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Pirates of Orea #1
Pieces of Jade
Sentenced to death by the man she loves . . .
Jade has no control over her future. She is the Emmía, the girl whose magical blood keeps her kingdom’s cursed soil fertile and ensures the survival of her people. But her destiny is ruined when pirates take her magical medallion, the loss of which is treasonous, and the prince she loves is honor-bound to sentence her to death.
Forced to flee to the pirate she hates . . .
Jade escapes from prison, but her sister is captured and will die in her place unless Jade returns with the medallion still on the pirates’ ship. In disguise, she joins the pirate crew where she finds herself drawn to the first officer, William, and his claims of the crown’s hidden brutality in the kingdom. But when Jade learns the fate of every Emmía before her, she is finally forced to choose her own destiny: die a martyr or live a rebel.
Jade has no control over her future. She is the Emmía, the girl whose magical blood keeps her kingdom’s cursed soil fertile and ensures the survival of her people. But her destiny is ruined when pirates take her magical medallion, the loss of which is treasonous, and the prince she loves is honor-bound to sentence her to death.
Forced to flee to the pirate she hates . . .
Jade escapes from prison, but her sister is captured and will die in her place unless Jade returns with the medallion still on the pirates’ ship. In disguise, she joins the pirate crew where she finds herself drawn to the first officer, William, and his claims of the crown’s hidden brutality in the kingdom. But when Jade learns the fate of every Emmía before her, she is finally forced to choose her own destiny: die a martyr or live a rebel.
313 pages, ebook
First published December 23, 2012
About the author
Lani Woodland
20 books417 followersI became an avid reader in elementary school, when I first discovered the Babysitters Club and Sweet Valley Twins series. In sixth grade, I began writing plays and recruiting (with force when necessary) my friends to act them out. Most of these early works were inspired by She-Ra, the epitome of girl power to my young self.
I have a hard time enjoying any book without at least a little romance in it. I live in Southern California with my husband, our two children and a large collection of board games. I have worked as a spot-welder, babysitter, janitor, photographer, gymnastics coach, and movie extra. I enjoy bonfires at the beach, hole-in-the-wall restaurants, speed talking, chocolate as a cure-all, and the word "precisely."
I'm the author of Breaking Pointe, Stronger, THE YARA SILVA TRILOGY, including: Intrinsical, Indelible, and Inevitable, and Out of Bounds, the third book in the Pom Pom Periodicals series. With Erica Cameron I'm the co-author of the Laguna Tides series, starting with Taken By Chance. I also co-wrote the pirate adventure Pieces of Jade, books one and two of The Pom Pom Periodicals (That’s The Spirit, Give Me A C) and two short stories in Enchanted: Love Stories of the Paranormal with Melonie Piper.
I have a hard time enjoying any book without at least a little romance in it. I live in Southern California with my husband, our two children and a large collection of board games. I have worked as a spot-welder, babysitter, janitor, photographer, gymnastics coach, and movie extra. I enjoy bonfires at the beach, hole-in-the-wall restaurants, speed talking, chocolate as a cure-all, and the word "precisely."
I'm the author of Breaking Pointe, Stronger, THE YARA SILVA TRILOGY, including: Intrinsical, Indelible, and Inevitable, and Out of Bounds, the third book in the Pom Pom Periodicals series. With Erica Cameron I'm the co-author of the Laguna Tides series, starting with Taken By Chance. I also co-wrote the pirate adventure Pieces of Jade, books one and two of The Pom Pom Periodicals (That’s The Spirit, Give Me A C) and two short stories in Enchanted: Love Stories of the Paranormal with Melonie Piper.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
September 20, 2017
Pieces of Jade is a YA fantasy whose main character is Jade, a teenage girl protagonist with (of course) special magical powers and (of course) more than one guy who loves her. (The Dreaded Love Triangle hasn't quite appeared in this first volume, but it sure looks like it's coming.)
The setting is a magical fantasy world is an interesting one with some unique aspects that I haven't seen before. Jade, because of the magic that - literally - runs in her blood, has been co-opted by the royal family, and she's regularly required to do some bloodletting to bless the kingdom's otherwise cursed soil into fertility. She's also engaged, not terribly happily, to the royal heir.
But things go off the rails when pirates steal a valuable magical medallion entrusted to her. Jade is imprisoned and sentenced to death (by her fiance!), but she escapes from prison and takes off to try to steal the medallion back from the pirates. To add to the pressure on Jade, she finds out that the royal family will kill her sister instead unless Jade is able to bring back the medallion.
Jade joins the pirate crew, where she begins to hear stories about the royal family's secret cruelties. And there's a hot pirate first officer ...
The world-building was a little confusing: the story begins in medias res, or after some key events had already happened (Wait. What? She's engaged to one prince but in love with his brother? On the first page?). You kind of figure it out as you go along, but personally I found it a little frustrating. I'm big on context in my reading.
Still, it was an enjoyable read if you like this genre. Overall I found it well written, especially for a self-published book, though not perfect; there are occasional misspelling and grammar errors.
Other things you should know if you're considering reading Pieces of Jade:
1. It's the beginning of a series. It doesn't end on a cliff-hanger but the larger conflicts are not resolved. Although this first book was published back in 2012, as of 2017 the sequel(s) still haven't been published.
2. The romance is squeaky clean, there are several disturbing scenes that include blood-letting, detailed whippings, murder and torture. I wouldn't recommend this for younger or more sensitive readers. If you were okay with the The Hunger Games trilogy I think you'll be okay with this book.
The setting is a magical fantasy world is an interesting one with some unique aspects that I haven't seen before. Jade, because of the magic that - literally - runs in her blood, has been co-opted by the royal family, and she's regularly required to do some bloodletting to bless the kingdom's otherwise cursed soil into fertility. She's also engaged, not terribly happily, to the royal heir.
But things go off the rails when pirates steal a valuable magical medallion entrusted to her. Jade is imprisoned and sentenced to death (by her fiance!), but she escapes from prison and takes off to try to steal the medallion back from the pirates. To add to the pressure on Jade, she finds out that the royal family will kill her sister instead unless Jade is able to bring back the medallion.
Jade joins the pirate crew, where she begins to hear stories about the royal family's secret cruelties. And there's a hot pirate first officer ...
The world-building was a little confusing: the story begins in medias res, or after some key events had already happened (Wait. What? She's engaged to one prince but in love with his brother? On the first page?). You kind of figure it out as you go along, but personally I found it a little frustrating. I'm big on context in my reading.
Still, it was an enjoyable read if you like this genre. Overall I found it well written, especially for a self-published book, though not perfect; there are occasional misspelling and grammar errors.
Other things you should know if you're considering reading Pieces of Jade:
1. It's the beginning of a series. It doesn't end on a cliff-hanger but the larger conflicts are not resolved. Although this first book was published back in 2012, as of 2017 the sequel(s) still haven't been published.
2. The romance is squeaky clean, there are several disturbing scenes that include blood-letting, detailed whippings, murder and torture. I wouldn't recommend this for younger or more sensitive readers. If you were okay with the The Hunger Games trilogy I think you'll be okay with this book.
February 5, 2014
I had the privilege of being a reader for this book, and I absolutely loved it. If you like my books, I'm sure you'll love this one, as they're both packed full of action, romance, and magic. Highly recommended!
December 31, 2013
I LOVED this book. Loved. It really does have everything. Action, romance, adventure, mystery... I completely fell in love with the characters and can't WAIT for the second book! Great blend of pacing, world-building, voice, and tension. Woodland and Piper know how to craft a tale.
February 7, 2017
Loved. Loved loved loved. I LOVED this book. Everything about it. I was fully investid in it from the first page. Everything was perfect, exciting and magical. Got to the end. Cliffhanger. The ending set up the book to have an amazing sequel. Then found out... there is no sequel. I wanted to take a star off for that.. but its just too good ❤
January 14, 2014
What an awesome blend of magic, mystery, action, and smoldering pirates! Jade is one awesome protagonist! She's smart, strong and very determined. And I love that about her. William has definately made my Bookboyfriend list for the year. *swoon*
Proper review to come!
Proper review to come!
January 6, 2014
Amber Gest-Troyer...thanks for recommending this book! I can't say enough about it! The magic, the mystery, and oh the love. I can't wait for the second book to find out what path Jade's life will take. Hurry and give us the story Lani!
June 12, 2020
So, I liked this one. I thought it was a fun High Fantasy type story and I enjoyed the world building and look forward to continuing the series. I admit, I was expecting a bit more in the romance department, Overall, it was a fun escape and one I would recommend to fans of the genre.
Content
Romance: Clean
Violence: Mild
Similar Books You May Enjoy...
Content
Romance: Clean
Violence: Mild
Similar Books You May Enjoy...
October 2, 2015
WOW This was truly amazing!
I couldn't have read a more perfect pirate book than this one!
Even though most of the time I was just like:
AND
At some point at the end this happens:
It was truly an exciting magical adventure that has wrecked me and set my expectations for the next book I read so high; that I believe I won't be able to read anything for a while:
I couldn't have read a more perfect pirate book than this one!
Even though most of the time I was just like:
AND
At some point at the end this happens:
It was truly an exciting magical adventure that has wrecked me and set my expectations for the next book I read so high; that I believe I won't be able to read anything for a while:
December 26, 2013
My friend recommended this book to me when she was only half-way through it, like she literally called me up and told me to buy the book now so we could read it together. It's like Graceling and Howl’s Moving Castle and Dragonfly all combined- I loved all of those books, and, therefore, I loved Pieces of Jade!
The magic is really cool. As in, I totally want to live ther. Not quite Harry Potter, but still cool. And Jade is such an awesome character. She’s so firey and really works to get what she wants. I really liked her internal struggle. Anyways, it's a really cute adventure story of. Really adventurous. Yeah, the more I think about it, it really is like The Princess Bride because there’s even pirates.
This book is great for all ages. There’s nothing inappropriate about it, so yeah, 6th graders could even read it. But I’m an adult and I thought it was fantastic. So it should appeal to all ages.
So I definitely recommend this book!
The magic is really cool. As in, I totally want to live ther. Not quite Harry Potter, but still cool. And Jade is such an awesome character. She’s so firey and really works to get what she wants. I really liked her internal struggle. Anyways, it's a really cute adventure story of. Really adventurous. Yeah, the more I think about it, it really is like The Princess Bride because there’s even pirates.
This book is great for all ages. There’s nothing inappropriate about it, so yeah, 6th graders could even read it. But I’m an adult and I thought it was fantastic. So it should appeal to all ages.
So I definitely recommend this book!
December 27, 2013
For fans of The Girl of Fire and Thorns or Pirates of the Caribbean, this story will take you on a magical adventure that will leave you begging for more.
This book was so much fun to read! After just one chapter, I was hooked. I don’t normally read a lot of ebooks, but I’m so glad I stumbled across this one. It’s such a bargain at that price and beats out other fantasy books I see on the shelves at the bookstore. Pirates AND magic—it doesn't get better than that! A fast, gripping story that was instantly a page-turner, and such a quick read that I finished it all in almost one sitting. I know it's a book I'll be reading several times again in the years to come. If you're a fan of young adult fantasy adventures, I strongly recommend this one. I’ll be thinking about it for weeks to come.
This book was so much fun to read! After just one chapter, I was hooked. I don’t normally read a lot of ebooks, but I’m so glad I stumbled across this one. It’s such a bargain at that price and beats out other fantasy books I see on the shelves at the bookstore. Pirates AND magic—it doesn't get better than that! A fast, gripping story that was instantly a page-turner, and such a quick read that I finished it all in almost one sitting. I know it's a book I'll be reading several times again in the years to come. If you're a fan of young adult fantasy adventures, I strongly recommend this one. I’ll be thinking about it for weeks to come.
January 4, 2014
It has been a while since I gave a book 5 stars, but this one definitely deserves them! I loved the story, William, the characters, William, the relationships, William, the action and romance. Did I mention William? :-) He is my new favorite book hero! Quite often when I read a book I will think of things I would have changed, but not this one. I was reading into the wee hours of the morning because I couldn't put it down. I hope the wait for the next book isn't too long.
June 12, 2016
Wow I loved this story about swashbuckling pirates and amazing magical powers. Such a great combination and amazing adventure. So many twists and turns and surprising events. The ending was sweet, but the adventure isn't over yet and so I went looking for the next book and sadly there is no sign of it. LANI WOODLAND WHY!!!!!!! I so want to see what happens next. It just can't end this way. Please write the next book! I am dying to see what happens!!!!
July 22, 2019
If only beating fictional characters was possible. Oh the joy I would feel!
This book is single-handedly responsible for the creation of a lot of my undesirable tags! At least it was good for something!
December 26, 2013
This was a fun and emotion-filled adventure! The story hooked me right away, and I loved the world--the magic in particular fascinated me. I enjoyed most of the characters, too, though I wanted just a little more from a few of them because I liked them so much. Really worth a read-- I loved it!
January 10, 2014
This book is brilliant. I couldn't tear myself from it. I could not sleep be reaching the conclusion. This riveting tale had me hooked (no pun intended) from beginning to end. I want to give it more stars.
December 9, 2015
Loved it so much omg, character development ftw
January 12, 2014
Pieces of Jade by Lani Woodland and Melonie Piper is the fantastic story of Jade, the Emmía, whose blood is sacred to her kingdom. Her blood is what keeps the soil fertile and the kingdom thriving. She feels honored to server her kingdom, though she knows she will die young in child birth due to her frequent blood sacrifices and not having a strong constitution.
When a mistake and series of circumstances end with Jade losing her medallion and having to throw her lot in with pirates, she feels like all is lost. Little does she know, she is right where she should be. This story has excitement and adventure. I loved all the different elements brought together. The Emmía possesses her own strong magic, just waiting to be unbound. There are witches, pirates, and those who would stop at nothing to have the Emmía and control her power.
Pieces of Jade is the first in the Pirates of Orea series and I truly cannot wait to read the next one. This is the book I chose as my first book to start reading in 2014. I am so happy I did. It delivered exactly what I was hoping: magic, adventure and love.
Source: I purchased this book from Amazon on my own.
When a mistake and series of circumstances end with Jade losing her medallion and having to throw her lot in with pirates, she feels like all is lost. Little does she know, she is right where she should be. This story has excitement and adventure. I loved all the different elements brought together. The Emmía possesses her own strong magic, just waiting to be unbound. There are witches, pirates, and those who would stop at nothing to have the Emmía and control her power.
Pieces of Jade is the first in the Pirates of Orea series and I truly cannot wait to read the next one. This is the book I chose as my first book to start reading in 2014. I am so happy I did. It delivered exactly what I was hoping: magic, adventure and love.
Source: I purchased this book from Amazon on my own.
January 19, 2014
Loved this one. Romance, intrigue, and my favorite...Pirates!
June 12, 2020
I like to read reviews before I get a book to see if anyone mentions bad language or sexual content - I don't read stories that have those in them. One of the reviewers mentioned a few sexual innuendos mentioned, but nothing explicit, so I gave it a try, and I'm glad I did. Yeah, the innuendos weren't necessary, but one of them was between a husband and wife, so I thought it was fine. Nothing was more than a sentence, here and gone.
This is the story of a people who have a gift, and Jade is one of them. Jade is the Emmari in her land, but where she is living now isn't where she is from. Every two hundred years a new Emmari is born, the daughter of an Emmari. The Emmari is able to heal the soil and make things grow through her blood, so twice a week Jade goes through the pain of giving up her blood so others can live.
Jade loves a prince, James, just not the right prince, August, her betrothed. James hates the idea that Jade is going to marry August so he decides that they will run off together. As soon as they leave the protective barrier they are overtaken by pirates - you see, Jade wears a medallion that is supposed to be a reminder to keep the laws of her land. If she breaks any one of three codes her medallion will fall off and she will die. The pirates want her medallion, and the only way to get it is to make her break one of those codes.
Not everything is as it appears in this story. Those she thought were good aren't, and those she thought evil, aren't. She just has to figure that out.
Overall this is a clean read. There are two or three innuendos but other than that it is bad language free and sexual content free.
This is the story of a people who have a gift, and Jade is one of them. Jade is the Emmari in her land, but where she is living now isn't where she is from. Every two hundred years a new Emmari is born, the daughter of an Emmari. The Emmari is able to heal the soil and make things grow through her blood, so twice a week Jade goes through the pain of giving up her blood so others can live.
Jade loves a prince, James, just not the right prince, August, her betrothed. James hates the idea that Jade is going to marry August so he decides that they will run off together. As soon as they leave the protective barrier they are overtaken by pirates - you see, Jade wears a medallion that is supposed to be a reminder to keep the laws of her land. If she breaks any one of three codes her medallion will fall off and she will die. The pirates want her medallion, and the only way to get it is to make her break one of those codes.
Not everything is as it appears in this story. Those she thought were good aren't, and those she thought evil, aren't. She just has to figure that out.
Overall this is a clean read. There are two or three innuendos but other than that it is bad language free and sexual content free.
January 9, 2018
Loved this nice surprise. Bought it in 2013 so about time I read it. But where is the sequel?!
Jade was a fun character. At first she seems weak and maybe clueless but she’s strong and fearless as she embarks on a new adventure with pirates and disguises and daring rescues. I really liked the pirate men Clayton and William. It’ll be interesting to see if the love interest changes later on.
Jade was a fun character. At first she seems weak and maybe clueless but she’s strong and fearless as she embarks on a new adventure with pirates and disguises and daring rescues. I really liked the pirate men Clayton and William. It’ll be interesting to see if the love interest changes later on.
May 7, 2017
Fun read. Very disappointing that there isn't a sequel.
January 12, 2018
Very good tale. The characterization had a few weak spots, but I thoroughly enjoyed it nonetheless, and am very eager to get my hands on the sequel.
June 9, 2022
It's such a pleasure to read again.
This was so beautifully written and the characters do be cute. Would love to read the rest of the series.
This was so beautifully written and the characters do be cute. Would love to read the rest of the series.
April 15, 2016
This book could have had real potential. However, what ruined it for me was the characters. They're not nessesarily dislikeable characters, but I felt like they could have been built up so much more. I couldn't feel any chemistry between them, especially William and Jade, and I just didn't understand where their romance came from... And the love triangle didn't add anything to it for me. But I have to admit, the story itself was pretty enjoyable.
August 13, 2016
If you love adventure, mystery a bit of romance and of course pirates then this book is perfect for you! Filled with twists and turns and the element of surprise throughout, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and was honestly sad when I finished it. Fingers crossed there's more to come but I 100% recommend this book
December 26, 2013
The story was very well written and the characters are great. Though the story is unique, it reminded me a lot of THE PRINCESS BRIDE. Or even HOWL’S MOVING CASTLE with pirates. But it was definitely a unique fantasy with a strong female protagonist. I can’t wait for the next book!!
December 28, 2013
I LOVED THIS BOOK!!!! It was so good that I couldn’t put it down. There were so many amazing characters, but I have to say that William is by far my favorite and I’m so excited to see what happens next.
December 28, 2013
This book had a little bit of everything in it romance, swashbuckling, pirates and magic! I loved it. I liked the mythology of the magic. I also really enjoyed all of the characters. I'm already looking forward to the next book!
May 10, 2014
This isn't my favorite pirate book. The adventure was good, the violence and blood letting a little disturbing, the romance just didn't connect for me. A good book but just didn't keep my attention.
June 26, 2014
3,5 stars.i couldnt put it down until I finished. however, i couldnt really feel the love between jade and william. I feel they were lacking spark they seem more like friens that inlove. I care more about clay than william,clay was more interesting. overall a nice read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews