Winner of Mark Lawrence’s 3rd Self Published Fantasy Blog OffFinalist in BookNest’s 2017 Fantasy AwardsNominated for a r/Fantasy Best of 2017 Stabby Award‘Feels exactly like a world populated by pirates should; fun and vulgar and more than a little dangerous.’ – BookNestEveryone knows Drake Morrass is only out for himself.As the fires of a dying city burn on a distant shore, Drake sees an … himself.
As the fires of a dying city burn on a distant shore, Drake sees an opportunity to unite the other pirate Captains under his flag and claim himself a crown.
If he is to succeed he will need allies and credibility. Who better than gentleman pirate, Keelin Stillwater, renowned for taking ships without bloodshed, as well as his skill with a sword.
Enemy ships sail their waters, setting the Pirate Isles ablaze. The sinister Tanner Black threatens to steal the throne before Drake has even sat in it. Now Drake must somehow convince the other pirate Captains that his best interests are also theirs.
Dive into this swashbuckling adventure today!
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The story follows ‘grimdark pirates’ struggling against one another and the local empires who would like to see the end of the pirates. The characters – Drake Morass, Keelin, Elaina Tanner and more are mostly piratical types who, let’s say, have their own moral code. Certainly a morally grey grimdark (TM) style of novel here. I found them convincing and entertaining. They are at each other’s throats – the question is, are they capable of uniting to save their skins?
Pirates, murder, plunder, treachery, and lies. Just as George R.R. Martin upturned and destroyed the high fantasy rules, so does this book make a dark tale of piracy on the high seas. It is as funny as Pirates of the Caribbean while being as bloody as Game of Thrones. Wonderful antiheroes and twists all around.
I’ve been meaning to read Rob Hayes’ works for a while (especially considering his record-breaking win in the SPFBO 2017), and so jumped into Where Loyalties Lie. It is an excellent story of piracy set in a fantasy world based on the Age of Sail, though not for the faint of heart.
*** What to expect
Lots and lots of pirates, sail ships, piracy, buccaneers, tall ships, corsairs, and more pirates, roaming a world where magic is light and in the background and technology is high sails and early gunpowder (present in pistols and early rifles – but no cannons). The plot unfolds throughout the novel, with brisk pacing and appropriate twists as we follow shifting viewpoints of the main characters. Each chapter is named after the ship and the viewpoint follows its crew (usually the captain), making for an original and interesting device which keeps things interesting.
This is a first in a duology, but can be read by itself. It ends at a good point, one that leaves you eager to learn more but without a crushing cliffhanger.
The world Hayes built up has been established in previous novels, but that doesn’t affect understanding or enjoyment of this one. (In fact, the minimal world-building just gives a feeling of deep and rich background, without bogging down the storytelling). All in all, it’s an excellent entry point to Hayes works.
*** What I liked
Motivated and complex characters, with individual agendas as befitting their backstories. None of them shy of the dark aspects of piracy, but neither do they fall into some two-dimensional stereotypes of villains with or without a heart of gold. They are mostly people who chose, for whatever reason, a life where they can set their own rules – even if their existence relies on violently robbing others. This level of complexity makes them believable and sympathetic.
The world-building, as mentioned above, is nicely done. I like this kind of atmosphere, where magic is woven integrally into the fabric of the world, and yet is not something that is thrown about willy-nilly at any opportunity.
There are appropriate touches of humour (from naming a pirate ‘Princess’ to creative phrasing and profanity), excellent action scenes, and a good balance of descriptions to be evocative without slowing the pace.
*** What to be aware of
This is a work of Grimdark Fantasy, with explicit violence and sex, including deliberate murder and rape. If you need any trigger warnings on your reading material or are easily offended by crude language, this is not a book for you.
The plot is quick and on the epic scale, engaging though not surprising – a tale of high adventure, rather than shifting intrigue. The history buff in me also found it a tad strange that there were pistols and rifles, but no ship-board cannons.
*** Summary
If you loved Pirates of the Caribbean but always wanted the adult (rather than Disney) version, grab a copy of this novel.
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Assaph Mehr, author of Murder In Absentia: A story of Togas, Daggers, and Magic – for lovers of Ancient Rome, Murder Mysteries, and Urban Fantasy.
For most pirate captains, the thought of joining forces doesn’t come naturally. But with the various towns friendly to them being burned to the ground, someone has to make a stand and unite them in the face of the threat. Captain Drake Morass intends to be that man, by any means necessary.
Two points to consider before we get to the review proper:
This book is the first in a series that is itself a sequel to the author’s previous series, The Ties That Bind, and shares characters with them.
You don’t have to have read those previous books to be able to read & enjoy Best Laid Plans. Obviously, it will deepen your understanding but it isn’t necessary.
The book is mainly divided between three primary characters; Drake Morass, a killer and con artist who seeks to set himself up as a pirate king; Keelin Stillwater, a conflicted man who embraces the pirate life but who seeks to avoid bloodshed and Elaina Black, Keelin’s former lover and daughter of the most feared pirate in the region. Each of them is drawn vividly and even though they spend chunks of the novel on their own voyages, they strike sparks off each other when they are together. Each of them is flawed in their own way, and they’re not ‘good’ individuals, but they certainly hold the attention.
One of the things that I particularly liked in this book was the way chapters were broken out. Rather than by character, they are separated by ship, which does come in handy when some of the lesser characters get a chapter to themselves.
Another thing I enjoyed was that the author didn’t feel the need to explain everything about the characters. We’re given hints about their backstories (some of which may be answered by the previous series) but mostly we’re left to piece things together for ourselves.
Where Loyalties Lie is everything you could expect (or want) from a grimdark pirate novel; sword fights, ship to ship battles, drinking, and some inventive cursing. As befits that, the book won’t necessarily be for anyone and there are a few unsavoury scenes but, nothing that you wouldn’t encounter is several other grimdark novels. If that’s your taste, then you’ll definitely enjoy this book.
One final note; shortly after I started reading, Where Loyalties Lie was voted the winner of this year’s Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off. So I’m not the only one recommending this.