The Pirate of Fathoms Deep is book two in the Tales of the High Court series by LGBTQ author Megan Derr. At the conclusion of book one, The High King’s Golden Tongue, High King Sarrica and Prince Allen of Gaulden have overcome their differences, averted a war, gotten married, and throughly annoyed the High Commander of the Harken Empire, Lesto Arseni, along the way.
Lesto answers to no one but the High King, and even then politeness is not guaranteed. Most men would think twice about challenging him. Most men are not Farlanders brought before the High Commander to face charges of piracy. Neither of these stop Shemal from punching Lesto in the middle of the palace pavilion nor do they stop Shemal’s clandestine meeting with the Commander before his sentencing. The misunderstanding that occurs afterward is expected, the circumstances under which they reunite far fetched, and the mercenaries on the hunt for them equal parts brutal and inept. It’s a good thing Lesto is an Arseni, because an Arseni “Will Stop Only When You Bury [Them] Fathoms Deep.” (from The Pirate of Fathoms Deep by Megan Derr)
I’ll be honest – early parts of the plot feel a little predictable and the stubbornness of the main characters becomes a bit much at points but at no point did it make me want to put the book down. Overall, The Pirate of Fathoms Deep is still one of my favorites. The book is what I’ve come to expect from Megan Derr, fantasy, sarcasm, and fun read. The book can be read as a stand-alone but goes a lot faster if you have the backstory from book one. Fair warning #1 – this book does have a few typos, and that kind of thing bothers me when I read, but the mistakes aren’t wide spread (only about ten or so total) and don’t interrupt the flow of the book. Fair warning #2 – with a pirate and a soldier as the main characters their is a lot of cursing. Inventive as that cursing may be, stay away if foul mouths offend.
