Under the jolly roger

Under the jolly roger / L.A. Meyer. First published 2005.

After my previous post I figured it was time to move on to something different. Under the jolly roger is the third book in the Bloody Jack series. It features a return to the naval novel-style adventures of the first book after the school story interlude of Curse of the blue tattoo.

Brief plot summary

Having made her way back to England aboard the Pequod, Jacky immediately attempts to track down her sweetheard Jaimy. After an encounter with his mother’s classism and a romantic comedy-esque Hilarious Misunderstanding, Jacky finds herself press-ganged into service on the HMS Wolverine.

The curse of the blue tattoo

The curse of the blue tattoo / L.A. Meyer. Originally published 2004.

The curse of the blue tattoo is the second novel in the Bloody Jack series. Like the rest of the series, the setting departs considerably from that of the previous novel while still maintaining its wit and sense of adventure. It is in equal parts school story, fish-out-of-water comedy, and murder mystery.

Brief plot description

(minimal spoilers for the previous installment)

Bloody Jack ends with Jacky Faber, her gender having been discovered by her captain, being dropped off at an East Coast bording school for young ladies. Jacky is then forced to contend with a minister named Mather, “old money” types, and strict teachers all while trying to figure out how to be reunited with her Jaimy, her One True Love.

Bloody Jack

Bloody Jack / L.A. Meyer. Originally published 2002.

In which the heavens open and I find a naval novel I can recommend unambiguously

Bloody Jack is the first volume in the YA historical fiction series of the same title. Set during the same time period as the Hornblower and Aubrey-Maturin novels, the series follows the adventures of Mary “Jacky” Faber.

This is another series, like the Vorkosigan books, where each volume is sufficiently distinct as to warrant its own post, although I will dip into discussing the series as a whole below.

Brief plot description

(minimal spoilers)

After the death of her parents, Mary “Jacky” Faber finds herself living on the streets of London, part of a gang of similarly orphaned children. Struggling to stay alive, Jacky decides to pose as a boy and join the Royal Navy in an attempt to secure a regular meal for herself.