Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately, this novel failed to meet my expectations. There's a shortage of fictional books about piracy, and fewer still are well written. It pains me to say that this novel is neither well written, nor historically accurate. While I acknowledge thst the author has released several public statements since, in light of criticism, citing that she took heavy artistic liberties with Anne Bonny, it doesn't make the synopsis any less misleading.

A little research would've gone a long way into turning this into a solid and enjoyable read. Instead, it's a hackneyed book about an original character bearing Anne's name, and none of her ferocity or grit.

First of all a big thank you to the author, Netgalley and the publishers for sending me a copy of this book to read and review.

This is the story of Ann Bonny, kick ass lady pirate who doesn’t take any shit. She’s a great shot and she pretends to be a man so that she can live a life of piracy. This has a great storyline and plot. Our MC is so relatable, she has flaws, she’s brave and she’s often wrong but this just makes her all the more likeable.

This is a fun read and while not an especially realistic portrayal of piracy or of Anne Bonny specifically, I’m not sure that it needed to be, particularly as the author has been pretty transparent about where she took significant liberties with the story.

Most of the real stories about Anne Bonny are likely apocryphal, so there’s plenty of room to dream up a clever path for her, and Caddy does a lovely job of that.

There was more romance to the story than I needed, but that took a backseat to what is a terrifically fun, swashbuckler of an adventure novel.

This was not a book for me. I was not a fan of the characters or the plot. I think this just a case of my type of book.

I started reading author's new release, [book:Slipping the Noose|59784457], but I felt that I jumped straight into the middle of a story. So, I checked Goodreads and it's noted <b>at the bottom (!) of the book description</b> that it's the sequel of <i>Devil's Ballast</i> which I then realised I've yet to read! Felt totally terrible and hurriedly read through this novel.

Enjoyable as most of the read was, I didn't quite love it. I guess I just expected something different so I was a little bit disappointed. It's probably my own fault though as I'm notorious when it comes to not paying <i>enough</i> attention to the book description and only decided on a glance that it might be something I like. For this book, it was on the basis of pirate, girl dressed as boy, adventure and romance. However, it was a little bit more sad and less adventure & romance so I'm not real keen on this story... probably not the right timing either.

<i>My thanks to Text Publishing for this paperback copy of book in exchange of my honest thoughts</i>

Devil's Ballast by Meg Caddy though a fiction book is actually based off of a few real people! Pirates, Pirates and more Pirates are the name of the game in this one. When you start off a sail with a fight you know it's going to be a good book! Bonney is the main character and a strong headed character at that! Knowing her secret of being a female on the boat is a very fun one to have. The only thing I can say is that I loved this book just a little too much! I read it way too fast, I turned around and it was done! I miss the world already along with the amazing character that Caddy made! Knowing that this is slightly based off real life is amazing and keeps me coming back to her books!

Read the first few chapters and really couldn’t get into the writing style. The story seemed to be interesting in itself however I was struggling to stick with it

Unfortunately, this was a miss for me. It's a YA pirate story. I was really excited but didn't enjoy it as much as I wanted to.
<i>Thanks to NetGalley for the review copy</i>

I did not finish - I have tried reading this book on multiple occasions and just could not get into it.

I had never heard of Anne Bonny before picking up this book, I had assumed it was a novel about pirates, rather than a novel based on a specific pirate. That being said, this meant that the novel fell more into my preferred genre than I first thought.

I could not put this down. The author is very talented at pulling the reader into the story, and immersing you in Anne’s world. I loved that it wasn’t an instant reveal who Bonny was either, and the same with Read.

I felt like, as a reader, you really get to know and understand Anne. And you can’t help but root for her even when she’s murdering people. She was interesting and multi faceted, and a heroine you could relate to.

I also enjoyed the split narrative. Hearing the side of Barnet added another layer to this novel - seeing how their paths intertwined and almost the cat and mouse chase. I felt that both of the central characters were written so well. The supporting characters less so, but then there were so many of them I think it could have easily taken over the novel.

My only real issue with this novel was that it was too short. It was such a good read but it was over so quickly (or maybe I read too fast). I would love to see a sequel, to find out what adventures Anne and Calico have as they start building their fleet.

"I secured our own flag. A black field; a skull above two crossed cutlasses. It snapped out in the wind. Beneath the sound of the waves and the wind, I heard a ragged cheer from our own crew. I grinned, breathless, and leaned against the mast. From where I perched I could see crow's nests and sails jutting out over the ridge of land. Then we rounded the point and Port Royal came into view. Everyone there would see our flag and know who we were. Calico would be furious. Didn't matter. I wanted everyone to know. We were the crew of the Ranger. We were Calico Jack's people.
I wanted the whole damned ocean to be afraid."

Sometimes when you miss Black Sails and all its characters, the only thing to do is to find a book that will make you forget that you've been living without them for four years.

Devil's Ballast by Meg Caddy was one of the most perfect historical fictions about pirates I ever read. It is evident from the very beginning that she heavily researched the material to write such a fast-paced and an excellent read. The story follows Anne Bonny, a historical figure, a pirate who lived during the Golden Age of Piracy. There are still so many things we don't know about her life, but Caddy fills these gaps with a story that is believable and entertaining. LGBTQ+ themes are handled incredibly well, and the entire cast is as diverse as possible, and that's why the world-building makes complete sense to me.

Caddy's Anne Bonny is unbreakable, uncompromising, resilient, and a true icon. I loved every single page, and while all her characters are worthy of my love, her Anne will always a special place in my heart. Good God, what an incredible woman!

Devil's Ballast is a thrilling adventure story which fictionalises the real-life 18ty century pirate Anne Bonny. It is well written, clearly meticulously researched, and the characters are brought to life in a realistic and compelling way. The story doesn’t shy away from the violence of piracy, nor does glorify many of the choices made by the characters. However, it explores a myriad of motivations for each of the characters, creating a complex and engaging story.

I would say that while the romance Anne has with Calico Jack is a nice thread through the story, and made for a satisfying conclusion. I thought that her friendship with Martin Read is what really made her shine as a character. Caddy did an excellent job of representation within the realities of the historical period. Overall an enjoyable, if a little stressful, reading experience.

Perfect for fans of the movies "Cutthroat Island" with Geena Davis and "Pirates of the Caribbean" (without the magical aspects)!
In short: If you like all things pirate and kick-ass women, you will like this.

This is the true story of one of the most notorious female pirates and it was so much fun to read .
I particularly enjoyed the take on women at sea at the time (having to conceal their gender) as well as the diverse themes later on in the book.
The swashbuckling adventures are written very well and I loved the setting of the Caribbeans.
The only thing that I would have to critique is that I wasn´t very invested in the love story because it was established before the book begins and so I felt like I missed part of the story. I would have loved to have been there a bit earlier in the story just to have all the feelings.

But I can def. recommend!

Anne Bonny is a woman, disguised as a man aboard the pirate ship, Ranger. Fleeing her abusive husband, into the arms and bed of the Rangers Captain, Calico Jack Rackham. Bonny works hard to keep her secret from the rest of the crew while pirating around the Caribbean.

Captain Barnet hunts pirates. His hatred of them is obsessively manic. When Bonny’s husband offers Captain Barnet an additional commission to return his wife, Barnet is all too happy to agree.

When Bonny realises she is pregnant, she urges Calico to take them to his friends who have tried and failed to conceive a child of their own and then return for her six months later. Calico agrees but when they arrive, Captain Barnet is there.

Bonny ends up separated from the crew and a prisoner on Barnet’s ship. She will be tried for piracy, and then either dance at the end of a rope or be returned to her husband, to punish however he sees fit.

I enjoyed this book. It was easy to read and brilliantly paced. I can’t say too much without spoilers, but the author has clearly worked hard to respectfully and sensitively represent a mixed cast of characters that include race, sexuality and gender.

However, with such a strong female lead, I am disappointed that the story would not pass the Bechdel Test. I would have liked Bonny to have been more well rounded as an individual without such emotional dependence on a man.

I did have a real fondness for Bonnys relationship with Reed and the development of their connection. There are lots of twists and turns and leading of the reader astray in this relationship and it’s just written so very well!

Devil’s Ballast is based on the true story of Anne Bonny.

I adore all things pirate, so I was excited to start this one. It started a little slow, and I almost wrote Anne Bonny (and the book) off as selfish and overly dramatic. I was wrong, and I'm glad I kept reading because the book shortly hooked me and never let me go, reminding me of all of the things I love about pirate books.

The best part of this book hands down was Martin Read. I LOVE how the author chose to make Mary Read a trans man, and I love his quiet dignity and sense of honor, and the friendship that developed between him and Bonny. I would have loved to see more of Bonny and Read ruling the seas, and I hope we get a sequel where they do just that.

Another thing I really liked is how at the beginning Calico Jack is the one clearly in charge, and Bonny seems to be a young girl mooning after him. By the end, it's Calico Jack who is beaten and weak, and Bonny who rescues him and the remainder of his crew.

When I saw that that is was a historical fiction book about Anne Bonny I couldn't wait to read this because I love all things pirates. But for some reason I couldn't get into the book. I think that it probably because it was YA and i've noticed here lately that YA books I have been becoming hit or miss for me. But I do think that teens who enjoy YA Historical fiction and pirate stories will love this book.

If you love Keira Knightly's character in Pirates of the Caribbean then you would most definitely enjoy this book. What's even better - Anne Bonny was a real person and she is fierce, sometimes recklessly so. Anne's situation still echoes in varying degrees in the women of today. More so for Read, I wasn't expecting this book to touch on LGBTQ issues but it's more realistically approached.

In Devil's Ballast, you can tell how much research the author had done - especially into ships, sailing, and general locations. Between her descriptions and movies, I have seen imagining the environments Anne found herself in was easy.

I loved this portrayal of Anne, she knew what she wanted, she went for it and consequences be damned. Her spirit is what kept her alive through everything she endured during this book. Even the strongest people have doubts and fears and Anne isn't a character that shies from the full spectrum of her feelings. Even though Calico Jack is more infamous he took a back seat in Devil's Ballast. I wasn't fully expecting Read's character to play out as it did but he made a lot more sense after his twist. All of the characters in this book were easy to connect with as they are very human. The only one I struggled with was Captain Barnet - his back story didn't quite feel like enough to make him such a pirate hunting zealot but that too is human. Who is to say what could push a person towards that extreme? I've seen it happen with less trauma.

I would highly recommend reading this book to readers who enjoy Pirates of the Caribbean, pirates, historical fiction, strong female protagonists, and nautical novels. A big thank you to NetGalley and Text Publishing for the opportunity to read Devil's Ballast as a digital ARC - all opinions are my own.

I really liked this book! It was very hard with all the old words and pirate things as English is my second language. But I enjoyed it very much

Anne Bonny is a pirate we can all admire.

The only thing that bothered me Wass that I needed to read from Barnet's point of view. That's why I gave this book only four stars. But I would totally buy it and I will say some words about this for some Hungarian publishers :DD

Liked this book a lot!
Anne Bonny is one my favorite historical character so I felt immediately intrigue for the premise of this novel. It didn't disappoint me. The plot was nicely executed and I got attached to the characters immediately. Just would have wanted a few more pages but anyways is a solid story.

Thanks to netgalley and Text Publishing for providing me this digital ARC.