Blackhearts: A Novel

Whether you’ve always been curious to know more about Blackbeard before he became such a notorious pirate or your interest was piqued after reading this book’s description, Nicole Castroman’s BLACKHEARTS promises to more than satisfy. The author’s imagining of Teach’s earlier life with the girl who captured his heart reveals a life that is just as exciting as his life at sea. Deception, betrayal, secrets, lies, and forbidden romance are only a handful of the things that await readers and characters alike in this riveting tale.Anne Barrett was looking for any way to escape the prison that was the Drummond household. She did not fit in with the other staff and being a maid would never earn her the money she needed to afford passage on a ship headed to the West Indies, a place she thought she might be able to call home.She had a plan. It was risky. And while she knew there was a real chance it would fall apart, that she’d be captured and forced to stay, she never imagined having a reason she might want to.Edward Drummond hated the fact that he had to return home to a job he didn’t enjoy and a life he didn’t want. His time at sea didn’t quench his thirst for it, rather it ignited a passion in him to captain a ship, set sail, and leave the land behind.But with a promise made that his father is dead set on ensuring he keep, a plan for his future that has already been mapped out, and no means of securing a ship on his own, it seems his dream of a life at sea will only ever be that. A dream. And while he wants to honor his commitments, the prospect of living a life on land feels like a fate worse than death. At least until he meets a girl just as alluring as the sea.Nicole Castroman imagined a story that is stunning and romantic and heartbreaking and spellbinding. It has moments that are funny and heartwarming and others that are nail-biting and suspenseful. Its two main characters, Anne and Teach, are immensely likable. It offers a couple of twists to keep things interesting. And it delivers a conclusion that will leave you desperate for more.BLACKHEARTS is not a pirate story, but rather a pirate-in-the-making story. And while there are no swashbuckling tales of adventure on the high seas for Anne and Teach, there is definitely some adventure and plenty of romance. It is a beautifully written, remarkably well-researched, gorgeous must-must-must read that weaves together fact with fiction to bring to life many of the missing pieces from one of history’s most famous pirates.

4.5 starsPlot: Blackhearts is a beautiful novel that explores two characters desperate to escape their societal limitations. I've seen complaint that this book doesn't feature any pirates despite being about Blackbeard and that it was a slower paced read, but that's what made this book so endearing to me. This book has a subtle charm that explores the journey instead of the destination (swashbuckling pirates), so if you're a reader who prefers character growth and exploration over high-speed action - this one is for you. I'm so happy to hear that the publisher green-lighted a sequel because while it is an origin story, I do think there is much much more to this story than what Blackhearts has given us.Characters: Blackhearts' soul is within the characters that Castroman introduces. I immediately fell in love with the fiery Anne - the daughter of an English merchant and West Indes slave - who is forced to accept her lower status based solely on her skin tone. I connected with her because she was a young woman trying to survive in an environment that made it obvious that she didn't belong. I read Castroman's author note about Anne and I loved how she used her family's experience to help craft Anne's turmoil of finding a place that felt like her own. If you couldn't tell, I really loved Anne, this is why representation matters people! Our dashing Blackbeard, or Teach, took some time for me to warm up to because he was just so forward. While this is Teach's story, I found this to be Anne's story more than anything, but I'm excited to see more of Teach's transformation into Blackbeard in Blacksouls.Worldbuilding: In the author's note, Castroman remarked that she enjoys history and it truly showed in how she sculpted this world. I felt right at home in the posh setting of Teach's home and I could vividly picture the crowded markets and unsavory docks. Not only that, but she made a point to highlight race relations in England and how these mixed-race offspring were treated. I really respect Nicole Castroman for the amount of detail she put into not only her world but in the interactions between characters and their thought process. Everything felt respectful and deliberate.Short N Sweet: Blackhearts can only be described as a "slow burn." It's a wonderful journey with some of the best characters I've read in a while.

I was very surprised but how much I enjoyed this book! I thought I'd find it to be average but it's actually a great story. This isn't a pirate tale YET, but it sure seems like the sequel will be!This is historical fiction and revolves around Blackbeard back when he was a young man, and the girl he grows to love, Anne. Blackbeard's name (nickname) is "Teach" which I still think is stupid but perhaps that truly was his nickname in real life? Not sure. Weird name aside, Teach and Anne are wonderfully flawed, brave, passionate characters. This is a much heavier book than I excepted: poverty, the risks of pre-marital sex, and the dangers of rape are not glossed over in this book. I think isn't appropriate for a younger audience.This book does move slowly at times but when it gets going, it's simply unputdownable. Teach lives for life on the seas, his father lives for money and reputation, and Anne lives for freedom and opportunity. This isn't an easygoing love story and I can't wait to see what happens to Teach and Anne next! I will definitely be buying the next book!

I’ve been obsessed with the show Black Sails for some time now. As the third season ended I felt a giant pirate void, so it was perfect timing when I picked up Blackhearts by Nicole Castroman. A little bit of pirate, a little bit of love, and a whole lot of adventure. That’s exactly what I needed to satisfy my sea legs.This didn’t turn out to be quite what I was expecting; there was definitely far more romance than swashbuckling adventures. That isn’t to say it was bad, I actually quite liked the romance here – it was done in such a way that it didn’t define everything, even though that’s ultimately the only progression, and it certainly wasn’t instalove, which would have really discredited the characters and the story. It was actually quite a dreamy and romantic tale when you weave in notions of pirates and the difference in status among the two characters Anne and Edward Teach Drummond.Of course I loved Anne. She was high spirited and always forgetting her place, never able to hold her tongue, which was the perfect match for Teach. The two of them had such an electric spark from the very start, but the trust and respect and admiration for each other definitely took its time to grow and mature. I enjoyed watching it blossom.The backstory about Anne’s father and her proper place in society added another level of interest and another layer of character to her. And how this briefly saved and then derailed her plans was a nice little twist to things. All these smaller points came together to build this interesting story.There were also some subtle moments that really focused on slavery and how people reacted to how different Anne was, even when she was in a lady’s position. It was an important addition for the time and for the story and spoke wildly to Teach’s character, who wasn’t at all phased by this, and to the character of others in their lives.Like most first books in a series, a lot of this set things up for exciting adventure to come. I was a little disappointed that they didn’t even set to the seas at all in this book, but I can’t wait to see how these two fair on the high seas and will happily pick up the next book as soon as I possibly canOriginally posted on citygirlscapes.com

Ich hab BLACKHEARTS durch und fand's wirklich toll!Es ist cool, wie immer zwischen den Charakteren hin und her geschwenkt wird. Die Heimatsgefühle und Heimatssehnsüchte sind authentisch dargestellt und konnte ich gut nachempfinden!Zu den wenigen Infos, die es über Blackbeards Leben vor seiner Zeit als Pirat gibt, ist es gut recherchiert.Mini-Kritik: der Anfang ist eher klassisch aufgebaut und kennt man von anderen (Jugend-)Romanen - etwas zu absehbar nach meinem Geschmack. Ab Mitte des Buches sorgen aber immer wieder unerwartete Handlungen und Geschehnisse für Spannung und machen die Geschichte einzigartig.Vor allem das Ende hat mir gut gefallen - kein typisches romantisches Happy End und lädt ein sich die Geschichte selbst weiterzudenken.Im Englischen super lesbar - auch für Leute, die nicht regelmäßig englische Litertur lesen.Also: I LIKE, I LIKE, I LIKE!!!!

I absolutely love this book and look forward to the 2nd part of this book. I hated to see this end and yesterday and today I tried to make it last but I couldn't I had to finish it. I loved the two characters Edward (Teach) and Anne. Both extremely strong characters and strong minded. They know what they want in life. Unfortunately Anne had such a hard life and Edward in a loveless relationship. Both Anne and Edward are thrown together rather comically at the start and that's where their relationship starts to build. It is the perfect love story in my book and I find myself imagining myself as Anne and having such feelings for Teach. I can't wait to see what Ms Castroman has in store for Anne and Edward and it has peaked my interest in the historical Blackbeard.