Audiobook Review: Daughter of the Pirate King (#1)

Audiobook Length: 8 hours

There will be plenty of time for me to beat him soundly once I’ve gotten what I came for.

Sent on a mission to retrieve an ancient hidden map-the key to a legendary treasure trove-seventeen-year-old pirate captain Alosa deliberately allows herself to be captured by her enemies, giving her the perfect opportunity to search their ship.

More than a match for the ruthless pirate crew, Alosa has only one thing standing between her and the map: her captor, the unexpectedly clever and unfairly attractive first mate Riden. But not to worry, for Alosa has a few tricks up her sleeve, and no lone pirate can stop the Daughter of the Pirate King.

In Daughter of the Pirate King, debut author Tricia Levenseller blends action, adventure, romance, and a little bit of magic into a thrilling YA pirate tale.

It is difficult to believe that this is my first Tricia Levenseller novel and I cannot wait to read any and all novels that she publishes. Daughter of the Pirate King is the first novel in a duology and you’ll want to immediately pick-up the second after finishing this one. It sets itself up for the conclusion in the next novel, but could potentially be read as a standalone, if you did not wish to continue the series. I listened to the audiobook for this novel and I loved Marisa Calin she did an incredible job as the narrator.

Alosa is the seventeen year old daughter of the Pirate King. She is an extremely skilled pirate who captains her own ship in her father’s fleet. Her childhood was rough as her father was harsh with her as he had her build her skillset, but she does not think much of it. She is a sassy character who stands up for herself and anyone she cares about, including her crew. In a plot to obtain a piece of the map to the legendary Isla de Canta, which is said to hold great treasure, Alosa gets herself kidnapped to search for the piece on her captor’s ship. Now that she has been captured, she needs to manage to find the perfect balance between acting like her captor’s bestest her and completing her mission. It seems that she is doing a great job of fooling everyone until it seems that the handsome Fire Mate and brother of the ship’s captain, Riden, might be catching on to her.

This novel contains simple wording and witting dialogues that keep the reader entertained from start to finish. The reader is transported into a thrilling pirate adventure with delightful characters that I loved. There is not a lot of world-building as it relies on the reader’s general understanding of the world of pirates and the sea. There is some, but it is not very intricate. As a huge fan of pirate tales, especially Pirates of the Caribbean and Black Sails, I did not mind the lack of detail for the world as I could easily picture my own universe to fit the story. The pacing is a little slower in some places, but, overall, it never becomes boring and I found myself wanting to finish as I was captivated by the story.

Alosa and Riden are great complements to each other while being similar with their harder exteriors and their softer sides that are not always shown. The share a lot of entertaining banter and their relationship builds slowly enough to feel natural, especially given the circumstances they meet. They each have killed and thieved without hesitation in some instances, but they are also decent people making them an excellent mix of both villain and hero.

This novel is a great start to a duology and, although, it is slightly predictable, it an amazing escape read that is a mix of pirating adventure with a side of a budding romance. The characters are not perfect and make a lot of mistakes along the way, but they learn from them and grow as characters. The events in the story feel natural as the characters stay true to themselves and their skill-levels, while growing in their own way. Every character, even the unlikable ones, were all well-written and enjoyable to read about. I cannot wait to start Daughter of the Siren Queen to see what will happen with Riden and Alosa’s relationship and the Isla de Canta treasure!