#maybe me liking keats and read as much as vane is a hot take

[nancy-plays-dutp]

The Perfect Storm

I figured I’d start with one of my most recent favourites. In my opinion The Perfect Storm (PerSt) is one of the best books in this whole game.

The MC becomes Cordelia, who runs away from her family to become a pirate in search of a legend passed down from her grandmother. The whole aesthetic of this story is very Pirates of the Caribbean, and the outfits are all detailed and interesting and very fun. The writing in this book was also a highlight for me, from the witty dialogue to the plot progression, and kept me engaged the whole way through.

This book is two chapters in length, and near the beginning you get to pick which type of ship you want to buy. This affects most of the path splits in the rest of the story, as different ships require different strategies for overcoming obstacles, and I really enjoyed this. It was very immersive and really felt like I had agency in creating this story, and allowed the world and characters to have more depth because you got to see the same situation with a different solution.

Cordelia was a delight to play. She continually comes up with creative ideas, and her heart for adventure and discovery really shines through her actions. Her mission is not just to discover the truth behind her grandmother’s stories but to discover herself; in an interesting nod to the first book, Queen Marie, the MC actually ponders why she’s become Cordelia and decides that its to help her take that first step into her own adventure. While she’d been constrained before by her parents expectations for her to marry well and be a docile, quiet wife, Cordelia grows a great deal throughout the story in courage, experience, and wisdom. One thing I found especially touching is how much she believes in those around her, finding it easy to bolster and encourage those she travels with, but she needs to find that same confidence for herself.

There are three companions in this book, and they all help Cordelia with her character growth and are well written characters in their own right. Mary Read is your first mate, and throughout the story she struggles with depression. Cordelia helps support her and encourage her, in a way that I personally found very realistic and touching, and Read’s character arc was honestly one that I wasn’t expecting. I thought she was just going to be the dependable guide who’d help teach you about sailing, but getting to see her work together with Cordelia and see them both grow from that relationship was amazing.

Your ships navigator is Keats, and he’s a scholar who wants to get some practical experience so he’ll be recognized for his skill. I will admit that I have a weak spot for scientists, and his design is fantastic. But he did not disappoint; I found it delightful how his discoveries move the story forward, and how much joy he takes in them. His relationship with Cordelia was also fantastic, as she grows to understand that under his posturing is a deep insecurity, and he grows to trust her and let himself simply exist with her without unrealistic expectations.

Finally you have Charles Vane, your pirate rival. After he attacks your ship and you fight him off there’s an electric relationship between the characters, and their dialogue perfectly reflects their battle of wits and wills. You’re introduced to Vane as the worst of the worst in the pirate world, but gradually come to see his core values of loyalty to those he cares about, and you both make sacrifices for each other and aid each other during the story. Also he calls you “Lady Nemesis,” which I found amazing.

As for side characters you have a whole ship crew and various merchants that you interact with. The standouts here include your grandmother, remembered through flashbacks, who still has a strong character and a legacy left behind. My favourite part about her was how they handled the “reveal” that she was the Pirate Queen of old. Cordelia doesn’t seem too shocked about it, and its clear that this is because before that title she was her grandmother, and that loving relationship matters more than anything else. Flashbacks can be a hard sell for me, since they can really slow the story down, but I thought the use of them here was well done and appropriate.

The surprising side character for me was Governor Hamilton. He originally seems like just a mentor figure who sends you on missions, but getting to know him throughout the story reveals so much more background and he truly becomes a grandfather figure. His past is compelling and his character truly reflects his wisdom and maturity.

One aspect of this story that really surprised me was how much pirating was actually allowed. Some DUTP books have a bad habit of punishing you for taking opportunities to fight or cheat your way through problems, but no such thing happens here. I got to live my wild pirate dreams and I loved every moment of it.

The riddles and prophecies throughout the book were also very well done. The sea is a mystical fantasy world, and you encounter krakens and mermaids and hurricanes, and each thing is as awe inspiring and terrifying as it should be. Most of the backgrounds for this book were set on your ship, which I really enjoyed seeing as it really helped with that feeling of being out of the ordinary and exploring the unknown.

Finally, the ending: I hesitate to discuss it because I really think that discovering it yourself is an unforgettable experience, so feel free to come back to the next paragraph after you’ve had a chance to play through this book yourself. I don’t think it will destroy the experience but it’s hard to describe just how meaningful it is without having played it.

The Abyssal Lantern is the object of legend that gave your grandmother her legendary Pirate Queen powers, and throughout the book you find various map pieces that lead you to it. The map pieces also had a beautiful riddle, and the solution to it was very clever and lead to one of my favourite album art pieces I’ve ever seen. And then they did something very brave: they let the Abyssal Lantern be about the journey. In the story you’ve already done many things attributed to the Pirate Queen, so upon finding that the lantern is fairly ordinary Cordelia realizes that she’s made herself into a legend. The lantern doesn’t give her power, but it has the power of legends because she herself holds it. I find this to be the perfect way to avoid invalidating all the struggles and trials she’d gone through before by giving her a magical power up, and a nice twist on the Abyssal Lantern legend that fits well with all the clues leading up to it. In another story it might have felt like a cop out but here it was a relief, because Cordelia has everything she needs to succeed by just being herself.

In summary The Perfect Storm really is the perfect book. Everything I wanted in a pirate book and more, it surpassed my expectations and gave me a satisfying and well crafted story with beloved characters, engaging twists, and gorgeous art and outfits. I highly recommend playing it as soon as possible.