Showing posts with label pirates. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pirates. Show all posts

Thursday, November 23, 2023

Book Review - Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea by Rita Chang-Eppig


 

Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea by Rita Chang-Eppig is about a woman pirate, Shek Yeung, seeing her pirate husband, Cheng Yat, die. It’s also about her journey afterwards. Shek Yeung and her husband board a Portuguese ship in hopes that they can claim the ship and crew as their own, to add to their numbers. When they board the ship, they end up in an all out combat with the Portuguese who seem to know that Shek and Cheng were going to attack them.

During the battle, the Portuguese are seen as a worthy enemy in battle and Cheng Yat dies in combat. Shek Yeung knows that she will need to act swiftly to save herself and the rest of her pirate crew. As she and the rest of the crew retreat, she decides that she doesn’t have time to mourn the death of her husband and that her wellbeing is hanging by a thread because she is a woman pirate leader. When her husband was alive, they worked well together as “muscle” and “strategist” but now that he’s gone, she fears the crew will not want her in a leadership role.

She decides that she will marry her husband’s second in command, Cheng Po, and will bear him a son and heir, so she can keep her half of the fleet. Shek Yeung is desperate for the power she has after spending so much of her life not having control over anything, including her life.

Shek Yeung wants to maintain control over the fleet because she knows that she has what they need to survive. She also knows that she would need to be cooperative with the other leaders of the pirate alliance if she wants them to survive as she fears there is a larger threat coming for them. 

The Chinese Emperor in the Qing Dynasty has launched an all out war against the pirates. The Europeans are tired of losing ships, money, and men to the pirates and join forces with the Chinese to help destroy the pirates. As they are being hunted by a crafty enemy, Shek Yeung fears that the enemy might be closer to home. To compound on her worries, Shek Yeung has to navigate motherhood while dealing with a new crisis from every side.

I was super excited to read this book because I thought it was going to be an action packed read. I remember reading about a powerful Chinese female pirate named Zheng Yi Sao. However, I was quickly disappointed because the writing flowed smoothly but it was very clinical and boring. The author mostly spent time talking about politics than spending any time writing and describing the fight scenes. Most of the fight scenes lasted only a few sentences which wasn’t enough to immerse the reader in the high octane pirating lifestyle. I feel like the book is more of an artistic portrayal of the life and struggles of Shek Yeung. 

The book was billed as a “fantasy” and “historical fantasy” novel but there were barely any fantasy elements in the novel. The book was narrated mostly by Shek Yeung and it had stories of Ma Tsu/Ma Zou, the sea goddess weaved in between the chapters. The  Ma Tsu stories were interesting and had similar themes to issues that Shek Yeung was facing but Ma Tsu never herself made an entrance to the story. I feel that the author including snippets of mythology wasn’t enough to consider this novel a fantasy novel. The story did have one character that could read the fortune of other characters but I still don’t think that there are enough “fantasy” elements. 

I did enjoy seeing Shek Yeung’s evolution from a sea loving wild child to being trapped on a flower ship to a pirate wife and then finally a fearless leader. It was interesting reading about some of her inner turmoil and her reasoning behind her decisions. If you like historical fantasy novels that are more about politics, then you might enjoy this book.

Wednesday, October 2, 2019

Book Review - Dory Fantasmagory: Tiny Tough by Abby Hanlon

Photo Credit - Amazon
When Dory's big sister, Violet is having friend trouble at school, Dory tries to help. However, Dory's vivid imagination takes over and  Dory believes that Violet's problem involves pirates. And Violet's lost friendship bracelet is a hidden treasure that Dory needs to find. When Dory tries to help Violet locate her missing bracelet, she starts having her own friend troubles when her imaginary friend Mary, decides to go on vacation with another friend.

The novel was a quick and fun read. It has the perfect mix of silliness while teaching kids about building a lasting friendship. I enjoyed reading the fun adventures of Dory's overactive imagination.

  **Disclosure - I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion. This post may contain affiliate links which means I earn advertising and/or referral fees if you purchase an item through my link. Please note, there will be no extra charges to you. Thank you for your support.**

 

 


Blog Tour Schedule

Week One
September 30 – Hopkins Homeschool – Review + Creative Instagram Picture
October 1 – Storymamas – Review + Activity
October 2 – Two Points of Interest – Review
October 3 – The Pages In-Between – Creative Instagram Picture + Review
October 4 – Drop and Give Me Nerdy – Review



BOOK DESCRIPTION

The fifth adventure in the enormously popular Dory Fantasmagory series takes on the tried-and-true theme of childhood friendships, and turns it on its head, Dory-style.
     When her big sister Violet has friend trouble at school, Dory tries to come to her rescue. But Dory's active imagination takes over, and she is sure that Violet's lost treasure (a friendship bracelet) has something to do with pirates. In search of the treasure, Dory meets up with a real pirate crew and finds that a pirate's life is harder than she thought. At sea, Dory longs for her imaginary friend Mary. But Mary has gone off with an exciting new friend of her own and Dory is crushed with jealousy. Just when things can't get any worse, Dory's old enemy, Mrs. Gobble Gracker shows up and Dory's ocean adventure takes a surprising turn.

     There's a ton of treasure in Dory's fifth adventure as Dory mixes in pirates, pals (real and make-believe), and her own imagination into one wild and wet free-for-all.

AUTHOR BIO
Abby Hanlon has taught creative writing and first grade in the New York City public school system. Inspired by her students' storytelling and drawings, Abby began to write her own stories for children, and taught herself to draw after not having drawn since childhood. She lives with her husband and two children in Brooklyn.


PRE-ORDER LINK

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/600197/dory-fantasmagory-tiny-tough-by-abby-hanlon/

Thursday, June 13, 2019

Book Review - Charlie and Frog: The Boney Hand by Karen Kane + Giveaway

Photo Credit - Amazon
Charlie Tickler just wants his parents to listen and pay attention to him. Francine "Frog" Castle wants to become the world's greatest detective.Together they work to solve unexpected mysteries in their school, Castle School for the Deaf. In their latest adventure, Charlie is accused of stealing a piece of the school's famous history. Charlie and Frog must solve the case before the cursed object lands in the wrong hands.

The novel was filled with fun and eccentric characters including Charlie's parents and grandparents. There was a few juvenile jokes about frozen underwear, missing remotes, and jellybeans. I love that the author showcased people who are deaf or hard of hearing along with including instructions on sign language. My favorite part was learning how to sign my favorite thing in the world (chocolate!). A must read for any child who likes a cozy mystery.


 **Disclosure - I received a free  copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion. This post may contain affiliate links which means I earn advertising and/or referral fees if you purchase an item through my link. Please note, there will be no extra charges to you. Thank you for your support.**



Title: CHARLIE & FROG THE BONEY HAND
Author: Karen Kane
Pub. Date: June 4, 2019
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Formats: Hardcover, eBook
Pages: 272
Find it: GoodreadsAmazonKindleB&NiBooksKoboTBD

All Charlie Tickler wants is for his parents to listen.

All Francine (a.k.a Frog) Castle wants is to be the world's greatest detective.


So begins the friendship of Charlie and Frog, who soon become a crime-solving duo, restoring order to Castle-on-the-Hudson.


Charlie, the new kid at the Castle School for the Deaf continues to find unexpected mysteries in the sleepy town of Castle-on-the-Hudson with Frog, his new friend and crime-solving partner. Just when Charlie thinks everything has settled down, a piece of the school's famous history goes missing, and it's up to the Charlie and Frog to solve the case, before it's too late.



About Karen:
Karen Kane’s path to Charlie & Frog led her from a small village near Rochester, NY, to the bustle of Washington, DC. The people she met along the way inspired her writing with their warmth and humor, especially those in the Deaf community. Karen graduated from the National Technical Institute for the Deaf and received her MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. When she’s not writing, Karen spends her days as a sign language interpreter at Gallaudet University or lost in the stacks of her local library. Charlie & Frog is her first novel. ​


Giveaway Details:
3 lucky winners will receive finished copies of CHARLIE & FROG THE BONEY HAND, US Only.

Giveaway Link:

Tour Schedule:
Week One:
6/3/2019- BookHounds YAExcerpt
6/4/2019- Two Chicks on BooksExcerpt
6/5/2019- Twirling Book PrincessExcerpt
6/6/2019- Little Red ReadsExcerpt
6/7/2019- The Suburban LifestyleReview

Week Two:
6/10/2019- BookishRealmReviewsReview
6/11/2019- Lifestyle of MeReview
6/12/2019- NerdophilesReview
6/13/2019- Two points of interest- Review
6/14/2019- Owl Always Be ReadingReview