Crossbones is an interesting book about pirates. I enjoyed the aspect of the book, having the plot follow pirates competing for the Bone crown after the Bong King dies. The writing in crossbones was pretty nice and understandable. Crossbones starts out as a strong book filled with action and ended with just as much. For me, this was a fast-paced read that had helped to get me out of a reading slump. Crossbones also includes multiple perspectives; Csilla, Kane, and Lorelei. I enjoyed reading about the main characters in the book and I found them likable. Their lives are all equally intriguing so I doubt readers would get bored. This book has Action, Adventure, magic, pirates, and more! Plus the cover is just GORGEOUS!

Okay, so when I picked up this book, I wasn't exactly sure how I felt about pirates, but I was game to try it as I love a new YA genre and I adored Pirates of the Caribbean. Well, this fun book didn't disappoint me. It was unexpected, delightful, and the plot was a fun twist on an all ready popular troupe i.e. The Hunger Games.

The characters were super fun, despite the high seas escapades, it was easy to bond with them. I would read the second book!

Thoughts
I've had mixed feelings about pirates in YA books. The first book I featured here at Gateway Reviews was a pirate book, after all, and I rather enjoyed it. More recently, however, I've had some real misses with the pirates. I came into this book hoping that it would give me hope for pirates in YA. Alas, I have been forced to conclude NO MORE PIRATES, PLEASE.

Pros
Hardened Pirates: It's been something of a trend lately to have pirates who aren't, really, pirates. I've even complained about this recently on a different book review, labeling them "sensitive pirates." Sure, they look like pirates. They vaguely do the things that pirates do, but they're not, actually, pirates. They don't pillage and plunder, murder and rape. Here, however, the pirates are, you know, pirates. They kill. They fight. They face the gallows. They don't hold back. Sure, they're not perfectly pirate-y, but they are at least akin to what pirates actually are, at least at the start.

High Seas Adventure: If you like pirating adventures, you'll probably like this book--or at least like some of it. It really does harken to other pirate tales. There are sailing ships crashing through the waves, violent sea battles, powerful goddesses and thievery, port towns, and gallows, even molten lava men. Everything that you could want in your pirate adventure makes it to these pages. It really is a high seas tale.

High Stakes Competition: In addition to being a good high seas adventure, this book also features a high-stakes competition. Though it does take some time to truly dive into this competition, the competition itself does a good job of motivating characters and moving the plot along. The pirate captains must compete for the ultimate honor: the Bone Crown. There are rules and regulations as well as great feats of piracy. You know the deal: it's a goo competition game with valor, honor, wit; earth, fire, and sea.

Cons
Generic Fantasy Names: It hurts me, sometimes, the way other authors name their characters and kingdoms. The pirate kingdom is Cerulia. The worshipers of the earthen gods are the Terrans. Blackwater is the surname of an infamous pirate captain. Every name I encountered was a major "ugh" moment. If going to the trouble of creating a unique fantasy world, it should at least be made unique. I mean, the mortal enemies of the sea-faring nation is Incendia and it's Incendians, for goodness sake!

A Conspiracy of Pirates: I know I said they're hardened pirates. I know I complimented that, and I stand by it--at least in the beginning. But as the book goes on, things begin to fall apart. I mean, they're all working together. The pirates are working together. During the pirating competition, they're not allowed to even kill each other. Pirates aren't allowed to kill. And sure, they've all got rivalries, but those rivalries are just in word, not in action. They're not actually lawless, ruthless pirates. They're more like roughshod nobility of the sea, complete with some weird pirate loyalty.

Poor Pacing: Things are always happening. That's not to say that this book is fast-paced. It isn't. I'm just saying that things don't stop happening. Every chapter will have some sort of action scene immediately. There's no room for setting-up. There's no room for character development. There's no room for plot advancement. It's all consumed by action. Random stuff just happens instead of letting anything slow down. I feel like a developmental editor or two should have been brought on to really find the plot in this one. It just gets buried under all the stuff that's happening.

Rating
⭐⭐⭐
3/10

Those on the lookout for more high-seas pirates after Adalyn Grace's All the Stars and Teeth should check out this new pirate adventure. Those who enjoy pirate tales akin to Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean should dive into this new world of lore and adventuring.

The King of Bones is dead and there will be Trials to decide the next pirate King or Queen. Csilla, Kane and Lorelei are all fighting for the crown, well two of them are and one for vengeance. Who will succeed?

Starting with an almost hanging, this gets you into the pirate spirit right away. Presenting exactly the sort of details to get you excited from the start, with imaginative descriptions that bring forth the world as needed, to 'see' the action and want to know what is happening next. The author sets the right tone for this kind of story, without shackling it (pun intended) with a 'heavy' narrative. Having a great premise and a plot that 'thickens' intelligently, the pace is exactly what is needed.

Containing 3 engaging POVs, each defining its character excellently, the changes between them are steady and flowing. These are characters that you will not only like and want to root for, but it will be nearly impossible for you to pick a favorite.

Giving us witches, legends come to life, curses, treasure hunts and battles, this is as fun as you hope it will be.

As the plot seems to be tying into a bow too neat for this narrative, you cannot help but wish that the hunts for the trials were more complex and some betrayals not so obvious. Though it does lead to an unexpected finale that just feels right.

Crossbones has the spirit of adventure you hope for with a fantastical element that leaves you clamoring for more. Luckily, this is the first of a trilogy.

What a cover to grab your attention right away and the words behind that beautiful cover keep you going until the end. Great first book in the new Kingdom of Bones series and I will be exited when the next one comes out. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC for an honest review.

Loved this so much!! I was hooked from the beginning and ending had me smiling so big.

This is the perfect pirate book. It had adventure, trickery, and everything you expect from pirates. But it also had magic and goddesses and felt so exciting! I really enjoyed the mixture of worlds - regular human world, pirate world, and the unseen world of the goddesses and evil beings.

The characters were enjoyable. I had an a bit of an internal struggle with Csilla. At times I felt like she was really childish and annoying but other times I really liked her. Her sister... not so much. I didn't like her sister from the beginning. Other than that, I liked all the characters. I wish there would have been more background on more of the pirate characters. There was a little bit sprinkled throughout but more would have been fun!

Overall, this was a super fun, race against the clock, type adventure. There were friendships made, lessons learned, backstabbing, and broken hearts. Such a good story if you enjoy pirate books or want to give one a try! Super easy and quick read! Definitely recommend

All my regards to NetGalley and Wattpad Books for providing me with this digital ARC.

I will try to keep this as brief as possible because I don't really have much to say.

I wanted an adventure with pirates and excitement, and I hoped to find that in this book. I didn't have any expectations so I cannot say this was a disappointment. The worldbuilding is good, although lacking so crucial charm. The characters were okay, need a little bit more development but still bearable. The pacing is quite nice for a Wattpad book. The plot was too convenient and predictable but more solid than I had expected.

What I have a problem with, is the romance. I absolutely hate the romance. This is the kind of insta-love I always find in Wattpad books. It was painful to read, and I had to force myself to read the romance.

This book had so much potential, but the predictability made it hard to thoroughly enjoy the book.

This book was not for me, and that's okay. I may not have been the intended audience, as it felt a little too juvenile for me. I prefer twists and turns that I don't see coming, and this book didn't have any of that. The writing also didn't flow as nicely as some books I've read previously, so that's another thing that cost this book some stars.

Thank you Wattpad Books for sending me an eARC via netgalley for an honest review.
3.5/5 stars
I thought this was a good and interesting read. The whole idea of the Trials to choose a new ruler of the pirates was intriguing, and the hints of magic added to the plot. I wish that the Trials had been included more, and that magic had been explored more as well.
The characters were good, but Csilla felt really naive for a pirate captain at times. Her blind love and trust in her sister, while somewhat realistic, felt forced and fake but she didn’t realize it. It was a really frustrating point, and I wish we’d had more moments between the sisters to fully explore the relationship. I also wish that Csilla hadn’t been flip-flopping so much with her emotions in general. Her character growth didn’t feel realistic given the timeframe and the way that things were handed to her to learn.
Lorelei and Kane were good, and I liked the relationship between them. Lorelei was so interesting, and I wished that she’d been explored a little bit more as a character. I really liked Flynn and I wish we’d had more of him.
I found that the pacing was okay, but there were some parts that seemed to move really quickly with little explanation. I think that this could have been fixed with a little bit more worldbuilding.
Overall, it was a good and enjoyable read about pirates, magic, and secrets.

If I had to describe Crossbones by Kimberly Vale in one sentence, I would call it fairly enjoyable but ultimately forgettable. It was okay, the storyline was fine, the characters were meh, and the ending was obvious. I'm pretty lukewarm on it and it's not one that's going to stick with me for long.

<b>The Plot</b>
The king has just died without an heir, leaving the throne open to whichever pirate captain can solve a puzzle and find the crown first, for some reason. All the captains think they have it in the bag but of course various alliances and betrayals upend everything. Not to mention someone who may change the course of history if they find out who they truly are.

<b>The Good</b>
I really liked reading about pirates. I don't think I've read a pirate novel since I was a kid so that was fun. Some of the characters were a positive for me too; Csilla and Rhoda both had fantastic character arcs, even if they were both pretty expected from page 1. Flynn was ok as well. I wouldn't say any of the side characters jumped out at me but they felt varied and numerous enough that the world was believably big.

<b>The Not-So-Good</b>
Lorelei and Kane. Blah. Kane was lame and problematic and I liked Lorelei at first but ended up finding her arc way too predictable to actually enjoy. I ended up just wanting to get back to Csilla during Lorelei or Kane's chapters.

The plot felt so incredibly formulaic. It was like I was reading a super generic example of how to structure a plot. Several times I expected everyone to throw their arms around each other and laugh heartily, followed by a commercial break. It was too much sometimes. The ending was also unbelievably obvious. That's fine, but I suspect this author was going for a twisty, who's gonna get the crown type thing and I guessed <i>exactly</i> what would happen from about chapter two. It was hard not to.

<b>The I'm-Not-Sure-If-it's-Good-or-Bad</b>
It felt like this book was about 75% dialogue. Even during action scenes there was a huge amount of dialogue. I don't know if this was a negative exactly but I thought I'd mention it.

<b>Overall, this wasn't bad,</b> just not really for me. If you don't mind tropey, (and very straight), fantasy, and want to read about pirates doing pirate things then I'd recommend giving it a try.

How cool is it that you start out writing a book on Wattpad, and then it becomes a published book?

When a pirate king dies, the Blood Bell tolls, marking the start of the Trials: a competition for the Bone Crown, the coveted island thrown. Csilla Abado yearns to prove her strength to the seasoned pirates and to her elder sister. She’s willing to risk everything to become the first pirate queen.

For Kane Blackwater, the Trials represent a new beginning, yet rumors of a secret heir are swirling, threatening his hopes of becoming the pirate king. It will give him the chance to get away from the dirty gold and shady trades he’s made to keep his father’s ship, the Iron Jewel, alive.

Lorelei Penny is bent on avenging her mother’s death. So she stows away on the Iron Jewel to get closer to her killer. Instead, she finds herself caught up in the deadly battle of the Trials.

All three are on a mission. However, the sea has other plans—dark tides are rising, and if they’re not careful, they’ll surely drown.

Story

I don’t actually read a lot of pirate books.

Admittedly, I’m not sure why, as I really enjoyed reading Crossbones.

The pace was fast—potentially a little too fast. There was mainly a lot of action, going from obstacle to obstacle without much room to breathe.

The plot was also a bit predictable but still good.

The ending was nice, although not very surprising. I do feel there were a bit one too many “quotable sentences” there on love and friendship. One of two is fine but more than that and it starts to feel fake.

Characters

We follow three different characters: Kane, Lorelei, and Csilla. All three of them have different reasons as to why they’re present at the Trials. They had an interesting dynamic, and I felt the characters were developed well enough.

The only “issue” I was with them is probably Lorelei, who follows a more typical “Chosen One” archetype. She’s the only one with no past experience as a pirate, and yet she survives things that she shouldn’t be able to (I don’t think knowing how to swing a sword is something genetic).

The most interesting relationship was between Csilla and her sister. They have a real bond as sisters and love each other, but there’s also that rivalry and jealousy coming from Csilla’s sister. This created a really intriguing dynamic.

As far as the romance goes, I liked the spark between Kane and Lorelei but wasn’t much of a fan of Csilla and Flynn. I just didn’t really feel it—it felt a bit bland.

Conclusion

So, all in all, to conclude my book review: Crossbones is a great read if you’re looking for a fast-paced standalone pirate novel, that has lots of action and romance, and is an easy read.

There is something awesome about pirate, the sea and a woman in the midst of men. I have always loved trials and this one was super fun. I just think it was written more like a series and so much was missing for this to be a standalone. There wasn't enough time for world-building and things felt too open and unanswered.

When I read the description for this book I was hook. Who doesn’t want to read about pirates and a race for the pirate crown? I thought there was a lot of potential in this story, but I felt like the final project didn’t reach the potential. I know it is young adult and I greatly enjoy young adult, but some moments the plot felt too juvenile. I liked the main characters and there was potential in their relationships, but I felt like the characters and their relationships could have been better developed. I will likely read the next book (and it’s good there will be a sequel as this book did not wrap up everything in my mind) and I hope the series continues to grow not just in volumes but depth. I did like the how different the various pirate ships were and the relationships between the captains was a good start. All together this was not a bad debut with a lot of great ideas.

Definitely one of my favorite books this year!! I have been searching for the perfect pirate book for YEARS, and I think I finally found it.

From the first page I was sucked into this story. We start off with Csilla, one of our main POVs, who is being tried for being a pirate. As the plot progresses we see that there are three main POVs- two being pirate captains and the other a stowaway. We’ve got a pirate king, a rich setting, a unique magic sysytem, lore and trials that the three main POVs must go through if they want to become the next pirate king.

One of my favorite things about this book is that though there is magic and creatures, our story focuses mainly on normal people trying to live in this world. They have to use their skills and their brains to get what they want, and they’ll do anything (even resort to betrayal) to get there.

Y’all this is everything!! I absolutely love Pirates of the Caribbean and I feel like this book gives us all of those vibes. Similar, but definitely different! I loved seriously everything about this and am so happy to have read it! ESPECIALLY the plot twists!! I highly recommend for fantasy readers, especially those who love pirates because this is one of the best pirate books I think I’ve ever read! Definitely a new favorite.

Xx
-Christine

2.5 stars

I think I might be going through some trial fatigue. Seems like it's the most common of tropes these days, and not just in Young Adult fiction. Everything is a competition - a deadly game. In this book, the Bone King has died without an heir. Pirate captains must compete in a trial to win the Bone Crown and become the next king (or queen). You've read this before and you'll read it again.

I didn't completely dislike this story. The plot was entertaining and we jumped from one event to the next. The three POVs were well balanced and easily distinguished. There was never a shortage of action, intrigue, and deception.

But because of the quickness in pace, character development really suffered. What should have been dark and brooding pirates felt like moody teenagers doing some roleplay. 3 teenage captains of their own ships? I hate to use the word "believable" in speculative fiction, but it just felt out of place. Even more out of place were the several bickering couples romances. I didn't particularily enjoy any of these people. Every conversation and every choice was predictable.

I've tried rewriting this review a few times and it always sounds like I hate it. I don't. I think it's a good book for certain people. If you enjoy some of the more common Young Adult books (Six of Crows and The Cruel Prince come to mind), then I actually think this may be a great book for you. It was a well-aimed swing, but it still missed for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and Wattpad for the ARC. This review contains my honest opinions.

Crossbones is about the power of friendship...and betrayal.

Csilla, Kane, and Lorelei each have their reasons for competing in the Trials to claim the Crown of Bones. Ruling over the pirate islands of Cerulia would bring them each newfound power and security, among other things. But darker forces are at play, aiming to drown the competitors in favor of a more ruthless leader.

Each contestant, tied to the sea, to their hopes of taking up the Crown of Bones. But none of them are prepared to face the consequences of their ambition, especially when it comes to their crews and their futures. Who are they willing to trust to achieve their goals? And more importantly, who must they forsake just to live another day?


This book hit almost all the marks for me.

In all honesty, I'm a sucker for pirates. Nautical adventures are some of my favorites, and there's nothing quite like some roguish swashbuckling. Throw in a little magic to spice things up, and I'm bound to be interested! In fact, this is one of the easiest ways to please me. At the end of the day, I have simple needs.

But really, the cherry on top is that this book centers both competition and friendship. Csilla, Kane, and Lorelei are all learning that trust is a valuable thing to have in one another, even as they each have their reasons to hold back. Csilla risks forfeiting her dreams of becoming the first Queen of Bones, while Kane risks losing that newfound friendship with the truth of his past. And Lorelei? She risks her life, time and again, for the secrets surrounding her heritage, secrets that have been kept from her for years.

I absolutely loved watching these characters decide what mattered most to them, and what mattered to the islands of Cerulia. And all this coming from pirates? The sort of scoundrel you should never trust?

It just makes me love it more. I'll take an arc about terrible people doing the right thing any time, thanks!


"Just be careful you don't cross bones too far or they're bound to break."

That said, I do wish Crossbones spent a little more time on those characters. Our POV cast is excellent, with full histories and personalities on the page, but the supporting cast suffers in turn. Characters like Rhoda, Flynn, and Nara (among others) are weak in comparison sometimes, lacking a sense of depth and dimensionality to really bring them to life. I have so many questions about them, most of which I doubt will be answered, and it is a bit frustrating.

Doubly frustrating, too, is that the origins of their friendships with the POV characters are sometimes fuzzy. Sure, we know they almost all grew up as pirates. That much is established with ease. But it's sometimes difficult to see what keeps them together. In Flynn's case, all I see is the reasons Csilla would rather be apart from him. He relies so heavily on jokes that his true intentions fall into obscurity, which makes him seem uncaring, like he's only in the Trials for his own amusement. And as for Nara, my favorite supporting character, I can't fully understand why she and Csilla are friends. There's a basic compatibility that makes sense, and their connection as pirates of the Scarlet Maiden, but what is it that makes her and Csilla close enough to be captain and first mate? That's an incredible, important level of trust to share.

If you're going to give me the power of friendship in a book, you need to be prepared to deliver on all fronts, not just between primary characters.


Anyone who likes Pirates of the Caribbean is probably going to have a good time with this.

After all, it's classic pirate adventuring! A little bit of ocean battling, a little bit of ruthless thievery, a little bit of deadly swordplay... You get the idea. Sprinkle a little magic on top, though, along with a brewing storm of truly divine proportions, and you have the first installment in the Kingdom of Bones trilogy!

Even better, though, is that Crossbones is already out on shelves. It released on October 5th, and it makes a great read for this stage of fall, where summer still lingers but there's still a chill lying ahead. ☠️


CW: violence, gore, loss of a loved one, slavery, smoking, alcoholism, child death mention

[This review will go live on Hail & Well Read at 10am EST on 10/8/21.]

Thank you so much for sending a copy of this my way in exchange for an honest review.

So after waiting until after release to make a through review. I’m really disappointed that I didn’t like this. We follow Csilla which I don’t understand why we wouldn’t spell her name differently as she’s being led to the gallows and from there it literally is the plot to Pirates of the Caribbean At Worlds end but with a female Jack Sparrow. I get this was fanfic and it being published by wattpad was fitting. But why? What was the reason.

Crossbones, by author Kimberly Vale, is the first installment in the authors Kingdom of Bones trilogy. This story revolves around (3) key characters: Csilla Abado, Kane Blackwater, and Lorelei Penny. Captain of the Scarlet Maiden. Young Sister to Rhoda Abado, Csilla yearns to prove her strength to the seasoned pirates who balk at her youth and to her elder sister who has always craved Csilla’s captainship. After being betrayed, and handed over to the hated Incendian Navy who intended to humiliate her, before hanging her, she's saved at the last moment. When the Pirate King dies suddenly, The Bone Crown Trials soon takes place. Csilla will risk everything, including making an alliance with Kane and Lorelei and Flynn Gunnison to become the first pirate queen, no matter the cost.

Dealer. Son. Legacy. Captain of the Iron Jewel. Kane Blackwater is a young man haunted by the shadows of his wrong doings and desperate to prove himself worthy of his father’s ship, the Iron Jewel. The Bone Trials represent a new beginning―yet rumors of a secret heir are swirling, threatening his hopes of becoming the pirate king. He must join an alliance of those who would likely cut his throat rather than join him in working together. Yet, with a darkness rising, and an even deadlier adversary pushing people to do bad things, Kane will need to be on his toes.

Stowaway. Daughter. Storm. Lorelei Penny longs for nothing more than to avenge her mother’s death from a Pirate Captain searching for the Rathborne heir. Stowing away on the Iron Jewel was supposed to get her closer to the killer, but instead she finds herself caught up in the deadly battle where loyalty and desire collide. And, when the truth finally comes out about who she really is, darkness, and danger will test her limits as well as Csilla, and Kane to see who will be the first to open the Bone Chest and wear the Bone Crown.

It's fair to say that Lorelei is probably the most likable character in this book. She's been sheltered by her mother all her life, and not told who she really is. When her mother ends up murdered, she vows revenge, only to get swept up in a deadly game between pirates, and a vengeful villain just itching to break free from his confines. I liked Csilla, but really saw the betrayal coming a mile away. The ending obviously leaves room for the two sequels, so it will be interesting to see how she deals with what happend during the Trials. Kane is a broody, angsty, young man, who wants to prove himself that he can do goo things and make up for the bad things he's done . His relationship with Lorelei obviously needs to be explored to see what happens next.

The pirate king is dead and since there is no heir the window is open for the Trials, a competition made for the Captains of the pirate ships and they will risk everything to get that Bone Crown. Csilla Abado, captain of an all-women crew, eager to show her strength to every pirate she will defy her own limits to be the first Pirate Queen. Kane Blackwater, captain by legacy but had to do very dark things to keep the boat afloat (haha get it) and he feels this is his chance to get a clean state. Lorelai Penny, has always been told to never trust a pirate but after her mother is killed by one this has never been more true, however she has to ally herself with another pirate in order to seek revenge but doesn't know that she will be caught in the middle of a deadly battle.

This book was really entertaining, it had Pirates of the Caribbean vibes. The plot was very fast paced and had a lot of action. I feel like this could be a series because there were so many elements I wanted to know more of, the world building was ok, but I felt like the focus was on the history of the pirates and of the magic elements that came with it that were really great but I still wanted an extra UMPH. I wanted to immerse myself in that world fully but I also needed to understand it, same thing with the characters, I liked them very much, the loyalties, the friendship, the comic relief it was awesome and had a bit of their background but I wanted MORE!. (I'm so greedy, I know) Mrs.Vale are you sure you don't want to make a sequel? Anyways, I enjoyed it, I had fun, it was an easy read, I do recommend it and I would definitely read it again to get out of a slump.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Wattpad Books, and the author for this book in exchange for an honest review! If you are looking for your next pirate read, this is the book for YOU!

Wow, this book was such a great and refreshing read to start off my month of spooky reads. Although this read wasn’t spooky, it contained interesting magic and it was the adventure that I’ve been waiting for! This book started off with such a shocking bang that it hooked me by the very first page. It gave me all the loveable and amazing Pirates of the Caribbean vibes from that shocking beginning, but it still went into a very unique direction that stunned meeeeee. Ugh it was so good and I wish I could read it for the first time again!

The plot was told through multiple perspectives and it told a story of the different pirate captains seeking the same thing.... The Bone Crown. This adventure was cutthroat, jaw dropping, and had me on the edge of my seat the entire read. There was tension between characters, hilarious banter, and just enough romance to keep me entertained and content. The plot also had an air of mystery with the history of this pirate world and some of the characters’ roles in it that kept this plot extremely addicting.

There were so many storylines going on and although I wish the author had stuck to one couple for this first book, I enjoyed all the characters so much! The story switched perspectives between the characters of Csilla Abado, Kane Blackwater, and Lorelei Penny, but I wish the author had also included Flynn’s point of view as well to round out all the others. It just seemed weird that we got Kane’s point of view and not Flynn’s.... I really enjoyed each characters’ story, but I wish we had received more background before the adventure took off. It seemed like the author tried to cram a LOT of information into so much action and character development as well. It was A LOT, but it wasn’t enough to gain the whole story.

Did I mention the characters were awesome because I have to again, especially the badass females of this pirate universe!

Csilla is such a conundrum because she is going through a struggle with loyalty and the urge to be the most badass captain she can be. However, she had such a depth to her character that was truly amazing to read. I also really enjoyed Lorelei because she had such a rocky start, but she came out swinging!

The ending was definitely a shock (not a cliffhanger though so don’t be scared!) and I can’t wait for the next one!