My Salty Mary (My Lady Jane Series)

In MY SALTY MARY by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadow, the authors take a new historical figure, in this case, Mary Read, an infamous female pirate, and turn her story on its head. In their version, Mary is a mermaid, who comes from Underwhere, and in order to stay on land, she’ll have to become the Pirate Queen, proving to her father that she can do it, and to the other men of the seas that women can be pirates too. To do that, she embarks on a journey to accumulate the most treasure but needs the help of her cousin Jack, his lover Anne, and Mary’s best navigator and ultimate crush, Tobias. Together, they fight the law, the waves, and time itself.

As a major MY LADY JANE fan, I could not wait to read another book in this series! What the authors do so well is blending historical fiction with more contemporary witticisms and anachronisms. It didn’t work quite as well in this novel, but I still appreciate that the tone and voice are unique, fresh, and distinct to this team of authors. What I especially enjoyed in MY SALTY MARY is the weaving of The Little Mermaid lore into the plot. I like how they utilize the sea foam rule from the original fairytale, as that keeps us on our toes as the readers, and how they gave the mermaids the ability to talk telepathically between one another, as well as with the creatures of the sea.

Sometimes it feels as though there are too many elements thrown together that some details may get lost. For instance, some of the characters feel too nice to be pirates, Mary especially. While I understand some of her motivations, it was hard to believe that she was okay with robbing and killing just for the sake of it. I do wish we got into that a bit more. That said, the other peripheral characters, such as Anne, seem natural-born swashbucklers, and I would not want to meet them out in the ocean!

Overall, MY SALTY MARY is an entertaining romp around the Caribbean and I’m excited to read more from these authors.

Also, #SaveMyLadyJane!

All aboard for a rip-roaring, quirky, adventure-filled retelling of The Little Mermaid with pirates! Arrrrrrr. Like the previous books in the series, my Salty Mary takes a Historical Mary and puts a twist on it. The Mary for this one is about the infamous Pirate Mary Read. Mary Read left the mer world behind to live among humans and be with the man she loves until he invites her to his wedding to another woman. What’s a heartbroken woman to do? Become a pirate, of course.
All three points of view in this book were wonderfully and hilariously done. There’s an unexpected musical number, an angry chicken, and a half-mer half-human mama’s boy who wants to marry the girls of his dreams and is the perfect cinnamon roll addition. You wouldn’t expect a woman’s rights campaign to be one of the main plots of a novel about pirates, but what a lovely inclusion. I loved that Mary’s family called her Littlest (even though she hated it), her annoying sister was Karen, the evil Sea Witch wasn’t cruel, and Blackbeard had more than five dozen kids. My favorite parts were the pop culture references: from Captain Crunch to Captain Underpants, Princess Bride references, and Taylor Swift lyrics uttered by a pirate appropriately named Swift. If you’re looking for a fun read where you’re just along for the ride, My Salty Mary is for you!

Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodie Meadows have brought another delightful twist to history with MY SALTY MARY. We have the swashbuckling tale of Mary Read mixed with the Little Mermaid in this lighthearted historical fantasy. Set in the 1700s on the high seas we have another strong female lead and her fight to be recognized for her accomplishments beyond her gender.
The tale alternates perspectives between Mary, her crewmate, Tobias, and her cousin Jack. Jack loves Anne Bonny but must find enough treasure to get her out of a common-law marriage. Things get a bit fishy when she discovers he can turn into a merman anytime he gets wet. Tobias always knew Mary was a female but couldn’t pursue a relationship while Mary was pretending to be male. However, when her vindictive former captain tries to expose that she is female, Tobias can finally show he cares. Add in a race to secure the most treasure, a pirate hunter, and a contest to see who will become the pirate king and you have a romping good adventure on the high seas.
The setting centers around a race making it feel quick-paced. The twist of Little Mermaid and Pirates is a combination I didn’t know I needed until now. Tobias, Mary, Jack, and Anne are the nicest pirates I have read, making for a story where the reader has full confidence everything will end happily ever after.
I continue to love the narrator add-ins from the authors. I enjoyed the movie and cultural references to present times like naming the pirate organization the AARP. Overall, this tale was light-hearted with a splash of romance and adventure that made for an easy read to enjoy.