Reviews with content warning for Violence - Daughter of the Pirate King

Overall, I'd say this was a solid 3.5 star read. I liked the general concept and most of the characters. Alosa was an early favorite as I loved how feisty she was. She and Riden had some great banter too. I also appreciated how she wasn't just tough, but she frequently demonstrated cleverness in how to carry out her mission. In fairness, there were several times where her brute strength and luck pushed the boundaries on what I deem to be believable. However, this is YA Fantasy: Girl Power edition so whatever.

Riden was fairly enjoyable for our lead male character. His backstory was pretty interesting and I liked how well he and Alosa played off each other. My biggest complaint is how their relationship was kind of insta-lovey and a little too sappy for my tastes. It really didn't build the kind of tension I'd expect for an "enemies to lovers" story. The rest of the characters were ok. While some were given quirks or other easily identifiable traits, most were rather basic.

While I get that the setting for this story is largely based on the Golden Age of Piracy, the world building was somewhat lacking. There were a few intriguing elements introduced towards the end and possibly more to come in the sequel, but I definitely wanted more here.

So yeah, it was a fun way to spend a few hours but nothing life changing.

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maria_ary's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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ruckystarnes's review against another edition

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adventurous fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.25

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natashareadsbooks's review against another edition

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adventurous fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

So I have been in a huge reading slump off and on all year, and have been struggling with what to read. I remembered I wanted to read Daughter of a Pirate King this summer bc it gave *summer vibes*. So I thought I would give it a shot.

Alosa is Killigan the King of the Pirate's daughter. And perfect for Daxon's plans - of using her for ransom, and gaining information of the King's keep and treasure. But little did Daxon and his men know... Alosa getting caught is all part of her plan. She is on a mission to find a hidden map. But there is one thing standing in her way - or one person, that is. Riden, the first mate and Daxon's brother. But there isn't any one pirate that will stand in Alona's way or stop her from getting what she wants.

So this book surprisingly hooked me from the beginning. I was worried I would have to push through heavy world building - but that wasn't the case. It was fast paced & thrilling & adventurous.

Alona was fierce and strong - and a perfect pirate in her own right, but also had other abilities too. She was entertaining and so loved the back and forth between her and Riden. This was a quick and easy read and perfect for summer - being about pirates on the open ocean. I cannot wait to read book 2 & dive more into this world with these characters. I definitely recommend this book if you love YA fantasy, pirates or sirens.

4.5 ⭐ out of 5 ⭐.

1 🌶️ out of 5 🌶️ - build up and tension between characters

Tropes:

→ YA Fantasy

→ pirates

→ sirens

→ enemies/rivals to lovers

→ slow burn

→ captive/captor

→ one bed

→ forced proximity

→ hurt/comfort

→ knife to throat

→ found family

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