Great book! I loved Jacquotte- as flawed of a character as she was. The action here does not let up and it was the perfect balance of character driven and plot driven. I loved the found family and the representation. A must read!

Okay, So I went back and forth with this book. It was a very entertaining read but ultimately too unrealistic and a bit too out there. I guess I was expecting something a little more refined.

ARC Review: Publish Date 6/4/2024
Thank you Net Galley for letting me read more books!

A queer, sapphic, disability-rep, rewriting of a *maybe real badass mulatto female pirate’s swashbuckling history. I’m not sure if this is really historical fiction though. It’s hard to imagine Jacquotte being a brutal, murderous pirate…while also being soft, empathetic, compassionate, loving, and with found family at her core story. At times the history hits hard and true - slaver ship with hundreds of stolen people and the horrific way they were held onboard - and other times not so much - the total acceptance of queer lifestyles in the 1500s. This is Cameron’s reimagining of how it should have been in many ways. An oppressed, brutalized, manipulated mulatto girl, born of a slave mother and her owner-father, fights against the colonizer and oppressor to be a badass pirate captain. She earns her revenge and finds true love, family, and a real home along the way.

You should read it.

3.75

This was a fun and adventurous tale of a woman pirate captain who sailed the Caribbean. I loved the queer representation. This novel was full of action. Even though this book seems to be marketed to adults, it does sort of read like a YA book at times. It was a still a fantastic read!

Queer pirate historical fiction set in the 17th century Caribbean. Sounds good, right? It is! Strong, brave women and wonderful found family are the primary aspects of this story. The action scenes are somewhat violent, but only what you'd expect from pirates. The writing is very evocative - it describes the lush Caribbean, the sometimes angry ocean, and the adventure aboard ship so well. The cast of characters is really fun with all sorts of folks to love and to hate. This is a great debut novel!

Content Warnings: Misogyny, Slavery, Racism (including Racial Slurs), Mild Gore (Medical, Wounds)

Cameron’s novel is an action-packed pirate story with a solid story arc for its titular character, Jacquotte Delahaye. Her assumptions, abilities, and motivations continually develop throughout the story, as do her relationships with her friends, lover, and society. I loved the folk tale style of this book, where Jacquotte faces and overcomes struggles and inspires and supports women and people of color (free and enslaved) in their joint pursuit of freedom.

The writing style and language are fairly plain, which some may not expect with this being called a ‘ballad,’ but I didn’t mind it. As mentioned above, I too it like reading a folk tale, which is usually likewise straightforward. I also liked the ending, as it let like a fitting end to Jacquotte and her found crew’s growth and efforts.

Yes, yes, yes one million times yes. I loved this book. I loved Jacquotte so much, I find myself thinking about this book on a daily basis. Pirates, lesbians, class disputes. SO much to love, I could read 1000 more pages and not be satiated. The writing was so well done, it felt like watching a movie. 5 Stars, give me more Jacquotte

I wish I could have liked this more. The beginning was really good but the story lost its appeal when I actually began to get further into the book.

Thank you net gallery for the advanced copy of this book. This was a story about a legend of the Caribbean, back from the dead red, who was one of the only female captains on the seas. It was full of adventure and romance. I would definitely recommend

4.5 stars
What’s not to love about a swashbuckling sapphic pirates of the Caribbean story?! The author did a great job writing an authentic tale to match the historical vibe. It captured so many of the cross-sectional issues of the times. We also get an awesome female captain and her band of merry pirates. It was at times very serious and other times lots of fun to read. I don’t want to rehash the blurb and spoil any of the adventures. Just read it!
*Thanks to Atria books and NetGalley for the ebook copy

I had a great time reading this! This was written well and there was good pacing with the plot. I didn’t want to put the book down at times. I loved all of the swashbuckling and I think the author did a great job writing the action scenes. I also loved all of the characters. I would definitely read more works from this author.

3.5. I loved the writing of this book. It was definietly immersive and I waas able to follow along very well because of how fast paced it was I was concerned, but for no reason. However, I was bored a lot of the time. But I believe that was a problem of my own. I just might not be the biggest historical fiction fan. But without that, I truly did enjoy the plot and it never slowered down. I wish the ending was a little different. However, it was a good ending.

What an adventure this book has been! I was rooting for Jacquotte the entire time. She’s fierce and a true heroine on the high seas in mid 17th century Caribbean territory.
She faces so many struggles from being a mixed raced woman but the journey was gripping.
A historical queer female pirate tale?! A must read!
This is a debut book and I will be looking for future titles from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for allowing me to read and review The Ballad of Jacquotte Delahaye.

I had to put this one down, unfortunately. The prose was a bit much, and while the author has the right to use a mixed-race slur as they are also mixed-race, it was overused in the first few chapters to the point that it was taking me out of the story. However, I am mixed-race and have heard the term used towards me in a derogatory manner, so this may not bother other readers.

I may pick this back up when I’m in a better headspace, as I usually love a sapphic pirate moment.

Thank you to Atria for the complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is great read. The characters were engaging and I couldn't put the book down. I would recommend this book for a book club or a friend.

I received this advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review. This novel was really fascinating and a great, rollicking pirate adventure. I strongly recommend it for any readers, but especially those that enjoy historical fiction!

Genre: Historical Fiction
Santo Domingo, 1655.

3.5 stars, rounded up for the pirate swagger.

Jacquotte is the mixed-race daughter of a well-off noble, but the life she's known is a lie. She learns her mother was actually purchased as a slave by her father and her father was selling secrets to France. She's a shipwright by trade, so when she and her friends are captured and indentured by a pirate captain, she has use on the high seas. The friends she's captured with include her brother, other shipwrights, and the woman who has her heart - the late governor's wife, Teresa.

The Ballad of Jacquotte Delahaye is bloodier than I expected, and the overall tone is dark and gritty, rather than whimsical. A good 30% of it may be war and killing. Briony Cameron does a great job at showing us the darker side of pirating... it took a little bit for the plot to get moving for me, but once I did, I was invested in their adventures. Unfortunately though, the relationship between Jacquotte and Teresa fell flat for me, without as much chemistry as I had hoped. There is plenty of character chemistry between Jacquotte and her crew and friends, which made the relationship all the more unfortunate for me.

That said, queer BIPOC pirate adventure written by a queer BIPOC disabled writer is a story worthwhile.

🏴‍☠️ Step aboard for an adventure on the high seas! This is the gripping tale of a queer, biracial pirate captain — based on true events. And it is beautiful inside and out.

🏴‍☠️ I was amazed at how easily this narrative switched between action-packed fight scenes, and softer, more tender moments between lovers without giving the reader whiplash. There are also poignant moments of found family, friendship, and women uplifting other women.

🏴‍☠️ Jacquotte Delahaye is forced into some dire straits, but what she does with the cards she’s dealt is pretty impressive! In the world of 17th century buccaneering — she created a space where all were truly welcome.

🏴‍☠️ If you’ve considered this one at all— I’d highly recommend getting it off the TBR shelf. It’s a slower read for sure— but it’s worth it!

This book was an unexpected win. It was action-packed, fast-paced, and gruesome.

Jacquotte Delahaye may be folklore because of the limited evidence, but Briony Cameron knows how to add on to the little details one has about a person for sure. From the beginning, we see Jacquotte did not live an easy life. Piracy was all she knew and all she wanted, and she was one of the best to do it in this book.

I lived for betrayal, love, and triumph. Her journey from the child of a white man and a black woman to a woman who ruled the seas surrounding San Dominigo. I was completely captivated by the scene of Jac lying about knowing how to translate the letters from the governor's house and her constant fight for women's autonomy in a time where there was little or none at all.

The Ballad of Jacquotte Delahaye tells the story of a Black female pirate in the 1600s with tons of queer rep, strong female rep, and tons of action!

In the 1600s Jacquotte is being raised to be tough by her father and has been working towards her shipright. After finding damning documents involving her father, she is called by the governor to translate a letter and after faking ignorance, she’s on the run and working under Captain Blackhand. She proves herself to be deserving of the captain role after a series of events. There is also a relationship with another woman happening and so many amazing side characters with whom she’s found family in. There was never a dull moment in this book! It is still up for debate whether Jacquotte was a historical figure or a character from folklore, but either way this story was so fun to read and was interesting from the very beginning.

Thank you so much to Netgalley, Briony Cameron, and Atria Books for providing this free ARC. This is my honest review! This published on June 4th.

I have posted my review on Goodreads, in my Facebook book club, and will rave about this on TikTok!