Vengeance of the Pirate Queen

Tricia Levenseller — 2023

Pirates of the Caribbean meets The Mummy in this beautifully designed standalone YA fantasy romance, set in the world of Tricia Levenseller's Daughter of the Pirate King. You can’t be afraid of the dark when you’re the monster lurking in the shadows. As an assassin working for the pirate queen, eighteen-year-old Sorinda is surprised when Alosa’s next task for her is not to kill a new target, but to captain a handpicked crew on a rescue mission. Unfortunately, her sailing master is twenty-year-old Kearan. He may be the best helmsman the pirate queen has, but Sorinda finds him a real pain in the arse. Sadly, there are few places on a ship to hide from an attentive man. As the crew of the Vengeance faces dangerous waters and deadly sea creatures, they accidentally awaken the King of the Undersea, a being who can control the dead. Their rescue mission quickly turns into a fight to save the world, but first, Sorinda must save herself from becoming an undead queen.

Reviews

Ryan @ryandoesread

Jan 19, 2024

I remember back in 2017 when I first read Daughter of the Pirate King and I was immediately entranced by how unique it was reading a pirate adventure novel at the time. As I revisited this series this year, all the joy and excitement from this series came back to me like it was yesterday. In this new installment, Vengeance of the Pirate Queen follows one of Alosa’s most trusted members and best friend, Sorinda, as she goes on a rescue quest and captains her own ship and crew. Filled with the same romantic tension from Daughter of the Pirate King and a vividly imagined world setting that was expanded from Daughter of the Siren Queen, fans will enjoy the level of internal dialogue and high-octane action as much as I did. I am so thankful to not only Tricia for bringing some of my favorite characters back to life but also to the fans who find delight in how riveting and action-packed this series is. The narrator, Krissi Bohn, did a wonderful job reviving this series after a years-long hiatus from the last book. Since this book focuses on a different character with a different narrator, I was worried how well this narration will go when I've been accustomed to Alosa's narrator. But Bohn made Sorinda a fantastic characterization with depth and conviction. Vengeance of the Pirate Queen is a fantastic addition to the series.

Holly@hollyck

Dec 28, 2023

I am generally of the belief that white authors should not write POC main characters/from the perspective of POC. I think with fantasy, there can (emphasis on can) be some more leeway, but I don't think I am the best person to speak on it as a white person.

Sorinda was a fascinating character in the original duology, and she's fascinating here as well. She's sharp, insightful, and calculating. But the whole thing just felt underwhelming? I liked getting to know her story, but I feel like this was more of a set-up for future books and conflicts to come than actually focusing on a new chapter and giving Sorinda the chance to shine. I just wasn't wowed by it or consumed by it like I was with the original duology.

Courtney Passio@nightc0urt

Nov 25, 2023

Okay but why did I love this one slightly more than the original duology? lol

Vengeance follows Sorinda, one of Alosa’s closest friends and her fiercest assassin. I honestly think she picked the best character for us to get a new story from. Sorinda was one of the most mysterious characters from the original world and partnering her up Kearan for their own high stakes adventure?! Chefs kiss!!

Sorinda’s character development was perfection and seeing some of the old crew again felt so wholesome. There was also a lot of action and adventure in this one which I appreciated. Also if it matters, I listened to this via an early copy of the audiobook and the narrator did an excellent job!

Overall, I would continue to pick up more books in this world if they were to be released and loved getting more from the characters we already know and love!