The Black Ship: A Novel of Crosspointe (Paperback)

~ (Author)
Key Phrases: four charmers, compass post, blood oak, Diana Pharaoh Francis, Inland Sea, Lucy Trenton (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

The successor to The Cipher (2007) doesn’t involve that book’s protagonists until firmly establishing the character of Thorn the pilot, who has the magical gift for navigating the dangerous oceans of Crosspointe, full of the sylveth, contact with which can transform one into a monster. Since Thorn also likes to be disturbing, his guild bans him from sailing. But then he is abducted and forced to pilot an unregistered black ship, whose unlucky crew is on the verge of mutiny. With fast and furious action, convincing if seldom sympathetic characters, and a setting, Crosspointe, that develops apace, this is a page-flipper. --Frieda Murray

Product Description

Thorn is a member of the Pilot’s Guild—those who possess the magical ability to navigate Crosspointe’s deadly seas. When a malevolent master within the Guild bans him from the sea, it seems his life is over. Then he is kidnapped and forced to serve aboard the rogue ship Eidolon—pitch black from bow to stern—and Thorn finds himself battling a mad captain, a mutinous crew, and the terrifying magic of the sea.

But there is a saboteur on board, trying to make sure the Eidolon never arrives safely in port. Thorn begins to realize his kidnapping may have been no mere chance— and that the cargo the black ship carries may seal his doom…

Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Roc (November 4, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451462424
• ISBN-13: 978-0451462428
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #363,184 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fastastic Adventure Upon a Dangerous Magical Sea, May 20, 2009

By	A. Lee (L.A., CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Sylbrac is a member of the important Pilots Guild, one of the men necessary to any ship sailing the hazardous, magic-filled waters of the black Inland Sea surrounding the Kingdom-Isles of Crosspointe. But he's a loner, eschewing friends, uncaring about making enemies and flouting Guild customs and politics. He finds that he has finally stepped too far and crossed those in the Guild who have the power to keep him from the sea--the only thing he has a passion for in life. Then he finds himself kidnapped, forced to serve as Pilot on a Black Ship, a vessel operating outside the law, captained by a man stripped of his license and thought mad, and crewed by the dregs and the cursed of seafaring society.

Taking the name Thorn, he faces killer storms, ravenous creatures of the deep, a mutinous crew, enemy ships, pirates, death magic, and the horrific spawn-inducing magic of the sylveth that is the source of power and danger in the sea. But he also, surprisingly finds a sense of brotherhood among the outcast crew of the ship.

The story is full of page-turning action and adventure, harrowing danger and narrow escapes. The characters are compelling, with horrific pasts, and they all develop in fascinating ways. The world is equally intriguing, with its magic and gods and various warring societies and political intrigue.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I love historical sea adventure, as well as fantasy, so the mix was a happy one for me. Thorn was a strong and memorable character. The world was well-developed and was full of mystery and dangerous magic. Although the book ends without a cliff-hanger, the voyage is not complete and there are story threads that need to be concluded. I sincerely hope the adventures of Thorn and Captain Plusby and the Black Ship Eidolon continue in a sequel. I did not want to leave this world and these amazing characters.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous Installment in Crosspointe Series, November 10, 2008

By	MelaLyn "Missy S" (Cleveland, OH United States) - See all my reviews

Diana Pharoah Francis has done something very unique. Each book focuses on someone new. The old characters are there, but not focals. Each installment builds on the last, allowing the readers to learn more about different aspects of Crosspointe, to get deeper glimpses of the large groups which are struggling to govern their world.

After reading Lucy's story in The Cipher, I wasn't sure how I would feel not following her into the next. I'd seen her grow, seen her change. But then I met Thorne. He's so intriguing and in The Black Ship I get drawn into sailling and being on the water and learning more about the origins of Pilots, even meeting the enemy face to face. I couldn't put the story down and I didn't feel like I'd missed anything. I'm just eager to get to the next one, The Turning Tide. Can't wait for it to come out!

5.0 out of 5 stars Stunning world & characters!, June 6, 2009

By	H. Grove "owling6683" (Maryland, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

I had trouble getting into The Black Ship at first, but it turned out to be wholly worth that slow start. Part of that was learning the world, since I hadn't read the first book, and part of it was dealing with a main character who spent some of his initial time being rather unlikable. This was definitely only a minor hiccup, however!

Once Sylbrac is kidnapped (or "crimped") to serve aboard the black ship, the tale immediately takes off and sings with humor, tension, and character. I'm not particularly entranced by tales of sailing, yet Diana makes this one so fraught with danger and action that I was glued to the pages. The dangers of the seas on this world are extreme, and it'll take a skilled (if fractious) crew, a fantastic ship, some major majick, and a first-rate Pilot and captain to pull off the journey.

As wonderful as the action is, the interactions between the characters are even better. Sylbrac quickly realizes that the only way he'll get to keep being a Pilot is to keep his new ship, forced on him or no, and that means forcing the crew to gel. How better to unite them than by uniting them in anger against him, particularly since he's so good at angering everyone around him? Needless to say, this results in plenty of both humor AND danger for everyone involved.

As if all of that wasn't enough, the world-building is fascinating! I won't go into it too much, so as to avoid giving plot points away. Suffice it to say that Diana gets into how Pilots become Pilots, how majicars become majicars, and what some of the other civilizations are up to, all as part of the heady, action-packed plot.

[Just as a note, there's some amount of dark and/or adult material in here. Nothing terribly explicit, but this isn't a kids' fantasy novel.]