Sage Whistler, author of numerous m/m works of fiction, was kind enough to review Pirates of the Narrow Seas. This is his review:
Pirates of the Narrow Seas was a dashing good tale full of adventure and mayhem, slaves and saviors, and the rigors and perils of life at sea. Pirates of the Narrow Seas follows the life of Peter Thorton and his journey as a poor lieutenant with little social influence and dangerous secrets. I found Thorton to be a well-rounded, likeable character; at times courageous and admirable and in turns despondent and pitiful. Watching him develop throughout the story; finding his true self and place in the world, made for an engaging story.
Narrow seas was obviously well researched and thought out. The action flows smoothly from scene to scene, and the secondary characters were richly diverse, allowing for the reader to pick up bits and pieces of cultural information throughout the story. Despite the extensive research that must have gone into this tale, I did not feel as if there was an information dump anywhere in the story. However, at times I found myself at a loss for lack of knowledge of ‘Seaman’s lingo or language.” Having to take out time to look up some of the terms drew me out of the story and prolonged my reading time. But whether others will run into such difficulties all depends on their desire to know the exact definition of unfamiliar terms used in Pirates of the Narrow Seas. It is entirely possible to enjoy this story with little knowledge of the life and times of sailors and men in this era.
The story also touches on the issue of religion, what it means to be a gay well before the time when it was even close to socially acceptable, and the forward thinking of equality for all men well before there was anyone to stand up for that right. Rich with religious, moral, and cultural undertones, Narrow Seas is sure to make a positive imprint on the minds of all who read it.
--Sage Whistler, author of Broken
