Ritu Nair
A historical fiction about a notorious pirate? Sign me up! Blackhearts builds a wonderful story about Edward Teach and what he was before he became Blackbeard. The son of a wealthy merchant, Teach had every luxury in life, except the freedom to do what he wanted. He lived for adventure, and the sea, and sees a kindred heart in Anne, a biracial girl who feels out of place in a time that is very racist. Anne is the hidden illegitimate daughter of his family friend, but comes to work as a maid in his household. Their initial interactions are charged more with frequent arguments, and it slowly develops into a tentative friendship and eventually into romance. Certainly helps that the both of them are beautiful. A big part of the storyline is the divide between them: society won’t ever look at their relationship at properly, and his father would have him make an advantageous match. The pirate part is not really a part now, but there certainly is foreshadowing. Teach’s gentle character and the way the author spoke of how she came to write this story certainly add an extra dimension to this infamous historical figure. Anne’s role in the storyline and her voice, too, complement the plot so well, but I feel her story has much more to tell. This is definitely a series I am eager to be following.
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