Originally posted as part of Queen’s Book Asylum’s SPFBO Champion’s League reviews.

The various enclaves of the Pirate Isles are under threat. One of the main townships has already been destroyed, and there are rumours that a new warship has been dispatched to eliminate them, once and for all.

Drake Morass, a character from the author’s previous series, The Ties That Bind, is the primary protagonist of Where Loyalties Lie. His main ambition throughout the novel is to bring the various people of the Pirate Isles together, provided they agree to make him king, of course. A charming but ruthless schemer, his manipulative ways make it difficult to even consider him as an anti-hero.

Since Morass is an already established character, there are numerous hints of his history and connections throughout this book. While it’s not necessary to have read those before this book, I daresay it will help give context to some of the more oblique references to the world beyond the Pirate Isles and particularly the character of his guardian/love interest Arbiter Bek and her abilities. 

I found the secondary character of Keelin Stillwater to be a bit easier to relate to. A conflicted man who embraces the freedom of the pirate lifestyle but who, as seen from the very first chapter, more often than not tries to avoid bloodshed as much as possible, even when potentially fighting a duel to the death. 

His storyline is the more straightforward of the two, even a touch formulaic in comparison, possibly because he has less backstory to cover. Drawn into Morass’ plans, almost against his will, he ultimately sees the need for them to put their differences aside in the face of the threat. 

Another interesting aspect I found about Stillwater is his relationship with Elaina Black. Having grown up together before becoming lovers, they strike sparks off each other whenever they’re together, despite the disapproval of her father, the most feared pirate in the region. Both of them are flawed in their own ways, and they’re not ‘good’ individuals, but I feel that they’re closer to it than Morass. 

One of the things that I particularly liked in this book was the way the chapters were broken out. Rather than by character, they are separated by ship, which does come in handy when some of the lesser characters get a chapter to themselves.

There is a lot to enjoy about Where Loyalties Lie: sword fights, ship-to-ship battles, heavy drinking; all the things you might expect from a grimdark pirate novel. However, it also drags a bit in places, and, as mentioned earlier, some of the subplots are fairly predictable. It won’t be for everyone, but for the most part, I did enjoy it.

4 out of 5 broken masts.

Rob J. Hayes’ website