Customer Reviews

Mad Kestrel

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Infants and children that show any type of magical powers are called "a Promise". They are torn from their parents to be raised by the mysterious and powerful Danisoba. The Danisoba had controlled all magic for over a century. Those of the Brethren are known by the silver bracelets they wear. The only place even remotely free of the Danisoba is at sea, because the sea nullifies their magic.

Kestrel "Kes" has managed to keep her abilities concealed since the Danisoba killed her parents. Since the age of five, Kes has been alone. She first hid in bad alleys as a street urchin, then served as a tavern maid, before escaping to the sea with pirates. After proving herself to the crew, Kestrel earned their respect and is now not only an adult, but Quartermaster to Captain Artemus "Artie" Binns. But her way of life could end should anyone on board, other than Artie, learns that she has magical control over the wind.

On the day Kestrel spies the black ship during a storm, she somehow knows her life is about to change. The crew refers to it as a ghost ship due to the fact that it disappeared as they watched. When Kes saw one of the men from the ghost ship in the market place she becomes edgy. Artie refuses to believe the man, Philip McAvery, is trouble. Shortly thereafter, Artie is led into a trap, arrested, and shipped off to Pecheta for hanging. The only thing Kes knows for sure is that McAvery is involved and that Artie wants her to get his log book to Lig, an advisor to the Ageless King. Kes fully intends to give the log book to the advisor, but first she intends to round up the crew and rescue Artie.

**** A different type of fantasy that will keep you reading late into the night. This story is a combination of pirate and fantasy rolled into one. Though this is a stand alone tale, it clearly sets a strong foundation for future adventures of the Promise named Kestrel. Though Kes has no idea why, she knows that she is unique among the other Promises. Since she has escaped the Danisoba, thus far, Kestrel has no real knowledge as to what magic she can do. I found it fascinating to follow her and see the surprises, betrayals, and fights (on sea and on land) as they happened to her. I only hope the next story gives a clearer insight into which types of magic Kes can manipulate. ****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

This book is tons of fun! A perfect read for a rainy spring afternoon and well into the night. One thing that makes this book good is that Massey has left herself room to develop her world in the future. She is not locked in to something which may need to change as she grows and matures as an author and storyteller. Kestrel is a great heroine. She is brave, smart, skilled, feminine, tough, etc. without being a femi-nazi. Her relationships with her crew run the gamut from Shadd's close friendship to the herd behavior of others. (No spoiler here.)

Pirate craze or not, Kestrel is a character who has the potential to keep going and blaze her own trail (or leave her own wake.)

This seagoing adventure feels both familiar and exotic at the same time, combining elements of historical fantasy with an otherworldly setting. You can lose yourself in the bustling harbor town of Eldraga, with its colorful inns and gritty back alleys, and there's plenty of swashbuckling action and a dash of pirate humor. But meanwhile, the looming presence of the unseen Danisoban mages adds an element of the supernatural even before we see how the subtle magic works its way into the story. The characters are particularly well-drawn, especially the aging Captain Binns, Kestrel herself, and the ragtag pirate crew. Their behavior is just what you'd expect from a bunch of nautical rogues, but the tale is full of unexpected turns as well.

All in all, a fantastic first effort from Misty Massey. It ended too soon, but I won't complain, since now the stage is set for Kestrel's further adventures. Should appeal to fans of Scott Lynch's The Lies of Locke Lamora, as well as books like On Stranger Tides by Tim Powers and Michael Scott Rohan's Chase the Morning.

Kestrel is a pirate. After years fighting to prove her worth, she's now the quartermaster on the pirate ship Wolfshead. She has become invaluable to her captain and mentor Binns, and the crew respect her and follow her lead. The story opens in the midst of a sea battle between Kestrel's crew and a mysterious vessel that seems to disappear and reappear out of the mist like some sort of phantom ship. Later, while on shore, Kestrel and Binns run into the captain of the mysterious ship, one Philip McAvery who is both dashing and maddening and who seems to have his sights set on Kestrel and her captain.

Unfortunately, all hell breaks loose at this point. Binns is captured and imprisoned under false pretenses. McAvery makes off with the Wolfshead, and Kestrel is on the run from a pair of assassins and a bounty hunter. No one is what they appear to be in this book. Even Kestrel. Gifted with the power to whistle up the wind, she has spent her life determined to hide her ability and thereby avoid the Danisoban Brethren--an order of mages who routinely round up all magically inclined children in order to use them for their own purposes. Interestingly enough, water is supposed to dampen magical ability. But our Kestrel is an exception. And she would prefer her unusual status remain safely anonymous. But Binns' capture and the continual interference of the inimitable McAvery gang up on her, making it difficult for Kestrel to maintain her grasp on the life she so carefully crafted for herself.

What I like about Kestrel is how comfortable she is in her skin. Her qualms about her magical ability aside, she straddles the gap between women and pirates with panache. She is endearingly unselfconscious in her admittedly unusual role. And though she despises skirts and does not actively seek men out, she doesn't avoid them either. Misty Massey doesn't spend much time laying out back story on her characters. The reader is plunged into the middle of the action and comes to know the characters slowly as the story progresses. It wasn't until the end that I felt like I was getting a handle on who Kestrel, McAvery, and Binns really were. But it was a fun ride, packed with characters full of secrets and escapades on the high seas. I look forward to checking out Kestrel's (and McAvery's....grin) further adventures as Massey is currently working on the second volume.

I bought this book based on the other positive reviews on this page, and I was not dissappointed. This is a wonderful story of a young woman who is traumatized as a child and runs off to sea to hide from her magic. She is fierce, determined, and at times foolish, but Kestral is always engaging and amusing. There is a nice set up for romantic tension with the character Philip. I look forward to reading her future adventures! Readers who want a swashbuckling fantasy adventure told from a female POV will love this book.

Rollicking good time is right! Some may say that the pirate craze is dying down, but what does it matter; Misty Massey's Mad Kestrel doesn't need a trend to make it excellent.
To being with, her characters are excellent, intriguing, even. Big plus number one. No matter how exciting a book might otherwise be, I can't stand weakly fleshed out, limp characters. Not a problem here. Kestrel is a strongly conceived character without being obnoxiously "perfect." The secondary and even tertiary characters are strong enough in their own right that their presence can be felt, even when they're not directly involved in the scene. The plot is sufficiently convoluted to keep you guessing and on your toes and the resolutions of the minor sub-plots are all tied up deftly, though not in a contrived manner. Misty Massey has also built a fabulous world. You can feel the depth of detail and history, that is not told, affecting her characters.
It was a grand story. I can only hope another book following Kestrel's adventures will be forthcoming soon!

Pirates are awesome as is. Make your pirate hero a feisty female who can out-duel damn near anyone and we're really talking. That's just what Misty Massey has done with Mad Kestrel. There are no pretensions here--from the first page to the last, it's high adventure and plot-twist after plot-twist. Massey deftly handles the issues of gender roles and prejudice through the story of her protagonist, Kestrel, who is out to save her captain and avoid the snare of a slew of bounty hunters. The prose are fast-paced and light on exposition, making Mad Kestrel a fast, fun read.

In this modern age where all new fiction has something to do with vampires, Misty Massey's "Mad Kestrel" was a wonderful break. It's been a long time since I came across a decent pirate book that wasn't strictly erotica. This book managed to have a strong female lead who had some weaknesses, and a handsome rogue with more brains than biceps. "Mad Kestrel" had tasteful romance and left room for a sequel. One that I will be eagerly awaiting.

The reason that I gave this book 4 stars was because (a) I felt that Kestrel was confused too often, which lead to confusing plot twists that were (in my opinion) unnecessary. I could have lived with these odd plot twists (I like a book to be crazy in that manner) but the book also made too many references to how women are only worth anything when they are "lying on their backs." Okay. I get it. In the setting of "Mad Kestrel" women were discriminated against. However, I highly doubt that all pirates, or men for that matter, thought that way, even in Kestrel's time. And the fact that women are only good at performing their duty to men was mentioned once every chapter or so. Put simply, it was overdone.

Otherwise, this is a great swashbuckling adventure.

Pirates: 100%
Magic: 30%

Definitely worth the while if you don't like over-the-top dragons and sorcerers and all that other stuff that seems to be written over and over in other fantasy novels... This one involves pirates, and anything you would want that comes with pirates--plus a little bit a magic. Kestral is afraid to use her magic most of the time, so you won't see much of it until the end. It's not very deep in fantasy, but perfect in pirate adventure.

It's got some great twists in it, and the writing style is excellent. I think the adventure will be memorable, but I don't think I would read it more than once. I wasn't "spellbound" but I thoroughly enjoyed it, was impressed by it, and it's a keeper. Definitely something I don't regret buying--so it is worth your while.

I initially picked up this book just based on the title. What I found was a great read in a world I'd like to visit again. The magic isn't overbearing and is used in several creative ways that fit the story. Lots of adventure, a touch of romance, and subtle details that build out this world without becoming a dump of page-long exposition. Kestrel is a strong, competent leading character with the history and skills to prove it, but her actions are seriously influenced by her paranoia of the Danisoba. The ending wraps up the main story, but there is room for more, especially between Kestrel and McAvery. A very enjoyable novel overall.