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The Cassaforte Chronicles #2
The Buccaneer's Apprentice
On his first sea voyage away from the magical city of Cassaforte, seventeen-year-old Nic Dattore awakens to find the vessel overrun by marauding pirates―and everyone else on board kidnapped or killed. After slaying the pirate who attacked him, Nic tosses a torch into a cache of gunpowder and blows up the ship. Washed up on a deserted island, Nic and a motley crew of castaways decide to commandeer the pirate ship to get home. They battle pirates, assassins, and a cursed ship with a powerful secret while racing against time to save Cassaforte from a diabolical coup.
360 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2010
6 people are currently reading
298 people want to read
About the author
V. Briceland
5 books80 followersThough he has written primarily under his various pseudonyms before now, Vance Briceland is the award-winning author of several adult and young adult novels, including You Are SO Cursed, a 2005 American Library Association Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers title.
Originally from Richmond, Virginia and a graduate of the College of William and Mary, Briceland now lives in Old Greenwich, Connecticut.
He has since worn many hats, each more fantastic than the last, as soda jerk, a paper flower maker in an amusement park, a pianist for a senior citizens’ show tunes choir, an English teacher, a glass artist, and a novelist.
While he does not blow glass, Briceland is a stained glass window and panel lamp artist and also works with kiln-formed glass, where the heat only gets up to about 1,500 degrees. He says, “The much higher temperatures involved in blowing glass scare me!”
Originally from Richmond, Virginia and a graduate of the College of William and Mary, Briceland now lives in Old Greenwich, Connecticut.
He has since worn many hats, each more fantastic than the last, as soda jerk, a paper flower maker in an amusement park, a pianist for a senior citizens’ show tunes choir, an English teacher, a glass artist, and a novelist.
While he does not blow glass, Briceland is a stained glass window and panel lamp artist and also works with kiln-formed glass, where the heat only gets up to about 1,500 degrees. He says, “The much higher temperatures involved in blowing glass scare me!”
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
June 18, 2011
I have to preface this review by saying that I'm not a huge fan of Young Adult literature, and I don't read a lot of it. I'm a fan of Harry Potter and some others, but recently I just have not been impressed by what the genre is publishing (pointed look to the teen vampire/werewolf/angel/demon/whatever romances).
But I was really impressed with Briceland's "The Buccaneer's Apprentice." The story is written and plotted well, and does not fall into the common trap of talking down to the reader. Infact, this book has a complex conspiracy plot, many nautical terms, and characters that speak in different languages from each other. Instead of being a jumbled mess, all these attributes fit together smoothly to tell a great story.
I have not yet read the first novel of the Cassaforte Chronicals, so I was worried that I would be missing some important plot details. Not so. In fact, from some of the details given in the novel I was able to piece together an understanding of the previous book. The world is richly described and with the help of the map at the front of the book I was never lost. Reader knowledge is always assumed, but there is enough explination (and some minor exposition) to give someone like me a good understanding of events.
The novel follows the adventures of Nic, a recently shipwrecked boy who has been the unfortunate property of many terrible masters. Nic also appears to be cursed, the fate of all his masters being death. Even his current masters, the acting troup led by Armand Arturo, have been captured by pirates to be sold into slavery. Nic is able to kill his pirate attacker and destroy the ship, stranding himself on an island. Thinking he is finally alone and free, Nic enjoys his time as his own master, quickly adapting to life on the island.
But he is not alone on the island, a fact that leads Nic further and further into a dangerous plot involving pirates, nobelmen, and a dying king back in Cassaforte.
What I love the most about "The Buccaneer's Apprentice" is the well-developed characters. Even minor characters, like Michaelo and Renaldo Dattore (two fellow indentures working for a theif known as The Drake who care for Nic enough that Nic takes their last name as his own), who only appear in one chapter and are mentioned in another, are so carefully and lovingly crafted by the author, that the reader can't help but love them. Evil characters, while clearly evil, still have their own unique voices and actions. Every character seems alive in this novel.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in Young Adult, Fantasy, pirate stories, or all of the above. I would also recommend it to adults as well as teens. This book is a bit violent and younger readers may struggle with the wording a bit, but I think the plotline is easily enjoyable for a wide range of readers. And, to give this book a huge compliment: After reading "The Buccaneer's Apprentice," I am very eager to read the rest of the Cassaforte novels. It is clear the Nic's story is simply part of a larger plot that is yet to be revealed.
There is very little I can say that is not stellar about this book, and there is not a single quality I could point to and call "bad." While there were small sections that would clearly have been repeated information to a reader familiar to the series, they were few and far between, and would likely not be easy to notice if you do not have the eye for such things. The actions scenes are well performed by the characters and the dialogue never gets too tied up in itself. I never felt like a chapter or scene had been written simply to fill pages. The pacing stayed progressive and the quotes at the start of each chapter never felt contrived. In fact, I enjoyed reading them as they give hints and clues to what is going on in the world outside of Nic's story.
Overall, I had to give this book five stars because I just enjoyed it so much. I rarely get this excited about any novel, much less a Young Adult novel, but this one was great. The last YA novel I was this happy to read was "Coraline" by Neil Gaiman. The fact that I was able to connect to the characters and care for them is high praise, as I rarely feel emotion for characters. The author is clearly familiar to the sea-story genre as well as the art of acting, and this knowledge shines through in the story. This is a great read by a talented author and I can't wait to read more.
But I was really impressed with Briceland's "The Buccaneer's Apprentice." The story is written and plotted well, and does not fall into the common trap of talking down to the reader. Infact, this book has a complex conspiracy plot, many nautical terms, and characters that speak in different languages from each other. Instead of being a jumbled mess, all these attributes fit together smoothly to tell a great story.
I have not yet read the first novel of the Cassaforte Chronicals, so I was worried that I would be missing some important plot details. Not so. In fact, from some of the details given in the novel I was able to piece together an understanding of the previous book. The world is richly described and with the help of the map at the front of the book I was never lost. Reader knowledge is always assumed, but there is enough explination (and some minor exposition) to give someone like me a good understanding of events.
The novel follows the adventures of Nic, a recently shipwrecked boy who has been the unfortunate property of many terrible masters. Nic also appears to be cursed, the fate of all his masters being death. Even his current masters, the acting troup led by Armand Arturo, have been captured by pirates to be sold into slavery. Nic is able to kill his pirate attacker and destroy the ship, stranding himself on an island. Thinking he is finally alone and free, Nic enjoys his time as his own master, quickly adapting to life on the island.
But he is not alone on the island, a fact that leads Nic further and further into a dangerous plot involving pirates, nobelmen, and a dying king back in Cassaforte.
What I love the most about "The Buccaneer's Apprentice" is the well-developed characters. Even minor characters, like Michaelo and Renaldo Dattore (two fellow indentures working for a theif known as The Drake who care for Nic enough that Nic takes their last name as his own), who only appear in one chapter and are mentioned in another, are so carefully and lovingly crafted by the author, that the reader can't help but love them. Evil characters, while clearly evil, still have their own unique voices and actions. Every character seems alive in this novel.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in Young Adult, Fantasy, pirate stories, or all of the above. I would also recommend it to adults as well as teens. This book is a bit violent and younger readers may struggle with the wording a bit, but I think the plotline is easily enjoyable for a wide range of readers. And, to give this book a huge compliment: After reading "The Buccaneer's Apprentice," I am very eager to read the rest of the Cassaforte novels. It is clear the Nic's story is simply part of a larger plot that is yet to be revealed.
There is very little I can say that is not stellar about this book, and there is not a single quality I could point to and call "bad." While there were small sections that would clearly have been repeated information to a reader familiar to the series, they were few and far between, and would likely not be easy to notice if you do not have the eye for such things. The actions scenes are well performed by the characters and the dialogue never gets too tied up in itself. I never felt like a chapter or scene had been written simply to fill pages. The pacing stayed progressive and the quotes at the start of each chapter never felt contrived. In fact, I enjoyed reading them as they give hints and clues to what is going on in the world outside of Nic's story.
Overall, I had to give this book five stars because I just enjoyed it so much. I rarely get this excited about any novel, much less a Young Adult novel, but this one was great. The last YA novel I was this happy to read was "Coraline" by Neil Gaiman. The fact that I was able to connect to the characters and care for them is high praise, as I rarely feel emotion for characters. The author is clearly familiar to the sea-story genre as well as the art of acting, and this knowledge shines through in the story. This is a great read by a talented author and I can't wait to read more.
February 28, 2011
A fun read with lots of great swashbuckling action. Likable characters, too.
May 14, 2011
Originally posted on The Authoress: Book Review and More.
A fascinating addition to an already well-built world. Like I’ve probably said before way back when, but this guy is worthy of a Tamora Pierce mention—SEVERAL OF THEM! First of all, who can resist pirate stories? (Except me, when I’m in one of my moods.) V. Briceland is awesome about leading people a certain way and then turning around and going, “Hahaha! I seriously had you going for a loop, didn’t I?” And even though Nic can be SUCH A DORK sometimes, I’d totally sail away with him.
Do you love Tamora Pierce books? (If you thought no I suggest you keep your eyes down and back away slowly…) I can’t help but pair Tamora Pierce and V. Briceland together when it comes to their work. Their writing styles differ, sure, but both create this FULL world in which we realize that not EVERYTHING revolves around the central character. So we learn about the other countries that may or may not have anything to do with Nic’s predicament but we still know that they are THERE. Which, unfortunately, not a lot of authors realize. This is a a WORLD. We need to know some pointless stuff so that our subconscious isn’t overloaded with importantimportantimportant stuff.
V. Briceland is a beast. He leads you on and then spins you around and laughs when he says, “Oh what a trick!” Which I HATE (but really respect, so I love it deep down). I’m not saying that there’s tons of situations like this throughout the book, but stuff like this sticks with me, so it had to be mentioned.
The romance wasn’t as big in this one. At least I thought so. In “The Glass Maker’s Daughter,” it was painfully obvious who was going to get with who (whom?) but in this one, I was like…. “Um…they gonna do something or what?” But it’s almost as if the connection is deeper and you don’t get all the nitty gritty details of their love lives because that’s just how good it is.
Let’s talk Nic. I’d totally ask him to the movies (something like Pirates of the Caribbean 4?) He was scarred and alone on an island and trying to figure what the fudgesicle was going on. He was like that border-line bad boy with his sometimes sarcastic remarks and troubled past. I liked his reactions, his thoughts, the way he figured things out.
V. Briceland sets the standard. I want to know what else this guy is planning on doing. A new series? Continuing the Cassaforte Chronicles? WILL THERE BE A NUMBER FOUR!?!?
A fascinating addition to an already well-built world. Like I’ve probably said before way back when, but this guy is worthy of a Tamora Pierce mention—SEVERAL OF THEM! First of all, who can resist pirate stories? (Except me, when I’m in one of my moods.) V. Briceland is awesome about leading people a certain way and then turning around and going, “Hahaha! I seriously had you going for a loop, didn’t I?” And even though Nic can be SUCH A DORK sometimes, I’d totally sail away with him.
Do you love Tamora Pierce books? (If you thought no I suggest you keep your eyes down and back away slowly…) I can’t help but pair Tamora Pierce and V. Briceland together when it comes to their work. Their writing styles differ, sure, but both create this FULL world in which we realize that not EVERYTHING revolves around the central character. So we learn about the other countries that may or may not have anything to do with Nic’s predicament but we still know that they are THERE. Which, unfortunately, not a lot of authors realize. This is a a WORLD. We need to know some pointless stuff so that our subconscious isn’t overloaded with importantimportantimportant stuff.
V. Briceland is a beast. He leads you on and then spins you around and laughs when he says, “Oh what a trick!” Which I HATE (but really respect, so I love it deep down). I’m not saying that there’s tons of situations like this throughout the book, but stuff like this sticks with me, so it had to be mentioned.
The romance wasn’t as big in this one. At least I thought so. In “The Glass Maker’s Daughter,” it was painfully obvious who was going to get with who (whom?) but in this one, I was like…. “Um…they gonna do something or what?” But it’s almost as if the connection is deeper and you don’t get all the nitty gritty details of their love lives because that’s just how good it is.
Let’s talk Nic. I’d totally ask him to the movies (something like Pirates of the Caribbean 4?) He was scarred and alone on an island and trying to figure what the fudgesicle was going on. He was like that border-line bad boy with his sometimes sarcastic remarks and troubled past. I liked his reactions, his thoughts, the way he figured things out.
V. Briceland sets the standard. I want to know what else this guy is planning on doing. A new series? Continuing the Cassaforte Chronicles? WILL THERE BE A NUMBER FOUR!?!?
December 7, 2015
Nic Dattore's curse has struck once again. Born as an unknown orphan, who was immediately indentured, he has known no other life than as a slave/servant, and has no chance of ever working off his indenture, because his masters keep dying in strange and awful ways, leaving him to be sold to another. With his newest master, he finds himself on a ship that is being attacked by pirates, and his actions to free himself set off a chain of events that put his courage to the test, and may just be the key to not only saving himself from his curse, but saving his country as well.
Another book set in the land of Cassaforte, but not truly a sequel to the first in the series, and would be fine as a stand alone book, although I would suggest reading the first one, just so you have more background on the area. I loved the main character, his quick thinking, and his growth as he was able to come out from under the shadow of being a downtrodden servant. I also loved that it was clean, exciting, and well written - something that is often hard to find in the young adult genre.
Another book set in the land of Cassaforte, but not truly a sequel to the first in the series, and would be fine as a stand alone book, although I would suggest reading the first one, just so you have more background on the area. I loved the main character, his quick thinking, and his growth as he was able to come out from under the shadow of being a downtrodden servant. I also loved that it was clean, exciting, and well written - something that is often hard to find in the young adult genre.
March 26, 2010
This fantasy adventure novel, a companion to The Glass-Maker's Daughter, takes place mostly at sea. It's got a great mix of magic, action, romance, heart, and characters you care about. Nic, a lowly servant boy, is beset by a curse that causes all of his masters to meet untimely demises; he's smart and humble, and you care about his fate right away (probably because the book starts with his ship being invaded by pirates). Did I mention this book has pirates? And a cursed ship? And a deserted island? And a theater troupe of crazy actors? And costumes? Seriously, this series is one of those published-only-in-paperback ones that get overlooked, but I love them.
October 27, 2010
I liked this one even more than I did the first book in the Cassaforte series. This one is much more an adventure story than it is a fantasy like The Glass Maker's Daughter, and the characters are really engaging--I especially loved Maxl and the main character, Nic. In some ways it reminded me a bit of Kenneth Oppel's Airborn--the swashbuckling feel of it and the humor and the interactions between Nic and Darcy and the neat way things are tied up in the end. Very fun. I'll definitely be reading the third Cassaforte book as well.
July 30, 2010
Awesome book!
The plot was interesting. And it was easy to get caught up in the story.
Darcy was annoying at first but she soon became somewhat of a comical character for me, especially the "bonking heads" part of her. I liked Maxl a lot, especially his dialogue. The troupe, I found, was just the right touch to add since it brought freshness to the story.
Nic was a true hero. Courageous, just, kind, smart.
The romance in here, I wish was a lot more. You get an inkling in the middle but it isn't till close to end that any romance is evident.
The plot was interesting. And it was easy to get caught up in the story.
Darcy was annoying at first but she soon became somewhat of a comical character for me, especially the "bonking heads" part of her. I liked Maxl a lot, especially his dialogue. The troupe, I found, was just the right touch to add since it brought freshness to the story.
Nic was a true hero. Courageous, just, kind, smart.
The romance in here, I wish was a lot more. You get an inkling in the middle but it isn't till close to end that any romance is evident.
June 3, 2010
swashbuckling good times from briceland, who returns us to the setting of "the glass maker's daughter" (except this time we're mostly on sea!) i enjoyed the suspenseful adventure as niccolo dattore goes from lowly indentured servant to heroic ship's captain, but would have liked to see more from darcy, the feisty beautiful love interest. c'mon vance, heat it up with these two! still, highly recommended for all pirate-lovers, and this is one i would definitely pick up and read again.
July 15, 2012
The second in the series of Cassaforte Chronicles. This involves a teen boy who is born a slave in Cassaforte but finds himself to be much more than he imagined in the end. Like the first in the series there is the goofy love story, a lot of bickering between the hero and their future love. I have to say the other characters in the story were delightful, I especially fell for Maxl, a poor pirate that ends up to be a valuable ally to the hero.
June 8, 2011
So well done. I love Niccolo and his fabulous crew of unique characters, as well as the fascinating and well-built world they inhabit. Also, I love that this one features a boy instead of a girl. That seems like a very good way to keep the series real and interesting, as well as to appeal to a larger audience. Now I just need to get my hands on the 3rd book!
March 27, 2011
It's actually 3.5
It started out very slow, until about halfway where i was ready to put it down for good. But I continued on and am glad I did, because it became much more exciting and had a great climax.
It started out very slow, until about halfway where i was ready to put it down for good. But I continued on and am glad I did, because it became much more exciting and had a great climax.
May 9, 2013
I don't know what it is with this series, but it is utterly enchanting. There's pirates and fights at sea. A little romance and a curse. While some of the writing gets bogged down at times, there really is just too much to adore about this book.
September 5, 2010
okay, well i preferred the first one.
risa seems more open somehow..
and i did NOT expect the time gap to be so close.
the storyline is kinda.. expected.
but it is still awesome.
risa seems more open somehow..
and i did NOT expect the time gap to be so close.
the storyline is kinda.. expected.
but it is still awesome.
February 10, 2011
I enjoyed the characters, but I liked the first book in this series better. I'm excited to read the next one.
October 5, 2011
Great book. My favorite part of the book was Nic's encounter on Maarten's Folly/Allyria. Glass-Maker's Daughter is still my favorite book in the series so far. Looking forward to book three.
February 9, 2013
rating: 3.5
April 9, 2012
My least favorite of the books in the trilogy. Seemed only marginally related to the two others. It just wasn't as entrancing to me.
June 24, 2012
Still loving the Cassaforte Chronicles....
November 9, 2012
same world as the glass-maker's daughter,l but mostly different characters. i enjoyed the addition of theatre people and pirates
August 25, 2014
It was rough starting, but it picked up later. This series has a fun theme that is easy to read and enjoy.
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December 27, 2015I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
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December 1, 2015
Fun action adventure read.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews