Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing, May 30th, 2023

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 287

Rating: 4/5 stars

Summary (Goodreads):

For readers of Outlawed, Piranesi, and The Night Tiger, a riveting, roaring adventure novel about a legendary Chinese pirate queen, her fight to save her fleet from the forces allied against them, and the dangerous price of power.

When Shek Yeung sees a Portuguese sailor slay her husband, a feared pirate, she knows she must act swiftly or die. Instead of mourning, Shek Yeung launches a new plan: immediately marrying her husband’s second-in-command, and agreeing to bear him a son and heir, in order to retain power over her half of the fleet.

But as Shek Yeung vies for control over the army she knows she was born to lead, larger threats loom. The Chinese Emperor has charged a brutal, crafty nobleman with ridding the South China Seas of pirates, and the Europeans-tired of losing ships, men, and money to Shek Yeung’s alliance-have new plans for the area. Even worse, Shek Yeung’s cutthroat retributions create problems all their own. As Shek Yeung navigates new motherhood and the crises of leadership, she must decide how long she is willing to fight, and at what price, or risk losing her fleet, her new family, and even her life.

A book of salt and grit, blood and sweat, Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea is an unmissable portrait of a woman who leads with the courage and ruthlessness of our darkest and most beloved heroes.

My Review:

Read if you like: strong women in History
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The book tells the story of the legendary pirate queen from China who made a name for herself on the sea. Shek Young may not have chosen the way her life turned out, but she works hard to lead a group of pirates as both the Europeans and the Emperor’s men try to take them down.
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This story was so interesting and if you are a fan of reading about dark history, then I definitely recommend this book to you. It is rough and gritty but truly a fascinating portrayal of a strong woman in history.
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Thank you, Bloomsbury for sending the copy of this book!