Actual Rating 3.5

The Xoconai have been waging a war against far lands, especially lands where they discover gold. But transporting this gold back to their empire requires braving the seas which are full of natural dangers, enemy ships, and buccaneers. In these tumultuous times, sailors find themselves making strange alliances and those who thought they were fighting for the greater good may begin to question their beliefs.

I know Salvatore is a big fantasy name and prolific author, but this is actually my first time reading something he’s written. I did wonder how many references were present in this book to places and characters he’s included in previous works, but unfortunately I had no way of knowing (other than a quick note in the blurb that mentions the world of the DemonWars saga).

This work is the beginning of a new trilogy but wraps up neatly enough to be satisfying on its own. The characters were excellently written. I found myself cheering for most of them, even when their goals were misaligned. While there were plenty of characters, they had unique voices and development, making it easy to keep them separate. I also enjoyed how varied their backgrounds were, as it allowed the author to include a great deal of information about the various cultures and traditions of the peoples. The worldbuilding was also phenomenal, and there were interesting uses of magic/fantasy tech that were unique and added much to the story.

Something that stood out to me was just how many exclamation points were used in the exposition. This is a bit of a pet peeve of mine, and especially towards the end of the book, they were drastically overused. Aside from that nitpick, the writing style was approachable and made for an easy and engaging read. The work did begin with some interludes between chapters that provided some background on the larger conflict without feeling entirely relevant to the plot. These didn’t add much to the story but didn’t detract much either.

If you enjoy epic fantasy with sea adventures and bands of misfits, then this is a must read. I’ll definitely be reading more from this author as soon as I figure out which of his 50+ books is the right place to start). Many thanks to NetGalley and Saga Press for allowing me to read this work, which will be published April 16, 2024. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Interesting to see the results of events from another view, was a little slow to begin with, building the background and fleshing out new characters, but great story with great characters. Worth the wait. Great story, with characters you love and want to succeed, unexpected relationships and alliances make it fun to follow as they work their way through life. Can’t wait for the next one. Fun new series in a familiar (sort of) world.. Pirates, evil captains

Pinquickle’s Folly by R. A. Salvatore is a high fantasy novel abounding in treasure hunting collusion and swashbuckling adventure on perilous high seas---all the things you could ever wish for in a nautical pirate tale!

Right away the reader is introduced to some colorful and memorable characters: Quauh is a naturally gifted sailor who enlists in the Xoconai Navy, Massayo is an inventor and businessman who had everything taken away from him, and lastly, we have the prowrie, Benny McBenoyt, who is a talented helmsman with a steadfast grip on his own survival. These characters will unite to battle a collective enemy of the Xoconai Empire, effectively establishing themselves as a fearsome crew of “buccaneers” along the way.

Quauh, whom I would consider to be the main character, has the most development in the story. Even though she was conditioned from a young age to believe other beings are inferior sidhe (meaning less than human), she doesn’t continue to cling to those prejudicial beliefs when those around her demonstrate the error of her ways. I appreciate her ability to evolve and change her initially restrictive worldview—nothing is more frustrating than seeing a character repeat the same predictable path and refuse to change. Massayo is the refined and mysterious first mate of Captain Wilkie Dogears on the ship Port Mandu. His dream is to eventually become captain of Port Mandu’s sister ship. Massayo is ambitious yet loyal, which is apparent during exchanges between the Captain and himself. I got the sense that there could be potential romance between Massayo and Quauh, which I liked because it could create a possible opportunity to overcome existing social issues originating from cultural animosity between their peoples. You also get to know Benny McBenoyt the least, yet he does play an important role in pushing the main characters forward in the story. He is a prowrie (which is another term for dwarf in this universe) with a streak for surviving the most unlikely of situations and making his own luck. Despite his murderous enthusiasm, he seems to develop a soft spot for Quauh as she struggles to survive against increasingly insurmountable odds, which sort of endears him to the reader. Their stories are woven together through happenstance and misfortune during each character’s seafaring travels, and I enjoyed reading how they eventually intersect with one another—creating a logical and intriguing culmination of multiple viewpoints. Even if you haven’t read the other novels also set in the realm of Corona, this one is a good place to dive in at because Salvatore did a wonderful job explaining pertinent details without subtracting from the fluidity of the book.

From exciting ship battles to dangerous storms, these "buccaneers” are willing to murder and plunder their way to the top. Determined to become notorious pirates of their own ship, nothing and nobody will get in their way. So read their tale, if you dare…but remember, dead men tell no tales….

This book was such an exhilarating read! I recommend this book, especially to existing R.A Salvatore fans! He undeniably delivered yet another phenomenal fantasy book, and I cannot wait to see how this story continues in the next book. I will be on the lookout for his next addition to the series. Happy reading---or should I say, happy sailing?!

Thank you so much Net Galley and Saga Press for the ARC and the opportunity to share what I think! All opinions are my own. I have posted my review to both my Goodreads account and my Facebook group page (The Book Banquet). I will be posting the review to retail sites on April 16th, the day of publication.

This was a fun pirate adventure! Perfect for fans of BLACK SAILS and OUR FLAG MEANS DEATH, this book combines humor, adventure, and a lovable cast of characters. At times I wish we were given a little more interiority into the characters' heads as it felt like we were held at arms length from the narrative, but overall it was a great start to a promising series.

I realize after reading another book and this one that I like pirates. However, the terminology took away from the story and it was hard to follow. Also, with the title, Pinq dies. Not sure how that will work with the rest of the series.

I received this ARC on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I don't know if maybe I needed to read R.A. Salvatore's other original series to understand what was happening but this book was really not for me. The world building was strange and stilted. I couldn't keep track of who and what and when. None of the characters grabbed me. None of the cultures really made sense to me. I just didn't have the high fantasy pirate adventure I was expecting. It was also a lot of telling instead of showing. I felt almost like it was reading a non fiction book about a place that doesn't exist. Overall I was disappointed, especially because I loved the Drizzt Do'Urden books as a teenager.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book!

I've never read any R. A. Salvatore, but I had head of them as a prolific fantasy writer and was interested in giving them a try. Unfortunately, I don't think this is for me. Since this was a new trilogy, it seemed like it would be an okay place to dive in, but I found myself quickly overwhelmed with the terminology. The start of the book is fairly exposition heavy, but I felt like I didn't have the context for the exposition to stick to, so I struggled to make sense of it. The writing style to me also feels a little more fable-like and removed rather than getting deeply into character's thoughts, and the dialog is similarly more folk-tale like rather than sounding like modern speech. I think this book would be better suited to someone who is more familiar with R. A. Salvatore's work and enjoys high fantasy with intricate names and world-building. I think the adventure is there and this would be a good time for the right kind of reader.

I am giddy with excitement to be able to review an advance copy of an R.A. Salvatore novel. His character Drizzt Do’urden was a constant companion of mine in my teens. I adore so, so many of Salvatore’s books. I also own The Cleric Quintet and the Spearwielder’s Tale trilogy, and I snap up Forgotten Realms paperbacks whenever I come across them. Did I get my point across that I’m a huge fan? Good.

Now, onto Pinquickle’s Folly. This is a different world than I am used to, but it is a very intriguing one, and I am certainly richer in my knowledge of nautical terms. The amount of research that must have gone into this is quite impressive. The characters are fleshed out nicely, and Salvatore never disappoints with his ability to paint a vivid picture of what the people and their surroundings look like. There are many references to racism and slavery, and heavy influences from pre-Columbian Latin America and the Pacific Islands. The Xocanai are quick to dismiss entire races of people as “sidhe”, “goblins” and “monsters”. It’s rewarding to see that those attitudes can change, both in this novel and in real life.

My extreme thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster/Saga Press for this ARC! I look forward to reading more stories set in this world!

I was so excited when I received this book, I love this author so much!! And I love being back in this world! I will definitely be buying a physical copy when it is released in April next year.

This book takes place in the same world as Salvatore’s The Coven trilogy and I was instantly hooked by the continuation of this world. The characters seemed really well thought out and the description of the battles were so detailed. I would absolutely recommend reading this! I can’t wait for the second book!
There are so many Easter eggs for The Coven trilogy that I would personally recommend reading them first, but you don’t have to this book does explain all you really need, but I feel like read the first trilogy would help build more of an understanding. This was easily a 5* read for me!

Thank you to NetGalley and Saga Press for providing me with an E-ARC of this book.

Salvatore excels at two things, world building and character creation. In Pinquickle's Folly, we get to see him do what he does best. In an imperfect world, one where the darkhearted seem to have the most power and the very systems of culture a d governance always seem a tad ahead, what is a young girl to do when she is poisoned with hate from every source?
No, she's not drow. This isn't even in the Forgotten Realms. She's what the locals call a goldfish. With the gold skin of the Xocanai (which I read as ZO-CAN-EYE), a name Quoah (which we are told is pronounced CooAh) and a rare gift to hear the sea, she is taught the racial arrogance of her people by her favorite grandfather in what promises to be their last meeting, before she begins her military career as a first mate and future captain in the far away, dangerous ocean teaming with Sidhe, the less than human, goblins, that look human, sound human and, as she soon realizes, are often far more human than her own people.

Quoah finds herself at odds with her own and finds succor by none other than a bloody redcap, Powered Dwarf as they are both conscripted to buccaneers (often called pirates) one known for being polite. Another, a former captive of her people whose business was stolen from him by the same people who forced him to work as a slave in the mines. Driven to the brink, he found an escape and rebuilt his life on the sea.

Together, with a strong human local, an expert archer who nearly flies with her twin loads tone crystals and her four friendly, if greedy, powerie crewmates, Quoah must decide to rebuild her life with these sidehe or find a way home.

Salvatore plays on the various perspectives of cultural bias, weaving modern issues into this fantasy so seamlessly you hardly notice until you are well and truly hooked. Or perhaps some themes are so universal they just naturally fit in worlds both real and fantastic. Whichever the case, I find myself eagerly awaiting Buccanneer II: The Fat Cat. . . Or whatever he's going to title it.

Netgalley, what a privilege it is to be able to review a new book by a legend of D'rizzit D'ourden fame!

The title is a little confusing, after having read the story, but from the description of the book, you get exactly what you signed on for: Swashbuckling in a world dominated by elves, dwarves and other unique characters from a great mind.

The story is pretty straight forward, yet fun because it was fast paced and wound through a lot of high seas style adventure.

The story was light on the magic side, which while only disappointing because I really enjoy it, worked for me. It worked because the story felt more solid without so much, it wasn't the true focus. Consequently, neither was pinquickle since that part of the arc wraps itself of rather quickly...(you'll see.)

Great book overall. 7/10

Rating: 4.6/5

Review: Not sure why this novel is titled in such a way. Pinq is there briefly in the story line and dies shortly after. He has no relevance to the story line. And how is it folly if they captured their prize? The cover art is pretty bad. Benny is wearing a red jive hat, has no spindly appendages and Quauh is well, yeah.

Anyway, this was a really good novel. Constant swashes being buckled, and multiple quests set upon strange lands. The beings are varied but do not stray too far from our collective paradigm. You know, dwarves and such. The magic is limiting which makes this more believable/palatable. The characters are engaging if not resolute under the strains of living in a harsh world.

Bravo.