to see yourself reflected in it. Not to mention that the waters in close proximity with a ship are never still.
Another thing that I consider unrealistic is the gore. A fight is no doubt a gory thing, but would the person fighting stop to notice how fragments of bone are flying, or when a person's head is flashed open by a cannonball in the middle of the fight, could an observer actually tell if it was bone or blood or brain that flew in the air? I can't say I'm a fan of gore in books, but nor do I mind it, but it shouldn't be there just for the sake of being there. Besides, in this situation, it even slowed down the pace. Besides, that the author chose to include a gory seen after 50% is not the best idea, especially considering that since that place, he had purposely stayed away from gory details. Really, there were scenes where I would've liked to see more.
I could go on, but I'll stop here. I don't know how this book ended on the bestseller list on Amazon, but there's not one person in the world I would recommend it to, not even as an example of what not to do. Maybe only to those who still wonder why they should invest in an editor. Or maybe they'll just think that if this book ended up a bestseller, maybe theirs would as well, and we'd have more bad books out there. I know writing a book is not an easy thing, but I appreciate authors who work on theirs the required amount of time to make it really shine. Authors who follow suggestions, authors who use editors, authors who are really devoted that at the moment they would ask the others for money to have something actually worth paying for.
Bad experience. Really bad. Something like this shouldn't be there in exchange for money.
June 1, 2020
I have to admit I was wary about this book due to the reviews I saw in this place, and I have to say, if you want to read this book. READ IT AND IGNORE BAD REVIEWS. AMAZING BOOK AND STORY! The book has everything, and the best part is the fearless Katherine Lindsay. It definitely takes you back to the piracy era, and it does have very crude violent themes, it has gore, male chauvinist, and more. It is just the reality of how things were back in the days. Not sugarcoating it. Not ignoring those facts. Definitely a book you can't predict. **SPOILERS FROM HERE ON** I loved hoe fearless Katherine Lindsay was without throwing out her common sense, she would think things before going for it. I liked that Griffith fell for her under the worst circumstances and that he knew that she'd never love him yet still try to reach for her affection. His death was something I could see coming, the way he started seeing things told me that he would not reach this desired moment, yet I did not expect it to be by Katherine like the beginning. I thought it'd be by Livingston who I hated. I thought he would betray Griffith and that's where things would go south and I was wrong. I love how towards the end Katherine starts waking up and defends Thatcher. BUT MAN THE ENDING! Tomerlin described those finals scenes that I could easily mental picture it. Definitely it was a "Calm before the storm" kind of thing. The beginning was just...wow. Everything went wrong so fast! Truly showed men why it is badluck to bring a lady aboard and even more when said lady saw her husband die at the hands of pirates and was taken against her will. Katherine did not give in to Livingston's threats or character. Absolutely loved that she mentions that the captain was deprived of his life by a woman AND THAT WAS SO POWERFUL TO READ! Because like I mentioned before, I thought there'd be a mutiny but it just went a whole different way. Already ordered The Devil's Tide and I'm looking forward to it already. Tomerlin did a great job describing the events to the point that you could picture it. Nathan must be protected so I hope we see of him more in the next book. He was so in love with the idea of piracy that when it came to it he didn't want any part of it anymore and he is relatable in that sense. We all wish to be part of this era, but could we take in what comes with it?
August 31, 2016
First book review for me, figured my amateur words would be better then just the stars. Also, my grammar and spelling are weak, so ignore this review if that bothers you.
Most books I enjoy I read straight through with few breaks. This one took me days to get through. This is not a Pirate romance, so know that going in, if that was you expectation. It is also very graphic in regards to maiming and killing. Anyway, not a bad book, but I liken it to standing on an small island, where you want to get to a place 100 feet down the coast, but instead of taking the direct route you go all the way around the island to get there.
Most books I enjoy I read straight through with few breaks. This one took me days to get through. This is not a Pirate romance, so know that going in, if that was you expectation. It is also very graphic in regards to maiming and killing. Anyway, not a bad book, but I liken it to standing on an small island, where you want to get to a place 100 feet down the coast, but instead of taking the direct route you go all the way around the island to get there.
January 1, 2012
The Devil's Fire was a very enjoyable read.
July 27, 2017
Fast paced page turner
This book was a fast paced and exciting read. I was surprised by the ending and will definitely read the sequel. I think fans of the show Black Sails will enjoy this book. Some of the characters from the show appear in this book, but the plot is totally different.
This book was a fast paced and exciting read. I was surprised by the ending and will definitely read the sequel. I think fans of the show Black Sails will enjoy this book. Some of the characters from the show appear in this book, but the plot is totally different.
August 17, 2021
The Devil's Fire: A Pirate Adventure Novel
Not for the faint of heart; this book does not hold back on the, sometimes very gruesome, way of life on a pirate ship. Interesting characters and very descriptive scenery. The story takes the reader back to life on the high seas in the 1700's. Highly recommend! Looking forward to the next book in the series.
Not for the faint of heart; this book does not hold back on the, sometimes very gruesome, way of life on a pirate ship. Interesting characters and very descriptive scenery. The story takes the reader back to life on the high seas in the 1700's. Highly recommend! Looking forward to the next book in the series.
December 19, 2019
Loved this!!! Immediately downloaded the second book because I have to know what happens next
August 15, 2020
“Before he could fully comprehend the horror of the moment, she spat the lobe into his face.” Pág 24. Sí, literalmente le arranca parte de la oreja. La bancamos a Kat.Me hallo perturbada, quise explayarme en esta reseña porque no vi muchas y pues bueno, quizá le sirva al siguiente condenado que lo vea gratis en Kindle Unlimited. Así que agárrense.
Hay muchos errores que podrían haberse evitado de haber invertido en un editor, dicho lisa y llanamente, como la evasión de expresiones como “explotó como una sandía” o de que durante los cinco primeros capítulos se vomite la historia de vida de cada personaje inesperadamente entre vistazos del presente. No soy fan tampoco de que haya tantos narradores (cinco regulares, siete en total), porque o quitan importancia a cada personaje individual por ser tantos o te hacen odiar los momentos en los que tenés que leer a alguno de ellos (@Livingston) y eso entorpece la lectura. Al terminar sí puedo apreciar todo lo que benefició a la historia ese formato, pero entonces hubo deficiencia al escribir durante el principio. Esta es la verdad sobre la escritura, obviamente deja que desear y llega a dar una sensación de sin terminar, pero eso es esperable de un libro autopublicado.
Me costó acostumbrarme a lo crudo del relato, y una vez que lo hice me gustó muchísimo. Quiero decir así es como una novela de piratas debería ser, al fin y al cabo. Para ser honesta, lo que principalmente me impactó fue que el autor no haya ignorado el hecho de que los piratas eran todos violadores, prácticamente. Además de eso, la narración de hechos como las batallas o una explosión, son hechas de forma muy realista.Hasta a las mujeres y sus pensamientos los sentí descriptos de esa manera, lo que no sucede seguido, incluso cuando son fucking mujeres las que escriben. De hecho, creo que fue una de las cosas que más me gustó de este libro: que desmitifique a la mujer sin llevarla al nivel de botín que ser robado, aun cuando son piratas desde cuyas mentes nos cuenta esta historia, y sin perder al mismo tiempo la visión de estos mismos, que claramente es la visión de época sobre lo que la mujer era y “valía”. El capítulo narrado desde la vista de Annabelle, en donde se ve de manera descarnada de lo que les hablo, me encantó y me encantó ella. Sí es cierto que no añade a la trama precisamente, pero el libro no sería el mismo, quizá no escribiría este párrafo si no fuera por ese capítulo.
Para mí las escenas de sexo son totalmente innecesarias si no se trata de un libro erótico, así que se imaginarán que siempre ando tipo ¡¿En frente de mi ensalada?! En este caso no me parecieron exageradas en cantidad ni en detalles. De hecho me pareció que sí añadieron a la historia, ya sea en trama o construcción de los personajes, y me gustó mucho cómo estaban narradas, en especial desde el lado femenino. Contribuye a la narrativa sobre las mujeres sobre la que hablé antes, muy realista, porque siempre muestran al hombre frío y calculador y a la mujer lujuriosa cuya racionalidad está nublada por el deseo ¿? Acá es distinto. La mujer es tan pensante como el hombre, hasta diría que son ellos de marte que se ponen demasiado sentimentales. Get them, queens.Dejé la parte con la que siempre comienzo para el final porque, por si no se han dado cuenta, este libro me rompió todos los esquemas: Los personajes. Para empezar, mamá decime Safo porque me enamoré de las mujeres. Son pocas, como es de esperar en una historia de piratas ubicada en el siglo XVIII pero las que hay uf, qué mujeres. Katherine me cayó re bien, qué querés que te diga. Fuerte, inteligente, demente de a ratos y rompe pelotas desde el principio pero no molesta para el lector: todo lo que querés en una protagonista, pero con el twist de la crudeza que tiene el autor para escribir, en cuanto a que en otras historias no se mencionan ciertos temas y eso te aleja de la mujer que estás leyendo. Acá no hay filtros, ella conoce su lugar como mujer en su tiempo y espacio y actúa en consecuencia a eso, la banco mucho. Lo que digo no es que es re lindo lo que atraviesan las mujeres de este libro, pero sí que es real, y es triste y cruel y a veces me hacía un nudo en el pecho pero otras veces libera que reconozcan tu sufrimiento, you know?
Me cuesta encontrar palabras para definir mis ideas con respecto al romance . Katherine y Griffith parecen encajar bien como esas parejas intelectuales que se excitan más con un debate que con cualquier otra cosa. El problema es que ella fue forzada a entrar en ese juego al ser secuestrada y su esposo asesinado por el mismo hombre que la corteja. Mientras leía me encontraba batallando con esos sentimientos encontrados como con todos los libros en los que sabés que una pareja es abusiva pero querés disfrutar el libro, y te esforzás por ver lo que los demás vieron en él. Cuando lo terminé entendí que ese es el punto, a eso llega la historia, que no es del estilo La Bella y la Bestia… o El Síndrome de Estocolmo como haría bien llamar al tipo de historias que surgieron de las malinterpretaciones de ese cuento. No me decepcioné para nada en relación a este punto, les prometo que van a sentirse satisfechos con el final.
Resumiendo, es una historia refrescante y emocionante que te va a mantener leyendo sin parar y va a llevar una expresión de horror a tu cara durante el 75% de la lectura. La escritura está para pulirse, para lo que obviamente debería haber un editor, pero para ser honesta no es algo tan repulsivo como para hacerte soltar el libro. Me encantó y planeo leer el siguiente.
September 6, 2016
I must admit, I devoured the book in a matter of hours. I only put it down once, and when I picked it back up, I had to finish. I really appreciated some of the imagery offered, and was taken by Tomerlin's ability to paint visions in my mind's eye. While I did find some scenes to be very visceral, it's something that most pirate novels lack, and it was nothing so grotesque as to make me consider the book down. After all, I felt a physical reaction, so clearly the words were doing their job.
While some others compare it to Game of Thrones, I don't think it's quite a fair measure. The chapter structure is similar, and I think it works well in this scenario, but I don't think it's as intricately detailed and tied together as GoT. If that's what you're picking the book up for, you'll be disappointed. The characters are certainly interesting, though perhaps not as driven, and not quite as thought-provoking as I would have liked. Ultimately, characters are the most important port of my reading experience, and I felt after introductions, many of them became a bit lackluster, and predictable.
As well as the tension and plot built up (and indeed, I couldn't guess what was about to happen, which certainly lead to the way I tore through the pages), I was...very disappointed in the way the novel ended. I won't reveal anything, but I found myself totally unsatisfied and feeling like everything had been rushed through after building it up through interactions and events. While I mentioned earlier I felt the characters a bit lacking, they still provided motivation to the story, and I was not moved by the way things ended. If anything, I spent several minutes in surprise. Ultimately, that's why I gave the book three stars, instead of four. I believe the craft was certainly worth four, and the book will keep you entertained. But it's about the reaction, in the end, and after the way the book had built itself up, the climax just didn't match up for me, and so I gave it the three. It was worth the read, but I don't think I'd read it again.
While some others compare it to Game of Thrones, I don't think it's quite a fair measure. The chapter structure is similar, and I think it works well in this scenario, but I don't think it's as intricately detailed and tied together as GoT. If that's what you're picking the book up for, you'll be disappointed. The characters are certainly interesting, though perhaps not as driven, and not quite as thought-provoking as I would have liked. Ultimately, characters are the most important port of my reading experience, and I felt after introductions, many of them became a bit lackluster, and predictable.
As well as the tension and plot built up (and indeed, I couldn't guess what was about to happen, which certainly lead to the way I tore through the pages), I was...very disappointed in the way the novel ended. I won't reveal anything, but I found myself totally unsatisfied and feeling like everything had been rushed through after building it up through interactions and events. While I mentioned earlier I felt the characters a bit lacking, they still provided motivation to the story, and I was not moved by the way things ended. If anything, I spent several minutes in surprise. Ultimately, that's why I gave the book three stars, instead of four. I believe the craft was certainly worth four, and the book will keep you entertained. But it's about the reaction, in the end, and after the way the book had built itself up, the climax just didn't match up for me, and so I gave it the three. It was worth the read, but I don't think I'd read it again.
April 19, 2024
The Devil's Fire is the first instalment of a self-published series by Matt Tomerlin. It follows the life of Katherine Lindsay, wife of a merchant who was torn from her husband and made to live amongst pirates. A lot of reviewers don't like Katherine or the way Tomerlin wrote her, I however, adore the character. She makes some questionable decisions at times and can come across very stereotypical however, I feel her character was written in a way that's sympathetic to the time period. Katherine I believe, will be a force to be reckoned with, a true pirate.
If you're wanting to read a book like Disneys The Pirates of the Caribbean then I would have to point you in another direction. The Devil's Fire is not comparable in the best and worst ways. It's gritty, raw and sometimes extremely hard to read. I'd warn anyone to try and not get too attached to any of the characters as I admittedly did with Captain Griffith. They're violent, brutal pirates and any one of them could meet their end at any given time.
The Devil's Fire is a wonderful book, littered with some historical characters albeit not entirely accurate but it's not far from reality either. If you're looking to rid yourself of the romance and fantasy that comes with a lot of pirates novels and series, I highly recommend this one. It's not for the faint hearted and I said before, there's some incredibly difficult scenes to get through, especially when reading as a woman. My biggest dislike and reason why this wasn't a 5 star read, was the constant racist slurs used. I'm aware that the book is set in the golden age of piracy and of course racism was a common and accepted occurance however, in a novel written in recent years, it's not necessary. I don't know the ethnicity of Tomerlin therefore I don't wish to comment further. Overall, I really enjoyed my time spent with this novel and I can't wait to follow Katherine's journey. I expect more brutality, piracy and betrayal.
If you're wanting to read a book like Disneys The Pirates of the Caribbean then I would have to point you in another direction. The Devil's Fire is not comparable in the best and worst ways. It's gritty, raw and sometimes extremely hard to read. I'd warn anyone to try and not get too attached to any of the characters as I admittedly did with Captain Griffith. They're violent, brutal pirates and any one of them could meet their end at any given time.
The Devil's Fire is a wonderful book, littered with some historical characters albeit not entirely accurate but it's not far from reality either. If you're looking to rid yourself of the romance and fantasy that comes with a lot of pirates novels and series, I highly recommend this one. It's not for the faint hearted and I said before, there's some incredibly difficult scenes to get through, especially when reading as a woman. My biggest dislike and reason why this wasn't a 5 star read, was the constant racist slurs used. I'm aware that the book is set in the golden age of piracy and of course racism was a common and accepted occurance however, in a novel written in recent years, it's not necessary. I don't know the ethnicity of Tomerlin therefore I don't wish to comment further. Overall, I really enjoyed my time spent with this novel and I can't wait to follow Katherine's journey. I expect more brutality, piracy and betrayal.
August 14, 2013
4 out of 5 stars.
It certainly starts well, setting the scene wonderfully in the year 1717 on board a ship travelling from London to America and it gripped me immediately. I could feel the scene and even smell it. Written well, in the third person and with each chapter corresponding to a character in the book, with stunning descriptions which make you feel you are there with the pirates on the ship and at the locations they visit. There is no jumping about which can drive me to leave a book midway, so this is just great. The book has the right amount of dialogue, description and action for me. There are some good pirates and some dark pirates making you warm to either one or the other.
I loved reading about the background of each character drawing you into the story. It is full of action, violence, (but not as much as some of the other reviews are claiming, and occasionally sex, (but nothing too strong, could have been better) it is not romantic like I thought before starting it, but it is not for the faint hearted, but I have read stronger books, and I would recommend the book to adults who enjoy historical fiction about pirates.
I enjoyed all the pirate characters except for the Cunningham character, I couldn´t quite warm to him. Katherine is one hell of a character, she surprised me with her strength and will, going from a well to do wife in England to being kept hostage aboard a pirate ship for months on end. She grows constantly as a character and I ended up loving her. I also found Griffiths to be one of my favourite characters also.
Superb for a debut novel, way to go Matt Tomerlin with a great title and cover art. Can´t wait to get hold of the next in the series. It would make a great movie.
It certainly starts well, setting the scene wonderfully in the year 1717 on board a ship travelling from London to America and it gripped me immediately. I could feel the scene and even smell it. Written well, in the third person and with each chapter corresponding to a character in the book, with stunning descriptions which make you feel you are there with the pirates on the ship and at the locations they visit. There is no jumping about which can drive me to leave a book midway, so this is just great. The book has the right amount of dialogue, description and action for me. There are some good pirates and some dark pirates making you warm to either one or the other.
I loved reading about the background of each character drawing you into the story. It is full of action, violence, (but not as much as some of the other reviews are claiming, and occasionally sex, (but nothing too strong, could have been better) it is not romantic like I thought before starting it, but it is not for the faint hearted, but I have read stronger books, and I would recommend the book to adults who enjoy historical fiction about pirates.
I enjoyed all the pirate characters except for the Cunningham character, I couldn´t quite warm to him. Katherine is one hell of a character, she surprised me with her strength and will, going from a well to do wife in England to being kept hostage aboard a pirate ship for months on end. She grows constantly as a character and I ended up loving her. I also found Griffiths to be one of my favourite characters also.
Superb for a debut novel, way to go Matt Tomerlin with a great title and cover art. Can´t wait to get hold of the next in the series. It would make a great movie.
August 24, 2014
If you like fictional novels about Pirates and their lives on the high seas, but aren’t looking for a romance, I can recommend The Devil’s Fire: A Pirate Adventure Novel, by Matt Tomerlin, the first book in his Devil Fires Trilogy:
Tomerlin takes readers into the raw and gritty world of piracy, and one woman’s struggle after she and her ship captain husband are kidnapped after their merchant ship is overtaken by a treacherous band of pirates whose brutality and violence are not for those who are easily unnerved by violence. The protagonist, Katherine, is forced to reluctantly accept that she is included in the “treasure” plundered from her husband’s ship, and through her experiences as a captive, she is transformed into a hardened woman obsessed with revenge, who reaches the brink of her humanity. It’s a gripping story narrated from multiple characters’ perspectives, and these characters are richly developed and deeply flawed. There are no admirable heroes to be found, none who will rescue and save Katherine. She must unflinchingly stand on her own if she is to have any hope of outmaneuvering those who have taken her freedom.
Tomerlin takes readers into the raw and gritty world of piracy, and one woman’s struggle after she and her ship captain husband are kidnapped after their merchant ship is overtaken by a treacherous band of pirates whose brutality and violence are not for those who are easily unnerved by violence. The protagonist, Katherine, is forced to reluctantly accept that she is included in the “treasure” plundered from her husband’s ship, and through her experiences as a captive, she is transformed into a hardened woman obsessed with revenge, who reaches the brink of her humanity. It’s a gripping story narrated from multiple characters’ perspectives, and these characters are richly developed and deeply flawed. There are no admirable heroes to be found, none who will rescue and save Katherine. She must unflinchingly stand on her own if she is to have any hope of outmaneuvering those who have taken her freedom.
January 2, 2015
When it comes to self-published novels, you pays your money and you takes your chances. There is a lot of mediocre work out there, and a lot that's just plain bad, and the result is that the few gems that are available don’t get the attention they deserve.
The Devil’s Fire is one of those gems. This book is well plotted, beautifully written, nicely edited, and correctly formatted. As a self-published author myself, I know how difficult it is to get all of that right, and I appreciate it when someone does.
The characters are well-drawn and believable. The action sequences are nerve-wracking and sometimes gruesome, but come off as authentic. The plot unfolds organically, racing along as it switches back and forth between character arcs, and I have to admit that the ending took me completely by surprise.
Matt Tomerlin’s meteoric rise to the top of the charts proves that the first step to success is to generate a quality product. I’m encouraged by it, and also insanely jealous.
The Devil’s Fire is one of those gems. This book is well plotted, beautifully written, nicely edited, and correctly formatted. As a self-published author myself, I know how difficult it is to get all of that right, and I appreciate it when someone does.
The characters are well-drawn and believable. The action sequences are nerve-wracking and sometimes gruesome, but come off as authentic. The plot unfolds organically, racing along as it switches back and forth between character arcs, and I have to admit that the ending took me completely by surprise.
Matt Tomerlin’s meteoric rise to the top of the charts proves that the first step to success is to generate a quality product. I’m encouraged by it, and also insanely jealous.
November 27, 2014
This book is really exciting. You get from the boring life of a woman aboard a merchant ship to the exciting and cruel life of pirates.
There are a lot of different POVs very well separated so it makes it easy to get inside the head of each character and to understand their actions better. There were characters I really liked and characters I hated, it was a really good mix.
The events follow each other quite nicely so that you have exciting time and downtime and never get bored.
The only reason why it took be longer to read this book was that I was restraining myself from reading because I didn't want to part with the characters even though I wanted to know what was coming next. Hopefully there are books 2 and 3.
One other good point was that there was no unrealistic romance with love at first sight. I really enjoyed that after reading several romance books.
I would recommend this book to anyone who like adventure stories.
There are a lot of different POVs very well separated so it makes it easy to get inside the head of each character and to understand their actions better. There were characters I really liked and characters I hated, it was a really good mix.
The events follow each other quite nicely so that you have exciting time and downtime and never get bored.
The only reason why it took be longer to read this book was that I was restraining myself from reading because I didn't want to part with the characters even though I wanted to know what was coming next. Hopefully there are books 2 and 3.
One other good point was that there was no unrealistic romance with love at first sight. I really enjoyed that after reading several romance books.
I would recommend this book to anyone who like adventure stories.
July 3, 2018
DNF - 8 %
NOPE NOPE NOPE. It's a damn shame, too, because the book WAS good until the copiously used term "the blacks" was used by both main characters within the first 8% of this book. I cannot even begin to describe how uncomfortable it was to read that. Coupled with the captain acknowledging his crew member calling them monkeys and citing a group of slaves that took over their slaveship's "animalistic ferocity". I am disappointed so many people were willing to look past this and continue reading, but given the current state of the country and people who claim to be "allies" to POC actually being really problematic, I shouldn't be.
P.S. there's ways to acknowledge the color of their skin WITHOUT setting them apart by using "the whites" and "the blacks". He simply could have let his description of having picked them up in Jamaica or the Bahamas suffice.
NOPE NOPE NOPE. It's a damn shame, too, because the book WAS good until the copiously used term "the blacks" was used by both main characters within the first 8% of this book. I cannot even begin to describe how uncomfortable it was to read that. Coupled with the captain acknowledging his crew member calling them monkeys and citing a group of slaves that took over their slaveship's "animalistic ferocity". I am disappointed so many people were willing to look past this and continue reading, but given the current state of the country and people who claim to be "allies" to POC actually being really problematic, I shouldn't be.
P.S. there's ways to acknowledge the color of their skin WITHOUT setting them apart by using "the whites" and "the blacks". He simply could have let his description of having picked them up in Jamaica or the Bahamas suffice.
October 28, 2013
OK, first off this is a great book! The characters have good depth and the storyline is great and easy to follow. It started off (I thought) as your typical pirate romance story, however, it takes a violent turn and is really very dark and bloody. Which is what makes it so great because that is the way it would have really been at that time period! It is very engaging, and made me yell and cry out loud in many areas! This is most definitely NOT your typical pirate kidnaps girl and they fall in love story! I love it when a book totally throws me from what I was expecting! A Book Junky's Obsession Blog ~ http://myopenlife2001.wordpress.com/2...
November 17, 2013
I liked this book very much. Surprisingly, the one thing that stood out for me was the humor. There were many bits that were genuinely funny. I caught myself laughing out loud at one point. No book ever did this for me.
Now, on the other hand, there were a few situations described in the book that i thought were a bit unconvincing. For instance, i thought that the reason for Griffith bringing Katherine on board (and keeping her there) was a bit weak. But, you know what? I didn't care because i was so entertained by the clever dialog and sheer brutality of some of the characters that i kept reading.
Gave this 4 stars because it is definitely not flawless but i really wanted to give it 5.
Maybe the next one in the series will be a 5. :)
Now, on the other hand, there were a few situations described in the book that i thought were a bit unconvincing. For instance, i thought that the reason for Griffith bringing Katherine on board (and keeping her there) was a bit weak. But, you know what? I didn't care because i was so entertained by the clever dialog and sheer brutality of some of the characters that i kept reading.
Gave this 4 stars because it is definitely not flawless but i really wanted to give it 5.
Maybe the next one in the series will be a 5. :)
February 19, 2015
Wow. This is a complex and no-holds barred pirate tale. It includes a somewhat twisted love story, and a whole lot of grit. And finally, FINALLY, a heroine who is a lady, yet truly tough as nails! I can't wait to continue the series. I don't give 5 stars lightly, but there was no aspect of this story that was dissatisfying. Bravo, Mr. Tomerlin!
I listened to the audio version, and the performer accounted for herself quite well with all the different voices.
I listened to the audio version, and the performer accounted for herself quite well with all the different voices.
September 19, 2012
Ahoy mates! Your in for a journey if you read this book! LOL I loved it! It had everything a good pirate tale should have: wicked pirates, gory deaths, hostages, treasures (booty), lust, passion, sex, battles & an awesome storyline! It was a very cool read from beginning to end. I was actually sad that my journey ended so soon.
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