This is somehow the second pirate queen book I’ve read so far this year, and it was a lot of fun: after her husband’s death, Shek Yeung does what she can to retain power over his fleet with his second-in-command, Cheung Po.

I expected this to be fantasy—many pirate books these days have a fantasy element—but this was pretty straight historical fiction. I don’t gravitate toward historical fiction and probably wouldn’t have picked this up on my own, but it was a nice surprise.

There’s a lot here: isolationism and imperialism, the role of women and motherhood, and big ethical questions. I’ll definitely read more by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury!

This was a great read! I ended up giving it 4 stars! The main character was very well developed and and the plot had me sucked in from the very beginning! I would recommend this book to others and have only positive things to say!

I really enjoyed this as a story of a woman who, through oppression, found herself fighting for and succeeding in a precarious role as a bada** pirate leader. I was drawn to this book because of my interest in historical women leaders and this really was more of a fiction book with real people than a fiction book that will teach you history. It was still a good story though and I would recommend it to other people who enjoy historical fiction or stories about women coming into or finding themselves.

My only note was that the book is written in third person and due to my own personal preference, that made it harder to get into but that is not a barrier for everyone.

I received this advance reader copy from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

This novel was very interesting, I enjoyed it and found the protagonist well-developed. I particularly thought the cut throat world of fishermen turned pirates, and young women raped and sold to flower boats... All set up a well-defined world where people could easily turn to piracy. I really enjoyed the way our protagonist admitted making mistakes and questioned her own choices to maintain her power and authority. I strongly recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys historical fiction featuring strong women.

I received a temporary digital copy of Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea by Rita Chang-Eppig from NetGalley, Bloomsbury Publishing and the author in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

In an effort to keep her control of the Red Banner Fleet, Shek-Yeung marries her husband's second in command the day after his funeral. Shek-Yeung is trying to hold on to her command while the pirate alliance her and her husband formed is being attacked from the outside in. Who is behind these new threats? The Chinese Emperor? The Europeans? One of their own?

Overall, I enjoyed Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea. The book was well-researched and I was deeply invested in Shek-Yeung's success and failures. I also found the myths of the sea goddess Ma-Zou, extremely interesting and how they related to Shek-Yeung's experiences. Nevertheless, I thought something was missing - maybe there were too many stories of Ma-Zou and not enough on the piracy itself?

Adventures to exotic locations aboard a Chinese junk where the main character is a strong willed “flower boat girl” turned pirate. Fast paced with exquisite world descriptions and clever minded characters who stave off greedy government bureaucrats and treacherous enemies. Every bit an edge-of-your-chair read.

So obviously I saw "lady pirates" and had to read this immediately.

I do think it's inaccurate to label this as fantasy. This is historical fiction with a tinge of magical realism in the guise of Shek Yeung imagining the goddess Ma Zou responding to her entreaties.
That being said, this was a fascinating and well-told story about a remarkable woman making her mark on a world typically run by men. Shek Yeung is realistic, smart, tactical, brutal when she needs to be, and above all, a survivor. She does what she thinks she needs to do, whether that is killing potential spies, forging alliances, or giving up her children. This is a harsh world she lives in, with famine, village raids, murder, piracy (nothing romantic here), and cutthroat government officials. There were also thought-provoking passages on power, feminism, and what power means when wielded by men vs women.
Also, having read Babel this year, it was FASCINATING to see the beginning of the English strategy in regards to opium and counteracting the imbalance of imports/exports between China and the West.

I definitely enjoyed this book, even if it wasn't exactly what I was expecting at the beginning. Absolutely recommend.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a requested copy for review. All opinions are my own.

I absolutely loved this book. What's not to like? Adventure, pirates... and a female pirate queen at that. But really... the author did an amazing job bringing to life a real person, with few choices in life, who somehow managed to survive everything that was thrown at her but also thrived in a world where men generally ruled. It was beautifully written... Shek Yeung is realistic and down to earth about what her current situation is at any given time. The mythology woven throughout the book tell stories of Ma-Zou, and they not only add to the story but left me wanting to learn more about Chinese mythology. As someone who loves mythology of all kinds, I do know very little about their mythology. I will be recommending this book and choosing it as my staff pick when it comes out.

Humans are all come from water.
Water are our real home. Anyone remember?
Sea is the place we come from, but in history, what happened. Why we don't remember anything? Why we all keep curious about the seas arounds.
What in deep of the sea? Turn each page to find out.

2.25/5 stars

I thought the premise of this book was very interesting and it caught my attention immediately. Female pirates?!
Absolutely count me in.

Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea is a historical fiction about Shek Young, a woman forced into piracy. The story starts off with Shek Young having to gain control of her husband's fleet after he is killed in battle. She strikes a deal with her husband's second in command, Cheng Po, to maintain her position within the crew. However, there is a new threat looming in the distance as China pushes to rid of piracy.

While the plot seemed intriguing, I lost interest almost immediately and struggled to wade through the entirety of the story. I don't doubt the author's passion for this story and the lore, as well as the immense amount of research that went into writing this book...because it read sort of like a research paper. For a book about pirates, there was a whole lot of nothing going on the entire time. Even the battles were almost entirely skipped over so there was no thrill or any pick up in pacing.

Thank you to NetGalley and nd Bloomsbury Publishing for the eARC of this book. in exchange for my honest review.

Wow, what a journey! When I first heard about this book, I was very excited--and I was still excited by the end of this book. It's a great historical fiction book, based on the real Chinese pirate queen,Ching Shih. The story, prose, character development, and imagery were fantastic. I absolutely loved following along Shek Yeung's journey as she dealt with motherhood, womanhood, identity, and survival. It was quite empowering. Overall, I enjoyed this book and highly recommend it.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for the ARC.

Dnf @38%
The first thing that catch my attention is the fierce cover and the description of the book, but i was so sad that the writing is not really works for me.

Too much telling, and i didn’t get the vibe “Chineese Pirate Queen”. It feels dull especially when she told her past story or just describing a thing on the ship.

Thank you Netgalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for providing me the Arc

I really wanted to like this book. The opening scene was really interesting and I liked where the storyline went. It took a really long time for me to get sucked into this book though. I had a hard time keeping the characters straight for the first half of the book because I feel like I didn't get to know them well enough to keep them straight. And it took a long time for the plot to pick up and suck me in.

I think if the action and plot got started sooner and pulled me in quicker I would have enjoyed the story a little more.

A pirate fleet, politics, and a woman in search of herself. Rita Chang-Eppig's novel is a gorgeously written, meticulously plotted high sea adventure. I fell in love with our heroine early on in the novel: a woman used to strife, but not hardened completely to the plights of those around her. The relationships take center stage here: Shek Yeung's bond with her dead husband's former lover, her connection with her crewmates, and the inter-fleet fighting. Shek Yeung was a fascinating character to spend 300 pages with, and the fantasy elements here (lightly added) make the book especially special. There's a lack of sentimentality here that I appreciated. I'm really looking forward to whatever the author writes next.

‘Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea’ by Rita Chang-Eppig was a powerful, absolutely fantastic read. Highly recommend!

A fearsome female Chinese pirate, Shek Yeung, inspired by the real pirate queen Ching Shih.

Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea by Rita Chang-Eppig delves into the inner turmoil of Shek Yeung, as she tries to keep power and control of one of the largest pirate fleets in South China after her controlling and powerful first husband dies in battle. Skek Yeung is a smart businesswoman, who strategies and seeks direction from Ma-Zou the Sea Godess for her and her fleet's best interests during the Qing Dynasty.

The story grapples with motherhood, womanhood, freedom, power, and control of one's life.

While I really enjoyed the story, character development, and writing that created vivid images, at times I was jolted by the prose, mainly some of the metaphors, and implies. These analogies didn't seem to fit the style or setting.

I love historical fiction and this was my first read of a Chinese pirate story. It inspired me to look into female pirates and piracy as well.

If you're looking for powerful a female character who lives life and her terms, as well as historical pirate adventures then this is a solid book for you.

Thank @NetGalley and @BloomsburyPublishing for my eARC.
#netgalley #bloomsburypub #deepastheskyreadasthesea

Major thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts:

DNF after the first 15%.

The writing style is like chipping at a block of marble with a toothpick. It's so clunky that even the dialogue becomes a way of glossary-talk for explaining what junk ships are. Where feelings should be explored, they are not.

Though I appreciate the efforts of creating a gritty swash-buckling portrait of a female Chinese pirate, Chang-Eppig writes with a dull blade only interested in plot points where violence occurs.

In fact, I think Chang-Eppig writes violence brilliantly in her short stories. For example, take a look at 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘔𝘪𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘭𝘦 𝘎𝘪𝘳𝘭 in the Virginia Quarterly Review here. Perhaps her skills as a writer shine best in this piece because the narrative is in the frame of the short story. Action, feelings, and intrigue are maintained through this short story in pacing and development so much more than this novel.

For fans that enjoy historical fiction with a mix of the adverturism and surrealism of 𝘛𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘗𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘦𝘵, this one's for you.

3.0

This historical fiction novel had a lot of promise, but ultimately left me feeling deeply unsatisfied.

When I first started this book, I was excited to read an engaging historical novel featuring a strong female protagonist and the promise of adventure. However, the story that unfolded before me was much slower and more introspective than I expected. While there's absolutely nothing wrong with thoughtful, literary-leaning historical fiction, this book is explicitly being marketed as a 'riveting, roaring adventure,' and it just... isn't. It took me three months to get through.

As a history buff, the attention to detail and obvious depth of research got me through most of the book. Unfortunately, a lot of the prose also reads like a textbook.

I found the flashbacks to Shek Young's former life and her ascent to be a lot more interesting than the actual plot, which was disappointing since they were so sparse. Shek Yeung herself was frustratingly passive, often citing fate or the will of the gods and feeling like a reluctant bystander in her own narrative. While a large emphasis is placed on her being traumatized, she never seems to confront any of these deep inner wounds throughout the course of the story. Her development is minimal. Secondary characters generally read as flat, including the antagonist.

Ugh, I wish I ended up liking this book more. The marketing definitely needs to change so this book can find its proper audience.

As I delved into the pages of this book, I found myself transported to a world of piracy - not the swashbuckling, adventurous kind, but rather, a darker side of it. The story follows Shek Yeung, a woman who has faced immense pain and loss - from the tragic death of her family to being sold into sex slavery. However, her brilliant mind catalyzed a Pirate captain to recognize her value which helped her rise above her circumstances.

The book maintains a consistent tone of tragedy and glimpses into Shek Yeung's past but ultimately concludes with a satisfying and understandable ending. Overall, the book's creativity lies in its ability to paint a vivid picture of the harsh realities of piracy and the strength of its characters to overcome them.

The book's abundance of information about ships, junks, pirates, and piracy overwhelmed me. Moreover, the lengthy chapters and numerous characters' names added to the complexity. Although it was challenging to keep up with the details, it also made my reading experience engaging. However, the excessiveness of information started to diminish my enjoyment.

The book's central theme, which revolves around Shek Yeung's efforts to maintain her authority and leadership after her husband's death, was captivating. Despite the book's slow pace, Shek's character development and journey of growth kept me engrossed. I found Shek's sharp intellect and resourcefulness most impressive, and it was the trait that helped her survive. Her story represents the struggle of women who have to prove their worth.

Shek Yeung's character was portrayed as deeply devoted to her goddess Ma-zou, with scenes depicting her communicating with the deity and seeking guidance. This element adds a touch of fantasy or magical realism to the story and showcases Shek's unwavering faith and commitment to her god, a significant aspect of her personality.

What I appreciate about this book is that it doesn't just focus on the details but also prompts thoughtful contemplation through the experiences and transformations of the main characters. One poignant moment that stood out to me was when the protagonist became a mother and struggled with the fear of losing her edge while commanding half of the fleet. As a fellow mother, I can relate to the difficulty of navigating such a change.

A few pondering quotes from the novel:

"The past and the future are but points on a circle. What will be, always was. To look to your future, we must first look to your past." - Ma-Zou

"To defy power, one must possess power. Our power lies in our unity." Shek Yeung

Overall, a book that delivers a multi-faceted protagonist and a powerful message of resilience and sacrifice that resonated with me.

Thank NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for my advance e-copy in exchange for my honest review.

A wonderful telling of the actions of the Chinese pirate fleets as they struggle to survive against the Emperor need to wipe them out along with the invasion of their territories by the Portuguese and British merchants. The story is of a woman seized from her father's fishing boat by pirates,sold to a flower boat madam, rescued and married to the pirate boss of a huge fleet. Her husband is killed and she and his second in command take over the fleet. She married and has a child with him to secure her position in charge of the fleet. Together they try to preserve the fleet and battle against the Emperor' navy as well as the Portuguese and British merchant seeking to eliminate them. There is also the poignant story of her motherhood and her need to remain a pirate but also protect her child. This is an enjoyable story.