Title: Raptor’s Revenge
Author: Jim Malloy
Publisher: XlibrisUS
ISBN: 978-1664197596
Pages: 574
Genre: Literature & Fiction/Genre Fiction
Reviewed by: Anthony Avina

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When we think of strong emotions, the first things we often think about are feelings like love, happiness, sadness, loss. These emotions tend to come up in our lives far more often than not. Yet one emotion and one driving point in people’s lives that brings all of these emotions into the forefront is that of revenge. The feeling and the need to have revenge stems from some fundamental wrongdoing against us, whether it is the loss of a loved one or a public humiliation of some sort. The path of revenge is often dark and dangerous, yet humanity is naturally drawn to this feeling in times of great emotion. As William Shakespeare once said, “If you prick us do we not bleed? If you tickle us do we not laugh? If you poison us do we not die? And if you wrong us shall we not revenge?”

In author Jim Malloy’s Raptor’s Revenge, the author explores revenge through the eyes of a young boy turned man named Jamey. After returning home to find his family murdered, the boy vows to have his revenge and sets off on a quest to find his family’s killers, with only a ring left behind by one of the killers. A decade of adventure on the high seas as a privateer turns Jamey into “El Raptor,” who preys upon Spanish ships. Sailing to Jamaica to find his family’s killers once and for all, the young man find’s love, is captured by the inquisition, and soon comes face to face with the killer, leading to a duel a decade in the making.

The author did a marvelous job of layering this historical fiction and genre fiction narrative with intrigue and tension, paying close attention to details as the shifting time periods and the evolution of Jamey as a character showed the hardships and struggles one’s psyche goes through when facing such a grand loss as he had, especially at such a young age. Although much grander and more focused in this narrative, young children witnessing their families being slaughtered was nothing new to the era this narrative was written in, as violence was a constant struggle during that period of time. Yet the narrative the author told really did an amazing job of focusing in on the cycle of violence that revenge often perpetuates, as the “villains” of the narrative often leave behind their own innocents, while the “heroes” often become future villains in another’s own story.

This is the perfect read for those who enjoy a well-balanced narrative which features elements of historical fiction, genre fiction, and classic tales of revenge. With the story featuring heavily into the era of pirates and high-seas adventures and clashes with the Spanish crown, the balance of action with personal growth in the characters was very well developed. Jamey in particular, who expressed the shock and pain of the sudden loss of his entire family, evolved and grew from a shell-shocked child to a hardened privateer and eventually much more.

Shocking, engaging, and rich in culture and history, author Jim Malloy’s Raptor’s Revenge is a must-read genre fiction narrative that boarders on a swashbuckling adventure of vengeance. A blend of The Count of Monte Cristo meets the tales of legendary pirate Blackbeard, the narrative was such entertaining and kept the reader on the edge of their seat throughout its entirety, and with a cliffhanger ending that left room for more stories to be told, this is one novel readers won’t want to miss.