Daughter of the Pirate King

“I hate having to dress like a man. The cotton shirt is too loose, the breeches too big, the boots too uncomfortable. My hair is bound on the top of my head, secured in a bun underneath a small sailor’s hat […] The clothing is awkward as it hangs loose in all the wrong places. And the smell!”

Levenseller’s passion for creating strong female heroines for her stories is a large part of her contributions to the young adult fantasy genre. From the first page, the author challenges the arbitrary duality of stereotypically “feminine” and “masculine” traits by displaying aspects of both in Alosa’s character. Her efforts to characterize Alosa in such a way effectively critiques these existing stereotypes, implicitly claiming that traditionally feminine and masculine traits are not mutually exclusive, nor are they determinate of an individual’s strength or sense of agency.

“The trapdoor lifts, and a hideous face comes into view, complete with a foul, scraggly beard, yellow teeth, and a broken nose.”

Daughter of the Pirate King originally did not sell well because pirates are traditionally thought to be a childish theme that is better suited for middle-grade novels. Befitting the humorous tone of the narrative told through Alosa’s perspective, Levenseller employs irony in this passage with a stereotypical, cartoonish depiction of what most people conjure when thinking of pirates.

“Draxen removes his right hand from his belt and reaches down for one of his pistols. As soon as he has it, he points it at the first of my men in line and fires. The pirate behind him jumps out of the way as the body of my crewman falls backward. […] He is certainly eager to prove his reputation. But if he thinks he can intimidate me, he is wrong.”

In this passage, Draxen’s over-eagerness to prove his ruthless reputation adds a layer of tension and danger to Alosa’s captivity on his ship. Though the fact that her capture is planned grants her a hidden modicum of control, Draxen’s nonexistent limits when it comes to violence prove unpredictable and potentially fatal.