Shiver me timbers
Pieces of eight review
Production Company – Bearcycle Production Co.
Rating – 
As I have said in previous reviews, the world of fan fiction is a tricky road to travel. By its very nature, it is a genre open to anyone, of any writing ability and for the most part, fellow fans will guzzle it up with gusto. This is both a blessing and a curse. The sheer amount of literature spawned by some IP’s means quality can be very patchy indeed.
This time though we are trading dark futures and fantasy realms of previous outings for the high seas of the Indian Ocean in the age of sail. You know, as you can probably guess from the podcast title.
So what’s it about?
Set in the world of Skull & Bones, a game by Ubisoft. This story follows the deeds and misdeeds of pirate captain Rajiv Rhys Davies from his early life as an orphan onwards to running his own ship.
There are tales of treachery and camaraderie in this richly furnished, yet dangerous world. There is never a dull moment as things can explode into violence at a moment’s notice, either two enemies facing off in a tavern, to two ships bristling with cannon broadsiding each other in shark infested waters.
This is a show that has derring-do and buckles swashed to the satisfaction of everybody except the most jaded children who definitely did grow up
Is it any good?
This is a production that seems to have spared no expense. The voice acting is very good, albeit slightly clichéd and “Jim Lad”. Despite the voices, the characters are well written and diverse enough to not feel like “Pirate henchman #1” etc.
The sound design is awesome. You really feel like you’re in the middle of the story, amongst all the sights and smells. This is a skill that an awful lot of shows try, and fail, to achieve.
The story is told, partly as a narration, partly as a dramatisation. During the narrated sections, there is the scratchy sound of a quill on parchment. I understand that this is to portray the recording of some kind of journal (or captain’s log), but it gets very annoying very quickly. This is something that I think harks back to the story’s origins as a computer game. Likewise with the soundtrack. It’s all very game-like. Whether this is a deal breaker or not, I can’t say. For fans of more traditional audiodrama though, it may be something of a turn off.
Final thoughts
This isn’t the first pirate podcast I’ve reviewed, but it is the first pirate audiodrama. Despite the minor flaws, this is a great story. I look forward to getting through all the episodes (provided I can make myself ignore that damn scratching!)
Maybe I’m softening to the idea of fan fiction in my old age. Who knows?
You can get Pieces Of Eight here:
For more great reviews, I recommend GreatPods