Riden approaches his captain and whispers something to him. Draxen tightens his hold on his weapon. I feel my heart beating rapidly. Not Mandsy. Not Mandsy. She’s one of mine. I can’t let her die. I value brilliant minds, honest souls, and those with long endurance. I forge relationships based on trust and mutual respect, not fear and control.”The truth in those words is clearly reflected in her relationship with the members of her crew and loyalty and respect they exhibit towards her. It also gives us an opportunity to see Alosa in her well deserved role as captain of her ship. Hold the line, I command. They rotate instantly, turning their swords on their own men. To my girls, I shout, “Unload the extra gunpowder for your pistols onto the stairs.”

I have twenty-eight excellent girls aboard this ship, and their pasts have shaped them. Just as yours has shaped you. And every single one of them, down to little Roslyn, deserves your respect.”

Pirate Books

Also, the moments that were supposed to be romantic and bring some angst were so cringy that I had to put the book down and take a break so I wouldn't start screaming in frustration. Riden - Alosas love interest and partner in crime - was a great character with a beautiful personality. He was kind, loyal and the love he had for Alosa was so sweet.

The clothing is awkward as it hangs loose in all the wrong places. And the smell! You’d think men did nothing but roll around in dead fish guts while smearing their own excrement on their sleeves. But perhaps I shouldn’t complain so. I put my finger to my lips, then toss a coin at the boy, who catches it without taking his eyes off me. I give him a wink before crossing the gap to the next home. With this new knowledge of her father's true nature in mind, she decides to set out on her own to claim the booty for herself and her crew. She feels no more allegiance to him. He swallows. “My men outnumber yours three to one. I’m not going anywhere, and that voice of yours will do you little good when you can only control three at a time.”The romance was so forced, I hated it even more that I hated the characters. Alosa somehow barely knows Riden, but from the moment she met him, she was already in love *done with everything* And yes!! She’s still half-siren, which I think is still very cool! How do her abilities help her learn more about herself and the people she loves? Not only is she a badass pirate, but the author managed to make her even more awesome by making her a half-siren feminist. The smaller of the two meets my eyes, recognizes who I am, and makes a run for it out the main entrance, just past the stairs.

Daughter of the Pirate King has a rather self-explanatory title. Alosa is the daughter of Kalligan, who rules over and terrorizes the seas. But Alosa herself is a tough, no-nonsense pirate captain who can more than hold her own. When her father sends her on a mission to find part of a map that will lead to a secret isle, Alosa must fake her own capture and pretend to be a prisoner as she hunts down the map piece on board a ship led by a ruthless young captain.

His eyes fly open, and I press the knife in a little deeper, just enough to slice the skin but not enough to make him bleed. LOVED THE GIRL POWER vibe this book had! There were so many badass female characters - from the pirate crew to the sirens. It almost felt like *maybe* too much at times, but that's pretty rare so I'll still take it haha The captain looks about ready to shoot me, but Riden speaks up. “What do we care, Captain, if she wants to get herself all fixed up for us every day? I for one won’t complain.” Unfortunately, we did not have a pirate at the helm (hehehe). We had Alosa. And therefore our roster of activities looked a lot more like this: complimenting self, gazing lustily, telling not showing, thinking about the abstract concept of coming up with a plan but deciding not to, cutting scenes right when they get interesting, complimenting self more, and more, and more. I slide down the street, keeping close to the roughly constructed townhome on my right. The city is asleep at this hour. I haven’t spotted a soul moving about, save Vordan’s men on watch.