Pirates & Privateers: Rising Tides

Stories can simply be tales of adventure and excitement. Stories can also highlight the ills of society or enterprising individuals who work to right wrongs. This collection mixes all these elements, spicing them with pirates who follow paths of good, bad, and somewhere in between.

Being shipwrecked on a deserted island for a long time often leads to a constant wish to be rescued. To sweeten the possibility, Reynard vows to follow a righteous path in Jason Fischer’s “Reynard the Reaver.” When the fates grant Reynard’s fervent prayer, the outcome is not as he hopes. His rescuer is Captain Lilac, and Reynard must serve as the pirates’ cabin boy. Even so, when push comes to shove, Reynard finds a creative way to save victims taken captive when the pirates attack their ship. In a tale where nothing is quite what it seems and unforeseen twists lead to unexpected consequences, this entry ranks as one of my favorites.

In “Blood for Blood,” Emmeryn Palladino recounts the testimony of Caspar, who serves as Captain Lavinia Thorne’s cabin boy. During a brief respite on the island of Rakankoa, merfolk board Thorne’s ship and insist that she and Caspar accompany the merfolk to see Queen Isene. A recent attack on a mer-settlement leaves adults murdered and the children taken captive. Isene warns that in two days the merfolk will destroy Rakankoa. Thorne vows to return the children, no matter how high the stakes.

Jack’s job aboard Verity Baum’s pirate ship is to uplift the crew’s morale in “Here Be Death Rays” by Sarah Thérèse Pelletier and Scott James Taylor. Their nemesis is Captain Pius Potter, a navy officer who despises their kind. He has a mission and he will do whatever is necessary to carry out his orders. Baum knows that Potter’s hatred is also his weakness, but to steal the weapon from him, Baum needs the help of a gambler and privateer. There’s just one problem – trusting him can lead to unforeseen consequences. The twists here are exquisite, but the story itself is a bit confusing when it comes to understanding what the weapon truly is.

Another favorite of mine in this collection is Neil Sharpson’s “The Devil’s Hoof Upon the Tile.” Before Black Blind Bess dies, she needs to tell her servant a story to prove that she owns the real Admiral Benbow – the one once owned by Mr. Hawkins. When she was little, her father purchases the tavern and agrees to one proviso. He must allow Captain A to remain a guest until his demise. The longer the captain lives, the fewer guests come until one day a man with one leg and a crutch ventures within. He treats Bess as a person and seems to be the only one who calms Captain A. This tale pays homage to Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island with a few creative attributes, including a connection to the infamous real pirate Ned Low.

Those who read Jaymie Wagner’s “As Gentlemen Do” are reminded of Blackbeard’s notorious blockade of Charles Town, South Carolina. Doctor Conal Fief acts as a go-between, with pirates under the command of Blackmane Ch’tea on one side and Governor Eachleyes on the other. If the latter will supply the necessary aid to combat a pandemic on the Harisbe Islands, Blackmane will lift the blockade without bringing murder and mayhem to those who live around Kithanton Harbor. Treachery comes from unexpected quarters here, and the sudden absence of two of Blackmane’s crew lead Conal to make a consequential decision.

When men become powerful, they sometimes forget from whence they come. They fear their former comrades and take drastic means to ensure they retain what they have. This is what happens when the emperor kidnaps Bron Lagash’s wife and soon-to-be-born child. Now, Bron must return to his pirate ways and convince four high-ranking friends who have sworn allegiance to the emperor to violate their oaths and participate in a multi-pronged, high-risk venture to rescue Bron’s wife and child in Scott Colby’s “Once Upon a Pirate.”

Wandering Storm is a ship, a living entity but none of the pirates ever listen to her. Her opinion is never even considered, even when circumstances are important enough to merit being heard in b. e. stack’s “Magic Leaves a Mark.” Take, for instance, the day the pirates come across a castaway – and not just any castaway. Rae’s mark of magic is her ability to HEAR. From Storm’s perspective, nothing good will come from rescuing this “little lump of a person,” but no one asks Storm. The rescue and achieving what no other pirate ship has ever achieved are of much greater importance, so the pirates ignore Storm. But Rae listens. The problem is that Storm doesn’t trust her. Once I understood the uniqueness of traits and magic in this tale and who the narrator is, this joined my list of favorites.

Jagan Tar wishes to go to Alextera to attend the city’s lunar festival in “The Thing in the Sword” by Anton Kromoff. Getting there is part of the problem. One path is shorter than the other. One path is more dangerous than the other. Jagan is certain which way he’s going until an elderly merchant warns that that’s the wrong way to go. Heeding her advice, Jagan alters his original course, but he becomes fearful and anxious as he navigates the chosen path. Coral ruins, which offer sanctuary from whatever follows him, hold a weapon that may come in handy, but a small black cat warns him not to touch the saber unless he’s willing to make a sacrifice. This story brought to mind Highlander, yet is uniquely different in its interpretation of a pirate tale.

Cet McDaid finds himself aboard a Royal Navy warship bound for the Caribbean. He’s only a child, but the press gang doesn’t care when they take him. He’s an able body and will do until he becomes a casualty of war. He and another lad, Aidan, vow to take care of one another. It’s the best way for friends to stay out of trouble. At least until a pirate ship with black sails appears in “The Voyage of the Enbarr” by Jason Franks.

“The Monster and Its Kin,” by Anya Ow, involves two opposing women and the jiao, sea creatures sought for their medicinal and defensive purposes. Captain Leuih, with help from the Mer, uses her skills to protect the jiao. Zhao Yuewen, the youngest master swordsman of her sect, employs her expertise to protect humans from these monsters. When the two ladies meet, Leuih dares Zhao to see for herself the truth or falsity of what she’s been taught and to decide which side are really pirates.

Being a pawn can be costly, as Princess Nuala learns first hand. She marries so two countries can share a trade route, but her husband soon drowns in “How a Princess Becomes a Pirate” by Allison Pang. It’s a fitting end as far as Nuala is concerned, and now she can concentrate on locating a young woman who travels with a fox. At least that’s her plan until she hears that slavers have taken a little girl. Nuala vows to save Cinda, because no one should ever be someone else’s victim. Since achieving this goal requires unconventional thinking, Nuala becomes a pirate. This story, which is a spin-off from the Fox & Willow series, pulls at the reader’s heartstrings. One doesn’t need to be familiar with the series to cheer for Nuala and those willing to help others like Cinda who are too young or weak to fight for themselves.

Lady Alina Valerian, an elf, hires Miranda Athros to take her on a treasure-seeking voyage in “The Trial of the Black Rose” by Alexandra Pitchford. When they reach their destination, Miranda and her crew come upon a bloody site. This doesn’t bode well; that fact is soon proven when Bloody Bart and his men attack and imprison Miranda and her men. She also notices that Lady Alina has conveniently disappeared. Just as Miranda expects to meet the same unfortunate fate of others, the elf reappears and asks for Miranda’s trust – a big ask given that Lady Alina has been less than truthful since the start of this adventure.

On board a Spanish ship from Havana is Luz, a witch of great power determined to protect her valuable cargo. When pirates attack, the pirates threaten Luz with death. Doing so, of course, means not finding the hidden treasure. She strikes a bargain with the pirates that guarantees her own safety, but they don’t understand what she is capable of in “Romero’s Doldrums” by Sabrina Vourvoulias.

In “Lady Misfortune,” Kate Heartfield’s pirates follow Captain Easton, who protects the shores of Newfoundland from Spanish and Portuguese intruders. Unfortunately, his invalid letter of marque necessitates other means to continue this work. A byproduct is the problem of finding sufficient people to man their ships, which is why Sheila, her husband, and three other pirates confront an armed woman at a boathouse. They’re certain she’s protecting the men who are hiding, and it’s up to Sheila to convince the woman to turn them over to the pirates. Except the woman swears she’s the only person there.

“Raiders of the Middle Passage,” written by Glenn Parris, recounts the story of slaves who take control of the ship after a storm. They join forces with pirates to get sufficient treasure to purchase a new ship and supplies, and to live free in a new world. The women in this story use their skills and knowledge to help the men when they can’t figure out how to save the ship that took them from their homeland.

These fifteen short stories blend fantasy and science fiction with pirate history and culture to create extraordinary tales with unexpected eccentricities. At the same time, they weave relevant and important topics of today to shed new perspectives on subjects such as trafficking, abuse, power, greed, conspiracy, and betrayal. They highlight how cooperation, friendship, and unorthodox thinking help to overcome the less desirable aspects of society while also showing the importance of accepting others for who they are and what gifts they have rather than conforming to what the majority believe is best. Rising Tides is a compelling and intriguing anthology that promises unique, piratical adventures for anyone brave enough to take the plunge.