...If you enjoy James Bond style tales, you will love this one.
Actually, it made me think that this is what Bond would be like if he had a steady girlfriend, supernatural gifts and had to deal with witches, ghosts and ghouls...(Downey) really knows how to develop some evil, yet entertaining, characters...I highly, highly recommend this novel. -- Reader Views here to add text.
Click here to add text.
...It’s spy versus spy in the alleys of old Macao...
Rick and Ricki’s banter resembles The Thin Man’s Nick and Nora, and they run their operation with the cool of a Casino Royale James Bond...Downey’s book is epic pulp, blending fantasy, magical realism, intrigue and mystery…there’s much to engage and delight readers as this duo and their band sleuth toward the dark truth behind Madame Lai. A light-hearted, heroic hash of genres. -- Kirkus Discoveriesd text.
Imaginative, original, and deftly written by a master storyteller…a riveting read from beginning to end.
Lai Choi San was an infamous female pirate marauding through the waters of the China Sea in the 1920s and 1930s. Then she suddenly disappeared, with no one knowing what ever happened to her. A decade later someone calling herself Lai captured a Chinese nationalist yacht carrying six million in gold, plus an encoded microfilm that British intelligences believe contains a top-secret Mao file. That's why British agent Loo Tao-hua and American ex-sailor Rick Reilly (both of whom have paranormal powers) are assigned to locate this re-emergent and horrific female pirate who may or may not be something supernatural herself! Imaginative, original, and deftly written by a master storyteller, "Pirate Queen: The Curse" is a riveting read from beginning to end. -- Midwest Book Review
Downey brings us a story of intrigue...action is fast paced and full of hazards for the heroes...
When you think there is nothing more than can happen, it does. Pirate Queen: The Curse is a draw for paranormal readers as well as drama/suspense readers. Mixing the two is an intoxicating cocktail. – Bitten By Books
Downey’s vibrant characters, tension-ridden plot, and chilling scenes create drama on the high seas. The banter between Rick and Ricki is entertaining and the action, memorable. The book has plenty of fantasy, action, and mystery.
…Pirate Queen is well worth the read, but it is by no means lighthearted reading. The coarse tale requires a strong stomach and a huge imagination. --Historical Novels Review Online
This supernatural thriller will appeal to a wide range of readers, combining the elements of a ghost story with historical fiction. It is a mystery at its heart.
Downey has done the background work to ensure that the tale is told with accurate detail to the history of Asia and the outlandish pirate Lai Choi San. Downey's use of detailed description will engross the reader, bringing him right into the story to fight alongside Reilly and Loo to its surprising conclusion. -- Laura Miller Edwards, The US Review of Books
The novel is a page-turning, rapid-fire read perfect for the beach or a summer hammock…
A good, old-fashioned pirate adventure is what’s promised by the title and cover of “Pirate Queen: The Curse.” That’s what the novel delivers, except you can exclude the “old-fashioned” part. Instead of the pre-modern setting of most pirate adventures, “Pirate Queen” takes its adventure into the post World War II era…Add to that a touch of science fiction/horror drawn with a tip of the lid to George Romero, and you have a pulpsational milieu for a likeable cast of characters that never let anything detract from their sense of duty…The continuing adventures of the para-powered duo and friends should develop a ready following among those with a taste for great action-adventure. – Bruce Haring, DIY Convention
The writing is sophisticated and sparkles with this author's passion for telling a thrilling tale...
The cast of characters, both the heroes and the villains, are, individually and collectively, certainly strong enough to carry this narrative, which prompts the reader's interest in wanting to know what will happen next; a most exciting thriller. - Writer's Digest
A novel that takes over as you read it, occupying your daydreams, forcing its claws into your brain and beckoning you to read on…
R. Allen Downey once again reminds his readers what an unexpected bombshell a book can turn out to be. In Pirate Queen: The Curse Downey uses all kinds of "goodies" such as pirates, British M16 secret agents possessing telekinetic powers, Jewish ghosts or dybbuks, a ghastly torture chamber used at the time of the Spanish Inquisition, ghouls, and voodoo curses…After reading Pirate Queen: The Curse you will have to concur that this is a superior and well-crafted piece of fiction with a great deal of imagination, vibrant characters, plenty of tension and more than enough of ghoulish scenes. --Norm Goldman, Publisher & Editor Bookpleasures
R. Allen Downey garners book awards for novel Pirate Queen: The Curse
Reader Views 2008 Literary Awards – Winner, Global/Asia category
Reader Views reviews more than 2,000 books per year from budding authors who have
Reader Views reviews more than 2,000 books per year from budding authors who have
worked hard to achieve their dream of being published, and the Annual Literary Awards
recognize the very best of these up-and-coming authors, all talented writers who have
very promising writing careers ahead of them.
2009 Hollywood Book Festival Awards – Honorable Mention, Wildcard category
The Hollywood Book Festival is an annual program celebrating books that deserve greater recognition from the film, television, game and multimedia communities. Based in the capital of show business, the program aims to spotlight literature worthy of further consideration by the talent-hungry pipeline of the entertainment industry.
The Hollywood Book Festival is an annual program celebrating books that deserve greater recognition from the film, television, game and multimedia communities. Based in the capital of show business, the program aims to spotlight literature worthy of further consideration by the talent-hungry pipeline of the entertainment industry.
Also, Downey’s first book, Kwatee, was awarded an Honorable Mention, Genre-based category.
2009 Eric Hoffer Awards – Finalist, Commercial Fiction category
The Eric Hoffer Award was established as a means of opening a door to writing of
The Eric Hoffer Award was established as a means of opening a door to writing of
significant merit. It honors the memory of the great American philosopher Eric Hoffer
by highlighting salient writing, as well as the independent spirit of small publishers.
2009 Next Generation Indie Book Awards – Finalist, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller category
The Next Generation Indie Book Awards is one of the largest independently run,
The Next Generation Indie Book Awards is one of the largest independently run,
not-for-profit, awards program honoring the most exceptional independently published
books in 70 different categories.
2010 International Book Awards– Finalist, Thriller/Adventure category
Winners and finalists were announced in over 140 categories covering print
Winners and finalists were announced in over 140 categories covering print
and audio books. Jeff Keen, President and CEO of JPX Media, said this year’s contest
yielded a large number of entries, which were then narrowed down to over 300 winners
and finalists.
Also, Downey’s first book, Kwatee, was awarded Finalist, Mystery/Suspense category.
2009 San Francisco Book Festival Awards – Honorable Mention, Wildcard category
The San Francisco Book Festival is an annual program celebrating the best books of the Spring season.
2009 New York Book Festival Awards – Honorable Mention, Wildcard category
The New York Book Festival is an annual program celebrating books that deserve greater recognition in the world’s publishing capital.
The New York Book Festival is an annual program celebrating books that deserve greater recognition in the world’s publishing capital.
2009 Beach Book Festival (New York) Awards – Runner-up, General Fiction category
The Beach Book Festival is an annual program honoring books for general excellence and spotlighting the hottest reads of the upcoming summer season.
The Beach Book Festival is an annual program honoring books for general excellence and spotlighting the hottest reads of the upcoming summer season.
2008 DIY Book Festival Awards – Honorable Mention, Fiction/Genre-based category
The DIY Book Festival is an annual program celebrating the success of independent authors and publishers.
The DIY Book Festival is an annual program celebrating the success of independent authors and publishers.
Welcome!
Thanks for taking the time to explore my website. I hope it gives you a more detailed description about my second novel, Pirate Queen: The Curse, as well as some information about me. I also hope you get as much enjoyment from this sequel to Kwatee as I did writing it.
If you have any questions or wish to pass on comments or feedback, contact the author at skyfyre6@hotmail.com.
For info on Downey's first novel Kwatee, click on the icon below. ixinfo ont.
