You know what’s pretty cool? A collection of stories all revolving around pirates. And what’s cooler than that? A collection of stories featuring LGBT+ pirates with an array of different ethnicities. We travel from the waterways of a sunken New York to the swamps of Louisiana, then cross the seas of India before sailing the depths of space. The stories have heart — sometimes figuratively, sometimes literally. We have everything from the “traditional” swashbucklers to the ones who maybe regret their decision to become a pirate. There are interdimensional traveler, marooned shipmates, and even a rodent crew. The vast majority of the stories feature kickass women in power, as captains and second-mates.
I didn’t love every story featured in this collection. I also found that while the stories were definitely diverse in genre and subplots, there were certain elements in some stories that started to feel the same. For example, a few of the stories could be described as a captain searching for treasure, only to be defied by an outside force. I just wish there could’ve been a bit more variety in the plots. That being said, though, I didn’t dislike any of the stories. What saved them from monotony were the consistently well-written characters. Each story has a place in this collection. While I personally found some weaker than others, the stories stand strong together.
This book is a treasure trove of swashbuckling diversity.
(I received a digital ARC from the publisher via NetGalley.)
