I know very few people who do not like a good pirate movie or a book. I rediscovered my love for pirates when the very first Pirates of the Caribbean movie came out and I was instantly smitten with Captain Jack Sparrow. Perhaps, as a child I was not in love with “Treasure Island” by Robert Louis Stevenson (the exception is made for a gender-bender production by National Theatre, just saying) or “Robinson Crusoe” by Daniel Defoe as some of my friends.

I did, however, love swashbuckling swordsmen and sea adventures. Among my favourites as a child were such books as “The Three Musketeers” by Alexander Dumas, “Captain Blood” by Rafael Sabatini, and Enid Blyton’s series of books about The Famous Five. (Yes, I’m old-school like that.)

Undoubtedly, the book market for Young Adult novels is still in its boom, but among diversity reads, books about the chosen ones and witches, and the uprising number of YA thrillers, pirate books are few and far between.

In the honour of Talk Like a Pirate Day today (yes, it is an actual thing on September 19th - I was surprised too), I have decided to talk about some of the pirate books that I think deserve more love and attention from readers.

I don’t even remember how I care across “The Abyss Surrounds Us”, but I am glad I did! It is a short book, first in the duology, but the premise is very captivating. A futuristic world, the main protagonist Cas trains huge sea creatures (Pacific Rim fans will love this) until she is captured by a pirate queen and ordered to train a hatchling for the pirates. It is a nice blend of science-fiction and dystopia and a bit of f/f romance. I really need to read the sequel.

My rating: 3.5 stars

Goodreads: LINK

Okay, this is not technically a YA book - it is more of an adult novella but it is based on “Peter Pan” story, so I had to mention it as it is really good. This is a story about Peter who comes back Neverland to find that everything has changed. Including his feelings towards Captain Hook. There are some dark moments in this story but it is wonderfully written, and I really liked the way the author described Peter. And, yes, it is m/m romance. Because, of course.

My review: LINK

My rating: 4 stars

Goodreads: LINK

Here’s another largely underrated YA book. I listened to it in audio and was captivated both by the narrators’ performance (Therese Plummer, Michael Crouch) and the lyrical cadency of the language. The main protagonist Aza Ray, plagued by a mysterious disease which makes it hard for her to breathe, discovers the world of flying ships above the clouds and the powers that she has in the sky. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the novel (even though I am yet to read the sequel) and keep recommending it to everyone. Flying ships and swashbucklery in the sky - what a combination! There is romance in the book which I was against of, at first, but I liked the narrator for the male character too much to hate him.

My review: LINK

My rating: 3.5 stars

Goodreads: LINK

And the last, but definitely not least, is “Seafire” by Natalie C. Parker. This book came out last year, and it’s sequel “Steeltide” is out today!

An all female crew of pirates, a girl on a suicide mission to avenge her parents, a corrupt warload with an army of drugged and bloodthirsty fighters, and a boy who may or may not be a traitor. Not to mention the ships themselves, which are half advanced machinery, half regular boats, and this blend adds a bit of a dystopian flavour to the adventure and action packed novel. “Seafire” is perfect for those readers who feel the need for more female pirates who are not overshadowed by their more famous pirate fathers and books about sisterhood.

My review: LINK

My rating: 3.5 stars

Goodreads: LINK

Thank you, Penguin Teen Canada, for providing me with the paperback copy of “Seafire” with a new and stellar cover and the final hardback copy of “Steeltide”. Even though I was sent copies of these books for promotion and review, all thoughts and views are mine.

Penguin Random House

More of my book reviews

Title photo by Andrés Gómez on Unsplash.