Books Like The Legend of Anne Bonny

The word "pirate" conjures up images of Blackbeard, Long John Silver, or in more recent years Jack Sparrow. However, swashbuckling women existed in real life and fiction. Famous pirates, such as Anne Bonny and Mary Read, had to disguise themselves as men when they became pirates to avoid the prejudice women of the era faced. As a result, some of their legends are still shrouded in mystery, allowing authors to create their own historical fiction. In addition, the courage and bravery of these women have also inspired numerous authors to develop their own stories starring female pirates. Whether you enjoy historical fiction or more fantasy fare, here are books like The Legend of Anne Bonny, where women take the helm for high-seas adventures.

The Unbinding of Mary Reade

by Miriam McNamara

The Unbinding of Mary Reade by Miriam McNamara is a romantic novel based on the true story of the titular character. Mary escapes from the oppression of her home by disguising her gender and working as a sailor aboard a Caribbean merchant ship. However, her life changes when pirates attack the ship and Mary spots another woman among the marauders. The woman is Anne Bonny, who is the mistress of Calico Jack and a pirate herself. Mary turns her gun on her own captain to earn the pirates' respect and join their crew where she can be herself without having to hide her gender. The only thing that Mary didn't count on is falling in love with Anne Bonny, which jeopardizes everything.

The Isle of Gold

by Seven Jane

The Isle of Gold is part of the Daughters Jones Trilogy by Seven Jane. The novel takes place in 1716, during the golden age of the pirates, with a protagonist called Merrin Smith. She is an orphan who survives by cooking and cleaning at a quayside brothel on the Caribbean island of Isla Perla. However, Merrin is fascinated by the story of a pirate captain named Erik Winters, who was in love with Evangeline, the proprietress of a nearby brothel. Unfortunately, after the disappearance of Evangeline, the captain is rumored to have become a madman. Merrin eventually disguises herself as a boy and joins the crew of Captain Winters as they set off in search of the missing Evangeline.

Pirates!

by Celia Rees

Pirates! is a historical novel by Celia Rees and is set in the eighteenth-century West Indies. The story follows two women from very different walks of life who end up becoming pirates. One, Nancy Kington, is the daughter of a wealthy merchant, while the other, Minerva, is a slave working at a plantation mansion. When Nancy's father dies, she is suddenly orphaned and set to Jamaica to live on her family's plantation. She meets Minerva and is disgusted by the way slaves are being treated on the plantation. When Nancy discovers how willing her brother is to marry her off, she runs away along with Minerva to join a band of pirates for a chance at freedom.

Seafire

by Natalie C. Parker

Seafire by Natalie C. Parker is a pirate-themed novel featuring an all-female crew. Caledonia Styx is the captain of the Mors Navis, a pirate ship with a crew of 53 women. The story is set four years after Styx lost her entire family to the tyrannical Aric Athair and his blood-thirsty crew, who call themselves Bullets. Everyone aboard the Mors Navis has a score to settle with the Bullets, and Caledonia wants nothing more than to avenge her family and put an end to Athair. However, when Caledonia and her crew encounter a Bullet who would like to escape Athair's clutches, they have to decide whether to trust him or not. On the one hand, he could be the key to bringing down Athair for good, but if they are wrong, he could be the one to destroy them all.

Daughter of the Pirate King

by Tricia Levenseller

Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller is the story of the seventeen-year-old pirate captain, Alosa Kalligan. Her father, the pirate king, has instructed her to find a legendary map that leads to a magical island full of treasure. However, to succeed in her mission, Alosa purposefully allows herself to be kidnapped by the ruthless Draxen and his crew of pirates. Doing so gives her the opportunity to search their ship where she believes the map is hidden. Alosa is more than a match for her enemies but didn't expect the first mate of Draxen's crew, Riden, to be quite as clever and attractive.

Grania: She-King of the Irish Seas

by Morgan Llywelyn

Grania: She-King of the Irish Seas by Morgan Llywelyn is a novel about the real-life sixteenth-century heroine, Grace O Malley. Grania, which is Gaelic for Grace, rises up as the unofficial head and breadwinner for her clan but faces a nemesis in the form of Queen Elizabeth and her English forces. The Queen plans on destroying Grania's piracy and shipping empire while subjugating Ireland once and for all. Grania won't go down without a fight, though, and is aided by her faithful lieutenant, Tigernan, in this story of solidarity and survival.

The Abyss Surrounds Us

by Emily Skrutskie

The Abyss Surrounds Us by Emily Skrutskie is a pirate-themed novel that is set in a fantasy world. Cassandra Leung is a Reckoner trainer-in-training who is involved in the family business of raising genetically-engineered beasts. These giant sea monsters are used to defend ships crossing the pirate-infested waters of the NeoPacific. However, her dreams of becoming a full-time trainer are dashed when she is kidnapped by the pirate Queen, Santa Elna, during her first solo mission. Unfortunately, it seems like the pirates want sea monsters of their own and expect Cas to train one if she wishes to live.