Being a pirate is a dangerous business. Shek Yeung knew that from the very start, but when her pirate husband saved her from life in a brothel, she jumped at the chance to live differently. But then her husband was killed by the Portuguese and she knew that if she did not act quickly she would lose everything. So she came to an agreement with her husband’s second-in-command; she would marry him and bear him an heir and in exchange she would retain power over her half of the pirate fleet.

But larger changes which are beyond her control are coming to the South China Seas. The Emperor, who until now has tolerated or at least ignored piracy, has appointed a tenacious and brutal nobleman to get rid of the pirates. Additionally, the Europeans are joining forces to evade Shek Yeung’s efforts to take their ships. Meanwhile, Shek Yeung must also deal decisively with unrest and betrayal within her alliances and her own ranks, while navigating motherhood and creating a new family. With all these challenges facing her, Shek Yeung must decide must what she values most and how long she is willing to fight for it at the risk of losing her family and even her life.

This was a fascinating and interesting book, based on life of real female pirate that lived and worked in the South China Sea. Her struggles in getting people to accept her leadership, and trying to balance her family and her call to leadership are something that we still struggle with today! Chang-Eppig does a tremendous job in bringing this woman to life. I swear that sometimes I could smell the salt air on the breeze!

Brenda’s Rating: ****(4 Out of 5 Stars)

Recommend this book to: Martin, Lauren, Sharon, Keith and Ken

Book Study Worthy? Yes

Read in ebook format.