Written by JUSTIN SOMPER.
An Adventure Book Review by Erin the Literary Cat©, International Book Reviewer.
Hello, and welcome to my latest Book Review featuring this week a High Seas, High Stakes Adventure in Middle Grade Fiction.
Without further ado, and with my trusty housekeeper, Mrs H, unfurling the sails and heading to the galley, let’s leave port for a first-series review. . .
AUTHOR: Justin Somper
Illustrations by: TEO SKAFFA
Published by: UCLan Publishing
Publication date Paperback: 7 March 2024
Paperback ISBN: 978-1915 235 886
UK Cover price for Paperback: £7.99
Amazon KINDLE price: £3.99
Pages: 210
Age range: 8+
Any dogs or cats? Alas, no. But some manta rays make an appearance
SPOILER ALERT
Some as to 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
Welcome to the year 2507. The earth's waters have risen, continents have changed, and as a result, a new age of piracy on the high seas has come about. The many oceans are ruled by pirate families under the rules of The Pirate Federation. These are more than just guidelines.
The various pirate families have a reputation to uphold. Standards need to be set and maintained for their dominance and security. And where better to begin than with their own children?
Sending them off to a pirate school is precisely why we readers find ourselves at the Pirate Academy, Coral Sea Province. Run by some of the most fearsome and talented pirates, we meet our key protagonists, Jasmine Peacock and Jacoby Blunt, two of the fifteen students who form the Barracuda Class (ages 11-12).
Pirating is a serious and tiring business, so the younger students start daily with a 5K run. Sailing, knot-tying, and combat lessons are just part of a typical day's education.
Like every school, the academy holds a special evening for each year class, a parent evening. For the Barracudas, it is Captain's Evening, and the fifteen ships of their parents gather 10km from land and race each other into the harbour.
It is at this scene we join our protagonists as they wait to see which of their parents will have the kudos of arriving first. But Jasmine's parent's ship is nowhere to be seen, causing her much worry. More so as she's been having nightmares of some tragedy befalling their vessel.
As for Jacoby, he has been failing in his lessons and cruising along. So much so that despite being a highly skilled student, he could be kicked out of school! A threat the academy's Head Captain, Commodore Kuo, and Jacoby's father have a sword fight over in Kuo's study!
When one of the close-knit Barracuda class, Wing, is whisked away in the night by his mother, muttering to Jacoby that these are dangerous times and they must be careful, the essential adventure of this tale really kicks in.
As the last of the pirate ships leaves the harbour that evening, an eleven-year-old boy, who has been spying on the harbour from a lowly craft, makes his way to shore to take his place amidst Barracuda Class. The boy fears what has been chasing him and hopes that he has found anonymity and safety under the assumed name of Neo Splice. But the dark forces of evil have his location...
When Neo is introduced as Jacoby's new roommate, Jacoby is peeved, to say the least. He feels Neo is the cause of his old roommate's departure and makes it very clear Neo isn't welcome, to the point that he sabotages Neo's sword-fighting sparring practice.
As the acrimony quickly grows, so does the peril. The forces tracking Neo come ashore and trash his and Jacoby's room. Their black calling card indicates the masked intruders are from LOT P, aka League of True Pirates. They are after something Neo has of theirs. These insurgents believe in nothing but the old pirate ways. Live fast, die by the sword and to hell with the rules. They mean to do away with the Pirate Federation and destroy the families within, by whatever fell means. Killing kids is not beneath them.
I can't tell you much more save to say that another incursion by LOT P takes place, but this time, the Barracuda students are to hand. But this escalates the story to a whole swashbuckling high, right up the mainmast, and soon, the staff and older students are battling to save their school, friends, and even their families. Canon will be fired, and swords swung. But traitors abound, and LOT P has grown, so they are everywhere, even in the academy itself. But who???
So, what did we think?
We both fell in love with this as soon as we set foot aboard. This series has received many plaudits, and every one is deserved, so far as we can see. It comes from a well-respected UK author noted for an impressive 'Vampirates' kids series.
There is very little lag between starting this book and being knee-deep in briny-based adventure. There are plenty of names to get to grip with, both students and teachers, but this was OK, and soon passed as we became absorbed in the actual happenings. There was a hint of comedy about this, though I'm not entirely sure it was intentional. This could be because this straddles/borders a mainly adult genre that has so very recently been dominated by a particular small bird with a huge, flamboyant character. Thankfully, and I do mean that, this does not go down a 'crazy' path.
We actually read this in a day and were thoroughly entertained. Such was the pleasure that we picked up the sequel and made a start on that, too. Which we will review ASAP.
All in all, this bettered our expectations and whetted our appetite for future books in the series. You can't really say better or expect more.
So . . . .
Crunch time.
This tale achieves in one book what Potter took seven to do. It is full of zest, camaraderie, action, and adventure from the moment we set sail. A healthy mix of classic and modern pirate movies done for middle-grade readers. Less of the Depp and more of the Flynn with a hint, at least for us, of the Swallows and Amazons.
Want to buy a copy?
To get a copy, please sail or saunter down to your local independent bookshop. Of course, a feline on the shoulders is optional. There are plenty out there (both book shops and cats), 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
I hope you enjoyed that adventure. Head to safe waters and treat yourselves to a hearty flagon of grog! Next up will be book two in this series, entitled Pirate Academy, Missing at Sea
Time for a snoozy selfie!
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.
Till Laters!
ERin
