ON STRANGER TIDES
Tim Powers
REVIEW:
One of my favorite books in my early ears was Rafael Sabatini's Captain Blood. Later I came to love other seafaring stories -- the Hornblower books, Nordhoff's and Hall's Bounty trilogy -- but the swashbuckling tale of the innocent Irish doctor who ended up living a life of piracy in the Caribbean is still magical to me. No other novel has conjured up that same romantic fire in my imagination that comes from the mixture of the freedom of the sea, the camaraderie of lost and hunted men, and the swift brutal danger of broadside, grapple, and boarding on the open sea.
Until now. Tim Powers is the apostle of gonzo history, and On Stranger Tides is as good as story-telling ever gets. He has found a way to bring together powerful Indian magic, black vodun, a British scientist driven mad with grief over his wife's death, and Blackbeard himself, determined to live forever. Opposing them all is John Chandagnac, a one-time puppeteer who has come to the Caribbean to confront the uncle who cheated John's father out of his rightful inheritance. Captured by pirates, John finds himself rechristened Jack Shandy; he also finds that his old skill as a puppeteer can save his life.
I wish I could give a balanced review by pointing out the flaws in this book. But I didn't find any. Powers writes in a clean, elegant style that illuminates without slowing down the tale. The story promises marvels and horrors, and delivers them all. You'll love the characters, you'll stay awake all night reading it, and when you finally do sleep, you'll find this story playing through your dreams.
[...] I can't wait for my kids to get old enough for me to give them this book -- it will do for them what Captain Blood did for me.
— Orson Scott Card
from Hatrack.com
YOUR FEEDBACK:
*****Another rip-roaring yarn
Joe Jacco, Sarasota, FL USA
July 17, 2001 (off Amazon.com)
***** Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful.
Probably one of the most entertaining books I've ever read. A hoot and a half, with a nice mix of history, horror and fantasy. A must for fans of piracy, dark fantasy or voodoo. A perfect vacation book in every right, and the reason I'm a Powers fan.
A reader from Los Angeles
January 4, 1999 (off Amazon.com)
*****Never throw a dead bocor into the sea
... This is one of Powers's best.
Michael K. Smith, Baton Rouge, LA
July 30, 2003 (off Amazon.com)
*****Hornblower meets Alvin Maker
Stunning saga of magickal buccaneers. I will definitely be reading more Powers! Very unique, creative, and well-written. I can't believe this is out of print.
almandude, Rowlett, TX
July 27, 2003 (off Amazon.com)
*****exxxxcellent
I really enjoyed this tale. Outstanding bad guys, interesting good guy, believably spooky. Engaging and informative, too. Who knew Blackbeard the Pirate was a sorcerer??
A reader, Chicago, IL
August 6, 2002 (off Amazon.com)
*****One of the best
This is one of the best historical fiction novels I've ever read. In fact, it may be the best.
Howard Z. Simms, Macon, GA
August 27, 2001 (off Amazon.com)
*****Giving Stevenson a run for his money
...
This is a book I loan out to all of my sea-loving friends, knowing that they'll devour it and hand it back to me, more battered than ever, but it's a book I can't keep to myself. Now, if only a hardbound edition would come out, so that I have a chance at actually having a copy in decent condition.
This is a "grab it if you see it" buy for fans of fantasy, pirates or wild adventure stories. "On Stranger Tides" is a dynamite novel by one of the best genre authors working today.
Beau Yarbrough, North Hollywood, CA
December 28, 2000 (off Amazon.com)
*****
... Tim writes a GREAT (if not the best) pirate story I have ever read.
David Tester, Salt Lake City
May 5, 2000 (off Amazon.com)
*****Too Good to Be True
This was the first Powers book that I ever picked up, back in the '80's, and he immediately became one of my favorite authors. This is the perfect pirate story, the characters are well-written and the original 'explanations' Powers concocts to cover some of history's puzzling moments are works of genius. If you enjoy fiction, you must read this book...and if you do, you'll surely be a Powers fan for life.
Madoc Starson, Chicago, Illinois
April 24, 2000 (off Amazon.com)
*****Awesome
Probably the best book I've read in years, full of action and adventure, as well as suspense, fantasy, and voodoo. A real page-turner, I found myself unable to put this one down. Highly recommended to anyone looking for a fun read.
A reader
September 20, 1999 (off Amazon.com)
*****Excellent Powers Book
Tim Powers has written an excellent story with this book. It has his usual imagination, and well written story. But, unlike his other books you can immediately get into the story. It doesn't take half the book to really understand where you are going. I loved it!!
A reader from Maine, USA
August 23, 1998 (off Amazon.com)
*****Genius!
... This is high-adventure at it's absolute best! Powers unites action, fantasy, and real historical facts in a seamless blend that is hotter than rum and gun-powder! It remains my favorite of all Power's fantastic books. Check it out!
A reader from North Carolina
January 31, 1998 (off Amazon.com)
*****Well crafted powerful fiction
Brilliant. Tim Powers forges this book with nothing less than artful detail. Written about the era of pirates on the high seas, this book is full of dark villains and incredible journeys. With incorporation's of real history, the fiction becomes more potent and believable, gripping the reader with suspense and thrills. Anybody that loves intricate non-linear plots and intelligent writing will want to read this
A reader
May 15, 1997 (off Amazon.com)
Coming soon -- On Stranger Tides T-shirts, tanks, totes, aprons, posters, cards, calendars, and even a lunchbox at our CafePress Shop
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