Blackhearts

by Nicole Castroman

[shannonmiz]

This review was originally posted on It Starts at Midnight
I have seen a few reviewers saying that this was different than they'd expected, and I totally agree. But for me, it was better. Here's what I thought the story was going to be:

And I was wary. Because I am not really a pirate story kind of girl. But since I really don't read synopses in detail 99% of the time, the actual plot escaped me until I read the book. Plus side to not ever reading what a book is fully about? Happy surprises!

Anyway, this is a story about Anne and Teach. Not just Anne and Teach and their relationship with each other, it's a story about them as individuals, and the struggles they're both going through. Basically, they are both perceived certain ways by those around them, and as is the case most of the time, they are far more than the stereotyped perceptions seem. I loved that though their backgrounds were incredibly different, they were ultimately searching for the same thing: the freedom to be who they wanted to be beyond the expectations and pressures from others.

But don't worry, it is also about Anne and Teach's relationship. The tension is palpable, and I loved it. I loved the diversity of Anne's background, especially considering the time period. I loved even more that it didn't ever bother Teach in the least, even when they barely knew each other. While everyone else was being judgy, he was not.

It's a very character driven story, so if you wanted tons of blood and swords, that isn't happening. But I found the characters to be fabulous and well fleshed out, so it worked great for me.

I had only two gripes. One was minor, and one was kind of big. The first one is a secondary plot point that I don't really think needed to be as involved as it was. Every time it was mentioned, it felt like it was butting in to remind me that we'd be seeing more about it later. It wasn't really a huge deal though, just a minor annoyance. The bigger deal for me is this: I have no idea if there is potentially going to be a sequel, or if the abruptness of how it ends is just how it ends. I don't usually talk endings, but this was the kind of situation that had me checking my Kindle to see if I missed something.

Bottom Line: Blackhearts was a refreshing surprise. Very character driven with very strong female and male main characters really set this apart for me.