Having never read a book by RA Salvatore, I was not sure what to expect from Pinquickle’s Folly. Overall, the book was good. However, I felt disconnected from the story many times, and it took me quite a while to get through it. There is a lot of information that is given to the reader for at least the first 7 or 8 chapters. Perhaps this is how Mr. Salvatore constructs his stories, but it threw me off for the remainder of the book. He certainly set up the characters and the world very well, and he is an excellent writer. I just prefer that characters and the world are spread out evenly throughout a story.
The main character, Quauh, did have a great character arc and she was very well developed, as well as Benny. It is what you might expect from a pirate story. Adventure, treasure hunting, battles, and high sea adventures. Mr. Salvatore’s world is immersive and you feel you are right on the ship with Quauh and Benny. This spirited high fantasy in the end was a good, fun read that fans of Mr. Salvatore’s work will very much enjoy.
My sincere thanks to Saga Press Books for an eBook to read for an honest review.

Many thanks to NetGalley, author RA Salvatore, and Saga Press for providing me the eARC in exchange for my honest review.
Publication date: April 16, 2024.

3 STARS

Pinquickle’s Folly is a seafaring piratical tale set in a world besieged by imperialistic oppression. The Xoconai empire asserts its power to dominate the seas, hoard the gold, and manipulate the magic of others.

Writing: The author seems to favor long-winded sentences with sometimes too many clauses. That said, I didn’t have trouble understanding what was going on or what was meant at any given time.

Pacing: falls somewhat on the slower side. Besides the battle sequences, relatively little happens over the course of hundreds of pages.

Highlights:
- Ship crew camaraderie
- Unique details regarding the “powrie” race
- Magic elements in this world
- Internal conflict that Quauh undergoes

The main character’s character growth arc was compelling if not wholly believable. Quauh is a golden child and naval officer of the colonizing Xoconai empire. During the course of the book, she gets practical experience seeing the inhuman and dehumanizing practices of her own people, as well as the humanity and goodness in the races her own have been oppressing. Her transformation is abrupt and feels unrealistic, as brainwashing and acculturated beliefs would likely be more difficult to reverse. Similarly, the anti-colonialism themes are clearly delivered; however, the execution was unsubtle and repetitious.

Overall, seasoned author RA Salvatore wrote a well-sequenced and well-plotted nautical story. I enjoyed the world and the story but would’ve liked the magic to play a bigger role in the plot.

7% what...., still 7% in, Jesus christ WHAT?! STILL at 7% what the fuck are you guys talking about?!
8% god damn, that's fucked up.
I'm gonna be honest. I just don't think this is for me. I had so much hope due to the amazing rating I saw for this author on goodreads. But I am now 15% in and am just not feeling it at all. Maybe I will come back to this later, but from friends I have hears not great things about the writing. The author clearly has a cult following and I am so happy that people enjoy it. I truly wish I was one of them. This world could be so cool, but it's just not for me. I would rather say that than give this book a bad review.

It reminded me of reading something mixed between Black Sails and D&D. Highly entertaining and if I was given subsequent books I would check them out.

A great high fantasy, sea adventure that delves into the Salvatore world of Corona and does not disappoint.
The characters are colorful, Quauh and Benny, and interesting. This book successfully introduces new characters to a known world, explains the known world in enough detail and description, and sets up for more to come. Clearly well researched in nautical everything, don't let this extreme amount of detail let you get distracted from the story being told.
Excellent first book! I cannot wait to see where the trilogy goes through each upcoming addition.

Fans of high fantasy, sea adventures, and R.A. Salvatore will enjoy this book.


Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the eARC of this work in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley, Saga Press, and R. A. Salvatore for my advanced copy of this book!

Although I am an avid fantasy reader, I must admit that this was the first R. A. Salvatore book that I've read. This was a classic fantasy novel from the jump--a cast of colorful characters must join forces against an opposing enemy while at sea. I really enjoyed the characters we were introduced to, but the magic wasn't touched on as much as I would've liked. My biggest issue with this book was trying to keep the characters and ships straight, especially during the battle scenes.

Overall, I truly enjoyed my first book in this author's realm, and will definitely be looking forward to the next installment of the Buccaneers series.

R.A. Salvatore took his time to really world build in this book. While there were aspects I enjoyed, I'm not sure if I was the correct audience for this book. Keeping the names and events straight as we bounced along the storyline had me feeling like I was playing catchup or had to have my character cheat sheet at the ready.

Okay I need to say this right up front. When it comes to R.A. Salvatore I have real trouble not coming off as biased. After all I’ve been reading his work since I was in high school, and that was so much longer ago than I’d care to admit, lol. This is the start of a new series, however it does take place in a world that will be well known to fans of Salvatore. That being said I do not believe reading the other novels set within this world is needed to enjoy this adventure and the early part of the novel will get you pretty much up to speed on what you need to know anyway. (Though you’ll probably want to read the other books at some point anyway because of how good they are.) In my opinion there are simply not enough high fantasy adventures loaded with pirates and set upon the high seas, so I was instantly enamored with Pinquickle's Folly. Excellent characters, perilous adventuring, and wonderful action. Salvatore has kicked off his newest series in grand fashion and I’m already looking forward to the next book in the Buccaneers series. I’d like to thank Saga Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an eArc of Pinquickle’s Folly.

https://www.amazon.com/review/R3TILY9F84XM6S/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

I loved the pirate and buccaneer atmosphere, which added to the adventure and was great fun. I enjoyed the characters and the storyline, and read with anticipation of what would happen next. However the first major chunk of the book felt very disjointed and I struggled to see where things would connect. I also found the world building to be a bit lackluster, and not enough description but lots of terminology and names I struggled to keep up with. Overall it was an enjoyable read and I would pick up the subsequent books in the series. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to provide my honest review.

Sure, it’s no great classic of literature, that’s not what Salvatore writes but it was a good solid adventure story. I had fun reading it, I haven’t read all his stuff by any means, so I may be missing if he’s written other books in this world or not, but that made no difference to my enjoyment of the book. Somewhere between a three and four star book depending on how picky you are about your fantasy. I am perfectly happy to read a light adventure with no underlying message or theme to it so four stars to me but perhaps three if you are finicky about your book choices. I will be reading the sequel. I liked the characters and setting.

If you're looking for a high fantasy, swashbuckling adventure, Pinquickle's Folly should be your next read! R.A. Salvatore writes a fully developed fantasy world of endearing characters and fast paced storytelling!

Thank you NetGalley and Saga Press for the ARC!

The invasion by the Xoconai of the eastern realms of Corona was quick and insidious, but you can’t conquer a free mind as resistors begin to fight for their land back in the beginning of a new trilogy in the DemonWars saga by #1 New York Times bestselling master of fantasy R. A. Salvatore.


I found out about a whole new series by the master of fantasy RA Salvatore and knew I had to give it a shot. I had a lot of fun with this one. While it may not be his best work ever, and probably not the best entry point into his work, I think long term fans of his will find plenty to like here as I have. A strong 4 star read:)

A great supplement to R. A. Salvatore's Demonwars Sage but told in a different part of the world. If anyone hasn't read that series you really need to, it's a fun and unforgiving romp full of demons, goblins, and radical religious leaders. This one expands on the world and story and I can't wait for the next volume.

Actual Rating 3.5

The Xoconai have been waging a war against far lands, especially lands where they discover gold. But transporting this gold back to their empire requires braving the seas which are full of natural dangers, enemy ships, and buccaneers. In these tumultuous times, sailors find themselves making strange alliances and those who thought they were fighting for the greater good may begin to question their beliefs.

I know Salvatore is a big fantasy name and prolific author, but this is actually my first time reading something he’s written. I did wonder how many references were present in this book to places and characters he’s included in previous works, but unfortunately I had no way of knowing (other than a quick note in the blurb that mentions the world of the DemonWars saga).

This work is the beginning of a new trilogy but wraps up neatly enough to be satisfying on its own. The characters were excellently written. I found myself cheering for most of them, even when their goals were misaligned. While there were plenty of characters, they had unique voices and development, making it easy to keep them separate. I also enjoyed how varied their backgrounds were, as it allowed the author to include a great deal of information about the various cultures and traditions of the peoples. The worldbuilding was also phenomenal, and there were interesting uses of magic/fantasy tech that were unique and added much to the story.

Something that stood out to me was just how many exclamation points were used in the exposition. This is a bit of a pet peeve of mine, and especially towards the end of the book, they were drastically overused. Aside from that nitpick, the writing style was approachable and made for an easy and engaging read. The work did begin with some interludes between chapters that provided some background on the larger conflict without feeling entirely relevant to the plot. These didn’t add much to the story but didn’t detract much either.

If you enjoy epic fantasy with sea adventures and bands of misfits, then this is a must read. I’ll definitely be reading more from this author as soon as I figure out which of his 50+ books is the right place to start). Many thanks to NetGalley and Saga Press for allowing me to read this work, which will be published April 16, 2024. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Interesting to see the results of events from another view, was a little slow to begin with, building the background and fleshing out new characters, but great story with great characters. Worth the wait. Great story, with characters you love and want to succeed, unexpected relationships and alliances make it fun to follow as they work their way through life. Can’t wait for the next one. Fun new series in a familiar (sort of) world.. Pirates, evil captains

Pinquickle’s Folly by R. A. Salvatore is a high fantasy novel abounding in treasure hunting collusion and swashbuckling adventure on perilous high seas---all the things you could ever wish for in a nautical pirate tale!

Right away the reader is introduced to some colorful and memorable characters: Quauh is a naturally gifted sailor who enlists in the Xoconai Navy, Massayo is an inventor and businessman who had everything taken away from him, and lastly, we have the prowrie, Benny McBenoyt, who is a talented helmsman with a steadfast grip on his own survival. These characters will unite to battle a collective enemy of the Xoconai Empire, effectively establishing themselves as a fearsome crew of “buccaneers” along the way.

Quauh, whom I would consider to be the main character, has the most development in the story. Even though she was conditioned from a young age to believe other beings are inferior sidhe (meaning less than human), she doesn’t continue to cling to those prejudicial beliefs when those around her demonstrate the error of her ways. I appreciate her ability to evolve and change her initially restrictive worldview—nothing is more frustrating than seeing a character repeat the same predictable path and refuse to change. Massayo is the refined and mysterious first mate of Captain Wilkie Dogears on the ship Port Mandu. His dream is to eventually become captain of Port Mandu’s sister ship. Massayo is ambitious yet loyal, which is apparent during exchanges between the Captain and himself. I got the sense that there could be potential romance between Massayo and Quauh, which I liked because it could create a possible opportunity to overcome existing social issues originating from cultural animosity between their peoples. You also get to know Benny McBenoyt the least, yet he does play an important role in pushing the main characters forward in the story. He is a prowrie (which is another term for dwarf in this universe) with a streak for surviving the most unlikely of situations and making his own luck. Despite his murderous enthusiasm, he seems to develop a soft spot for Quauh as she struggles to survive against increasingly insurmountable odds, which sort of endears him to the reader. Their stories are woven together through happenstance and misfortune during each character’s seafaring travels, and I enjoyed reading how they eventually intersect with one another—creating a logical and intriguing culmination of multiple viewpoints. Even if you haven’t read the other novels also set in the realm of Corona, this one is a good place to dive in at because Salvatore did a wonderful job explaining pertinent details without subtracting from the fluidity of the book.

From exciting ship battles to dangerous storms, these "buccaneers” are willing to murder and plunder their way to the top. Determined to become notorious pirates of their own ship, nothing and nobody will get in their way. So read their tale, if you dare…but remember, dead men tell no tales….

This book was such an exhilarating read! I recommend this book, especially to existing R.A Salvatore fans! He undeniably delivered yet another phenomenal fantasy book, and I cannot wait to see how this story continues in the next book. I will be on the lookout for his next addition to the series. Happy reading---or should I say, happy sailing?!

Thank you so much Net Galley and Saga Press for the ARC and the opportunity to share what I think! All opinions are my own. I have posted my review to both my Goodreads account and my Facebook group page (The Book Banquet). I will be posting the review to retail sites on April 16th, the day of publication.

This was a fun pirate adventure! Perfect for fans of BLACK SAILS and OUR FLAG MEANS DEATH, this book combines humor, adventure, and a lovable cast of characters. At times I wish we were given a little more interiority into the characters' heads as it felt like we were held at arms length from the narrative, but overall it was a great start to a promising series.

I realize after reading another book and this one that I like pirates. However, the terminology took away from the story and it was hard to follow. Also, with the title, Pinq dies. Not sure how that will work with the rest of the series.

I received this ARC on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I don't know if maybe I needed to read R.A. Salvatore's other original series to understand what was happening but this book was really not for me. The world building was strange and stilted. I couldn't keep track of who and what and when. None of the characters grabbed me. None of the cultures really made sense to me. I just didn't have the high fantasy pirate adventure I was expecting. It was also a lot of telling instead of showing. I felt almost like it was reading a non fiction book about a place that doesn't exist. Overall I was disappointed, especially because I loved the Drizzt Do'Urden books as a teenager.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book!

I've never read any R. A. Salvatore, but I had head of them as a prolific fantasy writer and was interested in giving them a try. Unfortunately, I don't think this is for me. Since this was a new trilogy, it seemed like it would be an okay place to dive in, but I found myself quickly overwhelmed with the terminology. The start of the book is fairly exposition heavy, but I felt like I didn't have the context for the exposition to stick to, so I struggled to make sense of it. The writing style to me also feels a little more fable-like and removed rather than getting deeply into character's thoughts, and the dialog is similarly more folk-tale like rather than sounding like modern speech. I think this book would be better suited to someone who is more familiar with R. A. Salvatore's work and enjoys high fantasy with intricate names and world-building. I think the adventure is there and this would be a good time for the right kind of reader.