Book Review: Fire on Dark Water

Fire on Dark Water
Author: Wendy K. Perriman
Pages: 336 Paperback
Reading Level: Adult
Published: June 7th 2011
Review Source: Berkley Books
Available: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Borders

Summary: (from goodreads) A debut historical novel about a female pirate's life on the high seas. 

Born a despised gypsy and tricked into a life of brutal debauchery, Lola Blaise quickly learns the harsh ways of the world, and of the men who inhabit it. But in the New World waits a different sort of life, full of danger and passion, where one false move could mean death: a life of piracy.

On the island of Nassau, Lola earns her keep as a prostitute until she lands a place on the Revenge, a ship captained by the infamous Blackbeard, the greatest buccaneer who ever lived. To survive the lethal treachery of a pirate's life Lola must use every hard-earned skill in her arsenal-and become the woman she was always meant to be.

This story attracted my interest because I like to read period, historical novels, but I had a hard time connecting to this one. If you are expecting a sweet romance, this is definitely not it, It is completely the opposite is harsh, violent and not for the soft of heart.

Lola is a young gypsy girl that learns the hard way that her life was to be a living hell. Early on she is raped, abused and taken advantage of and subsequently thrown into slavery, but she learns the best way to live through it. Being a survivor at heart she uses her smarts to make her own destiny and finally finds a place aboard the ship commanded by Blackbeard to become his 13th wife and becomes the pirates queen. The story is written as if she is giving an account of her own life.

All along intertwined in fantasy you’ll find actual historical places and characters which portraits an era that only the strongest can survive. If you can put aside the constant bad things happening, the abuse and the fact that you are enraged for the majority of the story and that you feel a constant outrage and suffering then, this is a story for you. It is not one of my favorite ones and definitely not an easy weekend read.