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Saturday, March 4, 2017

Blacksouls by Nicole Castroman ARC Review

Publisher: Simon Pulse 
Pub. Date: April 11th, 2017
Pre-Order it: Amazon | B&N | Book Depository
Nicole Castroman brings the dangerous pirate ports of the Caribbean to life in this vibrant sequel to Blackhearts—the reimagined origin story of history’s most infamous pirate, Blackbeard.

Edward “Teach” Drummond is setting sail to the Caribbean as first mate on the most celebrated merchant ship in the British fleet—until he rebels against his captain. Mutiny is a capital offense and Teach knows it could cost him his life, but he believes it worth the risk in order to save his crew from the attacking Spanish ships.

Sailing on the same blue waters, Anne barely avoids the Spanish attack, making it safely to Nassau. But lawless criminals, corrupt politics, and dangerous intentions fill the crowded streets of this Caribbean port. Soon, Anne discovers that the man entrusted to keep the peace is quite possibly the most treacherous of them all—and he just happens to hold Teach’s fate in his terrifying hands.

Life and death hang in the balance when Teach and Anne are given a dangerous mission. It’s a mission that will test their love, loyalty and devotion, forcing them down a path neither one could have ever imagined.



All of the pirate books I read in the future will be measured against Blacksouls because this is the swashbuckling tale that I've been waiting for all of my life. I originally picked it up, only planning on reading a few chapters before bed since it was already pretty late, but before I knew it—it was 4 a.m. and I had read the entire thing. This heart-stopping book absolutely demanded to be read and I was literally unable to put it down. In fact, I had adrenaline coursing through my veins long after I was finished reading.

Blacksouls made me want to put on my pirate outfit and set sail, all while marathoning the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. This book has sword fights, cannon face-offs, pistol showdowns, and fist fights. I could feel the spray of the seawater on my face and the sand in my shoes. The smell of gunpowder was surely in the air in my bedroom that night. This was such a perfect, emotionally-charged read that I loved even more than it's predecessor, which is quite a feat in itself because I loved Blackhearts a lot


The only bad thing about this book? We have another open-ended finale with no book three confirmation!

And what do I have to say to that, you ask?


You can count on me to be kicking, screaming, and doing everything in my power until we get confirmation from the publisher of a third book. This wonderful series begs for more in what is clearly at least a trilogy, and it truly is deserving of a proper ending.


1) As I've already mentioned, this is the pirate book I have been waiting for. There aren't enough words in the dictionary to adequately express the overall splendor and perfection that is Blacksouls. This book is about Teach and Anne's descent from upper society couple into a couple of scallywags. Since Blackhearts was a pre-pirate book, I wasn't sure what to expect in Blacksouls. I had no idea what Nicole Castroman was planning to unleash upon us, and what she did totally floored me—in the very best way possible. 


2) I'm in awe of Nicole Castroman's growth as a writer. There was some action in Blackhearts, but not to this caliber. Not. Even. Close. I loved seeing this new side to Nicole's craft and I'm even more curious and excited to see what else she has up her sleeve. This story has so many layers and twists, I simply couldn't believe what she was able to accomplish in one book!


3) Teach and Anne's development is spectacular. They are so cute, and yet balanced. They are just as frustrating as they were in Blackhearts, but their love has grown, and watching these two learn more about each other while trying to survive through this tumultuous plot was incredibly moving. It gave me all the feels! Especially since every time these two are finally back in each other's arms—someone or something separates them . . . 


I will not rest until Teach and Anne get their wedding day.


4) I really like the new characters that were introduced in this story. Usually, I grow attached to the original characters and it's difficult for me to care at all about newcomers—which normally is what contributes to sequels with many new characters being less successful than the first books—but that wasn't the case with Blacksouls. The new faces only added to the already multifaceted and vivid story, and I actually cared about them just as much as I cared for Teach, Anne, and John! I cannot overstate how much skill this takes as a writer, especially since we all know about the dreaded Second Book Slump, right? Well—not this book, you guys. Not. This. Book.

1) As of right now, THERE IS NO BOOK 3.



"I like you. If you were mine, I'd name my ship after you."

"She's not yours." Teach snapped.

"She could be" 
He kissed her, his lips moving over hers, determined to remove any doubt of his affection. He lost awareness of time, of where they were, as Anne responded in kind. 

23 comments:

  1. I've been thinking about starting this series for almost a year now. And after reading your review, I kind of want to read it even more. But I also want to wait for the book 3 news (because otherwise, I'm gonna be pissed)... I'm so confused right now.. ;)

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    1. This is exactly what happened with Book 1. It ended on a cliffhanger, there was no confirmed Book 2. But we did get one. So, I'm hoping for the same thing here.

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  2. So happy to hear that you loved this one! I haven't started this series yet but was still hoping the 2nd book was as good as the first one like everyone said. I feel like a lot of sequels haven't been holding up to the first lately. I definitely want to read this series, so I hope they do come out with a third book!

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    1. So far from what I've read this year, the sequels are holding up and this one is no exception. It's so freaking good! And I hope so, too!

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  3. OH MY GOD YES. Okay, I was so excited for Blackhearts because PIRATES but then I was so let down because NO PIRATES. I'm so happy to hear that this one has so much of it. I wasn't sure if I wanted to read this one or not because of that, but now I definitely do! I can't wait! Thanks for the review :)

    Molly @ Molly's Book Nook

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    1. Nicole Castroman always calls Blackhearts a pre-pirate book but Blacksouls is definitely a pirate book! I'm glad you enjoyed the review and I hope you love Blacksouls/ Thanks for stopping by!

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  4. This sounds pretty good! I never read book 1 but I want to.

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  5. Lovely review Brittany :D YAY for enjoying this book so much. <3 I'm going to buy this one and book one soon, and I cannot wait to read them both. So curious :D But ahhh. Is there a love triangle? :( I hope not..

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    1. There is no love triangle, don't worry! Both are amazing books and I hope you love them as much as I do ^_^

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    2. Eee, yay :D Thank you for letting me know. <3 Hugs. Much more excited about reading them now :)

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  6. God this books are giving strong POTC Vibes!!! I am so excited for the next movie! I really need to read these books!great post
    Kariny @kariny's boox frenzy

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  7. I have been waiting for someone to review this one and I am so thrilled that you enjoyed it! I can actually picture you with a pirate costume on. You are hilarious! Anyways, it is exciting that there are new characters to look forward to and that the excitement is amped up even more. I am so surprised that we are faced with a cliff hanger ending and no sequel again. Hopefully we find out soon! :)

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  8. YAAAAY. I totally expected this to be "pre-pirate" as well, good to know that there are some scallywags in this one! I am PUMPED for this one and will sit vigil until book 3 is confirmed!

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  9. I'M SO EXCITED I MAY JUST SIT HERE AND SCREAM. THIS IS THE BOOK I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR ALL MY LIFE FAJDKSALD. And I really liked Black Hearts so. YAS. Pirates. šŸ˜šŸ˜šŸ˜šŸ˜ Where is a time machine tho. I need to have this in my life yesterday.

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  10. I really need to read this series. It sounds sooo amazing! I love pirates!

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  11. So excited for Blacksouls!! So happy to hear there is more pirates and action involved this time, and we definately NEED to encourage book 3!

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  12. Oh my gosh, I absolutely LOVED Blackhearts, and there are no words for how much I need this book in my life! As much as I loved Blackhearts, though, I thought it was a bit slow and it lacked a lot of the action that I had expected...I'm super thrilled to know that there is plenty of it in this book though!

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  13. WOW. I do not know this series. This must be rectified. Nods.

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  14. I felt the same way about the 1st book, I read it in one night and was so angry that I have to wait until the 2nd comes out.

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  15. I've been curious about the first book in this series, but haven't picked it up! Given this review, I see I'm missing out on this series. Thanks for the fangirl review - and like you, I LOVE the idea this one is about pirates!!! We don't see that often in fiction. Or I haven't. :)

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  16. Blackhearts is still on my secondary tbr, so maybe someday... thanks for the review. :)

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  17. I use to not be into reading that much but once I read the BLACKHEARTS series it’s like I see my life in a new way I really hope a 3rd book gets published or else I’m going to die. If they make a movie or tv show about the books I wonder if it would be any good. If they did I would suggest Denise Vasi and Mike C.Manning as Anne and Teach.

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