Pirateship Down

Sentinels of New Orleans #4.5

by Suzanne Johnson

A short story collection set in the Sentinels of New Orleans world, including the all-new novella, Pirateship Down.

French pirate Jean Lafitte is tall, cobalt-eyed, broad-shouldered and immortal. What’s not to love? But New Orleans’ most esteemed member of the historical undead is headed for trouble: He’s determined to reclaim Le Diligent, his gold-laden schooner lost at sea in 1814 and recently found at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico near Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana.
The U.S. Coast Guard might beg to differ.

New Orleans’ wizard sentinel DJ Jaco and her merman friend Rene Delachaise can either lock Lafitte up or save him from himself, joining him on a road trip to Cajun country. Terrebonne Parish—not to mention its jail—might never be the same after the events of the all-new novella Pirateship Down.

Wizards and Cajun mermen, sexy shifters and undead French pirates. Welcome to the world of the Sentinels of New Orleans in this first collection of new and revised stories, along with a little Louisiana lagniappe.

Genres: Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal, Anthologies, Magic, Pirates, Ghosts

280 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 2, 2015

About the author

Author of the Sentinels of New Orleans urban fantasy series, set in post-Katrina New Orleans. A new story collection, JACKSON SQUARE, coming fall 2020.

Writing as Susannah Sandlin, she is the author of the award-winning Penton Legacy paranormal romance series The Collectors romantic thriller series, the standalone paranormal romantic thriller, STORM FORCE, and the Wilds of the Bayou series..

Books by Suzanne Johnson: Royal Street; River Road; Elysian Fields; Pirate's Alley; Belle Chasse; The Consort (novella); Frenchman Street; Pirateship Down (story collection); Christmas in Dogtown (novella).

Books as Susannah Sandlin: Redemption; Absolution; Omega; Storm Force; Allegiance; Illumination; Lovely, Dark, and Deep; Deadly, Calm, and Cold; Chenoire; Wild Man's Curse; Black Diamond.

Reviews

[☕️Kimberly (Caffeinated Reviewer) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like to know where stories fall within the world, and Johnson begins all of the stories with a little insight and places the story within the timeline of the series. It is important to note that some of these appeared on Johnson’s website, as guest posts and in shorts.

Talk Like A Pirate - share what happens when a college student finds a summoning book and calls forth the spirit of Jean Lafitte. It was a fun read and gave us a glimpse of DJ’s Uncle, Gerald St. Simon.
The Sentinels Multiverse- Johnson then shares a brief introduction into the multiverse of the Sentinels of New Orléans. We learn about the three worlds within New Orléans. Then she shares information on the Wizards, The Elves, The Fae, Shapeshifters, Weres and Vampires. I loved the bit on the Historical Undead and Minor Preternatural creatures we encounter. She explains their abilities, where they reside and their hierarchy. It was all fascinating and while I knew most of it, she did enlighten me with some interesting tidbits.
Alex, the Pig- This short tales shows the relationship between DJ and her boyfriend Alexander Warin. Alex is an enforcer and needs to apprehend a wizard for turning a leprechaun into a pig. He leaves said pig with DJ and it was hilarious. I liked the snark. Renee Delachaise our local merman shows up and adds to the humor of the tale.
Cat Mon Dieu- This is a hilarious short featuring our beloved pirate shopping in a modern-day grocery store.
Jean Lafitte- The Man, The Myth, The Undead Pirate- Johnson shares the history of Jean Lafitte and even recommends some books regarding NOLA’s most famous pirate. I love these tidbits, and Johnson just impressed me with her extensive knowledge of Lafitte, NOLA and their history.
Rivalry- This story takes place long before DJ comes to NOLA and shares the childhoods of first cousins Alexander and Jacob Warin. This was such an interesting tale and gave me some perspective on both characters. We learn about Alexander’s first shift and it held me spellbound. Johnson's firm grasp of her world and its supernatural creatures continues to impress me.
Swamp Rats- Is a deleted, modified scene from Elysian Fields and highlights some of the situations DJ faces in her role as the Sentinel of New Orléans. I had to giggle at these feuding supernaturals.
Danger: Curves Ahead- What happens when a shapeshifter enforcer and a spunky sentinel place a bet? This was hilarious as we witness Alex paying up after losing a bet with DJ.
A Sentinel's Biography- Here Johnson shares the books and research that influenced the Sentinels series.
Intervention- This short features Alex and Jake. It really highlights some of the unusual things that can go down in NOLA when supernaturals are involved. We learn an interesting secret about Alex, that further endeared me to this shifter.
Pirateship Down- This is an all-new novella and takes place between Elysian Fields and Pirate’s Alley, which will release in 2016. Pirateship Down involves DJ and Renee as they try to keep Jean Lafitte out of trouble. One of Lafitte ships had been discovered off the coast and Jean is determined to retrieve what is his. Johnson mixed humor and suspense with plenty of complications. *Jean Lafitte*  DJ’s quick thinking skills come into play as these three go on an adventure.


Copy provided by author. This review was originally posted on Caffeinated Book Reviewer

[Mlpmom (Book Reviewer)]

RTC!

[Melliane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mon avis en Français

My English review

Talk like a pirate
We find a story which is a nice prequel and where we find our dear Jean. This is not necessarily very long but it was a pleasure to find character and to see that he was capable of a lot to get what he wants. We spend a great time once again!

Lagniappe: The Sentinels Multiverse
This is not really a story but a small catalog of the entire universe of the series and specifically regarding the varied creatures that can be found. It was interesting to see this part of the story with all these categories.

Alex, the Pig
While reading the introduction of the story and while seeing that the story was written for my friend Carien, I was quite touched for her. And of course, with that in mind, I could only appreciate these pages featuring a little pig (If you know about Carien, you will understand the reference).

Cat Mon Dieu
It was a pretty funny story featuring our beloved Jean as well as Drusilla. To help her, Jean is looking for cat food except that the pirate has a funny image of what it should be! A very good moment!

Lagniappe: Jean Laffite – The man, the myth, the undead pirate
The author had already written several guest posts for our blog about Jean Laffite and it’s true that it’s always nice to know some facts about the real character!

Rivalry
We find this time a little story about Jake and Alex and even more about their past. We know very little about their youth, but it was interesting to discover and to understand Alex a little better. It was not necessarily easy for him ….

Swamp Rats
This time, Drusilla is highlighted in a new novella who stages her with other characters. A deleted scene from one of the volumes that I took a pleasure to discover.

Danger: Curves Ahead
Another short story, again with Drusilla but also with Alex and it’s always a pleasure to see them as always.

Lagniappe: A Bibliography Sentinels
It is a very short explanation, a small catalog of the novels that inspired the author of her universe.

Intervention
As said at the beginning of the novella, that story features Jake and Alex, but especially their love for one another. Alex at difficult times, the poor choice of his cousin in professional or personal matters. Besides, her will try to help him regarding his girlfriend appears to be a succubus.

Pirateship Down
Suzanne presents here a longer story and therefore a most complete one. We find with a great pleasure Jean, Drusilla and of course Rene. It was nice to see them launched into a new adventure! It must be said that Jean is determined enough and this time he wants his newly discovered ship and nothing can stop him! It was very funny to see him act, particularly in relation to the people who do not know who he is. A very good story again!

[Jennifer (Bad Bird Reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

At A Glance
Really good for an anthology.
The Good
First off, I would highly recommend The Sentinels of New Orleans series. Very entertaining and great characters all around. With Pirateship Down, we get short stories that are placed in different moments of the series. I am only going to mention my favorite stories though all of them had their charm.

"Rivalry" gave us an amazing insight on Alex and how he dealt with his shapeshifter status in the beginning. I felt so bad for him, dealing with that crap as a kid. But he was a strong kid like he is as an adult.

"Intervention" features Jake and Alex and the woman that tried to become between them. But this girl is not just a woman, she's special, in a supernatural, bitch-face, evil way. I love Alex and Jake's dysfunctional relationship. It's like they hate/love each other. Like real relatives!

The crème de la crème story of the whole book is "Pirateship Down" which features our favorite dead pirate Jean Lafitte, the best merman ever, Rene, and DJ, the wizard we hope kicks everyone's ass. Jean is determined to reclaim his sunk pirateship before the government takes it. Rene and DJ have no choice but to tag along to keep Jean out of trouble. They do a great job too as Jean almost shoots some scientists, gets arrested, gets beat up, and starts a prison riot. :D I seriously had a good time with this one. So many misadventures. Jean is hot as ever but a little scary in this one. I could see why he was such a feared pirate back in his day. And DJ grows some major lady balls. Go DJ! Show those men who's boss.
The Bad
Obviously full length stories are almost always better than short stores in anthologies. Short stories are just not as satisfying. It's not the book's fault, it's mine. I knew what I was getting into but I still wanted more. Technically, nothing was bad about Pirateship Down.
The Snuggly
No snuggly, and it wasn't needed.
Final Thoughts
An overall great anthology. It would be hard to give any anthology 5 stars because who doesn't want a complete story with all the bells and whistles? I would still recommend this one if you have read the series. There are a lot of insights and revelations that might be helpful. Very recommended.

Quotes
Jean shifted his commentary from his guard to me. “Drusilla, a grievance must be made against these ruffians and thieves. They have stolen my clothing and given me only this…this….” He ran out of words.

“Ugly-ass orange jumpsuit?” I offered, always ready to help Jean with his command of modern English.

“Oui, exactement. I demand that you obtain my release, tout de suite. And you must know, a woman who allows her husband to remain in such conditions for an entire evening must face reprimand.”

I leaned back in the chair and crossed my arms. “And you must know that, in this day and age, should a man reprimand his wife too much, said wife might leave her husband to enjoy a longer time in his prison cell wearing his ugly-ass orange jumpsuit.”

Giveaway

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This review was originally posted on Bad Bird Reads

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review was originally posted at The Book Nympho

Pirateship Down is a collection of stories within the Sentinels of New Orleans world. All are short stories and all of them are fun and fans of the series will want to read the whole collection.

Talk Like A Pirate - A fun story about two roommates meeting the infamous Jean Lafitte when one of them summons his for a pirate themed party. We a glimpse of DJ’s Uncle, Gerald St. Simon in this one.
Alex, the Pig - DJ's some-thing-other (boyfriend) Alexander Warin stops by to trick DJ into pig sitting for him. The pig in question is not a normal pig but a leprechaun that's been turned into a pig. Renee Delachaise stops by and that's all you need to know. Hilarious!
Cat Mon Dieu - Imagine Jean Lafitte shopping for cat food. Yeah, Jean totally misunderstands the words cat food.
Rivalry - Story about Alex and his cousin Jake when they were teens and about the first time that Alex shifts into his "mutt".
Swamp Rats - A deleted scene from Elysian Fields that was giggle worthy.
Danger: Curves Ahead - Alex settling up after he and DJ make a friendly wager.
Intervention - Another story featuring Alex and Jake. Alex is a man of many secrets and we get to see more of them in this tale.
Pirateship Down - This tale is the jewel of this chest of booty! We follow DJ and Rene doing their best to keep Jean Lafitte out of trouble. Which is a full-time job. LOL Lafitte wants to retrieve one of his lost pirate ships, so to make sure he doesn't cause too much trouble in the process DJ and Rene tag alone.

[Cathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars, leaning toward a three because of lack of content. I love The Sentinels of New Orleans series, so I was really looking forward to this book. It was fun, but not as satisfying as I'd hoped. For one thing, it's double spaced with a larger font, so there isn't a lot of "there" there. I like a larger font, and the spacing too, in general, it's easier to see. But it isn't a long book anyway so combining those elements meant that there wasn't a whole lot of reading material. I finished the whole book in four hours, considerably less than half the time it usually takes me to finish a book, closer to one quarter of the time. There's one point in the book where DJ reads a newspaper article (p 165) that's printed in single spacing and a normal book sized font and the contrast is remarkable, if you want to notice the difference for yourself.

As for the stories, they were fun, but other than the last one they also weren't very satisfying, they didn't pack a punch. The bulk of the book was drawn from flash fiction or very short stories that the author had already published on her website or others. The stories were designed to illuminate something about the featured characters, but they weren't great stories in and of themselves. They were stories that made me nod and say, yeah, sure, fine, that sounds like him. I didn't laugh at the one about Jean in the grocery store, it was dumb. I got the ones about Jake and Alex growing up, but they weren't anything that made me feel that anyone who missed them was missing something important about the characters. I don't know, none of them felt substantive to me, they were just surface sketches, a way to convey the point about the past that she wanted to convey, but they weren't solid short stories. Anyone who read them outside of the context of being a fan of this series wouldn't get anything out of them. I'm not expressing it well. But they were't anything that would be nominated for any short story awards, there wasn't enough depth to them, they didn't have great beginnings, middles and ends, they just were't great stories. I'm not a great technical reviewer, obviously, sorry I can't explain it better than that.

There was also a chapters that was just a glossary of terms from the Sentinels world, nothing surprising or insightful for fans, though possibly interesting to new readers. It felt like filler, many pages of filler. The short chapter about Jean Lafitte's history was fine. The bibliography felt like more filler, she's included books in previous novels in the back, where they belong, not in the body of a book I'm paying for. Though her comments about why the books were meaningful to her may be interesting to some readers. But that's another chapter of double spaced pages gone. Most of the book flew past as a series of very light and quick stories, enjoyable but nothing I'd have minded missing, and filler.

But the last story, Pirateship Down, was great, that was what I expected from Johnson and from this series. That was the story that really made the book worth reading for fans of the series, and if new readers try this book, would be a great introduction to the series as well. It was a funny romp that fully took advantage of the characters and relationships that had been established over the last four books. It wasn't just silliness and humor, the way that Johnson worked the history between the characters allowed for interactions that gave the story layers of depth and emotion that elevated it above a typical fun heist tale. This story had everything that the others in the book lacked. The others weren't bad, they just weren't memorable. This one was. Fans will definitely love it.

And entirely off the subject, but relevant to this publication of the book, I really don't get pen names sometimes. At the beginning of the book the author has all of her books listed, with her books under her pen name right under her books as Suzanne Johnson. Why does an author who writes UF that has romance in it (as Suzanne Johnson) need to have a pen name to write paranormal romance? It seems so counter-productive for fans to suddenly find out that they could have been reading her nine other books for years if they'd only known about them. For me to find out I could have been reading her books for years if I'd known about them, it's not just a theoretical question. It isn't as if she's writing something so different from her Suzanne Johnson books that her readers would get confused. Maybe if they were thrillers that didn't have any fantasy in them, or erotica, or something farther outside the fantasy genre, I'd understand. As it is, I bet the PNR covers would indicated all the differentiation that we needed to know what kind of books we were getting, no matter which name was on them. I don't get it.

[N.N. Heaven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sexy pirate? Check. Adventure on the high seas? Check. Great action scenes? You bet! Another great book by Suzanne Johnson. Highly recommend!

My Rating: 5 stars

[aikaterine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally posted on Book-o-Craze, on a tour hosted by Bewitching Book Tours.

This read constitutes a collection of short stories and trivial information concerning Suzanne Johnson's Sentinels of New Orleans series!

It was a fun and greatly entertaining read, very well-built by the author, so that it wouldn't be hard for someone who hasn't read any books in these series -someone like me -, to follow up.

In more detail, the first short story "Talk Like a Pirate", mainly features 19-th century French Pirate Jean Lafitte and New Orleans Wizard Sentinel Gerry St. Simon. We get a first taste of the (in)famous pirate, and are able to see his interaction with the wizard before the series started.

Next, we get "a little something extra", with a brief, but to the point, explanation of the Sentinels Multiverse, and its inhabitants! This is where you can find out more about the wizards, the fae, the merfolk, and even the elves!

"Alex, The Pig" is a short story that features three of the protagonists of the Sentinels of New Orleans series, DJ, Alex and Rene. It is a short, fun read, about a small adventure that includes a certain cursed leprechaun!

The next story, "Cat Mon Dieu" features a rather brief adventure of the pirate Jean Lafitte, in the Rouses Supermarket, and the chaos he just barely avoided causing!

A few trivia is then offered about said pirate, for us to get a glimpse in his life before he was killed and became a historical undead livind in the Beyond!

More information about Alex can be found on "Rivalry", a short featuring himself and his cousin when they were still teenagers, and around the time he had just started getting to know his shapeshifts. For everyone that has read the series, this short would actually prove to be very enlightening as to why he is who he is, and about the way he behaves!

Both "Swamp Rats" and "Danger: Curves Ahead" featured DJ and Alex, giving us a glimpse of their relationship and how they interact with each other!

Another extra follows, regarding the Sentinels Bibliography, before another story occurring between Alex and his cousin Jacob is provided!

Last but not least, the novella with the same name as this collection, "Pirateship Down" is a quite an interesting read featuring DJ, Rene and their adventures trying to get Jean Lafitte out of the mess he has created for himself.

All the stories, and especially the novella, are quick, witty and with lots and lots of humor! I actually caught myself not only chuckling, but also laughing out loud with DJ's narration. I loved the author's writing style, and the whole collection made me want to start the series as soon as I get them on my hands!

All in all, 5 stars to a book that made me laugh more than any has succeeded in doing in a long long time!

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sentinels of New Orleans is one of my favorite Urban Fantasy series. Actually, it is my favorite current UF series and may be my favorite overall. I don't even read much UF/PNR at all —this series is just that good.

Fans of Sentinels will adore this anthology, especially those readers (ME)who have serious love for our favorite Historical Undead privateer, Jean Lafitte. The majority of the stories within are short stories, little tidbits that enhance and fill out the overall series. There is also a section on the real Jean, and how Johnson used the facts and speculation for her series. The anthology ends with an all-new novella featuring Jean, series heroine DJ, their friend/ally Rene, and a hilarious search for a long-lost treasure.

I'm really glad I bought and read Pirateship Down. I am ridiculously picky on which books I am willing to spend my time and money on these days, but any story Suzanne Johnson is willing to sell, I will happily buy.

Give Sentinels of New Orleans a try.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

A number of short stories set in the world of the Sentinels of New Orleans, some featuring the main character of those tales, wizard DJ Jaco, and others featuring some of my favorite characters, including DJ's love interest, Alex Warin, as well as the undead pirate Jean Lafitte and her merman friend, Rene Delachaise. The final story, the novella that bears the Pirateship Down name, is a doozy. With Jean Lafitte insisting on retrieving the gold from one of his sunken ships that has just been discovered off the coast, and DJ and Rene roped into helping him, what could go wrong? Of course they can't control the headstrong pirate, and DJ ends up having to get them all out of trouble - more than once. I loved all the stories, but that last one was a favorite - that stubborn pirate is so much fun and DJ has her hands full dealing with him.

[Anya · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this series so it was great to get some short fiction to tide me over. The first half consists of several quite short stories that are really just snippets and give a bit of insight into some event that happened between or before the main novels. There is also a glossary of all the various supernatural creatures that I actually just skipped over because I know most of that information already. The title comes from the novella that takes up the second half of the book you purchase. I quite enjoyed this novella since it features Rene and Jean and some very entertaining antics along with what actually happens when the mundane police get involved with supernatural issues! Definitely worth purchasing for fans of the series and an all right way to try out the world and writing of the series if you aren't sure.

[Elisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book to read while waiting for the next one in the series to come out. These short stories mainly feature Jean and he doesn't disappoint. Some are super short, the final one is a nice little novella mixed with a tiny bit of background about the other folks in the series, like Alex. Good stuff.

[MLL · Rating 5 out of 5]

These short stories are a terrific addition to the New Orleans Sentinels series. Each story adds background and depth to the characters. And if you haven't read this series this intro to the characters may draw you in. I especially loved reading about when poor fifteen year old Alex first came into his shifter powers. He had no idea what was happening.

[Debrac2014 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book from a Giveaway! Very good read! The book is filled with short stories, some so short they're more like anecdotes, and a novella. I especially enjoyed the novella Pirateship Down!

[Marissa Rocks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Talk like a pirate
We find a story which is a nice prequel and where we find our dear Jean. This is not necessarily very long but it was a pleasure to find character and to see that he was capable of a lot to get what he wants. We spend a great time once again!

Lagniappe: The Sentinels Multiverse
This is not really a story but a small catalog of the entire universe of the series and specifically regarding the varied creatures that can be found. It was interesting to see this part of the story with all these categories.

Alex, the Pig
While reading the introduction of the story and while seeing that the story was written for my friend Carien, I was quite touched for her. And of course, with that in mind, I could only appreciate these pages featuring a little pig (If you know about Carien, you will understand the reference).

Cat Mon Dieu
It was a pretty funny story featuring our beloved Jean as well as Drusilla. To help her, Jean is looking for cat food except that the pirate has a funny image of what it should be! A very good moment!

Lagniappe: Jean Laffite – The man, the myth, the undead pirate
The author had already written several guest posts for our blog about Jean Laffite and it’s true that it’s always nice to know some facts about the real character!

Rivalry
We find this time a little story about Jake and Alex and even more about their past. We know very little about their youth, but it was interesting to discover and to understand Alex a little better. It was not necessarily easy for him ….

Swamp Rats
This time, Drusilla is highlighted in a new novella who stages her with other characters. A deleted scene from one of the volumes that I took a pleasure to discover.

Danger: Curves Ahead
Another short story, again with Drusilla but also with Alex and it’s always a pleasure to see them as always.

Lagniappe: A Bibliography Sentinels
It is a very short explanation, a small catalog of the novels that inspired the author of her universe.

Intervention
As said at the beginning of the novella, that story features Jake and Alex, but especially their love for one another. Alex at difficult times, the poor choice of his cousin in professional or personal matters. Besides, her will try to help him regarding his girlfriend appears to be a succubus.

Pirateship Down
Suzanne presents here a longer story and therefore a most complete one. We find with a great pleasure Jean, Drusilla and of course Rene. It was nice to see them launched into a new adventure! It must be said that Jean is determined enough and this time he wants his newly discovered ship and nothing can stop him! It was very funny to see him act, particularly in relation to the people who do not know who he is. A very good story again!

[Romancing the Book · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed by Jen
Book provided by the author

I've been really enjoying the Sentinels of New Orleans series and was really curious about Pirateship Down .  I'll admit, I wasn't sure what to expect.  The blurb sounds like it's one story, but the title says "stories".  Once I had the book in hand, I saw there were 8 short stories (ending with Pirateship Down, which is the longest one) and 3 little lagniappes.

The short stories, I believe with the exception of the last one, had all been published online on various websites.  Each story begins with a short introduction setting the stage, saying where it originally posted and then how it fits into the series.  They vary quite a lot.  Some are just funny little everyday scenes and some help build history into the series.  The shortest story is about 6 pages, the longest around 100.

If I had to pick a favorite, it would definitely be the final one and the book's name sake.  The short story Pirateship Down, which is described in the blurb, had me turning the pages and laughing out loud at everyone's antics.  It really gives more insight into DJ's relationship with Jean and friendship with Rene.

The book also includes three lagniappes.  These are short informational sections.  The first delves into the Sentinel Muliverse by giving an overview of the world and then the different paranormal creatures and their parts in that world.  The second is a history of Jean Lafitte, fact and myth, and how the author decided what she was going to use in her version of the man.  And the last one, Ms Johnson gives some resources on where some of her ideas and research came from.  I found that these lagniappes provided some interesting information.

By no means would I recommend picking up this book if you've not read the other books in the Sentinel series.  Other than the lagniappes, there isn't much "introduction" to the characters/world and so I don't think you'd quite get the same effect of the stories as if you were familiar with the series.  But, if you have read the other books, this is a pretty fun, lighter, look at the characters and their world.  This book was a nice appetizer as I wait for the next book in the series to be released.

[Maghon Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, there's a whole lot of goodness in this book. In between each short story, Ms Johnson gives some more insight into the world she's created. How the magical community came to be, where they are from, how they work. She even included each species and an explanation. AND she put all the deets on Jean Lafitte. I was impressed with the history she's found, and I'm quite familiar with him, being from where I am. Anyways, I will give a little review for each story in here and what not, but sorry, no spoilers. :)

Talk Like A Pirate

I about pissed my pants laughing at this one. I am not even lying. At first I was mad, because this girl, Megan, did something stupid. LOL She has the same name as me, but it's spelled different so I let it go. She summoned Jean Lafitte. And her Bestie, Rhyn, is stuck to deal with him because Megan is not handling it. So, Rhyn agrees to take Jean to his friend's home. Ok, the car ride is the best. When Jean pulls out the "bigass pistol" and the extra long knife. This scene is by far something special. You'll have to read it. And it was such an adventure for Rhyn, and I'm sure Jean was happy with what he went home with. LOL It was a great way to start out this book.

Alex the Pig

Oh my, let's just say that Alex was asking for trouble doing this. Alex brings a pig to DJ to babysit. But there's a seriously crazy twist on this pig and Alex is a coward for running. And DJ gets the absolute best revenge for his misdeeds. I giggled for this one.

Cat on Dieu

Ok, this one is extra special. You see, Ms Johnson originally wrote this story for a flash fiction on my blog a couple of years ago. So, not only does it hold a big place in my heart, it's freaking hilarious. When DJ takes Jean with her to a supermarket, she tells him to stay in the car. Does he listen-no! She needs cat food, but he doesn't understand that it's food for the cat. He thinks she's getting cat for food. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA oh my God, this is seriously one of the funniest things EVER! And Jean is something special. If you are a fan of the sexy pirate, this whole story is him, and his reaction to modern things, and not understanding the lingo. Get a kleenex because you'll be crying hilarious tears.

Rivalry

So, this is Alex and Jake's background of their serious rivalry. And boy, does it put some things into perspective. I was always Team Jake. I am still Team Jake. But I now understand, so many things. Why Alex is so protective of Jake, and why Jacob sometimes still has a chip on his shoulder. I am learning that family, blood bonds, can take on many perspectives. And I must say, I have a new respect for Alex I didn't have before this. This is my sentimental story that warmed my heart.

Swamp Rats

Meet Dennis and Zeke, you'll know them if you've read Chenoire, by Ms Johnson's other self. LOL Zeke is a weregator and Dennis is a merfolk. I happen to be Team Zeke because Dennis I've decided is just ridiculous. DJ is trying to get them to agree to a truce, because it needs to happen, and she's now in charge of things. It's not terribly long, and yet it's still awesome to see DJ getting her backbone with these two men who can over power her in so many ways. This one is significant for DJ's growth.

Danger: Curves Ahead

This one is again pitting DJ and Alex against each other in their bets. Even though DJ won the bet, Alex gets a little revenge on her anyways. You see, Alex likes Beer and DJ likes chocolate. So, whoever gave in to their cravings first lost. And DJ decided for her part, she would take Alex to work out at Curves- you know, the women's gym. And she takes him to the old ladies dance work out class. This one is also absolutely hilarious. I totally thought DJ was a genius for doing this, but I must give props to Alex for over coming with flying colors. And booty pinches LOL

Intervention

This one is hard for me. I am again still loving Jake, and I can't help but love Alex a little more every time he comes into bat for him. They are grown up now, and Jake has had some trouble since coming back from the war. But he's trying to get his head on straight, and he stumbles, so Alex needs to bail him out of jail. And Alex gets to meet Jake's new girl friend. Alex knows about the supernatural, Jake doesn't. So, there's some troubles floating around in that bar. This one fits more like an action mystery in short story with a supernatural twist. And I think I fell in love with Alex for what he did Jake, on both terms. Yeah, he's earned it. *sigh* I know Alex is so straight and black and white, but he really does have a magnificent heart.

Pirateship Down

Well now, this one is something special. You get to see the not so nice side of Jean, and how much Rene and DJ are willing to go to keep him out of trouble. When things are setting from that last big hoo-rah from Elysian Fields, Jean finds out that one of his former Pirate Ships has been found. Like literally, it's come up from the deeps and he must have it. MUST! And it doesn't matter that his choices could render DJ and Rene in a really bad position. I loved DJ and Rene's spotlight on their friendship in this one. And good LAWD, Jean is something like hell on wheels. I mean, he forgets that he's immortal and Rene and DJ are not. And they come through with miraculous deeds. And a lot of snags on the way. And something special is also happening with DJ and Jean, because though she has Alex, she also realizes how much Jean means to her as well. It's excellent on the story, but it's not helping her get rid of her confusion of feelings. LOL This one is the main story of the whole book and it has everything you could need, a crazy sexy pirate, an awesome wizard, a diehard best friend, and some crazy scuba gear LOL Oh man, oh man, I also realized how much I truly love Rene. I know everyone has it bad for the pirate, but I want Rene- for me! He's not just a playboy merfolk. He's got heart, he's courageous, he's loyal, and he's a beautiful soul who's also a little nutty. LOL And I am so glad he's healing from his own loss. :)

Of course this whole book gets 5 PAWS, and it's so worth it. I bow down to Ms Johnson for giving us a little lagniappe of goodness while we wait for the next book of the series.

[Lea Bookjoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

French & English reviews

Une anthologie de petites nouvelles sympas plus particulièrement sur Lafitte mais pas seulement =)
Mes préférées :
- Talk Like A Pirate avec deux collocataires qui invoquent un certain corsaire ... =)
- Pirateship Down qui m'a beaucoup fait rire avec Lafitte qui se met en mode vengeance et Rene et Dru en mode limitation de dégâts.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

An anthology of nice little short-stories especially on Lafitte but not only him =)
My favorites :
- "Talk Like A Pirate" with two roommates who invoke a certain privateer ... =)
- "Pirateship Down" that made me laugh a lot with Lafitte who goes into revenge mode and Rene and Dru in damage limitation mode.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable bunch of shorts but I wouldn't start here if you haven't read the series.

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Way too short is my only complaint lol

[Maura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun

[Jen (That's What I'm Talking About) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pirateship Down is the compilation of several previously released shorts, many that have only appeared on blogs and websites, and one new novella, all set in the marvelous Sentinels of New Orleans world. Each story features one or more of the series’ regular characters. This book is basically a companion piece to and compendium of the series, and therefore, is best enjoyed by existing fans of the series. I would encourage those who’ve not read the series, start with the first book, Royal Street.

Talk Like a Pirate
This story takes place before first Sentinel book and features the historically undead pirate (privateer) Jean Lafitte. Thinking it would be fun to have a real pirate show up at her “talk like a pirate party,” Meg attempts to manifest the ghost of Jean Lafitte. Much to her surprise, the real Jean appears, and roommate Rhyn takes it upon herself to ensure Jean doesn’t cause any trouble in modern-day NOLA. Overall, the short story is fun, and I liked seeing interactions between Jean Lafitte and Wizard Gerald St. Simon long before the current conditions of preternaturals in NOLA.

Lagniappe: The Sentinels Multiverse
This is not a story per se but more of a primer on the world.

Alex, the Pig
This is an excellent story narrated by series heroine, DJ Jaco. It is a super short scene that takes place between River Road and Elysian Fields. Boyfriend, Alex, leaves DJ with a pig that is actually a cursed leprechaun. Extremely entertaining.

Cat Mon Dieu
This is another short, flash fiction piece, and same timeline as the previous story. It is told in the third person POV of Jean Lafitte. He's going grocery shopping with DJ and thinks cat food is actual food made of cat. It's another funny short.

Lagniappe: Jean Lafitte-The Man, The Myth, the Undead Pirate
This section shares both true facts about Jean Lafitte and more about his character in the series.

Rivalry
This is a short story that I had read previously. Shared from Alex’s POV, it takes a look at cousins Jake and Alex Warin in their teen years, well before the events of the first book. Here we learn the story of when Alex discovered he was a shapeshifter at 15. Another great short, giving more depth to one of my favorite characters.

Swamp Rats
This one takes place shortly after second book and features weregators. The scene outlines DJ negotiating a truce over territory for the merfolk and weregators. I liked it, but not as much as other stories in the book.

Danger: Curves Ahead
Taking place between the second and third books, it features a bet between DJ and Alex. It’s a very short funny that plays on the pair’s mutual attraction. I adore this couple and enjoyed the story.

Lagniappe: A Sentinels Bibliography
This is a list of reference books that Ms. Johnson used to help create her world.

Intervention
This is another story about Alex and Jake, roughly two to three years before the series started, and is told in the third person POV from Alex. Jake has found himself getting into trouble because of his new girlfriend, and Alex finds out she's not human. It’s an interesting slice of life.

Pirateship Down
Pirateship Down is the feature story of Pirateship Down. It’s a brand new novella and is roughly 50% of the whole book. Shared in the first person POV of DJ, it takes place between the third and fourth books.

DJ and Jean were injured in the third book and are supposed to be recovering. However, DJ catches Jean and Rene planning to reclaim one of Jean’s lost ships that has recently been found by LSU, and she realizes she has to go with him or things will turn out badly. Of course, Jean being Jean, he gets himself arrested and things get crazy from there!

I really enjoyed the novella. I love watching DJ, Jean, and Rene work together and how their friendship continues to grow from book to book.

Overall, Pirateship Down is entertaining, and I strongly recommend it to fans of the series. Most of the stories are short, entertaining, and pretty funny. The new novel is equally as good and captures much of the heart of the series and characters.

My Rating: B, Liked It
Originally posted at That's What I'm Talking About

[Marlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally published at Reading Reality

This one is for the fans. Of which I most definitely number myself. The stories, snippets and background pieces in this collection all center around Suzanne Johnson’s fabulous Sentinels of New Orleans series. The series takes place in New Orleans beginning just after Katrina, and features the wizard DJ Jaco, newly responsible for maintaining the balance between the New Orleans we know and the Beyond, where vampires, elves and especially the historical undead hold sway.

The historical undead are creatures of history mixed with the author’s imagination. They were all real personages, but, as long as they are remembered, they can sometimes (or often) cross from Old Orleans in the Beyond to the present-day city. Because the pirate Jean Lafitte is very well, if somewhat inaccurately, remembered, since Katrina messed up the wards he can pretty much cross any time he wants. And he’s every bit as intelligent, cagey, and handsome as he ever was. Possibly more.

In the series, Drusilla Jaco, usually called DJ, is in charge of keeping the sometimes tenuous peace in the supernatural community. Lafitte is sometimes an ally, and often a thorn in her side, but always honest – even if, or especially when, DJ is not going to like what he has to say. They are friends, and possibly more. If only DJ’s on-again/off-again romance with her fellow Sentinel (and werewolf!) Alex Warin doesn’t get in the way.

The series starts with Royal Street, which is still one of my favorite books, and one of the most affecting stories of post-Katrina New Orleans I have read, along with The Map of Moments by Christopher Golden and Tim Lebbon. Read both for a chilling portrait of the city post-apocalypse, even if you are not an urban fantasy fan. Both are awesome.

But in Pirateship Down, we get glimpses of stories that come before Royal Street, and snippets of things that happen in between the books, along with a look at some of the author’s voluminous research into NOLA and it’s colorful history.

For fans, Pirateship Down is both a treasure trove and a little lagniappe to tide us over until the next book in the series makes its much-awaited appearance.

Pirateship Down itself is a novella that takes place between the third book in the series, Elysian Fields and Pirate's Alley. In Elysian Fields Jean Lafitte let himself be killed in order to save DJ’s life. While his death is only temporary, it is still damn painful. In the midst of his recovery in Old Orleans, he hears news of the discovery of one of his pirate ships, mostly intact and quite likely with his treasure still on board. Jean enlists the aid of his 21st century “business” partner and his and DJ’s mutual friend, merman Rene Dellechaise in order to locate and loot his ship before the authorities remove all his gold. DJ, feels obligated to help, in the vain hopes of keeping Jean and Rene out of too much trouble. Her failure and their eventual success showcases her friendship with both the merman and the undead pirate, and provides some unfortunately hilarious insights into law, order and piracy in the 21st century Gulf of Mexico.

Escape Rating B+: For a fan, this is gold. And the novella Pirateship Down is a glorious hoot. Anyone who is not already familiar with the world of the Sentinels of New Orleans should start with Royal Street. If you love original urban fantasy with a surprising historic twist, you’ll be glad you did.

Laissez les bons temps rouler!

[Jennifer (BTH Reviews) · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.*

Pirateship Down is a collection of flash fiction, short stories, a novella, two essays, and a bibliography. It is a great addition to the Sentinels of New Orleans series by Suzanne Johnson. Even if you haven’t read any of the four novels in the series, you can read Pirateship Down and enjoy it.

The first story, “Talk Like a Pirate,” was fun to read because of its premise: a college student wants to summon Jean Lafitte to her party. This story’s ending was enough to satisfy me.

Next in the collection is “Lagniappe,” which is an introduction to the Sentinels of New Orleans multiverse. It explains the world and the creatures in it.

“Alex, the Pig” is a short piece about Alex dumping a pig (that is really a spelled leprechaun) on D.J. for her to babysit. I wasn’t satisfied by the ending of this one because I didn’t get to see what happened to the pig or Alex.

The fourth piece in the collection is “Cat Mon Dieu.” This one is told from Jean Lafitte’s point of view. It is a funny, quick tale about Jean trying to buy cat food for Alex, because he thinks cat food is made out of cats.

In “Lagniappe: Jean Lafitte,” the reader learns more about the real-life pirate.

The next story, “Rivalry,” is a prequel that shows Alex’s experience as a teenager when he first shifts to a dog. This one wasn’t funny, but it was a good addition to the series to learn how Alex came to terms with his dog side.

“Swamp Rats” is a short story about weregators. I didn’t get into this one very much. D.J. has to deal with some squabbling.

The eighth part to this collection is “Danger: Curves Ahead.” This was a silly flash fiction piece about D.J. sticking Alex in a class of old ladies doing zumba. It was humorous, but didn’t really have much of a point to it.

“Lagniappe: A Sentinels Biography” gives some of the sources the author used to write the series.

“Intervention” is a prequel about Alex having to get Jake from jail. Alex finds out Jake was involved with a succubus. This story was interesting and had a satisfying ending.

The best part of the collection is its namesake, “Pirateship Down,” a brand-new novella that comes between Elysian Fields and Pirate’s Alley (books 3 and 4). I loved this! It was a lot of fun to read. Jean Lafitte learns that one of his ships has been found by LSU researchers. He wants to reclaim his ship and its cargo. Of course, he gets into trouble and D.J. and Rene have to save him. I thought this novella had a solid plot. It was fast-paced and entertaining from start to finish. Even if you aren’t interested in any of the other stories, this novella makes the collection worth the purchase.

Actual rating 4.5 Stars

[Miki · Rating 5 out of 5]

i received an Arc in exchange for an honest review

This review was first published on my blog Lecture toute une Aventure


Fabulous! A great compilation of novellas and short stories available for new readers as well as for the fans without any difficulty.

Suzanne really did a wonderful job to introduce the world of the Sentinels of new Orleans for those new to it and set a form of timeline for the ones who follow the series from the beginning. She mixed past pieces of work that were available as treat on her blog for a limited time, some updated, modified etc, with new stories very captivating and as a bonus some info about the universes and the characters so that this book is something new for all of us.

( for a few words on each novella check my blog)
“Pirateship Down”

This novella is the pure treasure of this kind of anthology, Pirateship Down is a real pearl when you have read the series but you should really be able to enjoy it without difficulty after haing read the “lagniappe” becaus ethat give you a big inside in the universe.
For those who have read the series, you can see how this fit wonderfully and at the same time stays a pure treat as it doesn’t impact the next book ( in the sense that you won’t feel like you have missed something if you read the book and not the novella but really that would be too sad to miss this!)

Jean Lafitte has decided to reclaim one of his ship which has been found in the waters of the sea... to do so he drag along his friend Rene and Dj which is still suffering from her last experience. Both friends know they can’t go against Jean but that they must keep him out of the troubles....with a proud determined pirate you can imagine how it won’t be easy . Full of humour this novella won’t leave you indifferent, this was a pure joy and full of laughing time for me so i can’t recommend it to you enough.

If you love Jean or simply want to have a fun reading moment, read this novella!


Suzanne really did us a big favor by creating this book we awaited so long as a treat to be patient until the release of the next book so don’t hesitate to grab this one and spread the word. Authors who are so dedicated to their readers should be rewarded!


there is a pre order giveaway so pre order the book, check suzane's blog and/or my blog and good luck!

[Bambi Unbridled · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fun addition to the Sentinels of New Orleans series. It includes not only several short stories and a novella from the Sentinels world, but it also has info on the characters, history of the area, some history on Jean Lafitte, and reading recommendations for those of us who would like to read more on the history of New Orleans and Southern Louisiana. Now that I live here, I am definitely going to grab some of these suggestions. This series always makes me want to go on exploring trips, and I think after reading this addition, I am going to take some day trips to Cocodrie and Grand Isle.

As for the novella, Pirateship Down, that starts just after the 50% mark of the book, so its a decent-sized story all about my abso-favo character, Jean Lafitte! He is so debonair and lovable and charming and I just want to hug him and squeeze him and keep him forever. This story takes place shortly after Jean saved DJ's life, and their relationship is growing into something new. (I am 100% Team Lafitte; I would love to see a relationship between these two.) As for the story, Jean is up to his usual antics and, knowing they can't stop him, DJ and Rene are forced to go along with his plan to minimize whatever calamity is sure to occur. As always, Suzanne's world-building, and ability to weave past and present history and legends from this area were captivating. I can't wait for the next installment of the Sentinels series.

I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 5 Stars / No Heat.

[Carien · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the Sentinels of New Orleans series, so when I had the opportunity to get a review copy of Pirateship Down I jumped at the chance.

And this is a wonderful collection of short stories and background info.

My favorite story has to be Alex, the Pig, which features a pig! This story was initially written for my blog, so probably no big surprise it is my favorite.

But all pigs aside: the other stories were all really cool as well. I loved getting to know all the characters a little bit better. Most stories contain a lot of humor, but there were some with a more serious tone. All were well worth reading. The novella Pirateship Down was really cool. My favorite character Rene had a big role in this novella. I know lots of people love Jean Lafitte, but Rene outshone both Jean and DJ in my opinion.

Next to the stories there were also articles with background information about Jean Lafitte, the Sentinels world and more. These articles were very interesting to read.

All in all this is a delightful read for fans of the Sentinels series, as well as being a fun introduction for people who aren't familiar with the series yet.

I will keep an eye out for the paperback, because I need to add this pearl to my shelves.

[Kina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I give this book 5 fangs

I have never read anything by Suzanne Johnson and now I need to read more. I'm completely hooked after reading this very fun book of assorted short stories and tidbits about her cast of preternatural characters and the rules of their universe.
For someone not familiar with the characters it can be tricky to delve into a book of short stories based on an already well established series and set characters and still feel like you can follow what's happening. However the book was put together in such a way that before each short the characters are explained briefly and she gives a bit of insight into what's taking place and where on the story line it falls. I so enjoyed all the characters and am quickly falling in love with a certain undead pirate and his antics. Although I thoroughly enjoyed all the stories the one about cat food had me in hysterics but that could also be because I'm an animal person.
Either way this is a great intro to the sentinel world or a fun addition of your already a fan. Great writing, entertaining and witty characters and a well thought out world.
**** reviewer for paranormal romance and authors that rock

[Dwayne Wojtowicz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this book in a Goodreads.com giveaway.

I usually don't give five stars to a book; however, in a rare instance, like this, I will. The book has to be outstanding, well-developed and -rounded. The characters have to be understandable, but with some complexity. The plot has to be strong, along with some twists and turns. The setting has to be realistic and imaginable.

So when Suzanne Johnson wrote "Pirateship Down," she was able to combine all these elements and prefect them. In fact, she even picked the perfect location for her book: New Orleans.

Even in "Pirateship Down," she educates us on wizards, cajun mermen, sexy shifters, and undead French pirates.

When the immortal French pirate, Jean LaFitte, is summoned to present-day New Orleans, he becomes hell bent on retrieving his gold-laden ship, Le Diligent. He causes problems in which the New Orleans wizard sentinel, DJ, has to to work some "magic" to try to keep him out of prison.

"Pirateship Down" is a wonderfully blend of an urban legend. This book is extremely, highly recommended.

[Beth Orsborn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This read is a collection of short stories Suzanne Johnson's Sentinels of New Orleans series.It's a great read for someone. This is a terrific opportunity for anyone who has not yet read the series to get introduced to the cast of characters because you do not need to know the overall story to appreciate these stories. For established Sentinel fans, the tales provide more insight into your favorites.
Great read!
Reviewer for paranormal romance and authors that rock