Book Review: Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller

Pages: 320

Genre: YA Fantasy

Pub. Date: February 28, 2017

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Source: Publisher for review

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Goodreads says, "A 17-year-old pirate captain intentionally allows herself to get captured by enemy pirates in this thrilling YA adventure.  If you want something done right . . .  When the ruthless pirate king learns of a legendary treasure map hidden on an enemy ship, his daughter, Alosa, knows there's only one pirate for the job—herself. Leaving behind her beloved ship and crew, Alosa deliberately facilitates her own kidnapping to ensure her passage on the ship, confident in her ability to overcome any obstacle. After all, who's going to suspect a seventeen-year-old girl locked in a cell? Then she meets the (surprisingly perceptive and unfairly attractive) first mate, Riden, who is charged with finding out all her secrets. Now it's down to a battle of wits and will . . . . Can Alosa find the map and escape before Riden figures out her plan?  Debut author Tricia Levenseller blends action, adventure, romance, and a little bit of magic into a thrilling YA pirate tale."

Alosa is a pirate princess and a force to be reckoned with.  She is not only the captain of her very own crew, but her father is a legendary pirate king.  He has part of a treasure map, but obviously needs the other part of it to obtain the treasure.  The only problem is that a rival pirate, Captain Draxen, has the other part of the map.  So, in order to get said map, Alosa has volunteered to retrieve it through a sneaky plan in which she allows herself to be kidnapped by the rival crew and then once aboard their ship, she will attempt to get the map. Meanwhile Captain Draxen thinks he has captured the daughter of the notorious pirate king and will hopefully get a ransom making it all worth it.  But things aren't easy for Alosa once aboard the rival pirate's ship. Draxen's brother, Riden, is charged with keeping a very close eye on her and finding the map isn't going to be as easy as she thought.  While Alosa is just as tough, if not tougher, than some of the male pirates, she also has a secret hidden up her sleeve that will help her obtain the map if all else fails.  Tricia Levenseller's novel, Daughter of the Pirate King, is a swashbuckling good time. If you like adventure, strong heroines, and of course pirates, you must check out this YA debut.

Alosa is such a fun heroine in Daughter of the Pirate King. I knew instantly that I would enjoy her. She's tough, determined, full of secrets, and despite being a female pirate in what is traditionally a male world, she is a formidable opponent.  It's not just the fact that her father is the pirate king; Alosa can truly hold her own.

Alosa meets her match in Riden in Daughter of the Pirate King.  The slow burn between the two is a delight and a relationship I thoroughly enjoyed.  Their antics definitely kept me on my toes. Who doesn't love an unlikely romance?

Pirates! I can't tell you how much I love pirates, so I was thrilled to read a YA pirate adventure that is engaging and fun.  I love Black Sails and I was so happy that this book had a similar vibe. In fact, Alosa reminded me a bit of the tough Anne Bonny (also a real-life pirate!) from the show.

There's sword fights, adventure, secrets, treasure, a romance, plot twists and so much more in Daughter of the Pirate King.  If this is your kind of thing, definitely check out this debut. It made me want to binge-watch Black Sails and Pirates of the Caribbean all weekend and if you know me, that's a good thing!