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Pirates of Darksea

Book Synopsis

From the award-winning author of The Storm Keeper’s Island, set sail on Catherine Doyle’s latest perilous adventure to the magical islands of Darksea

Deep in the heart of the Atlantic Ocean, where the full moon rests on the horizon, lies a secret kingdom called Darksea. Ruled by the Pirate King, Captain O’Malley, Darksea’s tranquil waters have, of late, been haunted by an invisible and deadly monster – a monster that is eating the once-beautiful islands in gigantic bites. On the other side of the horizon, at his home in Galway, Max Reid and his family are battling a different monster. His big brother Christopher is in hospital and getting sicker – and his parents have begun to talk of miracles. Then one night a loud, bright red parrot taps on Max’s bedroom window, carrying an invitation from the pirate king. Captain O’Malley needs a new crew member for a dangerous quest; and the reward is everything Max has been hoping for. But in Darksea, not everyone is as they seem. When Captain O’Malley’s secret threatens to upend their mission and destroy Max’s chance to help his family, Max realises he’s going to have to navigate much more than he bargained for…

Our Review Panel says...

Ahoy there! From the author of the The Storm Keeper’s Island Trilogy, comes a brilliant new adventure story full of magic, pirates, courage and a talking parrot!

From the moment you open the book and see the map, it will have you hook, line and sinker. Max and his older brother, Christopher, used to dream of visiting the secret kingdom of Darksea, which is on the other side of the horizon, and sailing on the Stolen Sunrise with a pirate king who once killed a Kraken and then ate it for dinner. This is where stardust falls from the sky and enchants whatever it touches, including the ship. Or it used to. Now, it dissolves as soon as it hits the ocean and Darksea cannot survive without it. Something needed to be done.

One night, a letter arrives from Captain O Malley, who needs an unlikely hero but with Christopher now gravely ill in hospital, Max takes up an offer he can’t refuse to search for a magical miracle that might just save his brother’s life. When we mention pirates, we think of enemies, traitors and thieves. Not on Captain O Malley’s ship. This exhilarating, action-packed story will have you wanting to grab your pirate hat and hop aboard the Stolen Sunrise to join landlubber Max and his new sidekick Ruby and share in his quest to save Darksea from the terrifying threat that lurks in its waters. And to ensure that once more everyone will share in the magic of stardust-including his brother.

Full of beautiful descriptions throughout, this story will propel children into a world of swashbuckling fantasy and lend itself to fantastic writing opportunities in the classroom.