This was a fun read. I love dinosaurs and I love pirates so I knew I had to read this one! It was a fun romp, but if you aren’t a scallywag who speaks like one, you may not enjoy it as much. I enjoyed the writing style. This book was, overall, a fun read that flies by quickly with lots of battles…and Dinos!

This wasn't what I expecting. It wasn't bad but it wasn't a book where I was like "oh my goodness or holy crap that was amazing". Would I read it again? Probably not. But I'm also not upset that I spent time reading it. It was just okay in my opinion.

If you're into pirates, and have some familiarity with their language and practices, and enjoy seeing dinosaurs chomping them up, then this is your perfect read! It's great fun, but it requires some experience in the genre to enjoy it fully. The premise and the situations felt a bit like a Disney movie, though this is definitely not a family movie-kind of tale. It's also a slow-burn, with a rather jarring use of the flashbacks device. So you need patience and some free time in your schedule. The book comes into its own in the last third, I believe, after everything has been set up and it's clear what the threat exactly is, This is not the kind of book you read twice; the thrill comes from how the author manages to bring everything together and surprise you in the end.

Many thanks to NetGally and DarkLit for the chance to review an ARC of the book!.

I loved the idea of dinosaurs meets pirates, it had everything that I was looking for and thought the concept was great. The characters were wonderfully done and enjoyed the overall feel worked with what I wanted. I really enjoyed the overall feel of this. I was hooked from the cover and so glad I was able to read this. I can't wait to read more from Christopher Robertson as I enjoyed this book a lot.

A highly entertaining opening volley in the Dark Lit Sails line of Pirate Horror. Of Black Flags is populated with wonderful characters and was kinda exactly what I needed even though I had no idea that I actually need it. More of this vibe, please. I am all for this print line.

Thank you Dark Lit and Netgalley for the opportunity to read.

I managed to read a couple chapters but couldn’t read it any further as the language while trying to be pirate-y was way too dense and difficult to comprehend. I loved the cover but there were a lot of gore mentioned in the first few pages, which is why I won’t be further reviewing this book.

Rating - 1/5

I couldn't really get in to this book. The narration being in mostly modern language with some pirate speak was throwing me off. The premise seemed so good, but I can't get past the use of pirate speak.

"And yet it seems the fate of those who sail the sea of thieves to end their days by knife, shot, or hempen jig. Treachery and betrayal run through a pirate's blood like ale and rum, and spills just as quickly."

Of Black Flags follows a badass crew of pirates as they launch a last ditch effort against the British Navy to preserve their scallywagging way of life. After a storm hits and they wake up on a (not so) deserted island, they find themselves facing a far more sinister enemy.

(It's dinosaurs!)

The story is fun and action-packed - there are a lot of epic battle scenes and many sword swinging shenanigans. I found my attention often wavering as the novel bounces between characters like a rapid fire pistol. I appreciated the narrator's "pirate accent" throughout, but some of the characters dialogue was incredibly hard to parse. I had to stop quite a few times to decipher what they were saying, which took me right out of the action.

I think this book tried to take on too much, honestly. There were too many side plots and a lot of jumping around that made things hard to keep straight. Too many convenient solutions to problems. If you're looking for some bloody, cannon firing fighting, this will definitely be your cup of tea.

Of Black Flags and Devil Birds
By Christoper Robertson

Complete ARC Copy Review


A sea battle, a storm, and… dinosaurs? Come along as a rag tag group of pirates find themselves on a mysterious island full of death.

Wow, if you like pirates this book is for you. And if a pirate adventure wasn't enough, it's pirates vs dinosaurs? The only thing that could be cooler is maybe if ninjas were to sneak in there somewhere. Seriously though, I have never read any of Christopher Robertson's other works and I started this book fully expecting the B-movie equivalent of a book. Boy was I surprised. This is a non-stop action, non-stop fun novel that is very worth your time.

The book flows fantastically. In fact, it seems like it was more of a movie than a book if that makes sense. The scenes were well written and described. The characters were actually characters, not all just generic throwaways. But speaking of generic, this book has every pirate trope... well... every trope "in the book". But that is absolutely not a knock against it. It was so fun trying to guess what pirate mainstay would pop up next. There was one that I slapped my forehead thinking "why didn't I think of that?!".

From villains to heroes and from dinosaurs to cannibals, everyone adds to the fun of this book. I wish this was the first in a series so I could keep reading. I have liked a lot of the books I've read recently but this by far has been my favorite. From swinging from vines, to trying to take down a Deinonychus (which by the way has been my favorite dinosaur since I was little, and they got totally hosed by Michael Crichton replacing them with giant Velociraptors) with a cutlass, this book has thrills and action to spare.

Would I recommend this book to friends and family? Absolutely and already have. I will also be checking out other works by Robertson very soon.

4.5 out of 5 stars.

In an attempt to retake the seas from the control of the British Navy, a daring gang of pirates launch their final attack. However, when a vicious storm puts an end to the battle, the stranded survivors find themselves facing a new monstrous foe.

Although I must admit it took me a while to get into the story, since at the beginning the timeline jumps around a bit, once I got stuck in I was all in. I definitely found myself rooting for the characters and I was on the edge of my seat for the last 30%. If you’re looking for a thrilling story, with plenty of pirate shenanigans and a splash of dinosaurs then this is for you! I will also say that this story does a really good job at providing effortless representation, and it always makes me smile to encounter Scots in a book.

Many thanks to NetGally and DarkLit for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A high concept, blockbuster of an adventure story packed with horror and heart. The authentic tone and language used makes it feel like you're being told the story by an actual pirate.

Side note: as a Scot I loved to see the Scots representation here, it's a rare thing to see my language in print.

I did notice what might be a slight error on the sub chapter The Ballad of Backstabber Buchanan with the last word being split, but might just be an epub/my reader thing.

Many thanks to DarkLit and NetGalley for the review copy.

I dare you to read this book without using someone from the Disney franchise's voice. I feel some of the plot points were borrowed a little too....

I wanted to like this book but it is extremely hard to follow. The first part jumps back and forth between past and present and I had trouble keeping up. The dialogue is also a mixture of pirate, Scots and Irish and even though I am familiar with some of the vernacular I struggled to read it correctly and got frustrated easily.

The part with the dinosaurs on the island was delightful. Think Jurassic Park meets Pirates. I love scary dinosaur books and this is one of the redeeming bits for this book.

Overall, I don't think I'd read it again. I read for pleasure and when it is a lot of work to just read the story, I lose interest. Maybe since this is an advance reader's copy, things will be tightened up after publishing.

My thanks to Netgalley and Darklit Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun, splattery romp of a story with pirates and dinosaurs galore. It’s an adventurous tale combining high seas, a mysterious island, monstrous creatures and humans, and some magical elements.

“Aye, me hearties, this be an epic for the ages, so sit yer arses down, swig some rum, and listen to this here tale...”

There are some very interesting characters, dynamics and twist and turns throughout. Truly never a dull moment!

I understood the author wanting to go with pirate jargon throughout the story for authenticity, but it did grate on my nerves at times- that’s my own peeve though, not a reflection of the story.

Thank you to the author, NetGalley, and DarkLit Press for a copy!

I didn't enjoy this book nearly as much as I wanted to. The timeline was disjointed and hard to follow at times, with no clear definition of when it was jumping around. Characters were relatively forgettable, and the writing style made it feel like a slog to get through. Premise was super interesting, and I'm sure this will be someone else's cup of tea, but it unfortunately wasn't mine.

Thank you, Netgalley for the ARC of this book

It was okay, not the best thing I have read. It was a fun premise but I had to trudge through jargon going through out the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and DarkLit Press for providing me with a free ebook in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun, outlandish adventure story featuring pirates and dinosaurs, but I had a difficult time reading the dialogue that was in the Scots or pirate dialect. This definitely has an entertaining premise, but not one of the best books I've ever read.

A pirate tale on the high seas? Yes. Now throw in some dinosaurs and a splash gore, and you have an amazing adventure. This book had me invested from the very first page. Yet another book that christopher robertson knocks out of the park! Highly recommend.

Fun read! I loved the world with pirates and dinosaurs, you can’t go wrong with that. Just the right amount of adventure and gore.

This concept was simply mind blowing! Dinosaurs and pirates? Just sign me up already. And surely it did not disappoint. The characters were relatable on various levels and the style made me bite my nails in anticipations. Highly recommend this to all. (Round off rating at 4.5)

'More heart than horror', a character says while recounting the events of the story, and that's a very fair way to describe 'Of Black Flags and Devil Birds'. While there's no shortage of fairly brutal gore, swashbuckling fights, and tense adventure, this isn't a book that outright tries to scare you; instead, the aim is to make you invest in the motley crew of protagonists and hit you in the feelings that way. If this sounds like something that interests you, then this may well be one you should rush to read. Oh, did I mention there's a LOT of dinosaurs in it, too?




Robertson gives us a big central cast of characters to get to know, and he really makes use of them. Whether pirates, the King's men out to bring them to justice, or other groups—of which I won't spoil the surprise here—there are so many interwoven stories and relationship histories between them, and as much of the tension comes from these details unravelling as from any dinosaur attack. I found myself really caring about the major players in the story, gritting my teeth and hoping no harm would befall them as I reached the action-packed climax.

On a personal note, there was a lot about the story I loved. Like so many others, I was a total dinosaur nerd as a child, and I loved reading the descriptions of the various Terrible Lizards and trying to match them to the real species. I was thrilled to see a section at the end detailing them and seeing which ones I'd got wrong or right. There's also a sizable amount of queer representation among the pirates, none of which felt like a token inclusion to me. It really added to the depth and complexity of the characters in most cases, and certainly helped to endear me to them.

I suspect most people will already know by now if this is something they'll want to read. Pirates and dinosaurs? Big action set pieces, heart-pounding adventure, and wince-inducing violence? A mix of emotional and occasionally heartbreaking drama with frequent genuinely funny moments—think an irreverent, almost Pratchett-esque style of humour? 'Of Black Flags and Devil Birds' scratched an itch I didn't even know I had, and if you're reading this and thinking it sounds appealing, I'm sure it will do the same for you.