Book Review: The Pirate Daughter's Promise

The Pirate Daughter's Promise by Molly Evangeline

Recommended for: All Ages

Rating: PG for mild action violence

Orphaned at a young age, Skylar McHenry grew up as little more than a servant and shunned by everyone around her because of her reputation as a pirate's daughter. Each day Skye faces is marked by some new struggle. Her only hope is to rely on her heavenly Father's care and comfort and the solace of her best friend, Will, who has become more than dear to her.

Just when an unexpected encounter gives Skye a small glimmer of hope that things might change in her favor, her world is shattered. She is awakened in the night by cannon blasts. Pirates storm the orphanage, drag her away, and force her aboard their ship. The cruel captain's intentions are clear. He will extract from her, through any means necessary, the location of the treasure hidden by her father. For Skye to divulge the location would mean breaking the last promise she made to him. She's certain she never will, but what happens when the lives of those dearest to her are at stake?

The Pirate Daughter's Promise is full of daring high seas adventure; sweet, wholesome romance, surprising discoveries, unlikely new friends, and the rewards of trusting in God even when life seems impossible.

The Pirate Daughter's Promise by Molly Evangeline is a good, clean, Christian book that is about pirates. Unlike most stories about pirates, it does not paint the pirates as the good guys. I liked this. It is refreshing to read a book with high-sea adventure, pirates, and action where the bad is not glorified as good. The book also had some romance, but it was clean and God-honoring romance, which was also refreshing.

Writing: 4/5

The writing in this book was fairly well done. There wasn't anything to detract from the story, but it wasn't as good as later books show this author can be. The words flowed well, and there was no unnecessary wordiness or too-flowery description (that I can remember). There were a few typographical errors, but that is to be expected in any book.

Setting: 5/5

This book was set in the early 1700s in the Caribbean Sea. The setting was believable, and the author obviously did her research. The majority of the story was on board various ships. The setting was well-done and consistent, and enough was left to the reader's imagination to satisfy the most imaginative reader.

Plot: 5/5

The plot. Wonderful. Exciting. And mainly character-driven. It was original, there was some action, and the pirates weren't the good guys! (Can I emphasize how much I loved that little bit?) The plot didn't seem to drag, it didn't seem forced, and while a teeny bit predictable, still very enjoyable.

Character Development: 5/5

The character development was also well-done. They were easy to get into and the emotions were strong. The more minor characters had their own stories, and all of the supporting cast was well-rounded and not flat. The good characters were a little too good, but I enjoyed them anyways. Over all, the characters were well done.

I enjoyed this book very much. It is a good size, not too long for younger readers, and well-formatted. This book would be good to read by yourself or as a family. I highly recommend this book to readers of all ages.