WhaleSnark Book Review: Seafire by Natalie C, Parker

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After having two co-workers finish this book and rave about it, I finally sat down to read my copy, which I got for free from the library. I think it was a freebie at a bookish event that another librarian went to, Thanks to Anita, Lynn, or whoever brought this book into my line of sight.


I knew this book was ocean-related, so I was already on-board. A gay female author writing about female pirates fighting the good fight? Yes please!

Here's the blurb from Goodreads:

After her family is killed by corrupt warlord Aric Athair and his bloodthirsty army of Bullets, Caledonia Styx is left to chart her own course on the dangerous and deadly seas. She captains her ship, the Mors Navis, with a crew of girls and women just like her, who have lost their families and homes because of Aric and his men. The crew has one mission: stay alive, and take down Aric's armed and armored fleet.

But when Caledonia's best friend and second-in-command barely survives an attack thanks to help from a Bullet looking to defect, Caledonia finds herself questioning whether to let him join their crew. Is this boy the key to taking down Aric Athair once and for all . . . or will he threaten everything the women of the Mors Navis have worked for?


I love the idea of a technologically advanced pirate world. The fact that the main protagonist has an inner conflict and trust issues with men makes for good storytelling, and makes a great plot device.

This book has a  lot tech that didn't really make sense to me, but for the story, it worked. The crew spends a lot of time fixing the ship's hull, and at one point the hull is being stripped, so the hull seemed extra important (I'm being silly). 

I know many other reviewers were looking for more gayness in this book, and didn't find much. I think that since the author is herself gay, and this is the first book in a series, we might be seeing more relationship development in the next book (which comes out in September, ah!). That is not to say that lesbian relationships cannot be read into in this book. There are plenty of opportunities for that, if you want to go there. I know I did. I thought that Caledonia might've  a relationship with every member of her inner circle, especially Pi, and Red. All the supporting characters are well-developed in this story.  Each has their own unique traits and set of skills which they employ expertly.  

I did take a long time to read this book because I am still having a hard time reading. (See my last post about reading slumps.) 

I did enjoy this book, and I look forward to the next one! 

Steel Tide comes out September 17 (I am not a fan of this cover. More on that later). 38892853. sy475

Peace out- WhaleSnark



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