The Children’s Book Review | June 25, 2017
Daughter of the Pirate King
Written by Tricia Levenseller
Age Range: 12-16
Hardcover: 320 pages
Publisher: Feiwel and Friends (2017)
ISBN: 978-1-250-09596-1
What to Expect: Pirates, Adventure, Strong Heroine, Romance
I was skeptical when first I picked this book: I like strong female character who are believable, so a red-headed swashbuckling pirate princess raised serious alarm bells. However, after a few sentences I could not help but be hooked: Daughter of the Pirate King is written with just the right amount of humor to make the clichés acceptable, and the first-person narration sings with personality. Alosa may not be an amazing role-model, but she is undeniably likeable and easy to relate to, and her story is exciting and fun.
Alosa is the daughter of the Pirate King: amongst the ruthless, violent, unscrupulous cutthroats who battle for supremacy on the seas, Alosa considers herself the most ruthless cutthroat of all. Typically, however, the other pirates often fail to take her seriously – right up until she slits their throats. Alosa may look like a girl with her bright red hair and pretty dresses, but in truth she is as hardened a criminal as the male pirates she so frequently crosses swords with. It is for this reason that the Pirate King has trained her himself, and sent her out on a secret mission to infiltrate the ship of rival pirate Captain Draxen and steal from him an ancient and very valuable treasure map. Alosa allows herself to be kidnapped, manhandled, and locked in the brig, all so that she can escape and search the ship in her own sweet time. It will take time, nerve, and skill – but she has those in abundance. Everything is going well, except for one tiny problem Draxen’s first mate is not only annoyingly clever, but also worryingly attractive.
Daughter of the Pirate King is not high literature, and is unlikely to be recommended reading on anyone’s school list for grappling with serious issues of social justice. However, it is perhaps more valuable in what it does achieve: a rip-roaring good story with just the lightest touch of feminism.
Available Here:
About Tricia Levenseller
Tricia Levenseller is from a small town in Oregon, but she now lives next to the Rocky Mountains in Utah with her bossy dog, Rosy. She received her degree in English Language and Editing, and she is thrilled that she never has to read a textbook again. When she’s not writing or reading, Tricia enjoys putting together jigsaw puzzles, playing volleyball, and watching her favorite TV shows while eating extra-buttered popcorn. Daughter of the Pirate King is her debut novel.
Daughter of the Pirate King, by Tricia Levenseller, was reviewed by Dr. Jen Harrison. Discover more books like Daughter of the Pirate King by following along with our reviews and articles tagged with Adventure, Heroines, Pirates, Romance, Strong Female Characters, and Tricia Levenseller.
