Scan barcode
colorfulleo92's review against another edition
4.0
3.7 stars rounded up. I was on a pirate mood because of the Netflix documentary about pirets and I found this book on my book app. A mystery that revolves around pirates and murder. 1722. Spider John Rush never wanted to be a pirate but the pirate life choosednm him I guess. When he's crew mate and friend is murdered he decides to revenge his death and get to bottom on who did it. A fairly entertaining book, but wasn't over enthusiastic over it, but its series so I will continue on with it and hopefully I'll enjoy it more as I go along
kvltprincess's review against another edition
4.0
This was fun. Had some historical improbabilities but they were explained, and, to be fair, realistic pirates aren't nearly as fun. The ending was a bit abrupt. I'm hoping the author writes more!
usbsticky's review against another edition
4.0
It's been a long time since I read a pirate book and actually this one is not bad. It's simply written, easy to read and follow. At 235 pages I finished it in a couple of days. I thought this book had a lot of potential. I liked the characters, the setting and the swashbuckling. I thought the author did a good job of putting the reader in a pirate ship and the time and technical details were accurately written.
But I didn't really like the story that much. The story really only revolved around one thing, which became clear about 40% into the book and which I thought limited the story. But I liked everything else. I would give this book 3.5 stars which would round up to 4 stars. The way this book is written, there will be a sequel and I would definitely give that sequel a try.
I got this book as a free ARC.
Spoilers: That one thing is this one mysterious object that the Captain possesses. It's supposed to be worth a lot of gold. It's stolen by someone aboard the ship. The course of the story changes when this thing is stolen and it becomes the backdrop of the rest of the book. The story ends after Spider discovers who the thief is but the reveal is done without any suspense. This is much more a pirate book than a "mystery" book.
But I didn't really like the story that much. The story really only revolved around one thing, which became clear about 40% into the book and which I thought limited the story. But I liked everything else. I would give this book 3.5 stars which would round up to 4 stars. The way this book is written, there will be a sequel and I would definitely give that sequel a try.
I got this book as a free ARC.
Spoilers: That one thing is this one mysterious object that the Captain possesses. It's supposed to be worth a lot of gold. It's stolen by someone aboard the ship. The course of the story changes when this thing is stolen and it becomes the backdrop of the rest of the book. The story ends after Spider discovers who the thief is but the reveal is done without any suspense. This is much more a pirate book than a "mystery" book.
devlinwav's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
graywild's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Pirate tale with a mystery of a murder. There was alot of pirate action on the high seas along with Spider John trying to solve the murder of a friend. More of a vacation/beach read. Entertaining but not a fan of murder mystery books that are not really giving enough clues to figure it out. All worked out in the end.
mirificmoxie's review against another edition
3.0
3 Stars
*Ahoy to all ye murder-loving pirates*
The Bloody Black Flag caught my attention because it combines too things I love: pirates and murder mysteries. I was intrigued by the idea of this variation of the classic locked room mystery setup.
The story followed one Spider John whose unfortunate past landed him on the pirate ship Plymouth Dream. Shortly thereafter, Spider’s only friend Ezra got murdered and Spider was determined to bring the killer to justice.
Although I loved the setting and premise of the story, I had a hard time connecting with the story. The main character never quite clicked with me. So although I was interested in finding out who committed the murder, it was more of a vague curiosity than any burning need to solve the mystery. Hence why it took me so long to finish a short novella.
There was another subplot in the story involving intrigue and general pirating activities. That did help liven up the story, but I think it could have used even more swashbuckling. I will add that these are not sanitized, cutesy pirates. The story certainly does not gloss over the less-than-romantic realities of pirating. Hell, if you’ve ever smelled a boys’ locker-room, imagine how bad a bunch of men confined in a small space at sea for months smell! The reality is far from sexy.
The Bloody Black Flag was satisfying enough while clearly building for the sequel. I enjoyed the story well enough and think it shows promise for a debut. But I am not yet certain whether or not I will continue on with the series.
RATING FACTORS:
Ease of Reading: 3 Stars
Writing Style: 3 Stars
Characters and Character Development: 3 Stars
Plot Structure and Development: 3 Stars
Level of Captivation: 3 Stars
Originality: 3 Stars
*Ahoy to all ye murder-loving pirates*
The Bloody Black Flag caught my attention because it combines too things I love: pirates and murder mysteries. I was intrigued by the idea of this variation of the classic locked room mystery setup.
The story followed one Spider John whose unfortunate past landed him on the pirate ship Plymouth Dream. Shortly thereafter, Spider’s only friend Ezra got murdered and Spider was determined to bring the killer to justice.
Although I loved the setting and premise of the story, I had a hard time connecting with the story. The main character never quite clicked with me. So although I was interested in finding out who committed the murder, it was more of a vague curiosity than any burning need to solve the mystery. Hence why it took me so long to finish a short novella.
There was another subplot in the story involving intrigue and general pirating activities. That did help liven up the story, but I think it could have used even more swashbuckling. I will add that these are not sanitized, cutesy pirates. The story certainly does not gloss over the less-than-romantic realities of pirating. Hell, if you’ve ever smelled a boys’ locker-room, imagine how bad a bunch of men confined in a small space at sea for months smell! The reality is far from sexy.
The Bloody Black Flag was satisfying enough while clearly building for the sequel. I enjoyed the story well enough and think it shows promise for a debut. But I am not yet certain whether or not I will continue on with the series.
RATING FACTORS:
Ease of Reading: 3 Stars
Writing Style: 3 Stars
Characters and Character Development: 3 Stars
Plot Structure and Development: 3 Stars
Level of Captivation: 3 Stars
Originality: 3 Stars
jessicamap's review against another edition
4.0
Thanks to Prometheus and Seventh Street Books for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!
Historical fiction and it's about pirates? Count me in! THE BLOODY BLACK FLAG by Steve Goble is set in the 1700's aboard a pirate ship trying to solve a murder. Spider John Rush and his friend Ezra both knew living the lives of pirates was a risk and that they could be facing death at any moment. However, when Ezra is found dead. The crew shrugs it off as a drinking accident, but Spider John think he was murdered. Rush is on the case and he vows to seek revenge for his friend's death.
This had a good history of pirates within it's pages. I've always enjoyed pirates, whether it's in stories, movies, or in history. Goble does a great job setting the scene and painting a picture for the readers. The life of a pirate is a dangerous one! I loved how it was a unique setting and that the murder mystery was being solved on the ship. For it being a shorter novel (around 250 pages) there was enough packed into the story without getting too chaotic and it didn't leave things unanswered. With shorter novels that can be difficult at times.
Overall, if you like pirates and historical fiction, with a dash of murder thrown in, then you'll want to pick this one up!
I give this one 3.5/5 stars!
Historical fiction and it's about pirates? Count me in! THE BLOODY BLACK FLAG by Steve Goble is set in the 1700's aboard a pirate ship trying to solve a murder. Spider John Rush and his friend Ezra both knew living the lives of pirates was a risk and that they could be facing death at any moment. However, when Ezra is found dead. The crew shrugs it off as a drinking accident, but Spider John think he was murdered. Rush is on the case and he vows to seek revenge for his friend's death.
This had a good history of pirates within it's pages. I've always enjoyed pirates, whether it's in stories, movies, or in history. Goble does a great job setting the scene and painting a picture for the readers. The life of a pirate is a dangerous one! I loved how it was a unique setting and that the murder mystery was being solved on the ship. For it being a shorter novel (around 250 pages) there was enough packed into the story without getting too chaotic and it didn't leave things unanswered. With shorter novels that can be difficult at times.
Overall, if you like pirates and historical fiction, with a dash of murder thrown in, then you'll want to pick this one up!
I give this one 3.5/5 stars!
amelia86's review
4.0
A mystery series set in the world of 18th century piracy...yes, please! I liked the world building and descriptions of life on the outlaw seas. The rich, historical detail of a pirate ship and crew made this a unique and engaging read. Hopefully, Spider is reunited with Hob and the surviving Red Viper's crew in the next book. I'm certainly looking forward to it!
If anyone has suggested read alikes (I've read Patrick O'Brian) for this book, I'd love to hear about them.
If anyone has suggested read alikes (I've read Patrick O'Brian) for this book, I'd love to hear about them.
karingforbooks's review
3.0
Not a bad book. More about the murder than about the piracy, which I thought would play a larger part. So that was disappointing. And I wasn't attached to Ezra, so Spider's vengeance seemed overblown to me. It was also just really short, and I think there could have been more. However, I liked the personalities that developed and that I was never sure about who had actually killed Ezra. I also liked the nautical setting.
More...