Fire Sword and Sea by Vanessa Riley: Review

Welcome to my review of Fire Sword and Sea by Vanessa Riley! I’m so glad I requested a copy of this one because Riley has a fan in me now.

Title: Fire Sword and Sea
Author: Vanessa Riley
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: William Morrow
Pub Date: 01/13/2026

Description

The real Pirates of the Caribbean were Black, and women! From Vanessa Riley, acclaimed author of Queen of Exiles, comes a sweeping, immersive saga based on the life of the legendary seventeenth-century pirate Jacquotte Delehaye.

The Caribbean Sea, 1675. Jacquotte Delahaye is the mixed-race daughter of a wealthy tavern owner on the island of Tortuga. Instead of marriage, Jacquotte dreams of joining the seafarers and smugglers whose tall-masted ships cluster in the turquoise waters around Tortuga. She falls in love with a pirate, but when he returns to the sea, Jacquotte decides to make her own way. In Haiti she becomes Jacques, a dockworker, earning the respect of those around her while hiding her gender.

Jacquotte discovers that secret identities are fairly common in the chaotic world of seafaring, which is full of outsiders and misfits. She forms a deep bond with Bahati, an African-born woman who has escaped slavery and also disguises herself as a man to navigate the world. They join forces with Dirkje De Wulf, a fearless adventurer who also lives as a man at sea. As Jacques, Jacquotte falls in love with Lizzôa d’Erville, a beautiful courtesan who deals in secrets and sex. While others see their work clothes as a disguise, Lizzôa’s true self is as a woman.

For the next twenty years, Jacquotte raids the Caribbean, making enemies and amassing a fortune in stolen gold. When her fellow pirates decide to increase their profits by entering the slave trade, Jacquotte turns away from piracy and the pursuit of riches. Risking her life in one deadly skirmish after another, she instead begins to plot a war of liberation.

Review

“In my heart, I know it has to be possible to dream and be righteous.”

Fire Sword and Sea was my first Vanessa Riley book, but it surely won’t be my last. I devoured this story and loved everything about it. I’m slightly biased because it doesn’t take much to get me excited when pirates are involved. I also love a good author’s note, so I enjoyed seeing the kind of research Riley did into Jacquotte’s life and where she took creative liberties to craft a complete and compelling story. The way disability, sexuality, and gender were depicted felt so refreshing.

Jacquotte was a fascinating character to follow because of how she fought to stay true to her convictions and desires, even when it was costly or seemed selfish. She wanted a life solely of her making, and she wasn’t afraid to do what she had to do to claim it for herself and for those who would come behind her or beside her. The women in this book were all interesting in their own ways, but I loved Lizzôa and Bahati the best.

This book had love and heartbreak. Wins and losses. Sacrifice and betrayal. Twists and turns. Plenty of action and entertainment along with lulls of reflection and introspection. There was also so much loss. I’m surprised I only teared up once, which was relatively early in the story. I don’t know if I would have been able to go on like Jacquotte did.

Overall, this is one that I can’t recommend enough if you enjoy historical fiction, care about justice and equality, and want to see women taking life by the reins. In a world that’s constantly asking us to defend what we believe in, this book will inspire you to hold true to your morals and not give up. Timely, one could say.

*Thank you to William Morrow for the finished copy. All opinions are my own.*

Author

Photo by Ellen Link

In addition to being a novelist, Vanessa Riley holds a doctorate in mechanical engineering from Stanford University and both a BS and MS in mechanical engineering from Penn State. She currently juggles mothering an architect, baking her Trinidadian grandmother’s desserts, hugging her retired military husband, and speaking at women’s and STEM events. You can often find her writing from the comfort of her Georgia porch, tea or latte in hand.