Review. Sea Witch - Helen Hollick

Series: Sea Witch Chronicles 1
Genre: Historical fiction
Pages: 316
Published: June 2011 SilverWood Books (2006)

The time: the golden age of piracy - 1716
The Place: the Pirate Round - from South Africa to the Islands of the Caribbean.

From the age of fifteen Jesamiah Acorne has been a pirate, with only two loves - his ship and his freedom. But his life is to change when he and his crew unsuccessfully attack a merchant ship off the coast of South Africa. He is to meet Tiola Oldstagh, an insignificant girl or so he thinks. Then he discovers what she really is; a healer and a midwife - and a white witch. Jesamiah and Tiola become lovers, despite her guardian's disapproval, but Stefan van Overstratten a Cape Town Dutchman, also wants Tiola as his wife, and Jesamiah's half brother Phillipe Mereno, is determined to seek revenge for a stolen ship and the insult of being cuckolded. When the call of the sea and an opportunity to commandeer a beautiful ship - Sea Witch - is put in Jesamiah's path, he must make a choice between his life as a pirate or his love for Tiola; he wants both - but Mereno and Von Overstratten want him dead.

My thoughts:

Pirates, oh yes, pirates. This book introduces us to Jesamiah who became a pirate when he was young, because he half-brother was a total ass (trust me, an ass, but then we also learn why during the book. In the end I even understood his madness).

Jesamiah does have standards, no rapes so that makes me like this pirate. Since pirates in the end were not very nice people. But he is a good man and when he falls in love he becomes an ever better man. Even if he loves the sea way too much.

The heroine of this book is Tiola, a white witch who escaped England so no one would find out what she is. A pirate is bad, but a witch is worse. She is really sweet and wants to help everyone from puppies to a certain wounded pirate. I am sure her witch powers will come back and bite her in the behind one day but for now I admire her strength. As for the love story, she knows they are meant to be from the moment she sees him.

This book is all about Jesamiah being out to sea, loosing ships, getting new ships and taking over other ships. He loves what he does. But after these two fall in love the book becomes more. Someone else wants her and he has power to see it happen. Then there is Jesamiah's evil brother too, oh and do not forget everyone else who do not like pirates (that is a lot of people.)

This book has a lot of adventure and romance and truth be told I have not read that many pirate novels. Ok sure harlequin ones but they are always so pretty while this one is real. Life is hard, especially for a pirate. 

Conclusion:

A good historical fiction book with lot to offer. Hollick knows her history and there is also a list of words at the end for those of us who has no idea what anything on a ship is called.

And more will come tomorrow, and the day after. I sure hope for a happy ending.