Title: Escaping Pirates

Series: Legends of Neverland

Author: Mary Mecham

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Retelling, Romance

Rating: 4.5 stars

Review:

Navigating treacherous seas is perilous, but navigating love is even more dangerous.

When Elena’s merchant ship is attacked by ruthless pirates, she is torn from her life and imprisoned aboard the Kraken’s Revenge. Forced to serve the captain’s cruel daughters, Elena’s dream of escape fades like the distant shore. Survival means obeying orders without question, but the fire in her heart refuses to be extinguished.

Everything changes when a new prisoner is thrown into the brig—a dashing sailor named Harlan, whose defiance matches Elena’s own. Their connection is immediate, but the captain’s daughters are just as captivated by Harlan’s charm. As a forbidden romance kindles in the darkness of their confinement, Elena dares to dream of freedom once more.

But danger looms when Elena is sold to another pirate with sinister intentions. Now burdened with a secret that could change the course of history, Elena must decide how far she’s willing to go to protect Harlan and herself.

As she navigates the treacherous waters of betrayal and desire, Elena must choose between the liberty she craves and the love she cannot deny. – summary from Goodreads

Escaping Pirates is a phenomenal high-seas Cinderella retelling with pirates, action, and romance!

This book was so, so good! I loved every minute of it!

Again, the world was incredible, and I really enjoyed seeing new facets of this universe Mecham has created. We got to see more of the seedy underbelly of the world, especially in the form pirates. I will say the author does not shy away from the crimes pirates commit, and how awful they are. Nothing is too graphically described, but the realities of being a pirate are not hidden either. I also learned something new about pirates and maritime culture, keelhauling. This is a truly awful punishment on the seas.

The story itself was well done and incredibly engaging. I was glued to the page and loved it! This is an interesting take on Cinderella and I liked it. The Cinderella character, Elena, was nice but not overly so and I felt like she had more of a backbone than most Cinderella characters. I also liked how the stepsisters and stepparent were incorporated into the story. I loved that these characters weren’t actually related to Elena. Elena had a very loving family, though they weren’t in the story much, and I enjoyed that her family remained intact. The way the glass slipper was put into this book was incredible and I loved it! It was a genius move! I don’t think there was one fairy godmother character. I think it was a collective effort of many people, but I could be wrong. I did enjoy how many people stepped up and helped out.

Elena was amazing! She faced no shortage of hardships throughout the course of the book, but she still remained hopeful and caring. She was also very smart and had a little bit of a sarcastic side, which I enjoyed. Elena was strong and determined, though she had her fears and anxieties. She was a well-rounded character and felt realistic.

Harlan was the other MC and he was amazing! He was very protective of Elena and kind to her. He also had a sarcastic side, and it was fun when Elena and Harlan joked around together.

The romance between Elena and Harlan was everything! They took care of and protected each other, as well as offered the other hope. It was incredibly sweet and I loved them together.

The pirates in this novel were awful, as I mentioned above. The two pirates that Harlan and Elena interreacted with the most were Blossom and Sugar, the captain’s daughters, and they were incredibly obnoxious characters. They were wonderful stepsister characters and fulfilled the role well. Gil was an interesting character, and the twist at the end was shocking. I am very excited to see where that story goes next.

Dahlia and Korth made an appearance! I love these characters so much and was so happy to see them again. I do wish Treva, Bayne, Hook, and Tinkerbell made an appearance, but I did enjoy the role Dahlia and Korth played in this book. Peter Pan did play a larger role in this book, and I am excited to see where his story goes.

Escaping Pirates is a wonderful Cinderella retelling with pirates and romance!