Daughter of the Pirate King (Daughter of the Pirate King, #1)

by Tricia Levenseller

In Daughter of the Pirate King, debut author Tricia Levenseller blends action, adventure, romance, and a little bit of magic into a thrilling YA pirate tale.

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.

• ISBN10: 1250891906
• ISBN13: 9781250891907
• Publish Date: 27 June 2023 (first published 28 February 2017)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: St Martin's Press
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 336
• Language: English
• URL: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250891907
• Special: Sprayed Edges

Reviews

[liz089]

Re-read 2020.
Before reading the second novel it seemed best to re-read this one first, since I barely remember anything from it XD Was a lot of fun to be reading this again, it is a quick and entertaining read, with a very likable MC. Onto the next one now !

Read 2017.
Ohh I had so much fun reading this one !! It has been on my list for a while and finally I picked it up ! Wish I had done it sooner, because it was a great read ! Full of adventure and stabbing ^^ Realy liked the MC and her character :) Girl power !! 4 stars !!

[Vicki]

3.5 stars

[ladygrey]

Fun and witty quick read. A bit heavy on exposition and a bit repetitive (like you don’t have to say, “back on my ship - the Ava-lee” when you’ve told us the name of your ship a couple of times before.)

But Riden and Alosa’s banter makes up for a lot. Riden, especially, is an interesting character even if he’s not as complicated or confusing as Alosa makes him out to be. Alosa is interesting in her ferocity and layered in her pirate ways. They actually do a fairly impressive job of carrying pretty much the whole book.

[melanchalina]

Триша Левенселлер "Дочь короля пиратов"

8 из 10

Жанр: YA, фэнтези
POV: от первого лица, женский
Геометрия чувств: прямая
Отличительные черты: мрачные и темные оттенки, пираты, неоднозначные герои

РЕЦЕНЗИЯ:


Вот, как оно бывает - открыла лишь, чтобы прочитать первые страницы, оценить язык и стиль повествования, а в итоге очнулась лишь, когда перевернула последнюю страницу.



История в романе развивается не слишком быстро и динамично, но при этом невероятно увлекательно, каждое событие и сцена в книге к месту и ограниченно.

«Дочь короля пиратов» - это забавное пиратское приключение, наполненное хитросплетениями, отличным юмором и цепляющей романтикой, но при этом книга не лишена мрачных и даже жестких сцен, без которых не может обойтись настоящая пиратская история.



«Дочь короля пиратов» - это прямо таки подростковая версия «Пиратов Карибского моря». И хотя все сюжетные повороты были довольно предсказуемы, это не уменьшает того факта, что книга была действительно интересной и цепляющей. Язык автора очень легкий и остроумный, отношения любовь-ненависть между Алосой и Риданом тоже прекрасно вписались в сюжет.



Мой низкий поклон госпоже Трише Левенселлер за шикарную, нетипичную YA героиню. Алоса хитрая, остроумная, безжалостная, но не лишенная сострадания. Она красива и знает это, она способна использовать все свои возможности и силы ради достижения цели. Мне нравится, что как дочь известного и жестокого Короля Пиратов она получила подобающее воспитание, вот люблю я такое. Люблю, когда авторы показывают, что герой не просто супер-пупер крутой, но и показывает обоснованные причины и историю этой силы. Алоса не лишена жестокости, она способна убивать, переступать через препятствия и идти вперед.

Риден – главный мужской персонаж, тоже очень и очень хорош. Он умный, храбрый, остроумный, противоречив и скрывает своих демонов. Мне понравилась его преданность брату и сомнения насчет своей жизни пиратом.



Мифология книги тоже интересная, хотя мне и не хватило магии и я хотела увидеть больше сирен. БОЛЬШЕ, ЕЩЕ БОЛЬШЕ. Очень надеюсь, что автор удовлетворит это мое желание во второй части.

Так что да, я советую эту книгу всем тем, кто любит приключения, пиратов и остроумные истории с темными, мрачными оттенками и неоднозначных героев.

[KitsuneBae]

3.5 stars

[leahrosereads]

I had so much fun reading DAUGHTER OF THE PIRATE KING.  That's the best way to describe my experience in a nutshell.


The writing was pretty typical for a YA novel, but the plot and setting is one I don't see too often in YA, which is weird.  I think pirates lend themselves incredibly well to this genre.  The bloodshed, the intrigue, the adventure... seriously, this is YA gold.  More authors should look into it.


I really liked most of the characters introduced.  Alosa was almost a Mary Sue - she was just a little too good at everything.  However, it all had purpose.  When you hear the backstory you get interweaved with the main plot, it's easy to see why she's so good at everything.  She had to be.


Riden was everything.  And I hope he continues to be.


Draxen was terrible.  And I hope he continues to be as well.  I don't need nor want any stinking love triangles.


I wish we saw more of Alosa’s crew, but I'm hoping we'll see them in the second book.  I really want to see how Alosa really is when she's in charge.


The other pirates were neat and interesting, but I can take em or leave em at this moment.  I pretty much only care about Alosa's adventures.



Finally, there's an element in this story that I have never read before.  I know this element exists in other books, I just wasn't privy to it before this book.  It made DAUGHTER OF THE PIRATE KING that much more interesting to me.  I'm really looking forward to the second book and am so happy I waited so long to read this.  



Now, I'll be able to get book 2 really really soon.

[nitzan_schwarz]

To read this review and more check out my blog Afterwords!

DAUGHTER OF THE PIRATE KING is a really fun ride that had a lot of things I really like, and a few I really didn't.

First of all, I really enjoyed our spunky heroine Alosa. A fierce, brutal pirate with a heart, she's sarcastic, violent, petty and a whole lot of fun. Her abilities are rivaled by her pride only, her red hair matching perfectly with her feisty persona.

You will watch her kill men without a blink of an eye, but you will also watch her worry for her friends and struggle with her growing attachment to one of her handsome captures, Riden.

Riden is smart, keen-eyed and strong. Out of all the pirates in this book, he fits that title the least. Most of all because he's got a heart, and he doesn't like seeing people hurt, yet he is forced into that position due to his unwavering loyalty to his brother. On occasion, he can be a smug SOB. Which, not gonna lie, I really loved.

And this two banter. A lot. They clash wits and words and verbally fight for the upper hand, with most battles ending in a draw. And as far as YA couples go, these two are definitely hot together. There are some scenes in this one that may make you want to fan yourself a little bit! Be that as it may be... this is kind of slow burn. I may have said "YA couples" but these two aren't that... yet. I'm fully trusting Levenseller to set sail to my ship unquestionably in the follow-up, which I will be reading this March!

Another character I am hoping to see more fleshed out in the sequel is actually Draxen. Those of us who pre-ordered DAUGHTER OF THE SIREN QUEEN got a special bonus chapter from Riden's POV, and I loved the humanity we got to see in this character in that one, on top of the obvious love he has for his brother in DAUGHTER OF THE PIRATE KING. So.... what would win - that love or the darkness? Here's to hoping we get to find out!

Now, the things that I didn't quite enjoy about this one...

First of all, directly from the synopsis: "Sent on a mission to retrieve an ancient hidden map--the key to a legendary treasure trove". Yeah, don't expect much of that. I mean, yeah, that's the setup. But there is very little actual searching or information about this treasure trove. I kind of wanted to experience a lot more of it with Alosa, as opposed to being mostly told about it. Like, this would have been so helpful to show us how capable she is, as well as illustrating her mounting panic and desperation as she fails to find it.

Then, there were moments where the book intentionally dumbed Alosa down in order to keep tension, or simply to have a plot for the next book. And... I am not a big fan of that. At all. Ever.

*Warning: the spoilers' a major rant so read only if you like those (I know I do lol)*

For example, the book expects me to believe Alosa didn't figure out Theris was actually Vordan once on that island. When I, a mere reader who has never experienced a Pirate's life called it from a mile away. And I'm not talking about reading hints in the story. I'm talking about good old-fashioned logic.

She is the daughter of the pirate king. She has lived all her life under his thumb. She knows he would never defer to a simple spy--so why does she think "Vordan", a pirate lord like her father, would? Why doesn't it raise her suspicions? Then, there are moments when she discusses with herself the strangeness of things; how "Vordan" didn't want to experience her abilities for himself for some reason. That, coupled with the earlier point, should have definitely tipped her off. But it didn't. THEN one of his men actually slips up and starts to call him "captain". AND SHE STILL DOESN'T REALIZE THE TRUTH.

That made my blood boil. ALOSA, freakin' daughter of the pirate king, would know when someone is talking to their captain. She would read all of the signs. She would see the way they listen to everything Theris says carefully, never dismissing him. She would fucking figure it out.

But she doesn't, because the reveal is not half as shocking otherwise (even though it's so obvious there is no reveal...), or something of that sorts. So instead, she is just dumb. Great.

Now, if that's not enough to get your blood boiling, there is one thing that Alosa is made to do by the author in that sequence that made me furious. Seeing red, blowing steam, sheeting mad. It was so upsetting because it was so out of character. Because it threw out everything that is smart and logical and in line with who Alosa was up to that point. All because the author put herself it a pinch and had to solve it for the next book to exist.

It wasn't a result of our plot, but a direct response to what the plot of the next book needed to be. I FUCKING HATED THAT.

And it wasn't even well done. It was just so incredibly sloppy and dumb and I am still getting upset just thinking about it.

So let me paint you a picture:

Alosa has just been freed from her cage with the help of Riden and goes after her captures, full Siren on. She tells herself how she doesn't feel remorse for their inability to protect themselves because that's what they would have done to her and Riden. Then... she stops, with Theris--AKA Vordan--and his two men still alive. She stops so she can go search the body of a freaking dead man. A dead man who would still be lying there after she has killed the other three. For God's sake, he is not going to go anywhere! With the other three dead, there will be no one alerted to her and Riden's escape. She will literally have all the time in the world to search "Vordan", and take Riden to safety.

No, she stops for one reason only. She stops because she can't just kill Theris in book one because there will be no sequel and the story is not half done. She stops for plot reasons. Badly set up plot reasons. That PISSED ME OFF SO BAD.

And, again, Alosa, fucking daughter of the pirate king, would not make this type of mistake.

I hate that. I hate when authors decide to overlook logic and character personalities in order to set up the sequel. There are so many other, better ways Levenseller could have handled that. A million and a half reasons for Alosa to stop, or for that character not to be there in that moment.

But no.

That one moment was enough to knock at least half a star from this novel. And I hate when that happens to me with good books.


Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram |
___________________________________


Original thoughts

3.5 stars

This was a fun book with a lot of things I liked and a few I really didn't.

Among the things I liked were Alosa and Riden. She's feisty and hot-headed, extremely proud and capable. She can kill men without a blink, without a care. Riden is smart, keen-eyed and strong. On occasions, he can be a little smug. And they banter. A lot. The clash wits and words and verbally fight for dominance. It's extremely fun to ship. Also; they're hot together. Hey, not gonna lie.

I'm looking forward to seeing more of them in book two!

I'm also hoping to see more of Draxen; I enjoyed the humanity we saw in him in the special Riden chapter (received as part of the pre-order initiative) and it's obvious he loves his brother. So; what would win - that love or the darkness?

What I didn't like; "Sent on a mission to retrieve an ancient hidden map—the key to a legendary treasure trove," says the synopsis. Except... there's remarkably very little of it. I kind of wanted to experience more of it with Alosa, not just be told, or see events as they relay to Alosa's other nature.

Then, sometimes, the book made her intentionally stupid. It wasn't completely out of character since she has done some stupid things before, but it was a little jarring because you're going to tell me Alosa seriously didn't notice Theris is actually Vordan? When I, mare reader who has never experienced the Pirate Life knew from miles away? Would a real pirate lord defer to a simple spy?? Would her father ever do such a thing?? Is that not a complete red flag? And she has discussed with herself how it was curious "Vordan" didn't want to experience her abilities for himself. Except he did! Oh, and what about that obvious slip-up??? Making Alosa think the "c" slip up was anything other than Captain made my blood boil because it's dumbing her down just for the reveal. Alosa would know. She would recognize the way people listen to Theris. She would listen to every word carefully, not just dismissively. She would figure it out

But then, there was that ONE thing Alosa did that made me furious. It made me furious because it was against her character. It was against what is logical and smart to do. It was the direct cause of what the plot needed to be for book two. Levenseller couldn't let Alosa do what she was about to, so she gave a half-assed, moronic excuse why she didn't do it. It was so... sloppy. I'm talking of course about Alosa's decision not to kill Theris and the two others when she had them. She's going to--she's talking about how she doesn't feel remorse that they can't protect themselves. And then... she stops. To search a dead man's body. A dead man who would still be lying down there if she took a second to kill the other three. HE'S FUCKING DEAD. He isn't going anywhere. So for god's sake, you expect me to buy that idiotic "I need to search him"? No. Just say "I can't kill Theris 'cause he's actually Vordan and plot reasons", why don't you? THAT PISSED ME OFF SO BAD!

Proper review sometime

[Empress of Sass]

I don't know why I took so long to start reading this book after receiving it in my March Owlcrate. i adored every second of this book. Alosa is a strong, capable hero, without being too perfect. She makes mistakes, has flaws, and that makes her seem much more relatable and likeable. The supporting cast of Pirates is great, especially First Mate Riden- he's my newest book crush. The plot moved along at a good pace, there were interesting twists and turns (even if I saw them coming long before they were confirmed) and I absolutely cannot wait for the sequel. I'd definitely recommend giving this book a read.

[layawaydragon]

Trigger Warning: Torture, Abusive Parent 
-->I made it to Chapter 20 and quit two days ago and I don’t want go back. The same things keep happening over and over and over. It’s the climax, a major twist just happened and all I can think of is “get on with it already!!!!” 
-->The whole “search the ship” sh!t could and should’ve been cut shorter, IMO to help solve this dragging on nonsense and really, do we need 12 scenes of her being superior and running away? No thank you. 
-->Outed a gay pirate. Not cool. 
-->Knocked people out and stripped them.
-->The only other note I have, besides the quote I shared on Tuesday, is in Chpt. 11 when they kiss again and “his lips taste even better than I expected.” But they’ve made out before so ???? What were you expecting, tasting his brother's asshole?
-->All I can think is how typical it all is and how I don’t care. 

[Briana @ Pages Unbound]

Daughter of the Pirate King is a rollicking adventures that brings readers across the high seas with headstrong protagonist Alosa—the pirate princess herself. Alosa is clever, strong, and highly trained, the perfect pirate to take on the task of searching an enemy ship for a piece of a treasure map that will make her father wealthier and more renowned than anyone ever before.

I went into Daughter of the Pirate King expecting danger, mayhem, and a bit of banter, and I was not disappointed. I don’t know that I would call Alosa a “lady Jack Sparrow,” as Anna Banks does in a blurb featured on the cover, but she is great fun to watch. She has a plan for everything and a backup plan for her plans, combining smarts with admirable physical skills.

However, there is a much stronger focus on the romance than I was anticipating when I first picked dup the book. That there is a love interest is no surprise (This is YA, and it’s hard to find a novel without a love interest.) However, the romance takes up a very significant percentage of the book, and readers should be prepared for that. I wasn’t 100% invested in the relationship myself, but I think it works, and author Tricia Levenseller makes it clear why these two characters are right for each other.

The plot, otherwise, is fairly tight knit. The stated goal is for Alosa to find a hidden bit of treasure map, and the plot mostly stays in that sphere. That means a lot of the action takes place on just one ship, with Alosa poking about to find its secrets, but she does venture off board just enough to keep readers from feeling claustrophobic.

This book is fun, a bit different from what I normally read, and it hits more of the right “pirate” notes than Blackhearts did for me.