Mini-Review (DNF – did not finish)

Emme, the daughter of the late, great pirate Arabella the Fearless, doesn’t like piracy. She doesn’t even like ships (she gets sea-sick). Emme works in a seaside tavern, where she becomes friends with pirate captain Arn, who persuades her to come with her on a treasure hunt. He says she can use the money to buy back her childhood home, an idyllic sheep farm. What he doesn’t know is that she’s coming to the treasure island to find a cure for her secret illness. But then, Arn has secrets of his own…

I had high hopes for this fantasy novel, entirely based on the killer cover (I am a SUCKER). This book was mildly enjoyable for the first few chapters (alternating first person perspective, Emme/Arn), but I DNF-d at about 80 pages in because I was rapidly losing interest. There’s plenty going on – a romantic subplot, pirates, rum, treasure, secrets, an enormous sea monster – but I found the prose style plodding. I prefer more wit, zing and verve in my narration. Having said that, lots of people online seem to like it very much, so your mileage may vary.

The section I read is PG, suitable for 13+.

> Click here for content warnings based on what I read (potential spoilers – enter at own risk)

MG/YA depictions/reports of: drunken pirates and tattoos, non-graphic piratical violence, dead parents in back story, heroine has severe illness (which doesn’t appear to stop her from lots of action)

*

McCombs, V. (2022). Oathbound. Enclave Escape.

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