"The Black Ship: A Novel of Crosspointe" by Diana Pharaoh Francis is a high seas adventure with descriptions so vivid you may feel seasick. This is the second book in the Crosspointe series but it stars a new cast, occasionally bringing back characters from "The Cipher." The world-building is detailed and gives you a feeling of being there. The characters are multilayered with flaws and weaknesses. A well-crafted plot blends politics, corruption and betrayal with a healthy dose of magic.
Thorn is a pilot, a man gifted with the ability to navigate Crosspointe's magical and dangerous seas. When he's betrayed by someone in the Pilots' Guild he's banned from sailing. Then Thorn is kidnapped and forced to serve aboard an unmarked and unregistered ship. The Eidolon is a cursed vessel and Thorn finds himself at sea battling a mad captain, a mutinous crew and a saboteur who intends to keep the ship from making port.
I love the way the author has created a unique world, yet centers each of her books on a new hero or heroine. "The Cipher" was Lucy's story, "The Black Ship" is a swashbuckling novel told from Thorn's perspective. His tale is one of friendship and sacrifices and readers will feel first hand his trials as he faces enormous obstacles on a path of self discovery. His characterization is excellent and the secondary cast adds depth.
Those who love stories of sailors and sea battles will not be disappointed. Some conflicts reach a resolution but the conclusion leaves enough loose threads for a sequel. I'll be looking for book three - "The Turning Tide" which is due out May 5, 2009.
Publisher: Roc (November 4, 2008)
ISBN: 978-0-451-46242-8
Pages: 416
Price: $7.99
Gail Pruszkowski reviews for "Romantic Times BOOKreviews" magazine and her work has been published in the "Cup of Comfort" Anthologies.
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