Daughter of the Pirate King - Tricia Levenseller

We hope you enjoy Mindy's review.  You can also read Ashley's review of the same book here.

Summary:  There will be plenty of time for me to beat him soundly once I've gotten what I came for.

Sent on a mission to retrieve an ancient hidden map -- the key to a legendary treasure trove --seventeen-year-old pirate captain Alosa deliberately allows herself to be captured by her enemies, giving her the perfect opportunity to search their ship.

More than a match for the ruthless pirate crew, Alosa has only one thing standing between her and the map: her captor, the unexpectedly clever and unfairly attractive first mate Riden.  But not to worry, for Alosa has a few tricks up her sleeve, and no lone pirate can stop the Daughter of the Pirate King.  (Summary from book - Image from amazon.com)

My Review:  A bookish friend of mine raved about this book (and its sequel) on Facebook, and so I clicked the good ole' request button at the library without further ado.  What can I say?  I live dangerously.  It's actually probably a good thing that I didn't see the book before I picked it up at the library, because, at first glance, this book isn't that impressive.  It was published by an offshoot of the Macmillan group, but, to be quite frank, the cover looks a little self-published -- very I-just-learned-how-to-use-Photoshop-Elements, if you will.  Still, it came highly recommended and so I gave it a go.

Daughter of the Pirate King is what it is -- a lighthearted, piratical adventure on the high seas.  It's not particularly complex and almost entirely dialogue driven, but has plenty of the sort of swashbuckling action you'd expect in a book about pirates and some steamy tension between two of the main characters. Though I don't really like her name, Alosa is a strong female lead in every sense of the word.  She kicks butt, cracks heads, slits a few throats, and doesn't let people push her around (unless it serves a purpose).  She's also sassy and smart, which makes for some interesting repartee with her would-be captors, and one pirate in particular.  Alosa knows what she wants, and has no problem knocking a man out and strip searching him, if necessary.  Her otherworldly knack for getting men to do exactly what she wants, comes into play the further you get into the book, with interesting results.

As this kind of book goes, I don't mind that it was an easy read, and I enjoyed the story, but I did feel that by focusing almost entirely on dialogue, the author missed the opportunity to set the stage.  I wanted to hear about the boat, the ocean, the salt air, the islands, the disgusting food, etc.  Done well, a little description here and there would have dramatically enhanced the story without detracting from the action or characters.  Just my two cents.  Honestly, the romance was tame for a more modern YA romance, but it was still a little more than I wanted to hand my 14-year-old daughter.  You'll have to read it and be the judge for yourself. 

Other than that, I don't have much critical feedback to give.  I normally take notes when I read a book, in case a thought pops up that I'd like to share with you, but I read this one on Mother's Day and just wanted to relax and read something fun without worrying about much else.  Daughter of the Pirate King pretty much fit the bill.  I probably won't read it again, but I will most likely read the sequel, Daughter of the Siren Queen, a title which (if you're paying attention) gives you a little extra insight into this book.

My Rating:  3.5 Stars

For the sensitive reader: Some swearing, some nearly-sexual situations (mild and not particularly descriptive), and plenty of violence.  Because, hello?  Pirates.  Oh, and one particular pirate, who features very little, fancies men.