Indies Introduce

Young Adult

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  Daughter of the Pirate King, Tricia Levenseller
  Feiwel & Friends, 9781250095961, February 21, 2017 (Young Adult)
  

  There is well-written pirate adventure, fantasy fiction, and young adult romance, and then there is this gem that manages to do all three at once. In Daughter of the Pirate King, Levenseller introduces readers to the dangerously cunning Alosa through a fight scene in the first chapter. Within five pages, we are given the thrilling start to an exemplary narrative that ends with an unbelievable twist. Alosa is incredibly portrayed as both a kickass heroine and a maturing young woman, a dual characterization that is admirable and believable. She is thrust into a maritime feud between her father, lord apparent over the pirate world, and two orphaned brothers attempting to make their own mark. In between sword fights and swooning, Levenseller gives us insight into Alosa’s bravery in not just navigating perilous waters but understanding her own power. This is an exemplary reminder of how fantasy can relate to our own lives, especially to those who struggle for self-expression.

  Romy Griepp, Once Upon a Time (Montrose, CA)
  
  

  Daughter of the Pirate King is an action-packed page-turner full of secret missions, thieving, and incredible sword fights. Alosa is a smart and cunning heroine perfectly executed by Tricia Levenseller.  

  Johanna Albrecht, Flyleaf Books (Chapel Hill, NC)
  

  If I could forget ever having read this book, I absolutely would, just so I could read it again for the first time. It's a rollicking, swashbuckling, adventure with an incredibly ambitious and crafty pirate heroine. There are secrets and twists at every turn, a problematically perceptive and attractive enemy and a superbly wrought world of sirens, rogues and scalawags. Every element of this novel meshes together perfectly. This is my favorite book on this list.

  Emily Hall, Main Street Books (St. Charles, MO)