Sinner’s Isle takes the swash-buckling pirate genre and adds a fantasy twist with an infusion of Mexican lore. The book alternates chapters between Rosalinda, a Majestic possessing magic, and Mariano, a pirate. The early exchanges in this book between these two are particularly fun and bring to mind the chemistry between Antonio Banderas and Catherine Zeta Jones in The Mask of Zorro. There is of course some swashbuckling and a magic system. The author touches upon multiple themes of oppression, exploitation, corruption, self-confidence, and self-understanding.

Stylistically, the prose was fairly emotive and did drift towards the dramatic. Rosalinda is also a little disconcerting in that she seems both powerful and a victim all at the same time; while that was partially the intent of the author as part of the character journey, it felt more random than progressive at times.

Overall, if a young adult reader likes action, adventure, fantasy, and romance, then this book will likely appeal.

Review of a Digital Advance Reading Copy provided by the Publisher

Content Analysis:

Profanity/Language: 6 religious exclamations; 61 mild obscenities; 2 religious profanities; 14 derogatory names; 10 scatological words; 18 anatomical terms; 2 F-word derivatives.

Violence/Gore: Brief report of torture and violent death of people who try to escape; report of rebellion and deaths/imprisonment of those with magical abilities; report of the death of a public figure, unknown if it was a heart condition or poison; report of the death of a parent in a battle at sea; verbal expression of desire to fight for revenge; report that a crew member was killed for a small infraction; character jostled in an act of aggression; extended fight scene between ships involving sword fights, cannons, dagger to the heart, individual crushed under debris, etc. resulting in deaths, mention of blood; flashback of character remembering the violent death of a family member(s); reference to the drinking of blood because it is believed to make people powerful; struggle involving magic, kicking, choking, blood; various verbal threats of death and physical harm; character knocked unconscious with a bottle of rum; attack from magical creatures, with death of creatures, mention of black blood; recollection of a character’s first kill; character fantasizes about killing someone; character knocked unconscious; explained that a magical creature eat their male offspring; report of attack by magical creatures; character says that someone is going to die; character nicked with knife (on-purpose); character knocked unconscious; character vividly imagines placing someone on a spit; character stabbed in the heart with a dagger; brief fight scene with pistols, sabers, fists, mention of blood, death, character knocked unconscious; character is shot and wounded; battle between ships involving cannon fire, daggers, swords, etc.; report that a character plucked a pet’s legs apart; fight between magical creature and soldiers resulting in death; description of a ceremony where palms are cut to produce blood, some of which is drunk; female character slaps a male and he retaliates by backhanding her; character uses magic to kills someone, brief description of the death; destruction of property; character is burnt in a fire; characters tussle; character slices another’s face, and attempts to rip their heart out; magic used to kill a character.

Sex/Nudity: On numerous occasions females are forced to wear revealing clothing (low-cut, shear, et.); female is in love with another female (reference to, exchange of looks); female notices how handsome a male is; multiple reference to a character’s full figure, stiches of blouse tugging on full breasts, etc.; reference to a priest being found in bed with a woman captive; reference to defending a friend (male) who had been caught in bed with someone’s wife; report someone offered a night with his wife as part of payment; male and female character’s bodies pressed together and characters are highly attracted to each other; female touches male’s face; said that a male prefers lads most days; passing reference to a couple with their bodies and tongues entwined; character briefly fantasizes about someone running his lips over her skin; male looks at a females cleavage; female put on display and made to dance in seductive way; reference to a male who cross-dresses; male desires to kiss female and has feelings of attraction for her; male clasps female’s thigh and kisses her neck (unwanted contact), threateningly; passionate and descriptive scene of male and female kissing, embracing, male laying on top of female but ends in a discussion when the females says she would like to give herself to him and he backs off; reference to a female flirting with another female; innuendo; female character explains how she fell in love with another female; male character kisses a male character; male tells a male he wants to marry him; female groped by a crowd; females embrace (romantic); verbal expression of love; extended scene in which female and male kiss, caress, remove clothing, and have sex, some detailed description.

Mature Subject Matter:

Death, treason, enslavement, objectification of women, death of a family member, rhetoric, corruption, oppression.

Alcohol/Drugs:

Character smokes cigarillo; characters (ages 18 and older) drink alcoholic beverages frequently at events and to excess; character is known to often be drunk; joking about drinking; character is drugged.