Real-Time Reactions: 3 Pirate Fantasy Books – Summer Adventure Vibes

Real-Time Reactions: 3 Pirate Fantasy Books | Summer Adventure Vibes

Summer is the perfect season to set sail on a few magical pirate adventures filled with mermaids, sea monsters, pirate ships, glittering treasure, and maybe even a touch of romance.

Welcome, book friends!

To listen to my real-time reaction to these books, you can check out the full episodes on The Bookmarks ‘n Blankets Podcast on your favorite podcast platform or listen below.

I’d love to know your thoughts on any of these books if you’ve read them. I invite you to hop over to X (aka Twitter), Facebook, or Instagram, where you can comment.

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Arg, matey! Ready to go on a swashbucklin good time?! 

In this Real-Time Reaction episode, I’m diving into not one, not two, but three pirate fantasy books and reacting to them as I read. From cursed treasure maps to stormy betrayals on the open sea, you’ll hear my thoughts and feelings in real time as the stories unfold. 

Summer is the perfect time to set sail on wild high seas adventures, and these swashbuckling tales are just the escape we all need. So grab your iced tea (or Long Island tea or rum & Coke), find a sunny spot, and get ready to join me for magic, mayhem, and maybe a sea monster or two.

My Reaction to 3 Pirate Fantasy Books

1

The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi

by Shannon ChakrabortyGoodReads Nominee for Favorite Fantasy 2023
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Genre:
Subgenre:
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Narration:
Series:#1 in Amina al-Sirafi Series
GoodReads:4.25
My Score:
Spice:N/A

Book Summary

Amina al-Sirafi should be content. After a storied and scandalous career as one of the Indian Ocean’s most notorious pirates, she’s survived backstabbing rogues, vengeful merchant princes, several husbands, and one actual demon to retire peacefully with her family to a life of piety, motherhood, and absolutely nothing that hints of the supernatural.

But when she’s tracked down by the obscenely wealthy mother of a former crewman, she’s offered a job no bandit could refuse: retrieve her comrade’s kidnapped daughter for a kingly sum. The chance to have one last adventure with her crew, do right by an old friend, and win a fortune that will secure her family’s future forever? It seems like such an obvious choice that it must be God’s will.

Yet the deeper Amina dives, the more it becomes alarmingly clear there’s more to this job, and the girl’s disappearance, than she was led to believe. For there’s always risk in wanting to become a legend, to seize one last chance at glory, to savor just a bit more power…and the price might be your very soul.

2
Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller

Daughter of the Pirate King

by Tricia Levenseller
Published:
Genre:
Subgenre:
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Narration:
Series:#1 in Daughter of the Pirate King Series
GoodReads:3.94
My Score:
Spice:N/A

Book Summary

here 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 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.

3

All the Stars and Teeth

by Adalyn GraceGoodReads Nominee for Favorite YA Fantasy & Sci-Fi 2020
Published:
Genre:
Subgenre:
Format:
Narration:
Series:#1 in All the Stars and Teeth Series
GoodReads:3.65
My Score:
Spice:N/A

Book Summary

Set in a kingdom where danger lurks beneath the sea, mermaids seek vengeance with song, and magic is a choice.

She will reign.

As princess of the island kingdom Visidia, Amora Montara has spent her entire life training to be High Animancer — the master of souls. The rest of the realm can choose their magic, but for Amora, it’s never been a choice. To secure her place as heir to the throne, she must prove her mastery of the monarchy’s dangerous soul magic.

When her demonstration goes awry, Amora is forced to flee. She strikes a deal with Bastian, a mysterious pirate: he’ll help her prove she’s fit to rule, if she’ll help him reclaim his stolen magic.

But sailing the kingdom holds more wonder — and more peril — than Amora anticipated. A destructive new magic is on the rise, and if Amora is to conquer it, she’ll need to face legendary monsters, cross paths with vengeful mermaids, and deal with a stowaway she never expected… or risk the fate of Visidia and lose the crown forever.

I am the right choice. The only choice. And I will protect my kingdom.

Kelly Matsudaira
About Kelly

Books have been a part of my life for as long as I can remember, and today, I read more than 150 each year. Through Bookmarks ‘n Blankets, I love sharing my reading journey, favorite book lists, and reading tips to help you make the most of your own reading life.

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