Max looks up to his big brother Christopher, so when he tells him of a pirate captain from a magical world called Darksea, Max believes him.
They’ve waited to catch a glimpse of the ship on the horizon many nights, but only one of them is finally called to sail upon it.
A landlubber is required by the Captain of the Stolen Sunrise for a very special task and Max is suddenly in the world his big brother told stories of. Darksea is made up of vast oceans sailed by many ships among dozens of islands, all held in the hands of magic.
The magic is fading though. Where it was once plentiful, it now seems to be swallowed by the sea wherever it falls – useless to those who need it to survive. Max is surprised at being in this new strange world, but is keen to find a little of this fabled magic. He needs it to take home to Christopher, lying sick in hospital.
What begins with a quest to save Christopher turns into a mission to save all of Darksea, his new pirate friends, and a sarcastic, rude but always funny parrot named Squawk.
Max must face up to an evil pirate that is gobbling up chunks of Darksea, an island at a time. There are Darksea myths to learn and understand including the strange creatures that live there. Something has grown in the depths of the Darksea ocean, and has now risen to wreak havoc on them all.
With Christopher always in his thoughts, Max faces one challenge at a time to reach his goal of saving his big brother. He surprises everyone, but himself most of all as he vanquishes his true fears.
I loved this author’s surprising The Lost Girl King.
Pirates of Darksea whilst completely different, is just as brilliant!
A pirate ship and a giant wave that takes you to a new dimension. A little brother taking his sick older brother’s task upon his shoulders.
Facing up to a cranky captain, missing magic, monsters and zombie pirates! What a winning combination!
There are no boring bits in this magical, rollicking, roaring ride of a tale on a pirate ship in another dimension. Sibling love is a double thread woven through the story amongst the danger, and courageous actions of main character Max and his new best friend. A talking, sarcastic, rude and clever parrot is hilarious in the mix, making me laugh out loud often.
Tension rises steadily as Max’s mission becomes clear all the while knowing he is also desperately needed somewhere else. Max is someone to root for as he endears himself to Darksea inhabitants by doing the best he can by them. His growing relationship with the parrot reminded me of Long John Silver and a teen Jim Hawkins in the movie Treasure Planet (A personal favourite).
Author – Catherine Doyle
Age – 8+
(2024, Bloomsbury, Action, Adventure, Courage, Family, Fantasy, Humour, Love, Magic, Revenge, Pirates, Brothers, Sick brother, Hospitalised, Pirate Ships, Cutlass, Danger, Bravery, Ocean, Battle, Sword fighting, Sharks, Mermaids)