I really wanted to like this book. A woman pirate on the South China Sea. I expected hijinks and adventures. Then it got more and more political so I thought it’d be like The Poppy War - politics plus adventure. But it just never picked up. I DNFed around 35%.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book.

As soon as I heard that this book was about the legendary Chinese pirate Queen Zheng Yisao, I knew I would have to read it!
I don't usually read historical fiction, so I was a bit worried about that going in, but I ended up really enjoying the book. It was definitely slower paced for the most part, but I was captivated by the story and couldn't stop listening.

The plot revolves around Shek Yeung, after her husband (the leader of the pirate fleet) dies, she needs to recalibrate her life in order to stay in power.

The book does a fantastic job at illustrating the added difficulty of being a woman in ye olden days who wants to gain and hold power, and how you need to both prove yourself to be as good as men while also using your feminity to your advantage. Shek Yeung doesn't only negotiate and prove to the pirates in her fleet that she's cutthroat enough to be their leader, she also remarries and bears her new husband a son to strengthen her position through marriage and heritage.

The plot was quite politics-heavy, but I enjoyed it a lot. It did drag a bit occasionally, but for the most part, I was super invested in the story and found it to be quite addictive. I also really liked the light fantasy elements that were woven into the worldbuilding, it really added a lot.
The writing was great, as was the narration of the audiobook.

Overall, I definitely recommend it this book, but keep in mind that is historical fiction first and foremost and therefore not your average pirate fantasy adventure.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
4/5 STARS

This is a historical fiction novel set in the South China Sea before the Opium Wars.

Synopsis:
A tough Asian girl who grows up with pirates has to overcome a lot of hardship throughout her life to become a pirate queen.

I listened to the audio for this book. It reminded me a little of an adult Six Crimson Cranes with less fantasy. I enjoyed the story and the mythology that came with it. It is a more historical aspect of pirates and not a fantasy, so know that going in. The names of the characters sounded very similar in the beginning of the audio, so it took me a few chapters in to differentiate the characters. Also, the timeline was a little tricky to follow at times when listening.
I loved that the MC was a fierce pirate woman who had to fight to survive at every point in her life. I love any story about pirates and this one was a nice break from the fantasies I normally read.

Thank you to NetGalley & Bloomsbury for the ARC! 🏴‍☠️

Overall this was a decent book. I really loved the audiobook narrator. I found it slow at times and hard to care about the story. It may just be me though! I do love the concepts of woman and motherhood portrayed in this! It had a strong FMC that I’m sure others may find interesting. She’s definitely strong willed and brave; constantly pushing against the patriarchal society she lives in. The major issue I had was the plot. I felt there was no purpose really for a while, and not much conflict until about halfway. At that point it was hard to connect again. I will still check out future books by this author though! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an audio ARC for my honest review.

I was excited to hear this story because of the plot but overall this audiobook was lacking in my opinion. I felt that the author did not fit the overall story which took me out of the environment of the story and made it difficult to enjoy

OK, first I have to say that my enjoyment of this book was hampered at first because the description makes it sound like an adventure novel and the tags on Goodreads have it as a fantasy first. Both of those things appealed to me when I requested the book. So when it wasn’t really either of those things I was disoriented for a minute and I had to mentally readjust and take the book as it is and not what I thought it was going to be.
While there ARE pirate battles - this book is much more about Shek Yeung and her quest to exert some control over her fate. The writing is beautiful and once I stopped wanting it to be an adventure fantasy and accepted that it is solidly historical fiction I really enjoyed it. I was also surprised to find that it is based on an actual historical woman and that made me like it even more.
Now, I really have NO idea why anyone is tagging this as fantasy. It is not a fantasy novel at all. There is talk of the goddess of the sea - but what pirate queen wouldn’t talk about the goddess of the sea? And the goddess is brought up (in the story) in the context of HER stories or when characters appeal to her - but she is not a “character” per se.
But after switching my headspace - I really liked the book and gave it 4 stars.
Thank you to Netaglley and Blackstone Publishing for the audiobook I listened to in exchange for an honest review.

Poetic story about Chineese female pirate. She rough and tough but her voice is calm. It os adult and it has rape, obuse and manipulation It reminds me of Poppy War or YA Iron Window. It is as poetic as Magic Steeped on Poison. I was suprised how much I enjoyed brutallity as well as voicw though the book.

For a book about pirates and THE Chinese pirate queen, I was expecting this book to have more action in it than it does. DEEP AS THE SKY, RED AS THE SEA is more a slow paced novel about the hardships that bring both men and women to choose being a pirate over other paths of life and how Shek Yeung attempts to make a safe (relatively speaking) space for women onboard ships to save them from working in the sex trade.

This is an interesting historical fiction that examines the impact of poverty on a country as well as shows the early influences of Portugal, England, and other European countries as they make their way towards China.

Emily Woo Zeller does a good job with the audiobook narration.

This is a pirate story, but was not action packed like I had hoped. It’s much more of a literary story that explores womanhood in a time that men ran the seas. The writing was fine, but the slowness was hard for me to endure as I’m much more of a fast paced book lover. I learned more about Chinese culture, which I enjoyed and I think that people who love historical fiction may love this although it wasn’t quite for me as a reader.

The narrator of the audio has a very soothing voice and did a great job. Sometimes I felt sleepy listening though because her voice was so smooth and the story was on the slower side.

So here's the deal: If I'm reading a book about pirates, I want action. And I didn't get that here.
The plot itself was not completely uninteresting, but it didn't make me excited and it was a little slow and boring.

The comparison to Piranesi (in the blurb) is ridiculous in my opinion. I did not get any similarities at all, but yeah, whatever helps you sell a book I guess...

Now, Shek Yeung. I didn't like her, but I also don't think she's a character you're supposed to like.

I really enjoyed the very last chapter though. The ending just worked for me.

Overall this book had so much potential, but it failed to deliver.

AHHHH! I am so thankful to Blackstone Audio for granting me access to this wonderfully commemorative novel about family and overcoming obstacles both far and wide. I am loving the audiobook and am sending my thanks to Rita Chang-Eppig and NetGalley and really look forward to this audiobook version getting published on June 6.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free ALC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I devoured this book. I admit it initially came onto my radar because of its gorgeous cover, but in this case, you definitely CAN judge the book by how beautiful this cover is! The novel within matches the cover perfectly.
If you're a fan of The Poppy War, definitely don't miss this! Shek Yeung reminds me of an older, wiser version of Rin. Shek Yeung is the exact type of protagonist I love - a cutthroat woman who is ruthless in her pursuit of power in a misogynistic world. Being set in a pirate story only made the story better. I loved the suspense, the savagery, and the emotions running high. The writing was also incredibly poetic for such a story - made even more impressive by the fact that this is a debut novel. The rich descriptions made the story feel alive. This is a book I could re-read very, very soon and will definitely purchase ASAP.