Cutlass (Cutlass)

by Ashley Nixon

[Angie]

Cutlass is a fun adventure with pirates, elves, and pirate elves! Barren may only be eighteen, but he's a feared pirate with a loyal crew. He stalks the shores of Marianna, attacking any ship that comes his way, hoping that one day it'll be his brother so he can exact his revenge! Barren is sick of waiting though, so he kidnaps his brother's fiancee to lure him out to sea! Unfortunately, that doesn't really work, and Larkin isn't some helpless damsel, and is likely more trouble than she's worth.

In addition to the revenge plot, Cutlass also has a lost magic plot. Barren is asked to track down this bloodstone which is very powerful dark magic that makes the holder invincible. This sounded totally fun and exciting, but I was a bit annoyed with it at times. Barren agrees to bring this evil object back way too easily. When a person (especially one in a position of power already) asks you to bring them hidden dark magic, be suspicious! This cannot end well! Barren doesn't even bat an eye, although I suppose if he was more difficult about it, there wouldn't have been any twists and betrayals on that front. I was still annoyed though, because I was highly suspicious! It's so obvious!

Cutlass was still a fun and engaging read though. I loved that pirates weren't the bad guys. Sure, they kill people occasionally, but they live by a code. This code is honored and is honorable. And Barren is fighting for the greater good and doesn't relish killing those who get in his way. I also loved that once he got to know Larkin, he didn't treat her like some girl who needed his protection. He was aware of her ass-kicking abilities, and didn't talk down to her. Of course, there was this sense of protectiveness, because he likes her, but that's okay! Kissing! He treated her like an equal, but she'd probably kick his ass if he didn't.

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.