Piratica II: Return to Parrot Island: Being the Return of a Most Intrepid Heroine to Sea and Secrets

There is something for everyone in the Piratica series. The more sophisticated audience can enjoy the irony (which will fly over the heads of the younger audience, because it's done so deftly that they won't notice it or be bothered by it). The adventure is there for anyone who wants to escape into another world, and the characters are often surprising and have nuances that come unexpectedly to keep the reader on her toes. A delightful yarn.

I really love how Tanith Lee can create a love story that is so much more than a love story. Plus, Art - the main character - is such a strong woman. It's almost inspiring!

At first I wasn't so sure how I felt about this book. In the first several chapters it seems like Felix and Art don't really care for each other that much, and Art seems overeager for the sea, almost obsessively. But by about halfway through the book I was satisfied; what seemed like indifference was really just one of Art and Felix's trademark arguments. This plot line is well thought out, like that of the first "Piratica", and I LOVE the ending, not only because of the romance (although it is romantic as heck), but also the way Art and her crew contribute to the battle... It might be far fetched in another book, but in the world of Piratica it seems totally believeable. I don't really know what to say about this book, except it's a really great read. There's no needless chatter at the beginning, it goes directly to the action. The writing is really good, as always with Tanith Lee, and though it seems like the plot line is going all over the place and it would be impossible to bring it all together, everything is ingeniously concluded in the end. All I can say is, READ THIS BOOK! Although I have to admit that the first is probably a little better, the sequel is still very satisfying and I adore it. I love Piratica!

when i first read a review on Piratica 2, i was sure she had blown it, but when i saw it in the library i had to get it. almost immediately i was engrossed in its pages being swept along as Art skips back to sea. all in all this book is a growing up story. take a young woman who has never had to care for anyone before, marry her off, and keep her stuck on land for a long period of time and you get a spoiled little girl. but as she leaves her husband (not perminately mind) she begans to realize what a blessing she held in her arms. it isnt until she realizes there may be more on the way that she begins to realize that she needs to take more care for herself, if not for herself, then for her family. she goes from spoiled to considerate, from unapreciative to apreciative, and unfeeling to loving. all in all i thought this book was 10 times better than the reveiw made it out to be and i encourage you to read it for yourself. never put your whole oppinion on what others think.

The first volume in this series is one of my all-time favorite books. So I splurged and bought the second in hardback. I should have waited for paper. In the inaccurately named Return to Parrot Island, Art gets tired of being on land. Free England offers her the chance to go back to sea as a privateer (legal pirate). Her arch enemy, Goldie (boo hiss), is also itching to leave Judge Knowles and go back to sea to find the Parrot Island treasure. Art's husband, Felix, is opposed to the idea of Art going back to piracy, but she blows him off and goes. My biggest problem with this book is that I felt no sympathy, empathy or anything toward Art. By the end of the book, I had lots more sympathy for the evil Little Goldie Girl than for Art. Too many characters in this book. Too many things happening - most of which didn't interest me. There was a whole dumb section about Eban being made a Pharaoh. The whole book felt disjointed, strained and far fetched. Some of the things I found charming in the first book started to grate, e.g. cutesy language, pirates talking like teenage girls, etc. It started to sound forced and mechanical. On the positive side, I enjoyed the description of how everyone in Free England was going nuts about pirates. And I enjoyed reading the adventures of Muck, the cleanest dog in England. I also enjoyed reading about Goldie, especially her revenge on puritanical Judge Knowles. The names of the ships were funny at first but got slightly old. (Many of the ships have accidental names like "Ow Blast" because of something that happened just as they were being named.) Usually, the second book in series is the weakest. Hopefully, Lee will write a third Piratica that is better. If so, I will buy it, but not until it is in paper.