Never trust a pirate.

The Blood Bell tolls, marking the death of the pirate king and the start of the Trials--a heart-stopping competition where the reward is the Bone Crown. Only one contender can claim the coveted island throne; each will gamble life and limb to win.

Captain. Sister. Maiden.
Csilla Abado yearns to prove her strength to the seasoned pirates who balk at her youth and to her elder sister who has always craved Csilla's captainship. She will risk everything to become the first pirate queen, no matter the cost.

Dealer. Son. Legacy.
Kane Blackwater wants to leave behind the dirty gold and shady trades he's made to keep his father's ship, the Iron Jewel, alive. The Trials represent a new beginning--yet rumors of a secret heir are swirling, threatening his hopes of becoming the pirate king.

Stowaway. Daughter. Storm.
Lorelei Penny longs for nothing more than to avenge her mother's death. Stowing away on the Iron Jewel was supposed to get her closer to the killer, but instead she finds herself caught up in the deadly battle where loyalty and desire collide.

Csilla. Kane. Lorelei. Each on a mission. The sea, however, has other plans. Dark tides are rising, and if they aren't careful, they'll surely drown.

Female pirates are rather popular in Young Adult fiction these days. This is as good as any I've read in the past couple years. Packed with blood, intrigue, treachery, a cast of unreliable players, some trying to be honorable, but perceived as anything but, while others are exactly the opposite. Mix in some frightening supernatural elements, a powerful witch, and a surprise at the end and you're satisfied...But there's certainly room for more involving these characters. ( )

I feel like with authors who get publishing deals and come off of Wattpad, you can often get a hit or miss sometimes. But boy oh boy was Crossbones a hit! This story was a rollicking great pirate adventure told through multiple perspectives with high stakes and lots of intrigue. I did have a bit of trouble keeping track of who was who at the beginning and I found the story a little easy to call at times which is why I didn't give it a fifth star, but I thoroughly enjoyed it and thought Kimberly Vale delivered a unique pirate tale that was gripping, exciting, and mesmerizing. It had a very Pirates of The Caribbean feel to it, especially that riveting opening scene, which absolutely blew me away(especially since it was executed by all women! I'm actually really excited to read more from Kimberly Vale and am anxious to see what she puts out next and if it will be anything like this. ( )

Crossbones starts with a simple premise for a pirate story. The King of the Pirates has died without a known heir, so pirate captains who want the crown for themselves must compete in a series of Trials to determine who will be the next to wield the Bone Crown.

What sets Crossbones apart is how well it meshes characters, setting, action, and magic to elevate the book into more than just a quest for the throne. It includes the typical pirate elements of ship battles, sword fights, plank walking, angry townspeople, etc. but uses them to propel the story further instead of being the story themselves.

From the first page, I was hooked. Vale immediately thrusts readers into the chaos while using her rich, glorious descriptions of characters and settings to draw them in even further. This is not a two-dimensional pirate world. It’s a nuanced world that acknowledges chaos and messiness.

The pirates are not stereotypical but are instead distinct characters driven by their experiences and desires. Power, love, and family issues impact each differently. I identified with the pirates instead of seeing them as the terrors of the sea that are so often depicted.

One stereotype that has no place in Crossbones is the damsel in distress. Underestimate these women at your peril. Women are feared, admired, respected, and loved. Instead of needing rescue, they’re often the ones doing the rescuing. But their strength doesn’t come at the expense of men. There’s never been a Queen of Bones before, but the male pirates know that the female captain is as good as - or better - candidate than they.

When a possible heir emerges, each character has to determine their role in saving or killing the one who could supplant them. I wanted to see how the Trials would end, yet I was curious about how an heir could impact the plot. Just when I’d pick my favorite character to wear the crown, the next chapter would make me change my mind. The quality of the storytelling kept me interested in seeing what was coming next and rewarded me at the end with a strong conclusion.

Kimberly Vale delivers everything I want in a book - compelling characters, a glorious setting, and luxurious word choice to turn a simple story into a rich and rewarding tale. ( )

Okay, first of all...that cover! It's gorgeous, completely the reason I decided to give this book a read and I was not disappointed! It has everything a great pirate book should; swashbuckling adventure, a pirate treasure, dueling, and even some romance.

Kimberly Vale wasted no time setting the mood in Crossbones, opening with one of the main characters, Csilla, being lead to the gallows to hang. From there, there's no real lull in the adventure, each chapter alternates between three POVs, Csilla, Kane, and Lorelai, giving a great look into the plot as a whole. Unfortunately, the characters felt almost forced together and therein, they just automatically liked each other...I mean, they're pirate captains, where's the edge and grit? The relationship and character arcs could have been better suited to being steal-your-booty, swashbuckling pirates.

I think, for a debut author, this is a fantastic first book. It's fast-paced and quite fun to read. I definitely recommend giving it a go!

Huge thank you to Wattpad Books via NetGalley for the e-ARC to read and honestly review. ( )