The Daughter of the Pirate King7/21/2022 1. Review by Gunita Singh When a person enters booktok, they are expected to read some notable books in order to join the club. Apart from The Selections Series and ACOTAR, The Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller has also carved its mark. It is often recommended to someone who loves the enemies to lovers trope. So when I picked up this book to review for TYWI’s Summer Book Review, it was understandable that I had high expectations from it. The title is self-explanatory and reveals what the book has in store for the reader while its cover reinforces the idea of the protagonist being a sassy and self-sufficient woman. This book follows Alosa Kalligan, daughter of the ruthless Pirate King, who in order to earn her father’s respect takes on a dangerous mission of finding the Final Piece of a Treasure Hunt Map. She is one of those pirates who are undermined because of her gender and are always able to prove them wrong. The book starts with the successful execution of her kidnapping so that she has a better opportunity to find the map. She hilariously describes Riden as a “cocky bastard” and she constantly makes him lose his patience by trying to understand him. “I stare at him, stunned. He let me cut him so he could take my weapon from me. It’s a bold and stupid move. I like it. I’m so impressed, I can’t even muster up the right amount of anger. I have underestimated Riden.” Alosa is kept in a ship full of men but her luck saved her from being questioned by the brutes. It resulted in her learning that there was a glimmer of humanity in Riden too and it is showcased in numerous instances in the book. He hides secrets of his past and both have inhuman fathers. “There are many kinds of pirates, but Riden is the first I’ve met who feels remorse for his pirating. Perhaps that’s why I find him so interesting. He treats me better than any other pirate would a prisoner, I’m sure.” The writing style of this book is engaging and I wanted to keep reading this book. The witty banter amongst Riden and Alosa and their vain attempts to hide their frustration often made me laugh. Sidekicks who believe in superstition, love drinking and quarreling amongst each other made this book a little bit comfortable against their gory surroundings. The only thing that put me off was that I had expected what anyone would expect from a pirate novel - swords clashing, plundering ships and treasure hunts. The book mostly focused on the leads’ issues with their fathers and how each was being forced to do something they did not believe in because they felt they had to. Now, the verdict. For me, the book did not live up to its hype - adventure-wise and in the romance aspect. However, I’m intrigued enough to read its sequel - The Daughter of the Siren Queen - whose title makes a lot more sense now that I know that Alosa is a Siren. 2. Review by Avni Trivedi As a massive fan of The Pirates of the Caribbean movie series and an avid reader of fantasy and historical dramas, the daughter of the pirate king by Tricia Levenseller was on my to-read list. I had high expectations from this book, which has met them marvelously. It follows the story of Alosa, the half-siren daughter of the pirate king, the ruler of the seas. Our protagonist, a seventeen-year-old pirate captain, plans to get kidnapped deliberately by her enemies. It will give her the perfect opportunity to search their ship for the map to the Isla de canta, an island heaped with riches enough to rule without any disturbances and protected by its magical occupants, the sirens. The only thing that stands between her is her captor, the unexpectedly clever and unfairly attractive first mate and brother to the ruthless captain, Riden. Alosa is very confident, sassy, intelligent, and calculating. She has a witty sense of humor that she uses to her advantage often. She pretends to be naive to complete her mission while she hides what she is truly capable of doing. She can manipulate and outsmart people in and out of her Siren form. She referred to her crew as her closest friends and that she cares for them dearly. The plot is full of twists and turns. It describes pirates just as expected. I appreciate the effort that the author has put into this book. It has vividly written characters, and the virtual imagery is astonishing. We readers can imagine ourselves on the Night Farer in the ocean. We can see the relationship between her father, the pirate king, and the ruler of the seas. Rigorously trained, Alosa has many scars and mental trauma from what she had endured. And one can relate to some of the well-written characters. The major highlight of the book was she and the rival ship's first mate Riden, was captured where Alosa was captured and tortured in a cell, and an enemy of her father, Vordan, experimented on her siren powers. The book shows how the young pirate princess uses her abilities to fulfill her father's commands and the dangers she faces because of her reputation. The book has vivid descriptions of fights, and sexual assault may be graphic to some readers. The author presents the book from Alosa's view in a short read and would love to read the sequel. I would recommend all above the age of 15 to try the book out while giving a warning for graphic scenes and mention of sexual assault. 3.Review by Pei Fu Readers embark on an unpredictable, seafaring journey in Tricia Levenseller’s young adult pirate fantasy novel. Daughter of the Pirate King is the first book in a duology, following seventeen-year-old Alosa Kalligan, a driven, unmatchable pirate captain, as she executes a substantial plan to obtain a valuable item—a plan that may or may not unfold as expected. Compelling and entertaining, and also didactic, this book is an affirmative demonstration of having confidence in and command over one’s identity and destination. By the order of her father, the pirate king, Alosa coordinates her capture onto an enemy ship to steal a piece of an ancient map. When complete, the map leads to the Isla de Canta, an island of rare treasures belonging to the sirens. Not only would this bring even greater wealth to the pirate king’s crew, her accomplishment would further prove her potential and solidify her position as heir. This all would assist her in attaining her ultimate goal: to one day become queen of pirates on the sea. However, not everything goes according to plan, as she comes across unforeseen complications and also gets involuntarily spun into a romance subplot. In telling this riveting tale, Levenseller fulfills the expectations of an action fantasy, while also rebuilding our preconceptions of pirate adventures. “ ‘Well, I made you something. Look here. I gave this squid your face’ ” (119). Alosa’s contradictory, chaotic character is definitely one of the book’s major highlights. Devious, but caring toward her crew. Ruthless when overtaking the enemy, but favoring trust over control when forging loyalty. Alosa is the truly paradigm of an intriguingly complex, morally grey character. Further, it is really satisfying to watch her contend against the enemy, as her resourcefulness and unique mentality allows her to remain several steps ahead of others. Her hilariously stubborn attitude and sarcastic voice are also enhanced by the comedic prose, which largely adds to the amusing internal monologues and character interactions. In general, despite some of Alosa’s controversial pirate qualities, her strong resolve and moral compass—as well as obligation to fiercely defend her clothes—all make her an attractive protagonist readers root for. On top of that, despite not being the most lawful and sympathetic individual, Alosa’s principles and convictions may contain meaningful messages. For instance, she asserts that a person should be in charge of their own identity and actions, as she says, “ ‘I am me because I choose to be me. I am what I want....I believe we create ourselves to be what we want. Any aspect of ourselves that we do not like can be altered if we make an effort’ ” (199). Alosa’s character really helps convey the cruciality of self-confidence and of valuing one’s own individual, whether it is their identity, choices, or ambitions. In regards to setting, as promised by a pirate fantasy, the majority of the story takes place at sea. One interesting aspect is the power the pirate king holds over the “land king” and their ability to form treaties, as opposed to always being imposed upon by governments on land. However, the descriptions of treating and the semblance of peace between the two sides foreshadow a possible role this relationship may play in creating future conflict. Another notable element of the world is sirens, around which there are many unaddressed mysteries. They are described as the “deadliest creatures” (55), possessing extreme beauty and the ability to enchant men, but many cannot distinguish fact from rumor. In addition, the sirens and these rumors enhance the atmosphere of the sea and its deep secrets. With all that said, there are only a couple places where I would wish for change. Firstly, the plot felt a little rushed near the end, and it was a bit difficult to process how the circumstances were changing repeatedly within short time frames. Although, the events and revelations at the end do effectively set the foundations for the sequel. In addition, the world may be even more immersive and captivating if the culture—such as the daily lives and customs—of the pirates had been demonstrated more extensively. (I also lament the absence of a talking parrot and any arrr’s—although these are not required to create a compelling pirate story!) Nonetheless, reading this novel was an all in all enjoyable experience for me, as well as a journey of unending laughter. Overall, I found Daughter of the Pirate King a thrill of a read. With its fast-paced plot, powerful protagonist, comical character interactions, as well as the complimentary prose, it is a book that can be finished in just a few sittings (even for typically slow readers like me!). It is also meaningful in conveying the importance of self-confidence, ambition, and agency in one’s life, as long as principles and values are maintained. Out of 5 stars, my rating for this book is 4 to 4.5. This can definitely be an entertaining read for avid fantasy readers, as well as those who enjoy pirates and their tumultuous seafaring adventures. 4. Review by April Yu Bloody murder aboard an enemy pirate ship and fantasies of glittering treasure set the scene for Tricia Levenseller’s Daughter of the Pirate King, a twisty young adult novel infused with the glamor of the sea. As the pirate king’s only child, Alosa is caught by enemies and put up for ransom to weaken her father. Although sitting in a filthy cell with men who detest her seems far from glamorous, no one knows that Alosa actually intended to be captured all along — the enemy ship holds one-third of a legendary map, which marks the location where coveted siren treasure can be found. Sharpened like a blade by her ruthless father, Alosa knows she has the skills to break out of her cell regularly and scour the ship for the map piece. At first, all seems successful; inept guards and sheer power allow nightly breakouts with no one the wiser. But confidence and luck do not always go hand in hand. When dreadfully handsome first mate Riden enters the picture, Alosa’s plans suddenly go off-kilter. After laboring so hard to prove she deserves to be the future pirate queen, a man will not sway Alosa so quickly. Still, when Riden grows suspicious of Alosa’s intentions and far too close to her heart for comfort, the winds of change begin to blow. The first few nights of searching are fruitless, and with a coldhearted captain tracking her every move and Riden lowering her guard, Alosa is beginning to run out of time. The daughter of the pirate king is always prepared — the daughter of the pirate king must not fail. But this time around, Alosa may lose far more than she bargained for. I fell head over heels for the cutthroat, fast-paced adventure in Levenseller’s debut. At first, I was wary of the peculiar pirate lingo, having never consumed media that featured it so prominently (sorry to Pirates of the Caribbean, which still remains in my dreaded to-watch pile). However, I eventually grew to adore the snappy, firecracker way in which Alosa described things. It perfectly fit Alosa’s restless personality and the rapid nature of the book’s events. Initially, I thought Alosa a classic Mary Sue: beautiful, powerful, and undefeatable in all aspects. I was even more irritated by the fact that though she was considered invincible, she accomplished nearly nothing at the beginning, other than acting unbearable to the enemy crew. In fact, my main complaint about the novel was how much Alosa spoke. Her banter with Riden was undeniably adorable, but Alosa exchanged harmless retorts with the enemy so much that the stakes began to feel lower, almost kiddish. I understand that Alosa’s dialogue was meant to show her fiery side, but I think it could have been portrayed more maturely than her talking back or delivering an insult every other line. However, I slowly warmed up to Alosa once her flaws became more apparent. I loved the moment when Alosa’s siren powers are revealed; it was executed so well, instantly making readers realize that Alosa’s singing was enchanting figuratively and literally. The magic system was honestly wonderful and so fun to read about, what with all the limitations of ocean-land relations and how Alosa could be half-pirate, half-siren. Upon finding out more about Alosa’s upbringing, her brutish personality also began to make more sense. Besides, even though I first thought it was childish, I loved Alosa and Riden’s relationship. The tension between them was incredibly well done — when they were alone together, the suspense was physically tangible. Someone with as good a heart as Riden might be implausible for a pirate, but I was willing to overlook that because he was such a marvelous love interest. The other relationships in the book, like with Alosa and her crew as well as her kinder jailors, were also interesting to read about. I blew through this book at lightning speed, reading deep into the night just to get a resolution on Alosa’s pirate adventures. I absolutely loved this as a lighthearted read, brimming with the gritty life of pirates mixed with the certain kind of elegance Alosa holds within herself. Although I wasn’t sure about the concept at first, I’m so glad I proved myself wrong!
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