Opinioned Tannia Ortiz

A Pirate's Charm is the first book in the Lore's trilogy written by the young and ingenious author, C.T. Douglas.

The story begins in 1780 in the island of Barbados. During a stormy night, Molly Bishops is running for her life from a group of dangerous men wearing black coats. Her only hope is to reach the harbor and find a ship scheduled to depart that night. On her way, she finds momentary refuge from the rain and her pursuers at the house of a fortuneteller.

After Molly enters the house, the old man's daughter brings her to a room where the fortuneteller lays sick in bed with an important message for the visitor. He grabs a pile of animal bones and few pebbles and casts them several times on the dirt floor as a mean to predict Molly's adventurous future which includes a sick werewolf. Aware that Molly is being chased, the old man urges her to flee his house. She continues her way to the harbor for the beginning of an odyssey that will change her life forever.

At the harbor, the only seaman daring to navigate under the stormy conditions is the famous pirate, Captain Thomas Crowe. In her desperation, Molly forces her way onto his ship and negotiates for a safe voyage. After seeing Molly's pursuers in the black coats, Capt. Crowe allows her to remain aboard and, given her lack of pirating experience, assigns her to the kitchen.

During their travels Capt. Crowe discloses important information to Molly including the truth regarding her father, a famous and distinguished gemseeker who she thought dead. Gemseekers were people whose oddly shaped irises gave them the ability to determine the magical capacity of a precious stone and use that power with spells, etc. He also teaches her how to read the different types of marine and star charts she'll need to decipher for Capt. Crowe a map hidden inside a gem. In the event that something happens to him, Molly must be responsible to lead his crew to their final destination.

As the story unfolds, Molly begins to understand Crowe's unusual crew, the riddles of the old fortuneteller, and her essential role in the fulfillment of his prophecies. Toward the end of the book, Capt. Crowe must confront and fight against his brother Harlan in order to find relief from his sufferings and keep Molly safe.

The narrative is captivating and full of details about Capt. Crowe's travels as well as crucial background information that helps readers understand all of the twisted paths the author will dare them to follow.

A Pirate's Charm is a skillfully written epic with elements of One Thousand and One Nights, The Flying Dutchman, Pirates of the Caribbean, the Twilight series, and urban legends. The cliffhanger ending, will leave the reader eagerly awaiting its sequel, East and Eight.

A highly recommended tale for teens, older readers, and for anybody who enjoys a fascinating tale entwined with action, suspense, and well structured and developed characters and situations. Douglas' trilogy has all the elements to emerge as a blockbuster movie!