Okay, we need to talk about the elephant in the room. How has no one mentioned yet that this book is essentially the plots of the first two Pirates of the Caribbean movies but with a Will Turner/Elizabeth Swan mashup character? 

Let's compare. 

Pirates of the Caribbean: An orphan with a mysterious piece of treasure is recovered by a sea captain and brought to an island where he scrapes out a living. Struggling against the life she is living and pining for something more, our heroine disguises herself and is taken along by a sea captain on a hellish journey for treasure beyond compare. Once aboard the pirate ship, our heroine discovers there is more to the captain than she previously knew, including a mysterious curse and a connection to the equally mysterious piece of treasure. Parentage plays an important part, as does Davy Jones, the kraken, and magic.

Isle of Gold: An orphan with a mysterious piece of treasure is recovered by a sea captain and brought to an island where she scrapes out a living. Struggling against the life she is living and pining for something more, our heroine disguises herself and is taken along by a sea captain on a hellish journey for treasure beyond compare. Once aboard the pirate ship, our heroine discovers there is more to the captain than she previously knew, including a mysterious curse and a connection to the equally mysterious piece of treasure. Parentage plays an important part, as does Davy Jones, the kraken, and magic.

One of my not-so-guilty literary pleasures is devouring books that feature pirates. I’ve been fascinated by them since I first watched Peter Pan and The Goonies, and have since then always kept an eye out for books which featured — no matter how shortly — pirates. I’ve read everything from YA to romance to historical novels, and the one thing they all have in common is how FUN they are. They’re all punctuated by adventure and moral ambiguity and fast paced action, and this book was so different. Though I felt there were some areas which could have been improved — namely the story’s opening and how wordy some of the sentences can be — there is no denying that this book is a great, fun read, one with plot and characters you can’t help but get invested in.

Ok, this book may not be for everyone.  I totally enjoyed this book.  I even took my time to savor this story.  It was a delight to read a very different novel for once.  History (think of 1700s), missing woman, mad man captain, mythology, girl disguised as a lad, a beautiful ship with at least 5 masts, Caribbean  sea, islands, and mystery does this gal's heart good.  Love how the author tied in the story with the title.  Her prose is so beautiful causing me to absorb them gently and carefully. This isn't intended for a light reading but you'll be glad that you read this beautiful story.  Also, I love the cover.  Uniquely  designed and perfect for this novel!
 I received this copy from Net Galley and The Black Spots Books in an exchange for an honest review.

This is a fun book; fans of Pirates of the Caribbean probably will like it! I'm not sure how many die-hard pirate readers will, though, because it has a number of pirate-based cliches. As a reader who dabbles in historical novels and doesn't read sailing/pirate books regularly, it was an easy, enjoyable read, though the pacing was occasionally awkward.

I wanted to love this book based on the cover alone. Maybe that was my mistake; it looked like the main character would be a POC. A pirate novel about a woman of color blurring gender lines? Sign me up! Sadly, Merrin is your standard blonde; the crew of the Riptide are all sailing to rescue yet another blonde. Beauty matters in this book, and beauty in the book is white and blonde (aside from the prostitute Claudette, Merrin's closest friend. Can I read her book, please?).

I'd recommend it for someone who seems receptive. It's a light read filled with mystical creatures, legends from the deep, and infamous and legendary pirates. Just don't look for much below the surface (pun intended)..

The Isle of Gold is a delightful, well researched and evocative historical fantasy that succeeds in bringing a fascinating era to life. I absolutely adore pirate based fantasy so you’ll have to excuse me if I fangirl about this one a bit. It’s very much my jam. 🙂

We open with our main character, Merrin Smith, and her closest friend Claudette – Merrin is (for want of a better word) absolutely shitfaced drunk and about to do something very stupid indeed. Believing that the key to uncovering her mysterious past lies on the mythical island of Bracile, she has disguised herself as a man (an act punishable by death if she is discovered) and plans to join the crew of the Riptide, helmed by the notorious and unpredictable pirate Captain Winters. He intends to sail for Bracile in search of his lost love, the wild and tempestuous beauty Evangeline Dahl, who he believes has been kidnapped by the sea gods themselves. Though he is suspicious of Merrin’s disguise, Brandon Dunn, the ship’s formidable quartermaster, agrees to give her a place on board the ship. At first she tries to keep her head down while she struggles to find a position within the crew, but it soon emerges that Merrin is able to read – a rare and valuable skill. This leads to her being recruited by the Captain to aid in deciphering the many texts he has gathered for his research. Whether or not this is a good thing remains to be seen, for the Captain has grown cruel and bitter since Evangeline’s disappearance. Merrin’s situation is complicated further when she finds herself drawn to the ship’s kind and handsome boatswain, Tom Birch. Will she blow her cover for love? Will she find out the truth of who she really is? Will the crew of the Riptide succeed in their quest to find Evangeline? Why is the rum gone?

It’s an enchanting read, reminiscent of classic tales I grew up on, such as Treasure Island and Robinson Crusoe. Merrin is a charismatic protagonist and a good example of a strong female lead: capable and mentally tough, yet vulnerable and constantly aware of her physical limitations in a crew manned by muscular and morally ambiguous men. The supporting characters are distinct and captivating in their own right, each one receiving a vivid description that makes picturing them very easy. Indeed, one of the great strengths of the novel is in Jane’s exquisite descriptive prose. If, like me, you find that a large part of the joy in reading a nautical fantasy lies with the arresting imagery of billowing sails, turbulent seas, tropical islands and colorful characters, you’ll definitely want to give this one a look. 🙂

The worldbuilding is another area in which The Isle of Gold excels. Featuring many real life sailor superstitions and details, Jane touches on everything from ghosts to sea monsters to Davy Jones himself. It’s clear that she did a lot of research on not just pirates, but the day to day running of a ship – at one point she even takes a playful dig at some of the common misconceptions about life onboard a pirate ship via Merrin’s inexperience. The dialogue is strong, each character given quirks, interests and a distinct manner of speaking based on their region of origin – the crew is a ragtag group made up of characters from all over the world, some having joined the crew voluntarily and others having been captured during battle. There are exciting twists and turns throughout, though the pacing does suffer a little in the latter half during some of the big reveals. The ending in particular is a little abrupt, but the epilogue does an excellent job of softening the blow and setting up for the next installment.

It is an often emotional tale of the importance of family (both blood and chosen), and of longing to find one’s place in the world – while there is some grey morality, The Isle of Gold is largely a hopeful affair, and most of the characters are good people at heart. If you’re looking for something purely gritty and grim, this isn’t it. However, if you enjoy highly visual nautical fantasy with a healthy dose of romance and whimsy, I strongly recommend it.

For me it was incredibly enjoyable and I’ll look forward to the next entry.

The Goodnight Mermaid Tavern was "teeming with raucous sailors and their purchased women". Captain Erik Winters and crew of his pirate ship "Riptide" are readying their vessel to sail from the tropical Caribbean island of Isla Perla. The year is 1716. The crew consists of men united by a desire for treasure and love of the sea. Captain Winters and crew will sail in search of Winters' lost love, Evangeline, arguably stolen by the gods of the sea.

The Goodnight Mermaid Tavern once belonged to Evangeline Dahl, a wild, beautiful, unpredictable lass. She cleverly negotiated trades between pirates and merchants visiting Isla Perla. Evangeline had been missing for two years. Was she enchanted by the mythical island of Bracile from whence no sailors have ever returned?

Besides Captain Winter's dogged determination to find Evangeline, orphan Merrin Smith is consumed with the desire to search for her. Disguised in young man's garb, Merrin convinces Winter that "Westley Rivers" aka Merrin would be an asset to his hostile crew. Young Mister Rivers is told to keep his head down, do his job and hope for acceptance. What compels Merrin to undertake this journey? The Pirate Code penned by Black Bart forbids women from sailing aboard pirate ships under penalty of death. She has many unanswered questions. How did she end up on the island of Isla Perla? Perhaps this voyage will provide answers.

"The Isle of Gold" by Seven Jane is a historical/fantasy novel filled with mysterious sea creatures. Evil lurks in the depths of the sea. "The sea takes what it wants". What does it want this time? Read "The Isle of Gold" and find out!

Thank you Smith Publicity and Net Galley for the opportunity to read and review "The Isle of Gold".

Historical YA adventures with pirates? I'm in, and that glorious cover is just the icing on the cake. 
The Isle of Gold by Seven Jane is the story of a young orphan girl, Merrin Smith who disguises herself as a boy and takes to the sea on a pirate ship in search of answers to the mystery of her family and how she ended up on the Caribbean island where she grew up. Sailing on the Riptide under the mercurial Captain Winters, she finds herself on a quest to find the mysterious and magical island of Bracile, where curses, monsters and enchantments await, a perilous endeavour made all the more difficult by the secret she must hide from the Captain and the crew.
A wonderful blend of historical fiction and fantasy, with a strong and determined protagonist in Merrin, this book takes some beloved seafaring legends and uses them as the basis to weave an even more magical story full of action, adventure and romance. As well as Merrin, several of the Riptide's crew are standout characters, and the story of Captain Winters and his lost love is beautifully crafted. In general the pacing is well handled, the balance between plot and character development is well maintained. That being said I did feel it was a little rushed towards the end, however not so much that it spoiled my enjoyment of the book as a whole. 
In the saturated market of YA books ,this one stood out as something a little different and special. 
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinons are my own.

Finally, a pirate novel that I absolutely loved! Marrin Smith disguises herself and boards a ship looking for Evangeline. Merrin discovers that she is not an orphan and that her parents are things of pirates tales. This journey full of twists and turns was unique and amazing. Recommended for fans for Pirates of the Carribean.

Prendre la mer sur un bateau pirate, c’est savoir où commence le voyage, mais rarement où il finira. Et lire un roman autour de la piraterie, surtout The Isle of Gold de Seven Jane, offre peu ou prou la même expérience aventureuse, les dangers des océans en moins. Quand la narratrice de The Isle of Gold commence son récit, le voyage qu’elle entame semble classique. Jeune orpheline sur une île des Caraïbes à l’âge d’or de la piraterie, elle cherche à échapper à sa carrière toute trouvée dans un bordel et s’engage sur un bateau pirate en se faisant passer pour un adolescent. Sauf que… Ce bateau ne navigue pas à la recherche d’or ou de richesse, mais d’une île mystérieuse aux confins de l’océan et de la femme perdue de son capitaine.
Avec The Isle of Gold, Seven Jane crée un roman surprenant glissant peu à peu du roman d’aventures classique à l’épopée mythologique. En effet, la première partie concernant les premiers pas de la narratrice en mer est plutôt bien documentée d’un point de vue historique. Et peu à peu, à mesure que le récit avance et que la narratrice progresse dans sa quête personnelle, des éléments fantastiques apparaissent. Petit à petit, Seven Jane va convoquer toutes les mythologies européennes liées à la mer : Circé, les selkies, le Kraken ou le capitaine Davy Jones et son vaisseau fantôme. Même cette pauvre Mélusine (d’origine pourtant bien terrestre) répond à l’appel et se trouve mêlée à cette histoire de famille fantastique. Comme tout bon récit de voyage en mer, l’aventure dans The Isle of Gold va crescendo jusqu’à l’épilogue final. Seven Jane a même le talent de nous éviter le calme plat, ce moment du voyage ou du récit où rien n'arrive et tout stagne faute de vent ou d’action. Elle passe alors du déroulé des évènements à une galerie de portraits aussi variés les uns que les autres, et loin des clichés classiques de la piraterie. À l’abordage ?

When I first was notified by NetGalley that Black Spot Books had granted me permission to read The Isle of Gold I was ecstatic! The cover and synopsis of this book pulled me in right away, and I couldn't wait to get my hands on it! I was also incredibly bummed because I had several other book review deadlines that I had already been given from other entities, that I had to put this one on hold for a while.

Finally, my reading schedule slowed down (however, only by a smidge!) enough that I finally could sit down with this high anticipated book! However, now that I've read it, I have mixed thoughts, feelings and reviews about it. Was it worth the hype I was giving it?

In short: yes, and here's why:

I have found that I really enjoy stories about pirates. I've never read a pirate story until I read the Rogue Elegance trilogy by KA Dowling (you can find my review for it here), but here I am, I've read yet another and I'm looking forward to getting to pick up my next! There is just something different about an epic adventure on the high seas that you don't get from one that takes place on land. Maybe that's because its such a different and alien world to me? I don't know, but I do thoroughly enjoy them!

The amount of imagery that Seven Jane puts into this novel is amazing. She really knows how to paint a picture for you! My most favorite examples of her imagery was not of the depictions of the way people or places looked, but of their behaviors:

"Their love, it was said, was ardent and dangerous, the sort that would compel one to hold a knife to their lover's neck while kissing with such passion that the edges of their blades cut at their own throats."
"He was waiting for something, what I couldn't tell, but I imagined it was for the moment that the ocean would swallow us whole and lead us to an island that was not charted on any map and could never be found in the same place twice, and had never returned any man that had sailed for its shores."
 
But more than the imagery and the fact that the story is about pirates, I enjoyed the story of Merrin Smith: an orphan who hides her identity to join the crew of the Riptide to sail the seas. She was a sensible and smart girl, although a bit naive, that really grows into a beautiful woman who stands up for her beliefs. A very enjoyable story.

My only complaints about the entire book, and hence the mixed thoughts, feelings and reviews:

-The story drug in several places. While I loved the imagery, it sometimes got in the way of the story. So much so at times I would find myself pages ahead and not know what had happened (if anything) because I would find my mind wondering while going through the motions of reading. 
-Because of this drag, there was a very slow build. All of the action happens within that last few chapters (Part III). 
-I still have a million unanswered questions. And I'm sure most readers will. While the book didn't end like there will be a sequel, I hope that there is one and that it answers most, if not all, of those questions. Many of them Merrin asks herself during the story, but never receives any answers. This was very frustrating.

I greatly enjoy The Isle of Gold. There are a few qualms, but overall, I found it to be an exciting new adventure, complete with some old friends (such as Davy Jones) and some new ones I hope to get to know better in the future. 


From one bookaholic to another, I hope I’ve helped you find your next fix.
—Dani

Dani's Score out of 5: 📚📚📚📚

Personally, I’m not into books about pirates. However, the year of 1716 and the Golden Age of Pirates somehow attracted me as I wanted to familiarize myself with that period of piracy. 

The main character is very engaging. However, I couldn’t get into the storyline of the pirates. 

I gave up after 25%. 

I’m not the right person to review this book. Therefore, I don’t want to rate it.

ARC PROVIDED BY NETGALLEY FOR AN HONEST REVIEW


Y’all are SLEEPINNNG on this right now. This is an AMAZING fun, fast paced bad ass pirate story with mythology all wrapped in! 

I absolutely fucking loved this! From the very first page I was in awe of how fast and fun this was. 

So much vivid details of the ships, oceans and the characters. I really pictured everything that was happening and the world. 
This book has diversity in amazing ways, it isn’t over powering and shoving it in your face to prove that its diverse. It’s casual, a mention of Merrin possibly having women lovers to all different race of characters and creatures. I loved that about it. 
I loved Captain Winters and Bullet, I thought Tom was a nice character in the fact that he was so unlike a pirate character or any other pirate on the ship. 

The plot twist smacked me in the face. I thought I had it figured out very early and I didn’t at all and then the other plot twist smacked me around too and I LOVED it!! Absolutely loved it 


Such an amazing book!!!! Y’all! Please don’t sleep on this book when it comes out October, 9th!!!


5/5 Stars!!!


Blog review to come closer to release date!

I'm afraid the writing in this book just did not work for me. Within the first couple of chapters I noticed a few clichés that were completely jarring. For example, at one point the narration says "and so it was to be a pirates life for me". These kind of sayings don't make sense within the world of the story and so hindered my ability to be immersed whenever they appeared. There were also many uncomfortable similarities between this and Pirates of the Caribbean. 

I'm giving a three star rating only because I have to give something.

This was a book that had a lot of potential, and could have been a really, really good story. It had a unique plot, a main protagonist that I could actually get behind, and all the makings of my Next Favorite Book. There were just too many words that got in the way, unfortunately. 

Merrin Smith, an orphan, has never felt like she belonged anywhere. However, she has always felt a strange connection to Evangeline Dahl, the proprietress of the Goodnight Mermaid. So when Evangeline goes missing, Merrin decides that she will be part of the group that finds her... even if it means pretending to be a man and joining the crew of the mysterious Captain Winters. Throughout her journey, Merrin will discover the truth about herself, her family, and the world around her--because nothing is as it seems.

I really did like the direction that this book was going in, especially because there were several moments when I went "hey, that was actually pretty cool/unique/awesome." Merrin, the protagonist, is actually quite independent and resourceful, and doesn't need a man to help her survive (there is a man but... see paragraph below). She can hold her own, defend herself, and do all of the things without having her hand held. So that made me happy. And the plot of the book was actually quite original despite some of the quibbles I had about it, and I genuinely wanted to know what was going to happen next, who was going to survive, etc.

I had 3 main issues with this book: the wordiness, the romance, and Pirates of the Caribbean. This book could have been amazing, but there were just too many description chunks that distracted from the story, and I could feel my attention drifting. This was honestly what made it hard for me to finish the book, since I couldn't quite focus on the story. The romance also bothered me because I feel like this story would have flowed perfectly without one, and the introduction and development of the romance seemed forced and awkward. As for the Pirates of the Caribbean... this may be unfair to this particular book, as my entire knowledge of Davy Jones and all that come from those (amazing) movies, but there were several plot points or descriptions that seemed a little too similar to the Pirates franchise for my liking. Maybe they aren't connected at all, but it detracted from the otherwise unique setting and story.

Overall this book had a ton of potential, it just fell a tad short mostly because of the excessive descriptions provided in the text. The plot itself was interesting, the characters were interesting, and there definitely were some points where I felt drawn into the story. It was the words that got in the way.

3/5 Stars

The Isle of Gold is slated for release on October 9th, 2018.

Disclaimer: I received an eARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way affected my feelings towards, review of, or opinions on the book.

Captain Winters has been searching for his lost love Evangeline for two years. He swears the sea has taken her and is determined to sail into the heart of the ocean to bring her back. Merrin, an orphaned girl who scrubs floors in a brothel on Isla Perla, also feels a strange connection to the lost Evangeline. Disguising herself as a man, Merrin joins Winters' pirate crew. They begin an adventure of mythological proportions as Merrin discovers just who her parents are and why she was abandoned in the first place. 

Davy Jones, Melusine, selkies, sirens, and other lore from the sea build the world of this unique historical fantasy. Even with many elements reminiscent of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, the story was still unique. The pacing of the story was odd in parts, with large descriptive passages occurring during action scenes. The love interest also fell a little flat and was far less interesting than other parts of the story. On the whole, however, I enjoyed this adventure and may look out for more books by this author in the future.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Summary: An girl who was orphaned joins the crew of a pirate ship in search of adventure. 

What I liked: I truly dislike tropey novels and Isle of Gold  fit that bill. It was a fresh take on the pirate adventure with a bit of myth thrown in for good measure. I really enjoyed the pacing of the novel. It reminded me of a wave ebbing and flowing with a big build up to action and retreating to give the reader time to breath before the next wave of action. The characters were well written and three dimensional. The relationships between Tom and Merrin was sweet and I appreciated it. In a time where characters in books rip each others clothing off there was a lot of patience and build up between them and I found that endearing. I love the way myth was woven through the story to craft a back story that I found truly special. 

What I didn't like: There wasn't anything I didn't like....well there was one...the story ended. 

Star Rating: 5

My thoughts: Jane has left a bit to the imagination with this story and I truly loved it. I thought that the pacing was cleverly done and there wasn't a time throughout the book that I was bored or wanting to read something else.

The Isle of Gold was an interesting read--one about which I am still pondering as I pen this review. There was a lot to like about it, with pirates and adventure blending with fantasy and mythology. I appreciated the character of Merrin. However, I struggled to feel the connection between her and Tom, which seemed purely physical lust rather than love. To me, the person of greatest interest was Captain Winters, and I would have enjoyed the opportunity to get to know him a little more. I liked the way the story morphed from historical to fantasy, but I thought the pacing could have done with a little work. It was a somewhat plodding beginning, followed by a sudden rush of mad activity towards the end. In conclusion, this was an intriguing story with a lot of good points, but one which missed the mark here and there. I would recommend it to those who enjoy pirate stories with a touch of fantasy (along the lines of Pirates of the Caribbean), and overall I give it 3.5 stars, pushing to 4.

First of all I loved the cover. I thought it was fitting for the subject matter. The idea for this book was really, really good. However, the execution could have been better. It was very difficult to get into the book during the first 30%. It wasn't bad but it was overly descriptive. The writing was actually really good. The thing that bothered me the most was that in between the dialogue there was so much being described that I would forget there were characters talking. I feel like it would have been a way more engaging book if there had been more dialogue and less descriptions. Also, an introduction to the main character and her goals would have been good to have. At the end of the book I still had no idea what was her motivation for having started the adventure in the first place. I did start becoming invested in the story about 50% of the way through and was glad I stuck with it. Dialogue became more abundant but still too descriptive for my liking. I actually thought the book was redeeming itself and would end up being a 4 star for me but the ending was rushed. Too many things were done without reasonable explanations. I feel sad and let down because this could have been a book that I loved.

I posted this to my Instagram on 05/21/2018 https://www.instagram.com/myreadingchronicles/