Review of Brandy, Dame of the Caribbean
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- Latest Review: Brandy, Dame of the Caribbean by Dan E. Hendrickson
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Review of Brandy, Dame of the Caribbean
[Following is a volunteer review of "Brandy, Dame of the Caribbean" by Dan E. Hendrickson.]
Brandy, Dame of the Caribbean by Dan E. Hendrickson is a swashbuckling tale of historical fiction. Set in 1854, a few years before the American Civil War, it follows diverse characters with intersecting storylines all revolving around Brandy, a fierce pirate warrior navigating politics, power, and prestige.
Although this is the second novel in the series, the author provides a helpful summary of Book 1, allowing readers who may not have known this was a sequel to catch up. Also included is a list of characters, which was much needed. The shifting POVs and interwoven arcs made the story feel like Game of Thrones on the high seas. The plot is the book’s greatest strength; it plays out like a movie, with moments that had me on the edge of my seat.
While the present tense writing style worked well for action sequences, I found it difficult to adjust to. I personally think the present tense is better with first-person POV (like The Hunger Games), and due to the third-person narrative, it reads more like a screenplay than a novel. For example, Chapter 2 begins, “Half a dozen men stand up as [Character] appears in the doorway. She is a provocative woman in her late thirties, with jet-black hair, sapphire-blue eyes, and a light complexion.” That said, the book would make an excellent pitch for a film or show adaptation.
Historically, some elements strained believability. Phrases like “100 percent positive” in Chapter 15 or “makes a mental note” in Chapter 17 disrupted my immersion, feeling too modern, and the characters’ ages didn’t align with the life expectancy of the era. For example, one character is 58 and portrayed as an unstoppable warrior. Even today, athletes over 40 have a hard time keeping up with the 20-year-olds. I also wasn’t sure if this was based on a true story, as some characters like Queen Victoria were real, and the epilogue makes it sound like characters I believed were fictional went off to participate in real-world events.
Additionally, there was too much repetition. In Chapter 17, “she crouches” appears four times in two paragraphs. Exposition was sometimes repeated two or three times by multiple characters, which slowed the pacing. While I understand the other characters were learning new information, the reader had already learned it and was being told again.
Despite a few bumps, this book was an exciting voyage, perfect for fans of Pirates of the Caribbean or Black Sails. The author has a gift for visual storytelling, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see this series adapted into a film or show. Due to the third-person POV in present tense and a few doubtful elements, I cannot give fulls points so therefore rate it 4/5 or 3/4 stars.
******
Brandy, Dame of the Caribbean
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Brandy, Dame of the Caribbean by Dan E. Hendrickson is a swashbuckling tale of historical fiction. Set in 1854, a few years before the American Civil War, it follows diverse characters with intersecting storylines all revolving around Brandy, a fierce pirate warrior navigating politics, power, and prestige.
Although this is the second novel in the series, the author provides a helpful summary of Book 1, allowing readers who may not have known this was a sequel to catch up. Also included is a list of characters, which was much needed. The shifting POVs and interwoven arcs made the story feel like Game of Thrones on the high seas. The plot is the book’s greatest strength; it plays out like a movie, with moments that had me on the edge of my seat.
While the present tense writing style worked well for action sequences, I found it difficult to adjust to. I personally think the present tense is better with first-person POV (like The Hunger Games), and due to the third-person narrative, it reads more like a screenplay than a novel. For example, Chapter 2 begins, “Half a dozen men stand up as [Character] appears in the doorway. She is a provocative woman in her late thirties, with jet-black hair, sapphire-blue eyes, and a light complexion.” That said, the book would make an excellent pitch for a film or show adaptation.
Historically, some elements strained believability. Phrases like “100 percent positive” in Chapter 15 or “makes a mental note” in Chapter 17 disrupted my immersion, feeling too modern, and the characters’ ages didn’t align with the life expectancy of the era. For example, one character is 58 and portrayed as an unstoppable warrior. Even today, athletes over 40 have a hard time keeping up with the 20-year-olds. I also wasn’t sure if this was based on a true story, as some characters like Queen Victoria were real, and the epilogue makes it sound like characters I believed were fictional went off to participate in real-world events.
Additionally, there was too much repetition. In Chapter 17, “she crouches” appears four times in two paragraphs. Exposition was sometimes repeated two or three times by multiple characters, which slowed the pacing. While I understand the other characters were learning new information, the reader had already learned it and was being told again.
Despite a few bumps, this book was an exciting voyage, perfect for fans of Pirates of the Caribbean or Black Sails. The author has a gift for visual storytelling, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see this series adapted into a film or show. Due to the third-person POV in present tense and a few doubtful elements, I cannot give fulls points so therefore rate it 4/5 or 3/4 stars.
******
Brandy, Dame of the Caribbean
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Brandy, Dame of the Caribbean by Dan E. Hendrickson
