Book Jacket:
Jacky Faber, soldier, sailor, spy, and sometime pirate, condemned for life to the English prison colony in Australia for high crimes against the Crown, has once again wriggled out of the grasp of British authorities. Back on her flagship, the Lorelei Lee, she happily heads back to England in the company of dear friends and her beloved Jaimy Fletcher.
However, due to a typhoon, an earthquake, tidal waves, pirates, and her own impetuous nature, Jacky is cast into a world of danger that extends from the South China Sea to the equally treacherous waters of politics in London’s smoky dens of intrigue, deception, and betrayal.
Can she save herself from recapture and a final trip to the gallows? Can she also save her own dear Jaimy from the madness that seems to be overtaking his tortured mind? Devious Chinese businessmen, willowy Eurasian maidens, fierce Gurkhas, loyal friends, and wildly romantic highwaymen are all involved in this tale of love, courage, and redemption.
Review:
The Mark of the Golden Dragon makes nine for the Bloody Jack series, and if you’ve come this far, you know exactly what you’re getting with a Jacky Faber story – swashbuckling adventure, slightly ridiculous plot twists that manage to keep Jacky and her beloved Jaimy apart, with plenty of flirting, singing, action, and historical detail along the way. All in all, this series continues to be good ole fashioned fun on the high seas, and this book definitely felt less tired to me than the last one.
Jacky Faber is as unsinkable as ever in her latest adventure – literally, it seems, as she manages to survive being washed overboard in a storm. Jacky finds herself marooned in Rangoon, but being nothing if not resourceful, she quickly sets out to make her way back home. Jacky is as cheeky, plucky and rambunctious as ever and I always have fun spending time with her, especially because this series makes no bones about Jacky’s flaws. Jacky has never been a paragon of virtue, but this story brought up the interesting contrast of how, as far as Jacky is concerned, her loyalty to Jaime is never in question, yet her behavior often indicates the exact opposite. I liked how this story brought that dichotomy to a head, with Tink ultimately calling her on it with brutal honesty. Meyer is starting to subtly mature the romance between Jacky and Jaimy, and quietly raise the question of whether their puppy love can mature into an adult relationship, allowing doubt to creep into their happily ever after – which I love. It makes for a much more interesting obstacle to their relationship than the usual plot cartwheels Meyer performs to keep Jaimy and Jacky apart, and I found myself reinvested in finding out how this is all going to end – though yes, I am definitely still rooting for the pair of them. After all, loyalty has always been Jacky’s best trait…
Everything else in this story is exactly as you’d expect – Jacky has more lives than a cat, and bounces over, around, and under obstacles with an ease that sometimes strains credulity but is always fun. I also love how this series always explores a new part of the world – though I think Meyer is rapidly running out of globe to trot! In this case, we get a quick, touristy look at Asia on Jacky’s way back to Britain, which is enjoyable, but the real fun is in how Meyer plays with Chinese stereotypes once Jacky is back in Britain, and how Jacky exploits them for her own purposes. It made for wardrobe changes and silly hi-jinks a plenty.
The plot did lag a bit towards the middle, but all in all I thought this book was a nice upswing from the rather painfully formulaic nature of The Wake of the Lorelai Lee. There’s no denying that this series has been going on for quite a while now, and while this installment was merry and definitely has me reinvested in reading another book or three, I still find myself hoping that Meyer has a plan for how he wants to end this series, and that he’s starting to put the gears in motion. I would far, far rather read a spin-off of this series than see this one end on a whimper instead of a bang.
So yes, this book is exactly what we’ve come to expect from a Bloody Jacky story – Jacky gleefully rampages through the pages, making for a light, fun, action-filled read. It wasn’t my favorite book of the series, but there is no denying the charm of Jacky Faber.
Byrt Grade: B+
As Levar Burton used to say – you don’t have to take my word for it…
Jacky Faber must once again fight and flirt her way across land and sea to reach her beloved Jaimy Fletcher in the ninth book of this stirring historical series…This resilient and exuberant heroine deserves a stamp of approval.
Jacky has personality and charisma in spades, which enthralls readers and fellow characters alike, and is one of the many reasons I’ve stuck with her for 8 years, in spite of the fact that the recipe for the books grows a bit more stale and contrived with each installment. Yes, the constant cat and mouse game between Jacky and her betrothed, Jaimy, is getting a little tiresome, as are her incorrigible flirtations during their periods of separation. Not to mention her necessary but increasingly implausible resilience and ability to worm her way out of the most dire of circumstances. But on the whole, these are flaws I put up with the way you ignore or tolerate the quirks of an old friend – because you love them, because you’ve known them forever, because their good qualities more than make up for the less so.
With paranormal romance being all the rage these days, it’s refreshing to take a break from the supernatural and read historical fiction, especially a series with such a fun-loving, spirited, and unpredictable protagonist as Jacky Faber.
This is a new one for me, but as an Aussie I’m intrigued by the setting (although not so much those Jacky/Jaimy names!). Thanks for the heads up!
It’s a fun swashbuckler of a series – but you definitely want to start from the beginning! (#1 is Bloody Jack)