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The Pirate Prince

by Gaelen Foley

Other authors: See the other authors section.

Series: The Ascension Trilogy (Book 1)

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3371076,385 (3.72)11
On a calm moonlit night, as the scent of jasmine and pine embraced the island of Ascension, the pirate prince Lazar di Fiori returns with lethal grace to avenge what was stolen from him: his kingdom, his birthright, his soul. . . . Allegra Monteverdi, the daughter of Lazar's sworn enemy, proves an uncommonly powerful adversary. She throws herself on his mercy, her courage and beauty touching his cold, unforgiving heart. He agrees to spare the lives of her family--but only if Allegra sails away with him as his captive. For his quest for vengeance still burns fiercely, and he will settle for nothing less than Allegra's body and soul. Alone at sea with this dark, intriguing man, moving between seduction and fear, Allegra gazes into eyes as deep and mysterious as the night and sees who this pirate really is. Lazar--the prince of her childhood dreams. Though he was rumored to be murdered years ago, she always believed someday he would return. But it will take more than her love for this pirate prince to bring peace to her beloved home. For Lazar must face the demons of his shattered past--if he is to forge the destiny that is theirs to claim. . . .… (more)
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Showing 1-5 of 9 (next | show all)
I guess I just don't get romance books and why people like them. It was well written, I suppose, if you like the genre. Every once in a while I feel the need to research these types of books and figure out what I like and don't like about romance, and how to incorporate it into a story. And also, I felt the time was right to read another pirate book ;). What I love are the novels in which the romantic suspense continues through the entire book, and when they finally touch it's electric, and when they finally have their first kiss, that kiss is amazing. I never get a sense of that delayed gratification when I read a romance novel. But I guess some people like cutting right to the chase ;). ( )
  KR_Patterson | Apr 28, 2015 |
The Pirate Prince was Gaelen Foley's first published romance sixteen years ago, and what a debut it was. I absolutely loved this story of a lost prince turned pirate, finally returning to his island nation to take up the throne that is his birthright. The country in question is the fictional island of Ascension located in the Mediterranean off the coast of Italy (yes, there is a real Ascension Island, but it's located in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean). The story has a fairy tale quality to it, what with all the legends of the lost boy prince who the locals believe will one day return to make their land prosperous again. At the same time though, there is plenty of angst, drama, conflict, high seas adventure, and exotic locales. It's also a moving tale of redemption, enemies turned to lovers, and the power of love to overcome the pain of the past. Everything just came together to make this a wonderful book, and I enjoyed every minute of reading it.

Allegra is the daughter of the governor of Ascension who took over rulership of the country after the murders of its entire royal family fifteen years earlier. Little does she know though, that her father and the council were responsible for the killings, and when her mother found out and tried to do something about it, they silenced her as well. Allegra grew up in Paris under the guardianship of an aunt, but now she's back on Ascension and engaged to a nobleman. Unfortunately, neither her fiancé nor her father truly appreciate her for the gentle, intelligent, and kindhearted woman that she is. She's very much a progressive, independent thinker who forms her own opinions on political matters. She's also a very charitable person who makes a habit of going out among the poor to bring them food and medicine. It was so sweet that all her life, Allegra has been enthralled by the legends of the lost prince, Lazar, and has harbored a huge crush on him. Of course, when she meets the man in the flesh, she can't believe it's truly him at first, mainly because his dark and dangerous pirate persona is nothing like her fairy tale fantasy. Lazar's kidnapping of Allegra doesn't do much for his case either, but it was utterly adorable how she kind of enjoyed being kidnapped, at least until he started to use her as a pawn in his scheme to exact revenge on her father for his treachery. In spite of everything that happens between them in those opening chapters, Allegra eventually sees the truth of the situation and exhibits a level of trust in her pirate prince that is very sweet and heartfelt. Even when he threatens her, she instinctively knows he won't hurt her. She's so selfless that she almost always puts everyone else's needs above her own, and her love for Lazar is deep and true, a once in a lifetime love that she never thought to find. Allegra is also quite stubborn, and it's her love for him that causes her to push Lazar to do what she knows in her heart is right even when it angers him. She's incredibly supportive of him and wants him to succeed in what she sees as the most important mission of his life, namely retaking his throne.

Lazar only returned to Ascension with the intention of exacting revenge on the Monteverdi's for the murders of his entire family to which he bore witness, and also for the tortured existence he's led since then. Lazar's plan is to kill Allegra in front of her father to give him a taste of the horror he experienced, before killing him and the entire Monteverdi family. Admittedly though, his stomach quails at the thought of killing a woman, and an innocent one at that, which is something his conscience has never allowed him to do before. In fact, he's so much of a gentleman, he won't even kill in front of a woman. Lazar is attracted to Allegra from the moment he meets her, and after kidnapping her, he begins to like her as a person too, especially when he realizes her allegiance to his dead father. Still, he repeatedly tries to convince himself that killing her is the only way to truly get the revenge he's seeking. However, from the moment he laid eyes on her, I could see the wheels turning in his head. Allegra is nothing like what he expected her to be, so when she throws herself on his mercy, begging him not to execute her family, he's helpless to resist her. Instead, Lazar takes her as his captive in payment for their lives, and despite being upset with him for his treachery, Allegra can't help but respect him, especially as she gets to know the man inside. After spending two years as the slave and plaything of an Arab prince in North Africa, Lazar is a deeply tortured soul. In fact, he's so tormented, he's prepared to die by his own hand as soon as his revenge is complete. He feels he has nothing to live for until a slip of a girl unwittingly throws a lifeline of hope to his blackened soul, making him want something he didn't even know he needed. His simple heartfelt plea of “Love me” was achingly beautiful. By offering him her unconditional love and pushing him to accept his birthright, she gives him something to fight for. I love that even when Lazar initially intends to be cruel to Allegra, he simply cannot bring himself to do it and always ends up being gentle instead. The only time he hurts her, and then only with his words, is when he's trying to drive her away, because he feels he's cursed and would only bring about her death if she stayed with him. Otherwise, he was a wonderful hero, who has definitely earned a spot on my favorite heroes list.

The Pirate Prince had a number of notable secondary characters, but the only one I know will continue on in the series is Darius, a young boy who suffered the same fate as Lazar but was rescued by Lazar and Allegra. Darius has the heart of a lion and will become the hero of Princess, the next book in The Ascension Trilogy, where I suspect he may be paired with Lazar and Allegra's daughter. The Pirate Prince was a deeply emotional and swoon-worthy romance that has everything I look for in a love story: relatable characters I could root for, adventure, steamy love scenes, and best of all a truly romantic and passionate story that made me feel what the characters were feeling and made me believe in their HEA. Oftentimes an author's earlier works show their greenness as a writer, but that certainly wasn't the case for Gaelen Foley. This debut book was just as good as some of her later ones. and I can't wait to continue the series. ( )
  mom2lnb | Sep 4, 2014 |
One of the things that I have always like about Ms. Foley is that she doesn’t write pathetic characters are eaten up with self-doubt. While both these characters do suffer from a little indecision, they are both confident and at times fearless. Lazar di Fiore has survived terrible abuse and humiliation but he has become an honorable and compassionate man. He would like the world to believe that he is a ruthless pirate but he has a code that he sticks to no matter the circumstances. Lazar is also a superstitious man as so many sailors and pirates were at this time. He believes he is cursed to lose all those that he loves. It is understandable how he has come to believe this. He watched as his father, mother, brother and sister were killed. He lost his kingdom. He lost the man that freed him from slavery and he loses the man that became a father to him near the end of the book. He also loses his dog during a storm at sea. Lazar makes some questionable decisions because of this superstition and it almost loses him Allegra Monteverdi.

Allegra is a shrew at times. I don’t think that she means to be she is just enthusiastic about reform and justice. She is also determined to get Lazar to claim his throne. I am surprised that Lazar resisted her for as long as he did. She can be relentless. She also can’t follow orders and almost gets herself and Lazar killed because of this. Allegra is intelligent and compassionate. She cares about the people less fortunate than she is. She has worked tirelessly to provide for the poor and orphans of Ascencion. She even agrees to marry the next Governor in the hopes of reforming some of the laws and taxes that are driving the people to revolt.

The last few chapters of this book are some of the saddest that I have read in a long time. These two are so good together but Lazar is determined that he can’t have anyone that makes him happy close to him. He is so stubborn. Things do work out and it is a wonderful ending but there are some rocky moments. There are also some wonderful secondary characters in this story. I was heartbroken when Vicar dies. I would love to have Darius’s story. Then there are the pirates that follow Lazar they are a rowdy bunch and they make the story enjoyable. This is a very good book and I highly recommend it to those that love historical romance. ( )
  LadyIsis | May 30, 2014 |

I have been eyeing Gaelan Foley's books for years but never had bothered to read her books. This is her first book apparently, surprisingly very weirdly realist in a certain way. The hero are very very flawed in this book (for someone that have his name on its title). Should be renamed with less deceiving title. Twilight fans beware. ( )
  aoibhealfae | Sep 23, 2013 |
After a discussion on Twitter some weeks back, I decided to pick this up for a re-read. Although it's been years, I remember this as a rich, fulfilling story of love and redemption. It's always been my favorite of all Foley's books.

Fifteen years ago, Prince Lazar di Fiore's entire family was murdered right in front of him. He escaped by throwing himself off a cliff into the ocean. The intervening years have been anything but kind to him. Now he's a ruthless pirate, and he's back on Ascension with plans to wipe out the entire family of the man responsible for what happened to his family. A man who was once a trusted friend and adviser to his father. His plan is to kill Monteverdi's daughter right in front of him, then execute the rest of his family - including all the women and children.

Allegra Monteverdi loves the people of Ascension. She wants nothing more than for the kingdom to prosper. Unfortunately, her father and fiance have different ideas. They don't have the best interests of the people at heart. Allegra figures she can change that once she's married and her husband becomes the governor of the land. Which is the only reason she's agreed to go through with the wedding. The villagers are getting restless, however. As taxes go up and they starve, their anger and hatred toward her family increases. A full rebellion is on it's way.

Lazar is surprised at the feelings Allegra stirs up inside of him. He's there to exact revenge on his old enemy, but the more time he spends with Allegra the harder it becomes for him go through with the first part of his plan. Instead of killing her as he originally planned, Lazar whisks her away on his ship. What ensues is an epic saga, filled with angst, betrayal and...redemption?

As I said, I remember this book fondly. I got many hours of enjoyment out of Lazar and Allegra's tale. Sadly, I didn't enjoy it as much this time around. The first half of the book is emotional and heart-wrenching. Lazar's struggle to go through with his revenge plot despite his extreme attraction and connection to Allegra is very touching. His internal angst comes across so well, I was fully immersed in it. When Allegra offers herself up in place of her family, my stomach literally clenched.

As the story wore on I found myself becoming more and more frustrated with both Lazar and Allegra. Allegra is a very progressive female. She thinks women should have rights and fights for the peasants of Ascension. While this is very admirable, at times it seemed she was more concerned with the cause than with Lazar himself. She continually pushed him to go back and take his rightful place, but didn't consider if that was the best thing for him. She often came across as self-righteous and a martyr for the cause. She was even willing to sacrifice herself - in becoming Lazar's mistress - so that he could make an advantageous marriage. All without consulting Lazar, of course. In the beginning her zeal and independence were refreshing. Over time they became too much.

For all that, there were flashes of brilliance in the storytelling. Foley did manage to establish a strong emotional connection to her characters that kept me turning the pages. I just wish the story had ended 200 pages sooner.

While I still have fond memories of this story, I have to say it didn't hold up as well as I'd hoped it would.

3.5 out of 5 ( )
  cranberrytarts | Sep 22, 2013 |
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Author nameRoleType of authorWork?Status
Gaelen Foleyprimary authorall editionscalculated
Wiley, ElizabethNarratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed

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Epigraph
Not all the water in the rough, rude sea
Can wash the balm off from an anointed king.
- Shakespeare
Dedication
To Eric, who saved me.

Thanks also to my dad, sea-captain extraordinaire for guidance on matters nautical.
First words
He took a faceful of sea brine, flung the stinging salt water out of his eyes with a furious blink, and hauled back on the oars again and again with all his strength.
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(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)
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On a calm moonlit night, as the scent of jasmine and pine embraced the island of Ascension, the pirate prince Lazar di Fiori returns with lethal grace to avenge what was stolen from him: his kingdom, his birthright, his soul. . . . Allegra Monteverdi, the daughter of Lazar's sworn enemy, proves an uncommonly powerful adversary. She throws herself on his mercy, her courage and beauty touching his cold, unforgiving heart. He agrees to spare the lives of her family--but only if Allegra sails away with him as his captive. For his quest for vengeance still burns fiercely, and he will settle for nothing less than Allegra's body and soul. Alone at sea with this dark, intriguing man, moving between seduction and fear, Allegra gazes into eyes as deep and mysterious as the night and sees who this pirate really is. Lazar--the prince of her childhood dreams. Though he was rumored to be murdered years ago, she always believed someday he would return. But it will take more than her love for this pirate prince to bring peace to her beloved home. For Lazar must face the demons of his shattered past--if he is to forge the destiny that is theirs to claim. . . .

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