Pirates of the Caribbean: The Price of Freedom

Last updated

Pirates of the Caribbean:
The Price of Freedom
Crispin - Pirates of the Caribbean - The Price of Freedom Coverart.png
Author Ann C. Crispin
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Genre Adventure novel
Publisher Disney Editions
Publication date
May 2011
Media typePrint (hardback and paperback)
Pages672
ISBN 1-4231-0704-7

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Price of Freedom is a 2011 adventure novel written by Ann C. Crispin. The book details the adventures of Captain Jack Sparrow as a young man after the events of Pirates of the Caribbean: Jack Sparrow and before the events of Pirates of the Caribbean: Legends of the Brethren Court . This is the final novel written by Crispin, who died in September 2013.

Contents

Plot

Twenty-five-year-old Jack Sparrow is a clean-cut merchant seaman pursuing a legitimate career as a first mate for the East India Trading Company. He sometimes thinks back to his boyhood pirating days, but he doesn't miss Teague's scrutiny or the constant threat of the noose. Besides, he doesn't have much choice – he broke the Code when he freed a friend who had been accused of rogue piracy, and he can no longer show his face in Shipwreck Cove.

When Jack's ship is attacked by pirates and his captain dies in the altercation, he suddenly finds himself in command. The wily sailor's skillful negotiations with the pirate captain—who turns out to be a woman from his past—result in a favorable outcome that puts Jack in line for an official promotion.

After making port in Africa, Jack is summoned by Cutler Beckett, who makes him captain of a ship called the Wicked Wench . Beckett gives Jack an assignment. He has heard a legend about a magical island named Zerzura whose labyrinthine bowels are said to contain a glorious treasure. Beckett suspects that one of his house slaves, a girl named Ayisha, is from Zerzura. He asks Jack to take her along on his voyage and seduce her into divulging the island's whereabouts. In payment for his services, Beckett promises Jack a share of the treasure.

But this task isn't as easy as Jack initially believes. Before she agrees to reveal the location of her home, Ayisha insists that Jack take her to the New World to rescue her brother, who has been sold into slavery in the Bahamas. Their voyage is long and arduous, and as they weather a vicious storm and a surprise attack from an old pirate foe, Jack grows to respect and admire Ayisha's bravery. He knows that Beckett intends to enslave her people after robbing them of their treasure, and Jack's moral compass revolts at the idea. It might be possible to deliver Ayisha safely to Zerzura, obtain some of the treasure, and convince Beckett that he never found it... but the greedy E.I.T.C. official has eyes everywhere, and if he learns that Jack has foiled his plans, he could take away the thing that Captain Sparrow loves most: his ship—and his freedom.

Characters

Ships

Background

When an editor working for Disney was seeking an author to write a novel dealing with the backstory of Captain Jack Sparrow, a major character from the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, they contacted A.C. Crispin's agent and contracted her to write the book after reading The Han Solo Trilogy , which focused on Han Solo's backstory. [1] According to Crispin herself, it took her three years to write and she did a lot of research on the historical period and the nautical stuff. She was also given the script for At World's End before the film released, but the book was finished before the script for On Stranger Tides was written. [2] [3] The instructions for Crispin in writing The Price of Freedom were to "stick to historical fact, unless it conflicts with established Pirates of the Caribbean continuity." Crispin made a faithful effort to do this, having done plenty of research, with Under the Black Flag by David Cordingly being one of the four pirate-related books she found herself using the most consistently. [4] When releasing the fifth excerpt of her book, Crispin spoke of how she was privileged to write the scene where Han first beheld—and fell for—the Millennium Falcon in The Han Solo Trilogy. She assured fans it was every bit as thrilling to write the scene with Jack Sparrow and the Wicked Wench . [5] The Price of Freedom was published on May 17, 2011.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parable of the Pearl</span> Biblical story

The Parable of the Pearl is one of the parables of Jesus Christ. It appears in Matthew 13 and illustrates the great value of the Kingdom of Heaven.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pirates of the Caribbean (attraction)</span> Dark ride at Disney theme parks

Pirates of the Caribbean is a dark ride at Disneyland, Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom, Tokyo Disneyland, Disneyland Park at Disneyland Paris, and Shanghai Disneyland.

<i>Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl</i> 2003 fantasy film directed by Gore Verbinski

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl is a 2003 American fantasy swashbuckler film directed by Gore Verbinski. Produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and distributed by Walt Disney Pictures, the film is based on Walt Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean attraction at Disney theme parks and is the first film in the Pirates of the Caribbean film series. The film stars Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush, Orlando Bloom, and Keira Knightley. The story follows pirate Captain Jack Sparrow (Depp) and blacksmith Will Turner (Bloom) as they rescue the kidnapped Elizabeth Swann (Knightley) from the crew of the Black Pearl, captained by Hector Barbossa (Rush). Barbossa's crew attempts to retrieve the final pieces of a hoard of Aztec gold to break the curse laid on them when they stole it.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack Sparrow</span> Main character of the Pirates of the Caribbean film series

Captain Jack Sparrow is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the Pirates of the Caribbean film series and franchise. An early iteration of Sparrow was created by screenwriters Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio, but the final version of the character was created by actor Johnny Depp, who also portrayed him.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hector Barbossa</span> Fictional character in the Pirates of the Caribbean film series

Captain Hector Barbossa is a fictional character of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, appearing in all five films in the series. Starting out as a villainous undead skeleton in The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003), Barbossa dies at the end of the film. However, the character is revealed to have been resurrected and brought back from the dead by Tia Dalma by the end of Dead Man's Chest, and has since appeared in anti-heroic roles. Captain Hector Barbossa was one of the nine Pirate Lords in At World's End (2007), a privateer in service to King George II and the British Navy while also seeking revenge against Blackbeard in On Stranger Tides (2011), as well as a rich rogue and influential leader of a prosperous pirate empire and fleet in Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017). Throughout the series, Barbossa has been conceptualized as a "dark trickster" and the evil counterpart of Captain Jack Sparrow.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Will Turner</span> Fictional character in the Pirates of the Caribbean film series

William Turner Jr. is a fictional character in the Pirates of the Caribbean films. He appears in The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003), Dead Man's Chest (2006), At World's End (2007), and Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017). He is portrayed by Orlando Bloom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elizabeth Swann</span> Fictional character, Pirates of the Caribbean film series

Elizabeth Turner is a fictional character in the Pirates of the Caribbean film series. She appears in The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) and three of its sequels, Dead Man's Chest (2006), At World's End (2007) and Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017). She is portrayed by Keira Knightley. She is known to use the alias "Elizabeth Turner", but this later becomes her married name when she weds Will Turner in At World's End, though she was credited as "Elizabeth Swann" in Dead Men Tell No Tales.

<i>Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Mans Chest</i> 2006 fantasy film directed by Gore Verbinski

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest is a 2006 American fantasy swashbuckler film directed by Gore Verbinski, written by Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio, and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer. The sequel to Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003), it is the second installment in the Pirates of the Caribbean film series. Set one year after the events of The Curse of the Black Pearl, the film recounts Captain Jack Sparrow owing a debt to Davy Jones, the ghastly captain of the Flying Dutchman, and being marked for death and pursued by the Kraken. Meanwhile, the wedding of Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann is interrupted by Lord Cutler Beckett, who wants Turner to acquire Jack's magic compass in a bid to find the Dead Man's Chest.

<i>Pirates of the Caribbean: At Worlds End</i> 2007 film by Gore Verbinski

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End is a 2007 American epic fantasy swashbuckler film directed by Gore Verbinski. The film is produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and written by Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio. The sequel to Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006), it is the third installment in the Pirates of the Caribbean film series. Set a few months after Dead Man's Chest, the story follows a desperate quest to locate and rescue Captain Jack Sparrow, trapped on a sea of sand in Davy Jones' Locker, and convene the Brethren Court in a war against the East India Trading Company. In an uneasy alliance, Will Turner, Elizabeth Swann, Hector Barbossa, and the crew of the Black Pearl rescue Jack and prepare to fight Lord Cutler Beckett, who controls Davy Jones and the Flying Dutchman.

Ann Carol Crispin was an American science-fiction writer and the author of 23 published novels. She wrote several Star Trek and Star Wars novelizations; she also created an original science fiction series called StarBridge.

Davy Jones (<i>Pirates of the Caribbean</i> character) Character in the Pirates of the Caribbean film series

Davy Jones is a fictional character in the Pirates of the Caribbean film series based upon the legendary character of the same name. He is portrayed through motion capture by Bill Nighy and voiced by Nighy and Robin Atkin Downes. He is first mentioned in the film The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) and appears as the main antagonist of Dead Man's Chest (2006) and the secondary antagonist of At World's End (2007).

<i>Black Pearl</i> Fictional ship in the Pirates of the Caribbean film series

The Black Pearl is a fictional ship in the Pirates of the Caribbean film series. In the screenplay, the ship is easily recognized by her distinctive black hull and sails. Captained by Captain Jack Sparrow, the Black Pearl is said to be "nigh uncatchable". In the first three films, she either overtakes or flees all other ships, including both the Interceptor, which is regarded as the fastest ship in the Caribbean, and the Flying Dutchman, which is faster than the wind. Her speed is derived from several factors such as the large number of sails she carries and being partly supernatural. As stated in Dead Man's Chest and At World's End, the Black Pearl is "the only ship that can outrun the Dutchman" and this is evidenced in the maelstrom battle between the two ships in the movies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joshamee Gibbs</span> Fictional character in Pirates of the Caribbean

Joshamee Gibbs is a fictional character in the Pirates of the Caribbean film series. Gibbs was originally portrayed by Kevin R. McNally. Alongside Jack Sparrow and Hector Barbossa, Gibbs is one of the few characters to appear in every film.

<i>Pirates of the Caribbean: At Worlds End</i> (video game) 2007 video game

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End is an action-adventure video game based on the Pirates of the Caribbean films Dead Man's Chest and At World's End, published by Buena Vista Games for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC, PSP, Nintendo DS, and the Wii.

<i>Pirates of the Caribbean: Soundtrack Treasures Collection</i> 2007 compilation album by Klaus Badelt / Hans Zimmer

Pirates of the Caribbean: Soundtrack Treasures Collection is a collection of soundtrack albums from Walt Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy along with some exclusive extra features including several suites of never-before-released music and a bonus DVD containing videos from behind the scenes, making of the music and interviews with composer Hans Zimmer. The set was released on December 4, 2007.

<i>Pirates of the Caribbean: Legends of the Brethren Court</i>

Pirates of the Caribbean: Legends of the Brethren Court is a series of children's novels by Tui T. Sutherland writing under the shared pseudonym of Rob Kidd. They detail the adventures of Captain Jack Sparrow as a young man after the events of the Pirates of the Caribbean: Jack Sparrow series and Pirates of the Caribbean: The Price of Freedom. The events in the books take place thirteen years before the film Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl.

<i>Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides</i> 2011 film by Rob Marshall

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides is a 2011 American fantasy swashbuckler film directed by Rob Marshall. It is the first film in the series not to be directed by Gore Verbinski. Produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and written by Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio, the film is suggested by the 1987 novel On Stranger Tides by Tim Powers as a standalone sequel to At World's End (2007) and the fourth installment in the Pirates of the Caribbean film series. The film stars Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush, and Kevin R. McNally, who reprise their roles from the previous films, alongside Penélope Cruz, Ian McShane, Sam Claflin and Àstrid Bergès-Frisbey. The story follows the eccentric pirate Captain Jack Sparrow (Depp) forced into a shaky alliance with Angelica (Cruz), a mysterious woman from his past, as they embark on a quest for the Fountain of Youth. Jack is forced aboard the Queen Anne's Revenge, contends with the infamous pirate Blackbeard (McShane), and enters an uneasy alliance with rival Hector Barbossa (Rush).

Lego Pirates of the Caribbean is a discontinued Lego theme that is based on the film series of the same name. It is licensed from Walt Disney Pictures and Jerry Bruckheimer Films. There are nine known sets. The first wave was released in May 2011 with the second wave coming out in November 2011. In November 2010, it was officially announced by Lego that the video game Lego Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game was in production. It was released on May 10, 2011, in North America. The series acts as a thematic replacement for the popular Lego Pirates theme, featuring many of the same elements. Most of the sets are similar to the Lego Pirates theme. The theme was first introduced in 2011 and discontinued in 2017.

References

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.