Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review of The Ballad of Jacquotte Delahaye. Unfortunately I did not get to this before it was archived. I'm looking forward to checking it out at my local library or independent bookstore!

While there were many things that drew me to this book (Black lady pirate, sapphic romance sub-plot, Caribbean pirate history), it unfortunately did not live up to its promise for me, for several reasons.

First is that it has a very slow start. The plot doesn't really get rolling until nearly 25%, with the entire first section occurring before Jacquotte ever encounters the dreaded pirate Blackhand. I was frankly, bored, right out of the gate which meant that the rest of the book had to fight an uphill battle to keep me interested.

The violence and fights and injuries all felt...flat? spoon-fed? in ways that significantly reduced the stakes for me. Jacquotte takes to pirate life easily (great!), but she also is immediately *good* at being a pirate. There doesn't seem to be any learning curve for her. Horrible injuries don't seem to meaningfully affect the characters, Jacquotte in particular. So many of the fights/stand-offs *feel* too easily won and/or too quickly over. It's weird how easy so much of this book felt, despite all the blood and violence.

Moreover, the obvious modern sensibility and moralizing sanitizes the book and significantly reduces the impact of the "how easy it is to become what you hate" theme. I'm no stranger to historical fiction that is obviously written with modern values in mind, so that, on its own, is not necessarily a criticism. Despite the violence she inflicts, Jacquotte is always Good, according to our modern sensibilities, and other characters are always Bad. (Not to mention how utterly uninvested I felt in Jacquotte and Teresa's love story - character/relationship is not a strength of this book.)

Overall, for a pirate adventure story, I found this book quite boring. If I want to read a badass lady pirate book, I'd much prefer Rita Chang-Eppig's Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea.

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for an eARC of this book.

Okay, I LOVED THIS! The plot, storyline, details, all of it. The world-building was perfect: not too slow and overdone. I'm here for anything and everything that Briony Cameron decided to put out next. A new auto-buy author for me!

Based on real events, this book follows one of the few woman pirate captains in the Caribbean’s history- both in her rise to power and her romantic life.

In the best way possible, this reads like an action movie. Gruesome battles, the romance of piracy, the grim realities of history, along with a romantic subplot… it’s a page turner.

That said, I do wish that the pacing would have slowed in places for greater emotional impact. This would’ve been an easy five stars if the author had just slowed down and let us feel. There were deaths- some more sad than others-, plot twists, betrayals, and a slowish burn forbidden romance. But the full impact of these were never felt because we were being rushed on to the next plot point.

Jacquotte is a powerhouse character but I feel like she never gets to process what happens to her, at any point.

Other aspects of the book that I appreciated:
* Disability rep: Marceau, Jacquotte’s brother, has a physical disability (not explicitly named) that requires him to use a cane. Jacquotte becomes physically disabled during the events of the book: she develops partial paralysis in one limb and undergoes more than one amputation.
* The found family trope!!! Jacquotte starts the book with a found family but seeing it grow through the book is incredibly heartwarming.
* I just need another line to mention how incredibly badass Jacquotte is.
* While we have this incredibly badass character rising to power and the inescapable romanticization of piracy, historical realities as still confronted. Slavery is a huge plot point in this book, as is the mistreatment of women, and the intersection of both.
* I love that we actually get the forgiveness part of Jacquotte’s mistakes and fall out. The epilogue was so necessary to close out the story properly.

Let me just say, as much as I love this book right now, I know that teenage me would’ve ate this UP. It would’ve been their entire personality. Still, I’m obsessed with this book and highly recommend.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was great! This book sounded like something right up my alley- the epic adventure of a Black, queer, and badass female pirate from Santo Domingo (present-day Haiti) which is also based on a true story- and it delivered!

Jacquotte was a lovable heroine, and I liked how we see her evolution from an educated "nobody" shipbuilder, to a lowly shipmate, and eventually captain of her own pirate ship. She was fearless and I loved following along to see what wild idea she would have next. I also adored her relationships with her found family, who all became the crew of her ship. Their camaraderie was giving me all the warm fuzzies like Becky Chambers' books do, so if you like to read about loving, funny, and accepting friendships then you would probably like this.

I liked how this book was structured into the three phases of Jacquotte's life, and I learned a lot about the history of Haiti due to this book, because the catalysts for most of the conflicts are based on actual historical events. Due to all the action, I would say this is definitely an adventure book (which I always love!), with the added combo of history lessons and a bit of queer romance. Jacquotte's relationship with Teresa was sweet, but it was definitely not the focus of this story as her adventures took center stage.

I am actually not a big fan of historical fiction usually, but it seems that the key for me is to just read about the badass or queer women in history (similarly, just finished and loved Isola by Allegra Goodman, based on a true story of a woman surviving alone in the wilderness after being marooned on an island)! If you are generally more into historical fiction, you might love this even more than I did!

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5/5

This was a fun, compelling debut exploring a biracial female pirate who seizes the chance take over a ship by staging mutiny.

It explores themes of race, gender, friendship, and coming into your own in compelling ways, though perhaps with less interest in realism of its time period.

Nevertheless, it's still a entertaining read and if a highs seas adventure with some unique themes is something you're interested in, I'd recommend picking this up.

I have seen people rave about this book and I was a little skeptical to read it because I find people nowadays are very liberal with good reviews for books 😅. I was pleasantly surprised! This book flows well, takes you on an adventure and it was a major plus to have a Black protagonist who is a bad ass.

I’d definitely recommend this book!

The Ballad of Jacquotte Delahaye is a crash-bang, swashbuckler of a story. Ships battling on the high seas of the Caribbean, pirates mercilessly cutting down mercenaries, and treasure gotten by all bloody means. Jacquotte is the daughter of an exiled French nobleman and a free black woman who died during childbirth. She’s educated, smart, and fierce but as an adult, she’s seen as a threat to the local leaders which is why she runs for her life and joins a crew of cutthroat pirates. The author states that the book is based on oral tales of a red-headed, black female pirate, who may or may not have truly existed. I feel like she probably was a real person and that’s how I read the book.

4.5⭐
I was a bit nervous to start this, because my mental health is ✨bad✨ atm and the prologue was pretty bleak and depressing. But! I actually loved this! There’s a lot of heavy subject matters you would expect from the setting (1600’s colonialism, slavery, and piracy), but Jacquotte captured my whole heart. Found family queer pirates is exactly my combination of buzzwords and this was so beautifully written and hopeful in spite of the horrors of the time.

I don’t read lots of regular, non-specualtive historical fiction, but I think this might end up a favorite of the year.

This book was a joy to read. I enjoyed the way the story flowed and I had a few moments that kind of made me question a few things. The characters were very interesting and I had smile quite a few times. This author really knows how to tell a story that will captivate you from the very beginning. I recommend this book and this author.

Excellent plot, world building and story line. It was lovely to experience a Black female pirate bad BEEP in literature.

I really enjoyed how evident it was that the author conducted lots of research to make this an authentic pirate novel. It is clear that Briony Cameron is passionate about this sliver of history, or perhaps "Pirates of the Caribbean" too. The prologue was super engaging, and it pulled me in almost immediately. My only complaint about this book was that after the prologue, the pacing was pretty slow.

Went in expecting a swashbuckling pirate adventure book, was somewhat disappointed. This reads more like historical fiction with a queer twist. I found the pacing to be a bit slow in some sections and rushed in others. Overall, a decent read! Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to preview this book.

The Ballad of Jacquotte Delahaye by Briony Cameron is an engaging debut novel set in the 17th-century Caribbean. It follows the life of Jacquotte Delahaye, a mixed-race woman who rises from being an indentured servant to a pirate captain after being captured by the ruthless Captain Blackhand. The story delves into themes of race and gender inequality, self-discovery, and empowerment, with Jacquotte's journey reflecting her resilience and strength. The narrative is enriched by a vivid portrayal of pirate life, strong character development, and the "found family" dynamic between Jacquotte and her crew. The romance between Jacquotte and Teresa, another captive, adds emotional depth, highlighting love as a source of strength. Cameron's vivid and immersive writing style, combined with well-researched historical details, makes this a fast-paced and action-packed read. The novel stands out for its strong heroine, well-crafted narrative, and exploration of social themes, making it a must-read for fans of historical fiction and pirate adventures.

This is the pirate book you've been looking for!! I confess that I'm not a pirate aficionado. Yet even a novice Pirates-of-the-Caribbean fan like me can appreciate the fullness of this swashbuckling tale following a Black, queer, mixed-raced, woman known as Captain Jacquotte Delahaye. Like Will Turner or Elizabeth Swan, we get to follow Jacquotte from the last days of her normal life to the full height of her pirate career. The tone is adventurous historical fiction with a quick pace, immersive setting and feminist sensibility.

Jacquotte is the daughter of an exiled French noble and a free Black woman living on a Spanish-controlled island. Her dad's a drunkard but he didn't force her into early marriage, so she becomes the skilled apprentice of a ship builder. At age 20, she runs her own business doing this with her best friends. Boys with mixed heritage and dead parents like her. Each member is so distinct that you will quickly pick up their personalities but it is clear from the beginning that Jacquotte is their leader. I loved this quality about her. It led the story instinctually.

Men try to frame her for political murder and destroy her town, so she MacGyvers a ship for them all to escape. When they are boarded by pirates, she makes a deal to save all their lives. As an indentured crewmate, she rescues them from enemies and the sea. Jacquotte is a total BADDIE and rides hard for her friend's freedom and women's liberty.

This was everything you could want from an adventure at sea. And it's distinctly female in how Jacquotte doesn't backstab or take advantage in certain situations. I was sure any other character would have found it an opportune moment to make a move. But she shows restraint and never takes power until it is clear that she must intervene for everyone's safety. I loved her character! I loved her best friends. She falls in love with a woman and their romance is a delight throughout the story. The audiobook was fantastic as well. I can't believe this is a debut novel because it is so perfect.

Thank you to the author and Netgalley for allowing me to read the ARC of this. I loved the book, it was well written and I fell in love with the characters.

There were times when the pacing felt off, but other than that, it was a great book that left me wanting to know more about Jacquotte Delahaye!

The writing in this book was so addictive I had to tell the author this via twitter. This was such a refreshing read. Pirates? Powerful queer women? The Caribbean? The book was truly meant for me, a Cuban bisexual woman who loves Pirates to read. After reading the ARC I was also able to listen to the Audiobook via Libby and let me tell you, it did not disappoint.

The book explores misogyny, racism, in a fun action driven plot of women not giving in to the male driven world. The book would be great for readers that enjoy historical fiction with a female protagonist.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria book for allowing me to receive this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

(3.25 stars)

On paper, this should have been right up my alley. Expounding on a legendary black female pirate and giving her a sapphic love story had such a magnetic pull that I couldn’t resist this book.

While it did some things very well, I left the book making excuses for it, reminding myself that it was a debut book from a new author. Here were my main points of frustration:
- the story’s pacing definitely dragged at times.
- if you’re looking for on page character development or relationship building, you’ll get very little of it here.
- the denouement felt incredibly heavy handed (I won’t spoil it here) in its motivating drivers as it moralizes.

My biggest complaint is that, while It held so much potential and there was just enough pirate fun to keep me turning the pages, gosh the characters just didn’t hold any interest for me because I didn’t get to see their character development. I wasn’t engaged with them and so felt very meh about what would happen next, even if it was a swashbuckling adventure at times.

I did love the exploration of the idea that she “who fights monsters might take care lest [she] thereby become a monster.” Getting our first act exploration of Jacquotte’s life and pain really helped drive this point and I appreciated that piece, even when pacing lagged. And the action scenes were great fun.

While this book may not have been perfect for me, I do see tons of potential in Briony Cameron’s writing. This clearly took tons of research and she did the thing. I look forward to her sophomore novel based on this first book work. I am confident that she’ll create something even better.

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for the advance copy of this book.

The Ballad of Jacquotte Delahaye is a mixed bag of high-seas adventure and heartfelt romance. This epic tale, based on true events, traces Jacquotte’s rise from a humble shipwright to a legendary pirate captain, a story full of dazzling escapades and rich historical detail.

Jacquotte Delahaye's transformation is compelling, starting as an ambitious but constrained woman in Yáquimo, Santo Domingo, and evolving into a fierce leader. Her journey, sparked by the threats to her town and life under her self-serving father, is a captivating setup. Her flight from home alongside a diverse crew of refugees, including the intriguing Teresa, adds depth and variety to the cast of characters.

The story gains momentum when Jacquotte and her crew fall under the brutal command of Blackhand, a fearsome pirate. The struggle against his cruelty and the suspense of the planned heist keep the reader engaged. Jacquotte's budding romance with Teresa provides a tender counterpoint to the otherwise gritty narrative, adding layers of emotional complexity.

However, the book does have its shortcomings. At times, the pacing feels uneven, with some parts dragging while others rush through critical moments. Additionally, while the plot is rich with intrigue and action, the development of secondary characters can feel a bit shallow, leaving some relationships underexplored.

Despite these flaws, The Ballad of Jacquotte Delahaye is a worthy read for those who enjoy historical fiction and pirate lore. Its blend of adventure, romance, and the quest for freedom offers a unique and memorable glimpse into the life of a remarkable woman who defied the odds.

I wasn't sure what to expect with this one but I enjoyed every minute of it. I didn't realize how much I was crazing a swashbuckling story about a rag tag crew. I was fully invested in this story and look forward to reading more from Briony.