Review: A Game Changer
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 09 21, 2012
Before reading this collection of stories I basically consigned Pirates to being the thieving, sword-wielding, rum-drinking, Captain Jack Sparrowish characters that have captured the imagination of readers and movie-goers for generations.While a couple of the stories in Cutlass do hold with that image others force the reader to re-evaluate just what exactly a "pirate" is.The dictionary defines the word as 'someone who robs or commits illegal actions on the sea or shores of the sea' and while this definition most certainly stands true, Cutlass also offers readers a unique look into the differing circumstances that might warrant such actions as well as introducing us to characters that are the diametric opposite of the swashbuckling persona: like a young African-American slave attempting to keep the plans of a valuable weapon away from the Confederate Army (Victoria & The Ironclad), or a young woman desperate to rescue her lover from the bonds of forced labor (Scylla & The Pepper Pirates). There's even a tale in which senior citizens take up the "Jolly Roger" to combat injustice against the elderly (The Pensioner Pirates).Put simply: whether you're a die-hard lover of swashbuckling mayhem or someone looking for an adventurous literary escape Cutlass is the book for you; all for only 99 cents!