Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea by Rita Chang Eppig: A Book Review

Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea

Author: Rita Chang-Eppig

Genre: Historical Fiction

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing 

Publishing Date: 2023

Pages: 287

Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis: The dazzling historical novel about a legendary Chinese pirate queen, her fight to save her fleet from the forces allied against them, and the dangerous price of power.

     When Shek Yeung sees a Portuguese sailor slay her husband, a feared pirate, she knows she must act swiftly or die. Instead of mourning, Shek Yeung launches a new plan: immediately marrying her husband's second-in-command, and agreeing to bear him a son and heir, in order to retain power over her half of the fleet.

     But as Shek Yeung vies for control over the army she knows she was born to lead, larger threats loom. The Chinese Emperor has charged a brutal, crafty nobleman with ridding the South China Seas of pirates, and the Europeans-tired of losing ships, men, and money to Shek Yeung's alliance-have new plans for the area. Even worse, Shek Yeung's cutthroat retributions create problems all their own. As Shek Yeung navigates new motherhood and the crises of leadership, she must decide how long she is willing to fight, and at what price, or risk losing her fleet, her new family, and even her life.

     A book of salt and grit, blood and sweat, Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea is an unmissable portrait of a woman who leads with the courage and ruthlessness of our darkest and most beloved heroes.

     My Review: Shek Yeung is notorious for being a leader of the pirate confederacy that plundered the South China Sea. Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea tells the life of this famous pirate queen who ruled the seas. When her pirate husband is murdered by a Portuguese sailor, Shek Yeung is forced to make a difficult decision. She marries her husband’s second-in-command and agrees to bear him a son if she can keep half of her fleet. Even though she only has half of the fleet, Shek Yeung still faces multiple problems. The Chinese Emperor has sent men to rid the sea of pirates. Shek Yeung must learn to become a fierce leader to protect her fleet and her life.

    Before reading this novel, I had heard of Shek Yeung and found her to be a very fascinating figure. I thought the author did a good job in telling her story. Shek Yeung is a very relatable character. She goes through many tragedies and hardships. She eventually grows into a strong and confident leader. Therefore, I really love Shek Yeung’s character. I sympathized with her and connected with her. She was a very strong and admirable character.

     Overall, this novel is about dreams, power, and love. While I like Shek Yeung’s characterization, I thought all the other characters were flat. They had little depth, and I felt as if I did not really know them. I did think that the story was slow movingat times and wished for an action sequence to liven the pace. However, it was more character-driven. These flaws were minor, however, and did not significantly affect my enjoyment of the story. I thought the writing was very beautiful and poetic! I love how the author made the Qing era come alive! Overall, I was blown away by this novel because of the story and the writing! I found it to be very moving and inspirational! I recommend this book for fans of Dragon Lady, Grania: She-King of the Irish Seas, and The Pirate Queen!

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars