Showing posts with label Justin Somper. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Justin Somper. Show all posts

Sunday, 8 June 2025

PIRATE ACADEMY. SWORD ECHOES

Written by  Justin Somper

                            

The 3 main characters feature cover centre. Authors name on top in blue. Pirate Academy is beneath in bold gold letters. Sword echoes appears in cerise in a gold banner along the bottom. A knot ended gold rope goes around the edges, with a LoTP figurehead masks in top left & right corners. In the bottom half there is a storm tossed sea scape, with two ships facing each other. One is LoTP the other from the Academy. In the page centre the Sword of Echoes shines amidst blue/white flamelike wisps.
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An Adventure Book Review by Erin the Literary Cat©, International Book Reviewer.

Hello, and welcome to my latest Book Review featuring this week a Adventure in Middle Grade Fiction.

Without further ado, and with my trusty housekeeper, Mrs H, casting off what looks like her knitting rather than the bow and stern ropes – though her cable knit sweater has been known to look similar, let's set sail on another awesome adventure….


The 3 main characters feature cover centre. Authors name on top in blue. Pirate Academy is beneath in bold gold letters. Sword echoes appears in cerise in a gold banner along the bottom. A knot ended gold rope goes around the edges, with a LoTP figurehead masks in top left & right corners. In the bottom half there is a storm tossed sea scape, with two ships facing each other. One is LoTP the other from the Academy. In the page centre the Sword of Echoes shines amidst blue/white flamelike wisps.



AUTHOR:  Justin Somper

 

Illustrations by:  TEO SKAFFA

 

Published by:  UCLan Publishing

 

Publication date Paperback:  30 May 2025 – OUT NOW!

 

Paperback 13 digit ISBN:  978-1916 747 579


UK Cover price for Paperback:  £7.99


Amazon KINDLE price:  3.99

 

Pages: 293

 

Age range: 8+  



 

SPOILER ALERT


Yes, as to books 1 & 2 and some as to plot direction and characters in book 3.

 

 

Thank you to... 


We are exceedingly grateful to publicist, Graeme Williams, and UCLan Publishers for offering us a chance to Read & Review this story. 


As ever, our views are our own, and we only share reviews of books we have bought, received as gifts, or received in exchange for an impartial review.


First and foremost, the books we review are those we select to read, like, and feel our global readers deserve to know about and that we hope they, their family, friends and students will enjoy.



The plot

Book three of this future set ocean-going adventure finds our three heroes each set sail on a separate course. Jacoby is still at the pirate academy, and is horrified, along with fellow Barracuda Class members, when one of their favourite teachers defects to the League of True Pirates aka LoTP. They are intent on bringing back the old ways with a thirst for adventure and violence, and it stuns the kids to the core, leaving them wondering who amongst the teachers will be next to defect. Worse, when Jacoby finds a document file in the cabin of the defected teacher, he fears Ocean, Jasmine’s friend at the academy, will be targeted by LoTP to defect and thus under suspicion and untrustworthy.

Meantime, Neo Splice is on a mission with Captain December Wilde and her pet boar, Pickle. He is following a trail left by his late mother and hopes it will lead to an amazing treasure. Where it does lead eventually is to another pirate academy. In the wall safe of the headmaster Neo finds his mother’s gift to him, a falcata sword. But not just any sword as Neo later finds out when he returns home. This is the Sword of Echoes, and he is a Sword Reader. The sword holds memories of his family and allows Neo to see these echoes, memories of his family line. But the reason he can see them is that he has the power to do so. It is a very rare gift. The memories reveal Neo as the one his family has been waiting for. The power to change the tide of events unfolding around about him. How and when, he has yet to discover. But as the sword is one of three that belonged to his kin, there is a lot more adventure in the pipeline. And he is ready to wield his sword and new talent to find out. But the reader will glean others are interested in the sword, too!

Jasmine has a map, and this one leads to a different sort of treasure. Given by a fellow student who supposedly defected to LoTP but actually is under cover, it will lead Jasmine to the location of her father who she desperately wishes to see again. What Jasmine discovers is that he is undercover for the Pirate Federation to discover LoTP’s plans. The latest plan is called Operation Kraken, and involves amazing new and deadly pirate ships. Jasmine’s mother however remains a high ranking and dedicated LoTP follower and will stop at nothing to overthrow the Federation.

Jacoby and Jasmine go off on a reconnaissance mission at the LoTP boat building yard where the new pirate ships are being built and the first is just about to be launched. With them is a teacher and Cheng Li, a senior student. But things go badly off course, and all thanks to Jacoby whose cocky attitude ends up getting Cheng and himself signed up as members of LoTP!
Complications aplenty ensue as the Pirate Federation launches a deadly bombardment of the ship and yard. As to the outcome, which is far from what even we expected, you will just have to set sail with the Pirate Academy.


So, what did we think?

Pirating for the future age, with academies for the kids of the world’s most famous and notorious pirating families. In some school adventures we have clear definitions as to who is good and bad from the outset, Harry Potter is the obvious example. Here though the author has let the tale and circumstances create and also change the divisions and loyalties as we read along with our three primary protagonists, Jasmine, Jacoby, and Neo.

Initially in the series the characters are competing with their classmates to show who is best, to find their place and to show them, and us, their strengths, and weaknesses. But quickly this changes, and as outside influences from the adult world of pirate politics comes into play so the lives of all the students at the school change.

It is a smart move, provides realism, and creates an amazing seat of the pants ride through stormy waters of life, relationships, choices, and priorities. None of which are easy for any eleven-year-old.

This adventure series has been building from the off. Books one and two brought together our cast and then sowed the seeds for tearing them apart by the end of book two. In book three, we see each of the three find something they have sought, be it family, memories, belonging and truth. But it doesn’t stop there and brings fresh challenges also. They have, as all kids must, found within themselves greater confidence. In some cases, they are also discovering to not be overly confident, to temper wild enthusiasm and arrogance. That is a big ask for Jacoby.

The sea can be tempestuous, deadly, and yet also calm. This is mirrored brilliantly in the ever-changing imperatives and foundations of the protagonist’s lives. We see very real adult peril for them as a storm of change starts to rip apart not only their world at pirate school but also their friends and family. The current order is being challenged by the old, and arguably more dangerous and deadly bad side of pirates. A side that had in the story been long since banished when the Pirate Federation had been created by the major pirate families across the globe.

LoTP provides the perfect baddie vibe. The big dangerous organisation that contains both good, those fighting it from within and without, and the bad, those bent on the power and treasure it promises.

It would be easy for this to become a heavy read, and in fact most adults will see many parallels through human history past and present. But it is far from weighed down by this. It is a hearty kids adventure, with growing hints of magic, as well as more than a little but well-placed humour along the way. I can’t help but think of this as Mission Impossible meets Pirates of the Caribbean, done kids style.

By the end of book three we were rooting for all our team as they tackle both personal and far wider matters. But this isn’t the end of the adventure, far from it. The author has left the characters poised to remain, for the time being at least, on their own distinct paths of growing up and discovery. Which means to us that there will be a meeting of the way sometime soon with an explosive ending. At least that is what we are hoping for.

So . . . . Crunch time.

An excellent, entertaining, inclusive, swashbuckling adventure that even adults can be excused for joining in with. The perfect series read, or stand-alone read thanks to the marvellous summary of the adventure thus far.

The 3 main characters feature cover centre. Authors name on top in blue. Pirate Academy is beneath in bold gold letters. Sword echoes appears in cerise in a gold banner along the bottom. A knot ended gold rope goes around the edges, with a LoTP figurehead masks in top left & right corners. In the bottom half there is a storm tossed sea scape, with two ships facing each other. One is LoTP the other from the Academy. In the page centre the Sword of Echoes shines amidst blue/white flamelike wisps.


Want to buy a copy?

To get a copy, please sail or saunter down to your local independent bookshop. No particular dress code is needed, but please do remember to leave cutlasses and boars at home!


Justin Somper's Vampirates web page can be found HERE or type this: https://www.vampirates.co.uk/captain-somper/justin-somper/


UCLan Publishing's web page can be found HERE or type this: https://uclanpublishing.com/


Teo Skaffa's author page web page can be found HERE or type this: https://www.simonandschuster.co.uk/authors/Teo-Skaffa/179183401 


Erin sits on an indented cushion pad on her sofa. She is staring out of an unseen window. She has a right profile shot that is half way to being a front on as part of her left eye and ear are also visible.

For those that just want a selfie on a Sunday, here's one of me posing in a bit of a crater. Let me assure you that this was neither left by Me or Mrs H. Ol' Ned the gardener had been in for a cup of tea and sat here and his weight caused a lasting impression. It was however rather warm, and thankfully compost free, so I jumped up to settle down for a new nap. 


We are joining the Sunday Selfies, hosted by the wonderful Kitties Blue and their mum, Janet Blue, from the Cat on My Head blog in America. CLICK THIS LINK to vist their site and to get the code to add to your own blog . . . 


Small image. The Cat on My Head Sunday Selfies Blog Hop badge. Features a yellow-haired lady with a tuxedo cat on her head.

 

I hope you enjoyed that adventure. 

Till laters!

ERin



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Sunday, 16 March 2025

PIRATE ACADEMY. MISSING AT SEA

Written by JUSTIN SOMPER.  

                            

                                                    Small book cover. Pirate Academy is in gold leaf at the top of the cover with the author noted above in pale blue. Missing at Sea is picked out in red on a gold banner at the bottom of the page, with 3 sharks snapping at the cast above. Bottles containing clues for the characters to solve during the adventure hang from ropes, one in each corner. Neo and Jacoby hold a rope apiece and stand either side of Jasmine who is front and centre of the cover steering the school ship's wheel. The broiling waves and sky are in varying shades of matt blue. The cast are wearing their class colours and life preservers. A small image of a bigger vessel with sails in tatters is seen just below the wheel.


An Adventure Book Review by Erin the Literary Cat©, International Book Reviewer.


Hello, and welcome to my latest book review featuring his week, a High Seas Pirate Adventure in Middle-Grade Fiction.


Without further ado, and with my trusty housekeeper, Mrs H, weighing the anchor in at 2kg and looking strangely like an old iron, let's make sail for a second-in-series review . . .


Large book cover. Pirate Academy is in gold leaf at the top of the cover with the author noted above in pale blue. Missing at Sea is picked out in red on a gold banner at the bottom of the page, with 3 sharks snapping at the cast above. Bottles containing clues for the characters to solve during the adventure hang from ropes, one in each corner. Neo and Jacoby hold a rope apiece and stand either side of Jasmine who is front and centre of the cover steering the school ship's wheel. The broiling waves and sky are in varying shades of matt blue. The cast are wearing their class colours and life preservers. A small image of a bigger vessel with sails in tatters is seen just below the wheel.



 

AUTHOR:  Justin Somper

 

Illustrations by:  TEO SKAFFA

 

Published by:  UCLan Publishing

 

Publication date Paperback:  1 July 2024

 

Paperback 13 digit ISBN:  978-1916 747 036


UK Cover price for Paperback:  £7.99


Amazon KINDLE price:  N/A

 

Pages: 238

 

Age range: 8+  


Any dogs or cats? Alas, no. But steal yourself for some pretty nasty encounters. 

 

 

SPOILER ALERT


Yes, as to book one and this book's plot direction and characters.

 

 

Thank you to... 


We are exceedingly grateful to Graeme and UCLan Publishers for offering us a chance to read not one but two of these BRAND NEW adventures for our Read & Review. As our own book is a pirate adventure, we just had to say yes. We haven't been disappointed.


As ever, our views are our own, and we only share reviews of books we have bought, received as gifts, or received in exchange for an impartial review.

First and foremost, the books we review are those we select to read, like, and feel our global readers deserve to know about and that we hope they, their family, friends and students will enjoy.


 

The plot


To get up to speed on book one, 'Pirate Academy New Kid on Deck', please CLICK THIS LINK. There is a short summary of book one in the front of book two.


The story opens with Neo Splice, one of our key characters, desperately trying to conceal himself from those who have moments before murdered his mother. Thankfully, this is a nightmare, but the actual event took place not so long ago, and Neo narrowly escaped with his life. 


As the day progresses, we find the fifteen year five students of Barracuda Class eagerly speculating on who will be the five captains chosen to lead the Oceans Bound (OB) weekend. It is a test unique to year five students where they are, for the first time, let loose on the sea proper for forty-eight hours alone in a school boat. During that time, they must complete several tasks, escalating in difficulty.


 In reality, of course, they are not totally alone. The school's pirate teachers and some of the senior students lay the puzzles and monitor the five teams of three as they go about the tasks. It is not just a race to the end prize, though that is part of it. No, they will be judged on how they act together as individual crews and as a set of five teams. As pirates, they are expected to uphold certain standards and camaraderie no matter what happens.


Jacoby Blunt and Jasmine Peacock, both highly adept students, are keen to be captains. Jacoby, more so, as he feels he has done enough work and is skilled enough. Jasmine is hopeful but not cocksure like Jacoby. Neo, our third lead character, is seemingly not concerned or hopeful. He is, after all, the new kid on deck.


When the five captains are announced to tumultuous applause from the whole school, it is Jasmine who gets the captaincy out of the three. Jacoby is huffy, to say the least, and won't talk to his mates.


The captains have to pick two students to be their crew. Now, this causes some issues, as Jasmine chooses Neo and Jacoby, who are, unknown to others, brothers. Neo attempts to turn down Jasmine's request as he wants to leave the academy due to a welling up of fear when afloat. Jacoby is just plain stubborn. Despite not being picked by another of the captains, his spite drives him to hold out to the point that Jasmine is about to offer the chance to another. 


But, showing her true friendship, she gets Neo help with his ails. In so doing, he signs up for the OB challenge. Jacoby eventually comes around when he realises he's been an ass. 


But just when things seem set, Jasmine is called to the Commodore's office. Here she receives terrible news: her uncle, a senior member of the League of True Pirates (LOT P), has escaped from a high-security prison and may be after her. As a result, she has to consider pulling out from OB. 


She decides not to, but there will be risks. Hopefully, the extra security laid on will be enough . . . 


As the tasks get underway, we find Jasmine, Neo and Jacoby working well; the first task is complete, and the crews are buoyant. But things, like the ocean and the weather, take a turn for the worse. And my, how quickly they change. 


When LOT P agents attack and tie up the senior students that set the tasks and leave each team individually tailored clues, they take over the OB adventure. 

Our three protagonists now enter into far deadlier challenges, facing almost certain death on land and at sea. 


The outcome, well, that would be telling where the buried treasure is now, wouldn't it. . . .



So, what did we think, with spoilers.


So much was crammed into the pages, and the pace hardly slowed. Even the book cover is epic; vibrant action-filled, and a bit scary, with tasty hints as to what's inside. 


It was lovely to see a swing in emphasis so Jasmine becomes the centre of this adventure, ably abetted and hindered in equal measure by Neo and Jacoby.

Friendship runs deep in this tale, family more so. The relevance of that, the reader discovers nearer the end. 


Given the school setting, it was hard not to think of aspects of Harry Potter with this story, spiders and challenges, but it definitely isn't. Is this a kid's version of Top Gun? Nah, that's not working for me; there is far more substance and grit and sand to this. 


What did come to mind, well, Mrs H's convoluted mind, was that this was like an episode of Star Trek. Lots of action and interaction between lead characters, diversity, and an adventure each week that's sure to excite. LOT P would absolutely be the Klingons and Romulans of old. 


'Sea Pirates, the Next Generation' would work well. Eoin Colfer summed this up brilliantly when he described this series as "Pirates done right".


We were most definitely pleased and caught napping with the ending, which sees some characters split off on another course, whilst others have to deal with the shocking revelations of this adventure. 


So . . . .

Crunch time. 


An admirable (rather than admiral) action-packed sequel with a huge presence and literary magic on every page. Compulsive reading with delightful twists, epic escapes and everything worthy of a Dreamworks or Pixar adventure. We can't recommend this enough. 


Want to buy a copy?


To get a copy of tnis not-so-buried treasure, please set course to your local bookshop. There are plenty out there (book shops and not pirates), and each shop is just waiting to serve you whatever kind of mystery, fun and adventure you desire.


Justin Somper's Vampirates web page can be found HERE or type this: https://www.vampirates.co.uk/captain-somper/justin-somper/


UCLan Publishing's web page can be found HERE or type this: https://uclanpublishing.com/


Teo Skaffa's author page web page can be found HERE or type this: https://www.simonandschuster.co.uk/authors/Teo-Skaffa/179183401 


Small book cover. Pirate Academy is in gold leaf at the top of the cover with the author noted above in pale blue. Missing at Sea is picked out in red on a gold banner at the bottom of the page, with 3 sharks snapping at the cast above. Bottles containing clues for the characters to solve during the adventure hang from ropes, one in each corner. Neo and Jacoby hold a rope apiece and stand either side of Jasmine who is front and centre of the cover steering the school ship's wheel. The broiling waves and sky are in varying shades of matt blue. The cast are wearing their class colours and life preservers. A small image of a bigger vessel with sails in tatters is seen just below the wheel.

I hope you enjoyed that adventure. Head to the nearest tavern, and treat yourselves to a hearty flagon of rum! 



And for those wishing a selfie, here it is. But this week it's not of me. 


This is Caramel, a lovely stray 7yr old guy, who has been a regular guest visitor to our parish, and inside my and our neighbours homes. He is friendly, and quite content to just lounge around and watch the household activity whilst getting some petting. He has always been very polite to female cats, never sprays indoors, and is an able food and duvet tester. 


To ensure continuity of care in the coming years, Mrs H and our neighbours directed him to the Redgate Farm Animal Sanctuary. There, he has had the snip and his teeth sorted as well as loads of fuss and attention. After a false start, he now awaits a forever home. Mrs H and our neighbours visit him regularly and spend time giving extra fuss and attention. He has one of the deepest, rumbling purrs we have heard. 


And, we want to give a HUGE shout out to The PA from the Bionic Basil Blog, who, on learning about Caramel, put together an awesome goody bag for not only him, but his room mate, Thomas. There were ball toys, soft toys, a gorgeous flower wand toy, cat nip cushions, as well as a very special blanket. 


Anyone who knows The PA at the blog will know she doesn't stint on her her goody bags. Thomas and Caramel got stuck right in to the nip and Mrs H spent ages retrieving the bags when they batted them off their respective resting places. 


We'll share a picture of Thomas next time.


Caramel the cat, keen to enjoy some quiet family lap time, and some nip.

Whatever you are doing, please have a wonderful cat filled week.


We are joining the Sunday Selfies, hosted by the wonderful Kitties Blue and their mum, Janet Blue, from the Cat on My Head blog in America. Click this sentence to visit Janet Blue's site.


Small image. The Cat on My Head Sunday Selfies Blog Hop badge. Features a yellow-haired lady with a tuxedo cat on her head.

 



Till laters!

ERin


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