The Butcher's Daughter: A Journey Between Worlds
Series: Captain Bloody Mary, the Queen's Privateer, Book 1
By: Mark M. McMillin / Narrated By: Elizabeth Klett
Length: 13 hrs
Almost like two separate books—preferred the second one m’self—but has you wondering: Okay, WHEN is the sequel coming out?
Lemme just get it outta the way: I received a free copy of this audiobook at my request for an honest review.
There.
Now lemme get on to say that when this audiobook came out, I’d started eyeing it, like, immediately as the story seemed compelling, AND it has Elizabeth Klett as the narrator. Adventure on the high seas with romance and betrayal also? Author Mark M. McMillin had me. So when it came up as an offering for review? I was on it like dander on a cat. And I’m so glad I listened to it as it does indeed Have It All.
But that comes with it almost being two separate books. Sure, it has an opening to die for with a 12-year old Mary witnessing her father’s murder and being raped herself (And showing her pluck from the get-go). And sure, it goes on to show Mary, “Bloody Mary”, earning her nickname by gaining vengeance upon a wretched Captain Dowling, he of an evil clan of thieving Irish uponst the Seas, and no, not murdering him, but becoming an Angel of Revenge and executing him in a right rousing act. And sure, it goes on to show her awaiting her own execution and telling her tale to none other than Queen Elizabeth I before meeting the headsman’s axe.
Then, however, we get an oh sooo brief rundown of how she came to run her own ship, and we barely get a glimpse of WHY the men, all men, would follow a woman and would work and die for her, with their hearts, with their souls. Plus, we immediately enter what I’d call Book One: Mary as only a woman in that she mates with the leading man, Hunter, over and over again. Fortunately, as I’m a total prude, this is no bodice-ripper, not really, as everything is only alluded to; it’s just that with all their commingling one wonders when Mary has time for adventure and to display the skills and leadership necessary to inspire loyalty and unswerving devotion as they smuggle and engage in petty thievery. Plus, one wonders just how the heck she manages to avoid getting knocked up as, seriously, there’s mating and innuendo almost constantly.
I get it, really I do: As a lover of romances, I’m all for it. I did like Hunter as written, and it was nice to hear that all onboard listened to it all and merely rolled their eyes. But add that to her mates always prefacing each adventure, each risk with, “You’re a woman/You should stay back” and I was really wondering about what they thought about her as a leader.
Still, the book then goes into what I call Story Two, where Mary is a grand adventuress in Hispaniola, and where she’s TOTally a grand adventuress in meeting the Spanish Armada. Things get right exciting, and I did like that there was PLENty of action and then some calmer pauses to regroup and further character development and show relationships and show consequences for her choices which only further to ignite her fury—now there’s a woman to shout a mighty Huzzah to! Huzzah for Story Two!
Okay, onto Elizabeth Klett’s magnificent performance. I’m quite familiar with her work, have a few of her narrations as mostly Pride and Prejudice variations, plus a couple of other things. But while I listened to her here narrating The Butcher’s Daughter, where our heroine is Irish? Well, it had me scratching my head as I coulda sworn she was most definitely English. So I looked her up, and it turns out the vocal actor hails originally from New Jersey… so good golly gosh: Adventure, rising action, falling into romance and friendship, gripping tension? All done in a faux accent and never missing a note or beat.
When all was said and done, Story Two, with all its outcomes and consequences and openings had me hankering for what looks to be a series. Hopefully. At leeeeeeast a sequel? Cuz there’s quite a bit that happens at the end (No spoilers!), and McMillin DID wrap things up with possibilities galore, all without doing that thing I haaaate where an author, DESperate to get the audience to wanting a Next Book, leaves everything on a cliffhanger (A cheap trick and lazy writing!).
No, no spoilers, but only: Getting past some moments where ya wonder about how a woman can lead hardheaded and liquor-swilling men and then getting on to seeing Bloody Mary in action after action?
Well, HUZZAH!
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