Fantastic opening; brilliant, macabre cover, and intriguing characters. Also: PIRATES!

Kimberly Vale's Crossbones opens like a clap of thunder, and rolls on, like a violent storm, from there. Split across the viewpoints of several characters, Crossbones tells the tale of a pirate king's sudden, mysterious death and the three young people who will compete--with blood, bones, and tears--to take his place and find their destinies. The book begins with Csilla Abado at death's door: mounting the stairs to the gallows as she contemplates her brief, contested tenure as captain of her beloved ship, the Scarlet Maiden. Her tone is rich in sarcasm and conflict, and Vale paints the character beautifully: she's a fierce, unapologetic underdog that you can't help but root for. As captain of the Iron Jewel, Kane Blackwater wants to find his destiny and prove his worth both to the world and to himself, and he'll use anything--his fists, his charm, his storied last name--to do so. The scenery is depicted so dynamically that you feel as though you're next to each character as they experience things, and their unique voices bring distinctly different identities and desires to each person. The tolling of the Blood Bell will bring these characters into direct conflict, and I can't wait to see who triumphs.
The cover of this book is stunning--gilded and brazen, all the while emanating dread--and underlines the feel of this book. I'd love to read the whole thing.