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The Pirate from New York
How do you know you're living in the right world?
Carter thought he did.
An unremarkable bank clerk in New York City, he spent his life watching opportunities slip away, burying his dreams beneath routine until he believed that was all he was ever meant to be.
Then fate rolled the dice. Another world chose him.
Without warning, he finds himself aboard a pirate ship, where an entire crew kneels before him, believing their feared captain has finally returned.
To tell the truth is to die. To survive, he must become the man everyone already believes he is.
In a world ruled by pirates and haunted by forgotten legends, every battle draws him closer to the legendary Stone of Immortality while carrying him farther from the man he used to be.
The man pretending to be a captain slowly disappears. Until all that remains is the captain himself.
Perhaps no one is as ordinary as they believe. Some people simply haven't found the world that reveals who they were meant to become.
Carter thought he did.
An unremarkable bank clerk in New York City, he spent his life watching opportunities slip away, burying his dreams beneath routine until he believed that was all he was ever meant to be.
Then fate rolled the dice. Another world chose him.
Without warning, he finds himself aboard a pirate ship, where an entire crew kneels before him, believing their feared captain has finally returned.
To tell the truth is to die. To survive, he must become the man everyone already believes he is.
In a world ruled by pirates and haunted by forgotten legends, every battle draws him closer to the legendary Stone of Immortality while carrying him farther from the man he used to be.
The man pretending to be a captain slowly disappears. Until all that remains is the captain himself.
Perhaps no one is as ordinary as they believe. Some people simply haven't found the world that reveals who they were meant to become.
463 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 20, 2026
About the author
S.K. Hammad
3 books37 followersS. K. Hammad is a German author of Iraqi origin who writes in Arabic, German, and English. His work spans epic fantasy, historical fiction, political thrillers, crime, and romance, blending Eastern storytelling traditions with Western narrative structure.
Inspired by history, mythology, and the spirit of One Thousand and One Nights, his novels explore the intersection of myth and reality through complex characters, emotional depth, and high-stakes storytelling.
His writing often reflects themes of time, identity, power, and the human condition within richly imagined worlds.
Inspired by history, mythology, and the spirit of One Thousand and One Nights, his novels explore the intersection of myth and reality through complex characters, emotional depth, and high-stakes storytelling.
His writing often reflects themes of time, identity, power, and the human condition within richly imagined worlds.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
August 27, 2026
“The night was ink-black, the ocean unnervingly calm, as though the world itself had gone silent to listen.”
I volunteered to read this ARC book via the author and had no idea what I was getting myself into. Please give me grace while I rave about this book.
Fantasy, reality, legends, time-travel, adventure – The Pirate from New York delivers it all.
Those of you who follow my reviews on Goodreads know that I am a sucker for book covers and on this one, I fell hard. The artistry on the cover is gorgeous!
S.K. Hammad, through his character Carter, took me on many incredible journeys filled with swashbuckling excitement and mystique. Every adventure was unique and unexpected. The imagination and creativity that Hammad poured onto each page is incredible!
I absolutely adored the characters, all of them. Hammad took the time to develop each one to perfection. Their presence, conversations and actions were so individualized. Many characters and roles that were so well done.
When I think about the prose of a book, I look for phrases and words that smoothly transition from one sentence to the next. Hammad writes with a most beautiful prose that drips like honey, gliding me through the story, page by page.
“…so beautiful it looked as though it had been painted into the center of a dream itself.”
To top it off, I was swept away by a lovely pirate song imbedded in chapter 20. I do wonder if the song was written with a Gaelic flair or a soft melody. Very impressive. Not only an author, but a poet, too!
Hammad did not waste words on overly descriptive scenes and encounters - just enough for my mind’s eye to paint my own picture and experience every adventure. I could feel the wind, hear the pirates’ cheers, and see the _______ (no spoilers ever). I wish I had been on that ship!
The Pirate from New York is storytelling at its best! Absolutely the best adventure book that I have read in a long, long time. I have always considered a pirate themed book or any adventure book, for that matter, as one that my brothers would read. Not anymore! My reading world just opened up to a new literary experience and I want more of it!
I volunteered to read this ARC book via the author and had no idea what I was getting myself into. Please give me grace while I rave about this book.
Fantasy, reality, legends, time-travel, adventure – The Pirate from New York delivers it all.
Those of you who follow my reviews on Goodreads know that I am a sucker for book covers and on this one, I fell hard. The artistry on the cover is gorgeous!
S.K. Hammad, through his character Carter, took me on many incredible journeys filled with swashbuckling excitement and mystique. Every adventure was unique and unexpected. The imagination and creativity that Hammad poured onto each page is incredible!
I absolutely adored the characters, all of them. Hammad took the time to develop each one to perfection. Their presence, conversations and actions were so individualized. Many characters and roles that were so well done.
When I think about the prose of a book, I look for phrases and words that smoothly transition from one sentence to the next. Hammad writes with a most beautiful prose that drips like honey, gliding me through the story, page by page.
“…so beautiful it looked as though it had been painted into the center of a dream itself.”
To top it off, I was swept away by a lovely pirate song imbedded in chapter 20. I do wonder if the song was written with a Gaelic flair or a soft melody. Very impressive. Not only an author, but a poet, too!
Hammad did not waste words on overly descriptive scenes and encounters - just enough for my mind’s eye to paint my own picture and experience every adventure. I could feel the wind, hear the pirates’ cheers, and see the _______ (no spoilers ever). I wish I had been on that ship!
The Pirate from New York is storytelling at its best! Absolutely the best adventure book that I have read in a long, long time. I have always considered a pirate themed book or any adventure book, for that matter, as one that my brothers would read. Not anymore! My reading world just opened up to a new literary experience and I want more of it!
September 13, 2026
ARC received from the author
i loved this book so much!!
the characters were wonderful (especially jimmy) and i loved seeing carter’s development into the amazing captain he is at the end of the book. the different creatures and lands throughout the book were so clever and intriguing - i would jump at the chance of reading a novella about any of them!
the pacing was great, and i loved that we got to jump between worlds. this book has been one of the highlights of my summer and i’m so grateful to S. K. Hammad for allowing me to read this gem!
when is book 2?👀
i loved this book so much!!
the characters were wonderful (especially jimmy) and i loved seeing carter’s development into the amazing captain he is at the end of the book. the different creatures and lands throughout the book were so clever and intriguing - i would jump at the chance of reading a novella about any of them!
the pacing was great, and i loved that we got to jump between worlds. this book has been one of the highlights of my summer and i’m so grateful to S. K. Hammad for allowing me to read this gem!
when is book 2?👀
August 17, 2026
*ARC DISCLAIMER
Thank you to the author for providing me with an ARC!
This book wasn’t my usual genre choice, but I have to say The Pirate from New York won me over eventually. The kinetic pacing and authentic swashbuckling atmosphere, plus the inventive portal dynamics were very well demonstrated. The author has crafted an adventure that offers traditional pirate lore and something fresh for modern readers. The concept itself was very unheard of to me, so readers up to an easygoing read on pirates and two timelines - definitely go for it!
Thank you to the author for providing me with an ARC!
This book wasn’t my usual genre choice, but I have to say The Pirate from New York won me over eventually. The kinetic pacing and authentic swashbuckling atmosphere, plus the inventive portal dynamics were very well demonstrated. The author has crafted an adventure that offers traditional pirate lore and something fresh for modern readers. The concept itself was very unheard of to me, so readers up to an easygoing read on pirates and two timelines - definitely go for it!
September 18, 2026
Wow!! Such a great read! S.K. Hammad's debut novel will have you wishing you were a ship and a pirate yourself! Full of adventures and excitement!
I would like to thank the author for sending me a copy of the book and signing it! It is such an honor and so cool!! Thank you!!
Carter: his development in this was really good. From going from a normal human to a captain was done so well!
The characters in this book were so fun to read about! And I loved Maggie! She was so cool and such a badazz!
I very much enjoyed this book and 💯 tell you to read it!! You'll enjoy the book I promise! It feels as though you are on a ship full of adventures!!!
I would like to thank the author for sending me a copy of the book and signing it! It is such an honor and so cool!! Thank you!!
Carter: his development in this was really good. From going from a normal human to a captain was done so well!
The characters in this book were so fun to read about! And I loved Maggie! She was so cool and such a badazz!
I very much enjoyed this book and 💯 tell you to read it!! You'll enjoy the book I promise! It feels as though you are on a ship full of adventures!!!
September 13, 2026
I don't usually adventure or pirate-themed books or even fantasy books. But I couldn't pass up the chance for a free book.
I enjoyed it. It was a good story with fairly well-drawn characters that kept me reading.
I enjoyed it. It was a good story with fairly well-drawn characters that kept me reading.
August 17, 2026
First I have to say that I was actually sad to finish this book (happens about once a year lol) and this tells a lot.
I am a huge fantasy lover, but this one still managed to amaze me with its uniqueness.
It had everything I love in a book:
-original plotline
-cunning main charachter
-strong female charachters
-right pacing
-interesting worldbuilding
-charachters and relationships didn't feel flat
I don't want to spoil it for you so I am gonna stop here.
The only thing that I disliked was that on moments, things felt too good to be true and I was allways expecting something bad to happen next, but I don't know if this is really a bad thing.
Anyway, if you like sea journeys, ✨️pirates✨️, islands full of monsters and parallel universes, definitely give it a try, even if it's out of your usuall genre, it might suprise you.
Okay thats enough, it's just hard to express all my love for that book yk
(Does anyone know if the last chapter indicates possibility of 2nd book???)
____________________________________________
Thanks to the author for an e-ARC, review to come.
I am a huge fantasy lover, but this one still managed to amaze me with its uniqueness.
It had everything I love in a book:
-original plotline
-cunning main charachter
-strong female charachters
-right pacing
-interesting worldbuilding
-charachters and relationships didn't feel flat
I don't want to spoil it for you so I am gonna stop here.
The only thing that I disliked was that on moments, things felt too good to be true and I was allways expecting something bad to happen next, but I don't know if this is really a bad thing.
Anyway, if you like sea journeys, ✨️pirates✨️, islands full of monsters and parallel universes, definitely give it a try, even if it's out of your usuall genre, it might suprise you.
Okay thats enough, it's just hard to express all my love for that book yk
(Does anyone know if the last chapter indicates possibility of 2nd book???)
____________________________________________
Thanks to the author for an e-ARC, review to come.
September 7, 2026
Thank you so much to S.K. Hammad for adding me to the ARC list for The Pirate from New York!❤️
⚠️⚠️Disclaimer: I’m a total mood reader, so my ratings are always based on the vibe and how a book makes me feel while reading it! ⚠️⚠️
Going into this, I wasn't sure what to expect😌 it's completely outside my usual romance comfort zone. The first few chapters were a bit confusing, and there were definitely moments early on where I almost wanted to DNF it. But I told myself to keep going, and I’m honestly so glad I did!🫵🏽🔥
Once the plot kicked in, it turned into a surprisingly enjoyable ride. There were wild moments that had me totally shocked 😶 like that crazy scene with the Ape Kings' sacrifice 🤯🤯 and plot turns that kept me super intrigued. Carter and Maggie’s romance was such a sweet highlight that kept me grounded, even while I had mixed feelings about some of the other characters and plot lines along the way.🤭 I don’t want to give away any spoilers!!🫢
It didn't quite hit that 5-star mark for me, but it was a really good story that completely swayed my perspective. It made pushing through so worth it, and it actually made me want to step out of my bubble and try more books like this!💖🤙
Recommended for: Fantasy lovers, high-seas adventure fans, or romance readers looking for an approachable, intriguing entry into a whole new genre. 📚✨
⚠️⚠️Disclaimer: I’m a total mood reader, so my ratings are always based on the vibe and how a book makes me feel while reading it! ⚠️⚠️
Going into this, I wasn't sure what to expect😌 it's completely outside my usual romance comfort zone. The first few chapters were a bit confusing, and there were definitely moments early on where I almost wanted to DNF it. But I told myself to keep going, and I’m honestly so glad I did!🫵🏽🔥
Once the plot kicked in, it turned into a surprisingly enjoyable ride. There were wild moments that had me totally shocked 😶 like that crazy scene with the Ape Kings' sacrifice 🤯🤯 and plot turns that kept me super intrigued. Carter and Maggie’s romance was such a sweet highlight that kept me grounded, even while I had mixed feelings about some of the other characters and plot lines along the way.🤭 I don’t want to give away any spoilers!!🫢
It didn't quite hit that 5-star mark for me, but it was a really good story that completely swayed my perspective. It made pushing through so worth it, and it actually made me want to step out of my bubble and try more books like this!💖🤙
Recommended for: Fantasy lovers, high-seas adventure fans, or romance readers looking for an approachable, intriguing entry into a whole new genre. 📚✨
August 21, 2026
Review of advance copy received from author.
This was completely outside of my usual reading genre, so I wasn't expecting to like it as much as I did. It was fabulous. I loved the action and the world building. There was so much going on, but it didn't feel rushed at all.
The only thing that I disliked was the ending. It wasn't bad, but it just didn’t compare to the rest of the novel. I just didn't really like Angelica and how she acted towards the end. That was my literal only complaint, though. It was really good otherwise.
This was completely outside of my usual reading genre, so I wasn't expecting to like it as much as I did. It was fabulous. I loved the action and the world building. There was so much going on, but it didn't feel rushed at all.
The only thing that I disliked was the ending. It wasn't bad, but it just didn’t compare to the rest of the novel. I just didn't really like Angelica and how she acted towards the end. That was my literal only complaint, though. It was really good otherwise.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews