An honorable man is mistaken for his disreputable father. Now he’s pushed into a political scheme to start a war that will spread across multiple kingdoms. James Cuttler’s fiancé is being held captive to ensure he goes through with the plan.He soon decides his skills are at sea and procures a ship to wage war upon those who disrupted his simple life. He can’t do it alone, so he recruits a band of … recruits a band of cutthroats to help him. But first, they need guns and munitions to outfit the ship properly. Deception and trickery will only get them so far. Eventually, they’re going to have to engage the enemy.
James’ goals aren’t necessarily the same as his crew. It’s a delicate balancing act to collect enough loot to keep his crew happy, while guiding them back to rescue the girl.
Voyage of the Lanternfish is filled with adventure, magic, and monsters. Lots of monsters. Hoist the colors and come along for the ride.
more
Having read some of C.S. Boyack’s fantasy novels before, I was expecting there to be surprises and plenty of action in Voyage of the Lanternfish, and I was not disappointed.
This adventure on the high seas comes with thrilling and sometimes breathtaking moments that have you on the edge of your seat.
The author has a talent for great world building, and for creating colourful and entertaining characters, including diverse monsters of the deep and the potting shed… Men and women from different cultures come together following encounters with friends and foes, fine tuning into a lean, mean fighting machine. All swearing to serve a new captain on a mission that will carry them across the seas on a daring rescue attempt.
I am a fan of the Pirates of the Caribbean and in my opinion this series by C.S. Boyack (looking forward to book two) is better in a number of areas, from the story development, creativity of the other worldly creatures, the diverse characters and the complex naval battle scenes.There was clearly a lot of research into the life aboard a ship of the day from weaponry to navigation which adds a clever thread of realism to the fantasy.
Brilliant read and I can highly recommend.
What a rollicking, magical, high-octane, deftly plotted adventure! Remember when Dorothy steps from her black-and-white world into the Land of Oz for the first time? That explosion of color, wonder, and delight is equivalent to what the reader experiences in Voyage of the Lanternfish.
Wow, where to begin? I won’t reiterate the plot (just hop up and read the blurb), but I will say you’re in for a treat with this story of pirates, high-sea adventure, a diverse cast of characters and plenty of bizarre creatures. Where else will you encounter root monsters, an anvil bird, Fu dogs, owlcats, and a moving reef? And those are just some of the imaginative beings Boyack introduces with his latest release.
I developed a special fondness for the root monsters with their unwavering loyalty, nightly story-telling sessions, rabid delight in receiving names, and atrocious mangling of language. Of special note: You can’t read this book and not appreciate the cleverness of “I I I I”
Trust me. 🙂
The cast is every bit as colorful as the creatures and extremely diverse in backgrounds. They each have such strong personalities, it’s hard to choose a favorite. Even secondary characters and third level characters get plenty of moments to shine. The battle scenes involving mortars, guns, and claiming ships are perfectly executed. I was dazzled and glued to the pages.
I have read several books by this author but this one is in a league of its own. Hop aboard and set sail. You won’t be disappointed!
When James Cutter’s fiancée is captured and locked away until he performs the task of starting a war with a rival kingdom, he decides to do things on his own terms with the help of an eccentric cast of characters.
Along their journey, James and his son-to-be brother-in-law, Dan, meet up with a mystical slave who turns out to be from a cannibalistic island, a woman in search of a better life, and some strange and remarkable root monsters who steal the show.
I love the author’s creativity and ability to make the unbelievable not just credible, but extraordinary.
A fun, swashbuckling adventure!
If you are looking for an outlandishly creative and sometimes humorous adventure, Voyage of the Lanternfish may be the book for you. I loved it. As I read, I kept flashing on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disneyland. Yep, grandkids in tow, it was fun all the way – just like Boyack’s novel. From beginning to end, over stormy seas and various tussles, the pirates lead readers on an amazing journey. You’ll meet an assortment of creatures, as well as some unexpected people. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry and in the end, you’ll sit back and realize you’ve just read a masterful novel. Great characters, great story. What more can you ask for?
Pirate Fantasy at Its Finest
When I heard one of my favorite authors had taken on a pirate fantasy, I was excited. There’s something compelling about a scoundrel’s life on the high seas that captures my interest. Add C. S. Boyack’s quirky and clever take on characters and plot, and I was certain this would be a winner.
It absolutely was.
Boyack crafted some of my favorite characters to date — root monsters. They are fun and boisterous creatures that really help sell the type of story this is. It’s not a standard swashbuckler. It’s magical realism. There’s just a smidge of magic and make believe that help to create a fantasy world anyone would love to visit. From different nationalities to nautical cryptids, this world is vibrant and believable.
World-building aside, these are strong and unique characters. Boyack managed to give us a representative sampling of all walks of life while blending them seamlessly on the page. Everyone has a unique voice and motivation, and all of them are memorable.
The action is fast-paced. The plot is solid. The characters are unique. And it all comes together to create an epic adventure. I wish I could give it more than five stars. As it is, I’ll just have to hope for a sequel.
James had a plan for his life—not an unusual one, but something he looked forward to. He was going to work hard crewing boats for the next four years so he could afford to get married to his friend’s sister, Bonnie.
That is, until he, his friend Dan, and Bonnie are all abducted and carted inland in shackles. It turns out the Earl of Grandelour wants a war with a neighboring kingdom, and James and Dan are going to provide the excuse for the conflict. If they fail, then Bonnie won’t have to worry about being a hostage for their good behavior anymore.
So, they sally forth on their dubious quest, picking up a couple of companions, Mal and Fala, along the way. Mal is a former slave with some unusual skills, one of which is to grow miniature monsters from a strange root he finds in the market. The root monsters get up to all kinds of funny antics, and they have one extremely valuable skill—they scour the town for all the gold that’s not securely locked up.
Using their ill-gotten gains, the companions buy and provision a ship, the Lanternfish, and turn pirate. They’re going to start a war, all right, but on their terms. They’re going to make the Earl sorry he ever thought war was a good idea. What follows is a pirate-y adventure on the high seas.
Reading this comic romp designed to make you chuckle, like many others, I enjoyed the root monsters the most. You never knew what they were going to come up with, and they saved the day on more than one occasion. If you’re looking for a pirate adventure with comic relief, the Lanternfish just might fit the bill.
I have read several books by C. S. Boyack and found all of them filled with unusual storylines, well-developed characters, and intriguing situations. I have to say that Voyage of the Lanternfish is his best I have read so far. I say so far because I have a kindle still loaded with a couple of his other books. C.S.Boyack is one of those writers who can turn out two or three books a year, so staying up with him can be challenging.
Voyage of the Lanternfish has something for everyone. There are elements of fantasy, adventure, humor, science, and downright fun. This is a story that starts as a quest and finishes with a rousing battle scene. The characters in this book call themselves pirates, but you can throw away your pirate stereotypes because Boyack creates all new versions.
To give you a flavor, he has a former headhunter create a gang of minions out of a sweet potato. Yes, it sounds a little odd but trust me, it works. The little guys are called Root Monsters, and they are a pack of mischief-makers with the desire to please.
The story takes the reader on a fabulous adventure that includes enough Swashbuckle, international intrigue, and suspense to satisfy the ficklest reader. Also, there is exceptional care and attention given to the author’s world-building to make the reader believe all this fiction happened.
If you like well-written stories that are tough to put down, you will love the Voyage of the Lanternfish. I am moving on to Book Two HMS Lanternfish.
I’ve read other stories and books by this author and have always been impressed by them. When I saw Mr. Boyack had a new book with pirates and magic, I couldn’t wait to read it. I was not disappointed. It’s full of adventure, magic, excitement, friendship, love, family and the best part the root monsters. The Lanternfish is a ship I’d want to sail on and carries people I’d like to get to know. I loved the pirates, the monsters and their relationships, but the captain’s quest to save the woman he loved had me hooked. This is a world I’d like to visit where I could meet root monsters. I highly recommend this high-seas fantasy.
What I enjoyed most about this new book from C.S. Boyack is the fantastic job of world-building he accomplishes through creative writing. I had no difficulty visualizing the cities, the boats, the monsters, or the people that make up this story. The root monsters are a surprise and it’s fun to see them take on personalities and start to become somewhat human. The goal of James Cuttler is often different from that of his makeshift crew, but he manages to keep everyone happy with enough looting to satisfy any good pirate. His goal is to start a war between two countries and rescue his fiance. The adventures along the way, the battles, the exploration and discoveries kept me turning the pages. I’d be hard pressed to pick a favorite character. I love Mal for his devotion to James (aka Captain Bloodshot) and for his incredible ability to grow monster creatures in dirt, using his special magic. I love Serang for her fierce loyalty and amazing physical abilities. Plus, she has her own surprising brand of magic. The romance that blooms between Fala and James’ best friend, Dan, is believable and adds a touch of sweetness to the story. But I think my favorite character is the half-goblin half-human woman, Halfrid, who ultimately gives James the magical tool he needs to accomplish his goal and rescue his fiance. The action and battles are intense. The ending is satisfying. Anyone who loves adventure on the high sea mixed with fantasy and magic will enjoy this story as much as I did.
Okay, I’d probably give this 4.5 if I could, but I sure enjoyed this book! I got the chance to beta read it, and it was so much fun! Not the usual type of book I pick up. The story burst with imagination and one adventure after another. It gave me the feel of Pirates of the Caribbean with its pirates, sea battles, and magic. There are some really interesting minor characters to support the good captain of the Lanternfish. A fun, fast read!