My Salty Mary

by Cynthia Hand, Jodi Meadows, Brodi Ashton, Nneka Okoye (Read by)

Overview

Perfect for fans of The Princess Bride and A Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue, New York Times bestselling authors Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows are back with a fantastical, romantical, and piratical historical fantasy remix that marries the story of The Little Mermaid with the life and times of infamous lady pirate Mary Read.

Don't call this mermaid ""little""—call her ""captain,"" unless you want to walk the plank.

Mary is in love with the so-called prince of Charles Town, except he doesn't love her back. Which is inconvenient. Since she's a mermaid, being brokenhearted means she'll—poof!—turn into sea-foam.

But instead, Mary finds herself pulled out of the sea and up onto a pirate ship. To survive, she joins them. But Mary isn't willing to just sing the yo-ho-hos. She wants the pirate life, all of it, and she's ready to make a splash . . . by becoming captain. But when Blackbeard dies suddenly, Mary has a chance to become so much more: Pirate King . . . or Queen. She won't let anyone stop her—not Blackbeard's cute son, not her best friend from back under the sea who's having a bit too much fun with his new legs, and certainly not everyone who says she can't be a pirate just because she's a girl.

She may not be the best man for the job, but she'll definitely prove that she's worth her salt.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798874627478
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	08/20/2024
Product dimensions:	5.20(w) x 5.70(h) x 0.00(d)
Age Range:	12 - 17 Years

About the Author

Jodi Meadows lives and writes in the Shenandoah Valley, Virginia, with her husband, a cat, and an alarming number of ferrets. She is a confessed book addict and has wanted to be a writer ever since she decided against becoming an astronaut.

Brodi Ashton is the author of Everneath, a VOYA Perfect 10 for 2011; Everbound; and Evertrue; and the coauthor, with Cynthia Hand and Jodi Meadows, of My Lady Jane. She received a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Utah and a master’s degree in international relations from the London School of Economics. Brodi lives in Utah with her family. You can visit her online at www.brodiashton.blogspot.com

Cynthia Hand is the New York Times bestselling author of the Unearthly trilogy. A native of southeastern Idaho, she has graduate degrees in creative writing from Boise State University and the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. For the past seven years she has taught writing at Pepperdine University in Southern California. She and her family have recently moved back to Idaho, where they are enjoying the fresh air.

Editorial Reviews

PRAISE FOR MY IMAGINARY MARY: ★ “Energetic, clever, and absorbing. The authors responsible for this entertaining smashup series get better with every book they write.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Praise for My Contrary Mary: ★“Fast-paced, well-plotted, frequently hilarious—as delicious as the finest French pastry.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Praise for My Calamity Jane: “Witty and winsome, this rollicking tall tale makes its own rules.” — Booklist (starred review)

“Full of twists, turns, and laugh-out-loud humor, this tongue-in-cheek feminist alternative history is impossible to put down. A thrilling alternative history that sparkles with wit and charm.” — Kirkus Reviews

Praise for My Plain Jane: “The authors’ affection for their source material is abundantly clear in this clever, romantic farce.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“A delightfully deadpan deconstruction of a Gothic novel, with a ghost almost no one can see providing the commentary. Marvelously self-aware and almost too clever for its own good.” — ALA Booklist (starred review)

Praise for My Lady Jane: “Wacky, irreverent, and just plain fun. This fantasy-adventure politely tips its hat to history before joyfully punting it out of the way. An utter delight.” — Booklist (starred review)

“An uproarious historical fantasy that’s not to be missed." — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Gleefully anachronistic comedy.” — Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

★ 2024-05-04
A saucy, feminist take on “The Little Mermaid.”

This clever mashup includes actual 18th-century women pirates Mary Read and Anne Bonny, not to mention Blackbeard’s son, Tobias, legendary pirate Calico Jack, and a whole host of captains (Ahab! Crunch! Hook!). Woebegone mermaid Mary falls in love with a boy she rescues and becomes human to be with him. Alas, he turns out to be a narcissistic blowhard. After Mary jumps overboard, she’s rescued by pirates and pretends to be a boy in order to join their crew, which includes Tobias. Later, she runs into Calico Jack, her cousin who’s also Above, or in our world. He’s searching for his human father when he meets and is smitten with pugnacious Anne Bonny. At the AARP conference—the Admirable Association of Retired Pirates, that is—Mary, Jack, Anne, and Tobias learn that there’s to be a contest to determine the next Pirate King; whoever brings back the most treasure wins. Tobias knows where Blackbeard’s treasure is hidden. Meanwhile, Mary’s overbearing father, the Sea King, agrees to a bargain—either she becomes Pirate King or he takes her back home to Underwhere. This delightful farce contains seamless twists and gripping action, as well as some somber nods to harsh gender and racial inequalities. Tongue-in-cheek references, accessible writing, and dialogue that readers will connect with all create an immersive reading experience. The leads are white; Tobias is brown-skinned.

This swashbuckling tale anchored by historical details is a treasure. (authors' note) (Historical fantasy. 13-18)

Kirkus Reviews