ŷ������

Just read your discussion on the November thread and jumped right here!
I just checked this book's blurb, it sounds interesting and anyway I don't have anything sorted for next month at present, so I'm in.
Thankfully Amazon has a kindle version that comes in nominal rates as opposed to the physical one that is 10 times the normal price of the book (import duty they say :/)

Anyway, I'm in :D

My book is coming from another library, so as soon as it's here I will start reading it.

I'll get this book today as well.
I forgot to set up a broadcast message for this buddy read so I'm doing it now. So maybe we'll get other readers to come and join us as well.

I've got my book. I'm starting it today as I'm not sure how long it will take me to finish it.

I'm 10% done with the ebook and it is going great so far.Though as the ship has just been attacked by the pirates, I'm sure the real story will begin now.
I was a bit sceptical about the writing initially when Cheryl mentioned that the writing of Powers' is different, but thankfully I was able to get into it from the Prologue itself. Talking about Prologue, it was awesome and served as a great hook.
I do have a co plain though, I gind the name of the lead very, very uncomfortable to pronounce mentally - Chandagnac. I really wish the pirates change his name soon (it was given in the blurb) as I can't handle reading it over and over again.

God... I can't stop reading this book. Sorry, Dagny and Cheryl, I thought I'd read only a couple of pages every day so I started reading it so early, but I can't seem to stop!

I loved the scene where Chandagnac is made to do a puppet show. Some bits made me crack hysterically! I love the writing, it is really, really good!

And finally, the name of the protagonist is changed to Shandy. I'm so relieved!

I'd like to share these that I found quite funny:
"He'll do it," belched one very drunken man sitting nearby. "He'll do it or I'll... kick his arse for him."
All of them seemed to feel that this was the right spirit, and Chandagnac found himself thrust into the open area in front of the fire.

Wow! This is an intriguing title and I like the style of Tim Powers! I will start it as soon as I get the book. :)

Andrew wrote: "Wow! This is an intriguing title and I like the style of Tim Powers! I will start it as soon as I get the book. :)"

Yes, it is, Andrew! I'm sure you're going to like this book :)

I just picked my book up from the library. Yay! I'll start reading it tomorrow, if not this evening.

I'm at 50 percent and the story seems to be going slow for quite a while. Though, in the last few pages it has picked up some speed, so let's see what happens.

Heena wrote: "I'm at 50 percent and the story seems to be going slow for quite a while. Though, in the last few pages it has picked up some speed, so let's see what happens."

I've read 2 books by this author, and in both books the pace of the story was uneven. They would slow down for awhile, then pick up, then slow down. Both had good endings, though. Maybe that's what's going on with this book?

Is the author giving you tons of info about something, and that's slowing things down? That, too, happened in the two books I read. He does alot of research for his books, and likes to put it (ALL of it, it seems) in his plot.

Cheryl wrote: "I've read 2 books by this author, and in both books the pace of the story was uneven. They would slow down for awhile, then pick up, then slow down. Both had good endings, though. Maybe that's what's going on with this book?"

Yes, that's exactly what is happening. One moment the pace is so high that I can't even get up to get something to eat a few scenes later there is so much description that I feel like skimming over pages till the pace gets up again.

Yeah, seems like he is indeed putting ALL of it in there. Lol.

Heena wrote: " One moment the pace is so high that I can't even get up to get something to eat a few scenes later there is so much description that I feel like skimming over pages till the pace gets up again."

If this book is like those other two, I'd say you shouldn't skim over the slow parts too much. The author will come back and use stuff from the slow parts and make it crucial to understanding a later part of the plot. Not too fun for the reader, though. But maybe this book is different from the two I've read.

I'm about a third of the way through. I like the voodoo magic the pirates use in the story. I think the pace is a bit uneven, but so far the action scenes are pretty interesting. Hurwood and Leo Friend are pretty creepy and definitely up to no good, as far as his daughter Elizabth is concerned.

Cheryl wrote: "If this book is like those other two, I'd say you shouldn't skim over the slow parts too much. The author will come back and use stuff from the slow parts and make it crucial to understanding a later part of the plot. Not too fun for the reader, though. But maybe this book is different from the two I've read."

Exactly... I realized this a while back and since then I'm making sure to read the parts that are too descriptive too. I hate when the author mentions something and I have no context to get the real meaning behind things. Thanks for the heads up :)

I'm loving the part about Blackbeard acting all rash and savage and intimidating Shandy at every turn. As Cheryl mentioned, the action is high again and I'm again coursing through smoothly!

Cheryl - yes, they both are pretty creepy. I hate Leo Friend's character and would love to see him land in some serious trouble where he won't be able to use his magic to save him.

I just finished chapter 14. There's some spooky stuff happening in chpt. 13 and 14! Hurwood is even crazier than before, and has some voodoo stuff lined up for his daughter. I hope she can escape from him before anything bad can happen.

Some fun quotes:

Chpt. 16

- "All set?"
"I'd say so, Phil," Shandy answered with a tension-twitchy grin. "Far too many men, nearly no provisions, the rigging all held together with nipper twine, and the navigator a one-armed lunatic taking directions from a severed head in a box."

- "You know anything about raising ghosts?"
"Not really - though the way things've been going I think I'll have it down pat long before I really understand sailing."

I just finished the book. I thought it was pretty good. The second half of the book was better than the first half, with more action and less parts that dragged on. I enjoyed the ending, too.

I liked how it took both Shandy and Elizabeth to work the magic at the end. Such a fun read!

If you enjoy this book and are looking for more supernatural pirate stories, check out The Ghost Pirates by William Hope Hodgson. You can download the free ebook version at Project Gutenberg here:

I should've worded my post better, Dagny. I was just putting the info out about the Hodgson book in case anyone else reading On Stranger Tides (i.e. Heena, or maybe someone starting it later in December) wanted to read another book like it.

Finally, I'm done with the book! I'm glad I started the book when I did as I got busy in the last few days.

I agree with Cheryl and Dagny about the ending. I loved it too! And what I really enjoyed was that initially, I was thinking that the entire story would revolve around getting to the magical fountain (fountain of youth) as was the case with the movie - Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, but I was pleasantly surprised when the story went on after that.

Cheryl and Dagny - Thanks for having this book for buddy read!

Cheryl - Thanks for the other recommendation. I guess I might actually read it in the coming year! :)

I am far behind and I've finished only the 4th chapter. I liked the mix of magic and adventure and I'm looking forward to see the part of Blackbeard in the story.
In these first chapters there is few action, with many descriptions about facts and characters, but it's a funny story. Pirates are not completely evil, even though Hurwood and Leo Friend give me the creeps.

Andrew wrote: "I am far behind and I've finished only the 4th chapter. I liked the mix of magic and adventure and I'm looking forward to see the part of Blackbeard in the story.
In these first chapters there is f..."

Hang in there, Andrew! There are chapters in the first half of the book that are slow moving and full of facts. Once you get to the 50% mark, the story really gets exciting, and it has a good ending.

I've read 3 books by this author, and all of them have followed the same pattern. They have an amazing start, then the story slows down with alot of info, then it picks up at the 50% mark and gets better and better and has a great ending. I wonder if that's just his writing style?

Cheryl wrote: "Andrew wrote: "I am far behind and I've finished only the 4th chapter. I liked the mix of magic and adventure and I'm looking forward to see the part of Blackbeard in the story.
In these first chap..."

I like the story and till now it's funny. I read only one books by Tim Powers, before this one, so I can't recognize his style, but there is action, a background story of the main character and a touch of magic. A good novel! I read little in these days, so I'm proceeding slowly, but I'm satisfied of this book. :)

Andrew,

What was the one book you read by Tim Powers before this one?

Cheryl wrote: "Andrew,

What was the one book you read by Tim Powers before this one?"

A couple of years ago I read The Anubis Gates, a funny story with good ideas, around a time travel. Reading this one, I'm thinking that I could reread that one too.

Dagny wrote: "Glad to hear you are enjoying it, Andrew. It can be tough when you have only a limited time to read, so you sure don't want to waste it on a book you're not enjoying."

It's a good book, easy to read. Pirates adventures are always funny and full of action. :)

Andrew wrote: "A couple of years ago I read The Anubis Gates, a funny story with good ideas, around a time tra..."

I will have to look for that book, too. Thanks for telling us about it!

Hey Andrew, you joined us for the read! So good to see you (it's been a long time.)
So glad you're enjoying the book! This book is indeed very good and best enjoyed slowly.
This was my first Tim Powers book and after finishing this one, I searched for more of his books and guess what(!) I decided to read The Anubis Gates next (whenever I get the time.) So it's good to know that you enjoyed that one too, I'll definitely try and read it next year :)

Heena wrote: "Hey Andrew, you joined us for the read! So good to see you (it's been a long time.)
So glad you're enjoying the book! This book is indeed very good and best enjoyed slowly.
This was my first Tim Po..."

Hi, Heena, happy to meet you again!
I like Tim Powers style and fantasy, so I hope you like too. This is a wonderful pirates adventure, with naval battles and skirmishes and bad guys that are so evil, but you can't help to cheer for them. :)