The Accidental Pirates: Voyage to Magical North

Treading a well-worn path this fun and warm-hearted adventure does not disappoint.  There are pirates, magicians, adventurers, abandoned children, librarians and even a baby dragon – all you could possibly want in a story…

Found abandoned in a boat and wearing a necklace of starshell, a substance magicians require to make magic, Brine Seaborne is brought to live with a magician and his irritating apprentice, Peter.  Some years later the children take to the seas to avoid being sold by the magician but they are picked up by intrepid captain Cassie and the crew of legendary pirate ship, the Onion.    So begins their adventures to outwit Cassie’s nemesis, the dastardly magician Marfak West and to find the magical north that nobody is quite sure exists.  They soon find Marfak West masquerading as the great-grandson of famous adventurer Aldebran Boswell and manage to imprison him in the Onion.  Brine is sure he is plotting something but Peter begins to fall under the magician’s spell with the promise of learning some proper magic.  The Onion is following in Boswell’s own footsteps noted in his books as he is the only person who might have found magical north. They visit the library island for more information where all the books of the world are looked after by the book sisters. No males are allowed into the library but Brine soon spots an anomaly; Tom girl who shows her around the library is actually a boy.  Tom is rumbled and joins the crew of the Onion and they set sail on their quest. But it is not long before Marfak West escapes and starts to control everything with magic.

There is much here for young readers to enjoy.  There is almost too much going on at times as the plot moves along at breakneck speed.  Plenty of humour and witty dialogue along with the gently eccentric but not too exaggerated characters give the story life and energy.  I loved the ship’s cook Trudi who serves up gourmet meals made from seagulls, fish and whatever else is to hand which all backfire and taste terrible.  Both the adults and the children learn a lot about themselves from working together and encouraging each other to find their true selves.  The whole novel is just as much about the power of storytelling and imagination to transform one as about a piratical adventure.  Each chapter is prefaced with a pertinent quote from an important historical tome and Marfak West’s ultimate desire is to rewrite history by destroying all the books and turning himself from villain to hero.  The satisfying conclusion leaves room for more adventures.