crey18's review against another edition
3.0
Yet again, Jacky is in the hold of a ship going to a place she doesn't want to be going. But of course she always manages to finagle her way out of things with the help of good friends!
marshmallowbooks's review against another edition
4.0
I continue to thoroughly enjoy the Bloody Jack books.
At the same time, I wish they would reach a phenomenal conclusion. I have to admit they are getting repetitive and progressively unrealistic - and they were fairly unrealistic to begin with, to be honest. The adventure and peril remain high, and the characters remain interesting, but the books are starting to lose their spark.
I remain, however, an avid fan that will read every single Bloody Jack that is written.
At the same time, I wish they would reach a phenomenal conclusion. I have to admit they are getting repetitive and progressively unrealistic - and they were fairly unrealistic to begin with, to be honest. The adventure and peril remain high, and the characters remain interesting, but the books are starting to lose their spark.
I remain, however, an avid fan that will read every single Bloody Jack that is written.
hoosgracie's review against another edition
4.0
This was not my favorite book in the series. The writing was still good and the audio performance was exceptional as always, I just didn't enjoy the story as much.
cajeck's review against another edition
4.0
Readers of the Bloody Jack series love it for its humor, its unflinching danger, and its (at times) over-the-top adventures. How many times have readers said it? When will Jacky Faber finally get to be with her beloved James Emerson Fletcher, after seven novels of thwarted love?
...Well it sure as hell isn't in this novel!
This, along with the almost too fantastical situations, is a great frustration to fans of Bloody Jack. Jacky Faber has been in one too many crazy adventures it seems, and her luck can certainly stretch your patience. Oh sure--she's been tarred and feathered, had a cigar burned into her thigh, had friends die and suffer...but has SHE died? Been raped? Lost an arm or suffered some other injury? Been cast into destitution? Not really. No, our Jacky is like a cat with nine lives, and at this point, readers are almost hoping that the series will end at book numero nine, just so that things aren't stretched to their breaking point. After all, there is only so much one can take!
But so far this review has been a bit...self-deprecating? Ironic? I say this because while I personally share in the frustrations faced by many long-time Bloody Jack readers, I have to say...I still love it!
The characters are fresh and strong, and though the plot can be a bit much to take, it's still great fun to read. Isn't that the point of a book? To entertain? L.A. Meyer's eighth addition to the series is filled with laughs and thrills and fun new characters for the loyal reader to enjoy. Its play on history is not the worst I've seen--Mississipi Jack asked for a lot more in the way of suspension of disbelief than the Lorelei Lee--and its very much forgivable. I blasted through this, and was left hungry for more.
So...Really, I don't see myself writing this rant for the sake of a new reader looking to get into Bloody Jack. In fact, I'd warn any new readers from starting here--that'd just be silly. Better to start at the beginning, to experience all the laughs, see where many of the characters come from, and share in us veteran readers everlasting lament!
...Well it sure as hell isn't in this novel!
This, along with the almost too fantastical situations, is a great frustration to fans of Bloody Jack. Jacky Faber has been in one too many crazy adventures it seems, and her luck can certainly stretch your patience. Oh sure--she's been tarred and feathered, had a cigar burned into her thigh, had friends die and suffer...but has SHE died? Been raped? Lost an arm or suffered some other injury? Been cast into destitution? Not really. No, our Jacky is like a cat with nine lives, and at this point, readers are almost hoping that the series will end at book numero nine, just so that things aren't stretched to their breaking point. After all, there is only so much one can take!
But so far this review has been a bit...self-deprecating? Ironic? I say this because while I personally share in the frustrations faced by many long-time Bloody Jack readers, I have to say...I still love it!
The characters are fresh and strong, and though the plot can be a bit much to take, it's still great fun to read. Isn't that the point of a book? To entertain? L.A. Meyer's eighth addition to the series is filled with laughs and thrills and fun new characters for the loyal reader to enjoy. Its play on history is not the worst I've seen--Mississipi Jack asked for a lot more in the way of suspension of disbelief than the Lorelei Lee--and its very much forgivable. I blasted through this, and was left hungry for more.
So...Really, I don't see myself writing this rant for the sake of a new reader looking to get into Bloody Jack. In fact, I'd warn any new readers from starting here--that'd just be silly. Better to start at the beginning, to experience all the laughs, see where many of the characters come from, and share in us veteran readers everlasting lament!
lodaddy's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
drakean8's review against another edition
4.0
I liked how L.A. Meyer incorporated some true history to these books, especially with the founding mothers of Botany Bay.
barker563's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
kkaste's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
lexxluthor's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
misssusan's review against another edition
3.0
well the male gazey fanservice stuff continues and i'd like to wipe the entire india interlude out of my head (get the racism off me, get it off, it's gross and buuuurns) but otherwise i did very much enjoy this book
oh wait hold up, before we get to that let's all take a minute to give meyer the finger for the bit where higgins tells jacky they shall do as the muslims do and divorce by saying he divorces her three times. i love it when white dudes who don't know what they're talking about decide to use talak as a throwaway joke, don't you?
meyer i'm watching you, don't you turn into bill willingham on me.
i've mixed feelings on the choice to jump between jacky and jaimy's pov in this book because on the one hand i appreciate that jaimy's life philosophy appears to have become wwjd (what would jacky do) but on the other he's still generally less interesting than whatever is going down with jacky. sorry bro. i appreciate your willingness to ruthless for the cause but you're not quite there yet V_V
also at this point i've decided that jacky is lying when she's says she's sixteen to feed into the harmless and innocent girl that you definitely don't want to hang image. nineteen or twenty is my guess to the truth! i think she's probably got one of those young faces like mine, i can totally pass for sixteen if i want, the trouble is convincing people i'm actually twenty-one
ummm anything else? well i'll note that despite my objections this book remains super entertaining, like i basically stayed in bed for four hours to marathon it. that was also partially because i have a cold and didn't really feel inclined to facing the world at all but mostly because of jacky faber: charming picaresque hero. 3.5 stars
oh wait hold up, before we get to that let's all take a minute to give meyer the finger for the bit where higgins tells jacky they shall do as the muslims do and divorce by saying he divorces her three times. i love it when white dudes who don't know what they're talking about decide to use talak as a throwaway joke, don't you?
meyer i'm watching you, don't you turn into bill willingham on me.
i've mixed feelings on the choice to jump between jacky and jaimy's pov in this book because on the one hand i appreciate that jaimy's life philosophy appears to have become wwjd (what would jacky do) but on the other he's still generally less interesting than whatever is going down with jacky. sorry bro. i appreciate your willingness to ruthless for the cause but you're not quite there yet V_V
also at this point i've decided that jacky is lying when she's says she's sixteen to feed into the harmless and innocent girl that you definitely don't want to hang image. nineteen or twenty is my guess to the truth! i think she's probably got one of those young faces like mine, i can totally pass for sixteen if i want, the trouble is convincing people i'm actually twenty-one
ummm anything else? well i'll note that despite my objections this book remains super entertaining, like i basically stayed in bed for four hours to marathon it. that was also partially because i have a cold and didn't really feel inclined to facing the world at all but mostly because of jacky faber: charming picaresque hero. 3.5 stars