Review: Bring it close - Helen Hollick

Series: Sea Witch Chronicles 3
Genre: Historical fiction
Pages: 386
Published: June 2011 (2009)

Jesamiah Acorne, Captain of the Sea Witch, has accepted a government granted amnesty, but old enemies do not forget the past. In particular Edward Teach - better known as Blackbeard - has a bone to pick with Acorne. Following an indiscretion with an old flame, Jesamiah finds his fiancée Tiola Oldstagh has gone to North Carolina to help with an imminent and difficult birth; the problem, that is where Blackbeard now resides. He must not discover that Tiola is Jesamiah s woman, she will have to hide her identity and her gift of Craft from the black-hearted pirate who has sold his soul to the devil. With Sea Witch damaged and himself wounded by Blackbeard, Jesamiah has to take stock of his situation at his old home in Virginia - but trouble follows him like a ship s wake and he is arrested for acts of piracy on the High Seas. Too much trouble has come too close! How is Jesamiah Acorne to clear his name and overturn a sentence of hanging, keep Tiola safe, put an end to Blackbeard and deal with being haunted by the ghost of his father? 

My thoughts:

Oh Jesamiah you really should learn to keep it in your pants. Though I still do not hate him, despise him a bit yes, but not hate since Hollick is just too good making her point.

Lots happened on the last book. Jesamiah came back alive from his spying trip, he learnt new truths about his family, his brother was not his brother at all. And now he is happy but bored since he is not a pirate any more. Of course then things goes to hell when Alicia, his brother's wife and former whore shows up and Jesamiah, oh you know. Tiola leaves and he goes after her. This book also deals with pirates again and the darker sides as the attention moves to Virginia and North Carolina where Blackbeard can be found. Jesamiah is going to deal with him once and for all.

Here we finally meet real pirates. Bloodthirsty men who rape, kill and torture without a second thought. They are real pirates and they should be feared. I am not saying Jesamiah is a choir boy, no he has done bad things but there is still good in him. Blackbeard on the other hand is a crazy psychopath and Hollick has made Jesamiah a part of his story.

This book is also a bit darker as many will suffer direct and indirect at the hands of pirates.

But there is still adventure to be had and we learn more about Tiola's craft, as she is a witch sent to guard against the dark. Poor Tethys is not around much, but instead we have the ghost of Jesamiah's father telling his story.

And do not worry about him being unfaithful, it is written in a way that it makes sense, and I am sure Tiola will kick some sense in him ;)

Conclusion:

The book will promise you adventure, evil pirates, tragic love stories and witchcraft. So be prepared for a  wild pirate adventure.

This is not the end though. Book 4 will finally be published for the first time later this year and book 5 is on its way too. 

And that is the end of the first part of the blogtour on this blog. But stay tuned! Tomorrow I have Helen over and I will also be giving away book 1 and since it is an e-copy it will be open to all :D

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Come say hi as I am over at another blog today with a guest review of Finding Destiny by Jean Johnson


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