Search This Blog
2025 Bookish Books Reading Challenge (hosted by Yours Truly)
2025 Cover Lovers Reading Challenge (hosted by Yours Truly)
2025 Literary Escapes Challenge
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California (1)
- Colorado (3)
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida (1)
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa (2)
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine (1)
- Maryland
- Massachusetts (1)
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York (2)
- North Carolina (1)
- North Dakota
- Ohio (1)
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island (1)
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont (2)
- Virginia (1)
- Washington (1)
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin (1)
- Wyoming
- Washington, D.C.* (1)
International:
- Australia (1)
- England (3)
- France (1)
- Puerto Rico (1)
- Scotland (1)
2025 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge
2025 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge
Booklist Queen's 2025 Reading Challenge
2025 52 Club Reading Challenge
2025 Build Your Library Reading Challenge
2025 Craving for Cozies Reading Challenge
2025 Medical Examiner Mystery Reading Challenge
2025 Mystery Marathon Reading Challenge
2025 Mount TBR Reading Challenge
2025 Pick Your Poison Reading Challenge
2025 Around the Year in 52 Books Reading Challenge
The 100 Most Common Last Names in the U.S. Reading Challenge
The Life Skills Reading Challenge
Monday, September 18, 2017
Second YA Blackbeard Adventure a Wild, Nail-Biter of a Boat Ride
8:47 AM
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
Note: Although this review will not contain spoilers for Blacksouls, it may inadvertently reveal plot surprises from its predecessor, Blackhearts. As always, I recommend reading books in a series in order.
Although it tells the imagined origin story of one of the most famous pirates of all time, Nicole Castroman's Blackhearts trilogy actually begins with very little swashbuckling. For those of you who found the first installment a little lacking in yo-ho-ho, don't despair! Blacksouls, the second book, will cheer your inner Jack Sparrow right up. Packed with high-seas action, it will keep you riveted in a way that maybe Blackhearts didn't. I found the first novel engrossing, but Blacksouls definitely edges out its predecessor in terms of tension, adventure, and excitement.
When Blacksouls begins, both Edward "Teach" Drummond and Anne Barrett are making their way across the sea to Nassau, where they hope to reunite. While a romance between the son of a wealthy British merchant and the bi-racial daughter of a black slave has little chance of thriving in rigid English society, perhaps it might flourish in the Bahamas. But first, the couple has to find each other.
Teach is happy to be first mate of the Deliverance until a disagreement with the captain causes him to question whether his superior really has the crew's best interest in mind. There's only one way to keep himself and his mates safe from attacking Spanish ships—mutiny. Teach doesn't want to risk his neck only to find himself hanging by it back in England, but there's no other solution. Will he survive long enough to reach his love in Nassau?
Although Anne has arrived in Nassau mostly unscathed, it quickly becomes apparent that safety is a relative term. On an island already teeming with discord and danger, stirring up trouble is a very, very bad idea. Especially when the man in charge might be the most treacherous of them all. All Anne wants is a long, peaceful reunion with Teach, a dream which grows more unlikely every day ...
Chock-full of tense action, Blacksouls is engaging from the get-go. The intensity never lets up, guaranteeing a wild, nail-biter of a boat ride. The novel is a page turner that demands to be read in one sitting—you won't be able to put it down anyway. It's not a super original pirate story, but who cares? Blacksouls is fun, exciting, and peopled with lovable characters brimming with bravery, loyalty, and determination. I, for one, have thoroughly enjoyed this series. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing how Castroman wraps up the story in the final installment.
(Readalikes: Blackhearts by Nicole Castroman)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for language (no F-bombs), violence, blood/gore, and sexual innuendo
To the FTC, with love: I bought a copy of Blacksouls from Amazon with a portion of the millions I make from my lucrative career as a book blogger. Ha ha.
3 comments:
Comments make me feel special, so go crazy! Just keep it clean and civil. Feel free to speak your mind (I always do), but be aware that I will delete any offensive comments.
P.S.: Don't panic if your comment doesn't show up right away. I have to approve each one before it posts to prevent spam. It's annoying, but it works!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments
(Atom)
Reading
Finlay Donovan Is Killing It by Elle Cosimano
Listening
If Walls Could Talk by Juliet Blackwell
Followin' with Bloglovin'
Followin' with Feedly
-
Haiku Reviews...38 minutes ago
-
-
The Sirens By Emilia Hart2 hours ago
-
After Oz by Gordon McAlpine3 hours ago
-
-
-
-
Week in Review #811 hours ago
-
-
-
-
Noir by Christopher Moore: Book Review19 hours ago
-
TBR Pile Reading Challenge 202521 hours ago
-
-
-
-
End of August by Paige Dinneny1 day ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
A Review of Priye2 days ago
-
It’s Only Drowning2 days ago
-
-
-
-
-
Sunday Post #5612 weeks ago
-
January 2025 Reading Wrap Up2 weeks ago
-
-
-
-
-
I'm Still Reading - This Was My October3 months ago
-
Review: The Duke and I6 months ago
-
Girl Plus Books: On Hiatus6 months ago
-
-
-
What Happened to Summer?1 year ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
Are you looking for Pretty Books?2 years ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
Grab my Button!
Blog Design by:
Blog Archive
- ► 2021 (159)
- ► 2020 (205)
- ► 2019 (197)
- ► 2018 (223)
- ▼ 2017 (157)
- ► 2016 (157)
- ► 2015 (188)
- ► 2014 (133)
- ► 2013 (183)
- ► 2012 (193)
- ► 2011 (232)
- ► 2010 (257)
- ► 2009 (211)
- ► 2008 (192)
2025 Goodreads Reading Challenge
2024 - Elementary/Middle Grade Nonfiction
2023 - Middle Grade Fiction
2022 - Middle Grade Fiction
2021 - Middle Grade Fiction
2020 - Middle Grade Fiction
This is one that I want to read. I'm glad to hear you liked it. :)
ReplyDeleteI love a good pirate yarn. This one sounds like fun! :)
ReplyDeleteI didn't even know these existed. Did I miss your review of the first? Sigh!
ReplyDelete