L. A. Meyer (1942–2014)

Summary: Jacky Faber is back in her home base of Boston, and it's a good thing, since Faber Shipping International has business that needs attending to. On a whim, Jacky decides to purchase the Pig & Whistle Inn, but that puts her on the bad side of the Women's Suffrage Movement, seeing as how they are also campaigning for Temperance. It's also the era of rival fire companies that will only put out fires for those who pay them... and may start fires for those who don't, and Jacky is not show more about to fall prey to that racket. But with enemies piling up on all sides, how long can Jacky really keep herself out of trouble? And where is her true love, Jaimy, supposed to be returning from Asia? Has she really lost him for good this time?

Review: I love the Bloody Jack series because they are a good time, with a spunky narrator and plenty of adventure and a fast-moving plot that doesn't take itself too seriously. As the series goes on (this is book 11), they've been getting somewhat less fun, although they're still reliably entertaining. And this book, truth be told, is definitely not one of the stronger entries in the series. I think it's right there in the contrast between the name of the series ("Bloody Jack Adventures") and the subtitle of the book ("Being an Account of the Further Adventures of Jacky Faber, Taking Care of Business"). The problem is, this is not "taking care of business" in an awesome, swashbuckling, ass-kicking kind of way, it's "taking care of business" in a business kind of way. Faber Shipping's financial issues are just not as exciting as being captured by slavers or boarded by pirates, y'know? I also felt like all the various elements in this book didn't really tie together particularly well. (Other than "Jacky gets in various kinds of trouble in Boston.") The cover makes it look like the rival fire brigades are going to form a central part of the story, but in truth I didn't feel like that storyline really amounted to much in the end, and really, the worst danger Jacky is in during the course of the book is a public lashing.

But, even so, I don't really read these books for their complicated plots, I read them because they're fun and light and easygoing, and this book kept me engaged and entertained, even if it wasn't a thrill a minute. My biggest problem with it, in fact, had nothing to do with the plotting or the overall level of action or anything. My biggest problem was Jaimy. He's always been a little dumb, particularly where Jacky was concerned, but in this book he goes off the deep end, flopping from mildly scandalized/jealous over Jacky's flirtateous behavior, to outright hostile and cruel about it, over a comparably minor issue. I went from being tired of him to actively disliking him, which is not an ideal situation for the character cast as the romantic interest of ten books' standing. 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Recommendation: This book is not the best, but the series as a whole is worth checking out for historical fiction fans, particularly the earlier books, which are a ton of fun. show less

Summary: After surviving her ordeal as a soldier and spy in France, Jacky Faber is back in England, preparing to marry her sweetheart, Jaimy, and settle down into marital bliss. (Well, maybe not settle down, exactly - this is Jacky Faber - but she's certainly looking forward to the marital bliss part.) However, the ceremony is rudely interrupted by members of the British Intelligence Service, coming to press Jacky into yet another tour of duty as a spy and secret agent. Her mission: find the show more site of a sunken Spanish ship in the Carribbean, and use a newly-invented diving apparatus to recover the treasure it holds... treasure that is dearly needed to fund the ongoing war against Napoleon.

Review: I don't know where my love of nautical adventure stories came from, but give me a book set in the Age of Sail, with a little bit of scuba-diving and a lot of Jacky's trademark hijinks thrown in, and I'm a happy girl. Rapture of the Deep is just as much fun as earlier books in the series, and with one distinct advantage over most of them: the story was less fragmented and more cohesive. Jacky gets into just as much trouble, and has just as many adventures as ever, but they seemed to fit together better without feeling quite as jumbled as previous books.

On the other hand, each book is becoming more and more reliant on knowledge of the preceeding books in the series. It seems like Jacky knows just about everyone on two continents and the ocean between, and runs into old friends and enemies with startling regularity. That's all well and good, but for those of us who first read Bloody Jack almost five years ago, some of the details are starting to get rather hazy, and Meyer doesn't provide a lot of background information to remind us of who various bit players are and why they're important. I remembered enough to understand what was going on, but there were a few places where I just had to take Jacky's word that this character was an enemy while that one was a friend.

One thing I didn't particularly care for was the device of Jemimah (a slave that Jacky frees) telling Brer Rabbit stories to the youngsters aboard Jacky's ship. It's not a bad idea, and it did provide some nice parallels to Jacky's situation, but it was just overused, and got to the point where it would distract from Jacky's narrative and her misadventures, which are what we're here for. Still, even with that, I really enjoyed this book. It's manifestly very similar to the other Bloody Jack books, but in this case, that's okay. I wanted something reliably light, fun, and entertaining, and unsurprisingly, Jacky delivered yet again. 4 out of 5 stars.

Recommendation: For fans of the earlier Bloody Jack books, Rapture of the Deep is more of the same - which, if you're a fan, that's all to the good. If you haven't read the earlier books, then I wouldn't start here, but if you like fun YA historical fiction, or nautical adventure stories, then I'd definitely recommend the series as a whole. show less

Summary: All Jacky Faber wants is to live peacefully, building her shipping business and waiting for her her fiancé, Jaimy, to return to London from his stint with the Royal Navy. But, of course, Jacky Faber is seemingly unable to keep herself out of trouble. As this book opens, she's captured by the British Intelligence to be returned to London to face charges of treason and piracy. However, her fortunes are never that clear, and after she faces a battle with French ships, a stay in a show more French prison, and the threat of Madame le Guillotine, she finds herself forced into the one job she finds most distasteful: spying for the British government. Set up first as a Parisian dancing girl, and then as a messenger in Napoleon's army, she must fight to save her own skin, protect those she loves, and ultimately must decide where her true loyalties lie.

Review: Jacky Faber is easily one of the most unforgettable narrators I've ever had the pleasure to meet. It's been about a year since I'd read the previous book in the series, but from the first paragraph I recognized Jacky's distinctive and colorful voice, ringing out as clear as ever. The various men in her life don't fare quite so well. They tend to fall in to one of a few molds: noble, honorable, and completely besotted with Jacky; older, wiser, and thoroughly charmed by Jacky; young, innocent, and completely awestruck by Jacky; or cruel, dishonorable, and out to get Jacky. The few characters who have been built up to have some additional dimensions over past books are sadly lacking for most of this one - I thought we didn't get enough time with Jaimy, in particular. But Jacky is, by her own admission, happiest when she's the center of the show, so that's where she remains. Her adventures in My Bonny Light Horseman were good and adventurous, although they did have a little bit of the disconnect between sections that plagued earlier books. Also, I know there's only so many nautical adventures one can have before they start getting repetitive, but seeing Jacky Faber on land for most of the book just didn't feel quite right. 4 out of 5 stars.

Recommendation: A good, fun read, though we expect nothing less from Bloody Jack herself. This one isn't quite as dependent on previous books as Mississippi Jack was, but it's not really a stand-alone, either, and it would be a shame to start Jacky's adventures anywhere but from the beginning. show less

- audiobook - Jacky Faber, formerly of the Royal Navy, is dumped at a girls' boarding school in Boston when it is discovered that she is a girl. She doesn't quite fit in.

This book is the lowest rated in the 8 books of the series (but it's still rated 4.13!), but I thought it was great fun. True, there are no pirates, but boarding school stories are great, and the depiction of Northern US/Southern US/British relations in the very early 1800s is spot on, and Jacky is an awesome character. It's show more like A Great and Terrible Beauty, plus Downton Abbey, plus a Napoleonic Naval adventure, plus Anne of Green Gables, but badass.

Jacky is great because she does whatever the heck she thinks is right. She sees all these stupid rules around her like women have to ride side-saddle, and ladies can't be friends with the serving girls, and women can't show their limbs in public, and she says "screw you, rules!". But she's still fiercely loyal, and kind, and brave. And, most importantly, she knows that she deserves punishment when she breaks the rules. She doesn't hesitate to get in a fight with another "lady in training" who slapped a serving girl, but she fully expects to be whipped for it. Her chivalry and sense of responsibility even extend to her friendships: she fully expects that if she misbehaves, her friends will be mad at her. She always realizes that the pickles she gets into are the result of her own actions, and never blames it on any outside force. I find it extremely refreshing; she's a true hero.

I'm definitely continuing with this series. I'm LOVING them. show less