I almost never read a book in a single night, but this one almost made it. I ended up spreading it across a night and half.

Pirate Latitudes is a Masterclass in writing. I don't say that lightly. You could watch all the actual Masterclass writing courses, and they wouldn't be worth salt compared to simply reading this book. There's only a handful of writers I'd place in this category, and not necessarily for every single book they write.

This is some seriously clean prose. There are no unnecessary words. The descriptions, which are 100% necessary in the lands we've never encountered, are to the point, yet they somehow still manage to convey a sense of richness and depth that other authors can't do in pages and pages and pages of descriptions.

On top of that, it's 335 pages that never lets up. You have to turn the page because not knowing what they're up to, or what is happening will drive you batty. It's not all just action. It applies to character interactions, thought processes, and even just walking around a boat. It's not even a nice boat. The helmsman refers to it as a "floating sow" LOL.

Speaking of the helmsman, he has probably my favorite line, which I'm going to paraphrase for the sake of clarity: When asked if he could pull off a particular sailing maneuver, he responds, "I could sail the Pope's coffin with nothing but my wife's napkin to catch the wind." Having the whole scene's context, I actually laughed out loud and woke my cat.

I know what you're thinking. It's another book about some modern-day treasure hunter looking for pirate booty. No, friends. This is a period piece. The book is about pirates. Technically, it's about 'respectable profiteers'. Which are pirates by another name, but you call them that at your own peril. It's still about a treasure hunt, but with a much different spin.

It's inventive and clever, with excellent characters, many who live in a moral grey area - and many who don't. Some you are intended to hate, while others you settle into an uncomfortable truce with. And, of course, there are the ones you like, even if you don't always agree with them.

Violence: Yes, it's about pirates profiteers.

Excessive violence: I would say no, however, in some places, it is mildly graphic. In a select few places, it is perhaps moderately graphic, depending on how you view violence. I considered the whole thing pretty mild.

Romance: Nope, but some mild consensual sexual content. Not graphic at all.

Overall, I would 100% read this book again, which is also rare for me. I think I have ten books in total that I've kept and reread on occasion. None of them are pirate books, so I can't really say I have a 'type'!

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Created Feb 29, 2024 at 7:06pm • Submit your own review...