I received an ARC from the publisher through BookishFirst and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
I’ve been interested in the Wattpad Books publishing imprint for a while, as I did dabble in the site at one point as both a reader and a writer. And Crossbones sounded like a really interesting book. And while some might turn up their noses at Wattpad or fanfic-turned-books which have become the trend lately, that doesn’t mean they’re bad, and so many authors breaking into the industry in recent years got their start writing fanfic on one of the popular sites.
With that said, I enjoyed this one. The aesthetics immediately conjure Pirates of the Caribbean vibes, and while the influence of that and certain popular YA fantasy titles is evident, Kimberly Vale takes those tropes and makes them her own. The book is briskly paced and consistently engaging. And while a tad predictable, it is still a lot of fun.
Lorelei is definitely the most interesting of the three leads, and I love how, in spite of being somewhat sheltered, she comes to surprise everyone with what she’s capable of. Csilla is also pretty cool; she’s a great kickass heroine with a tough exterior, but big heart. And while I’m not into broody bad boy types, Kane was endearing in his own way, due to the way his own good heart shone through.
I really enjoyed this and am excited to see what Kimberly Vale does next, as I see a lot of potential for both this series and her as a writer in general. If you’re looking for a fun pirate-y book, I recommend this one!
I’ve been interested in the Wattpad Books publishing imprint for a while, as I did dabble in the site at one point as both a reader and a writer. And Crossbones sounded like a really interesting book. And while some might turn up their noses at Wattpad or fanfic-turned-books which have become the trend lately, that doesn’t mean they’re bad, and so many authors breaking into the industry in recent years got their start writing fanfic on one of the popular sites.
With that said, I enjoyed this one. The aesthetics immediately conjure Pirates of the Caribbean vibes, and while the influence of that and certain popular YA fantasy titles is evident, Kimberly Vale takes those tropes and makes them her own. The book is briskly paced and consistently engaging. And while a tad predictable, it is still a lot of fun.
Lorelei is definitely the most interesting of the three leads, and I love how, in spite of being somewhat sheltered, she comes to surprise everyone with what she’s capable of. Csilla is also pretty cool; she’s a great kickass heroine with a tough exterior, but big heart. And while I’m not into broody bad boy types, Kane was endearing in his own way, due to the way his own good heart shone through.
I really enjoyed this and am excited to see what Kimberly Vale does next, as I see a lot of potential for both this series and her as a writer in general. If you’re looking for a fun pirate-y book, I recommend this one!