Cindy Vallar's Blog - Posts Tagged "pirate"

The Golden Age of Piracy: The Truth Behind Pirate Myths by Benerson Little

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


A pirate with an eye patch, and perhaps a wooden leg, wearing tall boots and an earring, with a parrot on his shoulder, and armed with cutlass and pistols. He, or she, drinks rum, might sport a tattoo, and curses up a storm when he’s not saying, “Arr!” This is the quintessential swashbuckling buccaneer of yore . . . or is it?

Most people recognize at least some of this description isn’t true. It’s Hollywood’s version or how writers portray pirates in their novels. Within the pages of this fascinating book, Benerson Little explores the myths associated with piracy and then delves into primary accounts to distinguish between fact and myth. He also explores how these myths may have originated, as well as why real pirates didn’t act as they do on screen and in print.

The book is divided into two parts. Six chapters address myths dealing with pirate violence in “For Some Body Must Be Beaten.” The remaining six chapters focus on pirate society in “The Custom of the Coast.” This study concerns the pirates who lived and preyed between 1655 and 1725. The topics covered are pirate flags and symbols on them; “false optics” and two famous pirates – Blackbeard and Bartholomew Roberts – who employed these techniques; pirate ships and those upon which they prey; techniques and torture used to gain information from prisoners; sea fights and attacks; duels and weapons; pirates and slaves; women pirates and pirates of color; pirates as revolutionaries and rebels; pirate democracy and utopias; and treasure.

Each chapter opens with a summary narrative that explores an episode from history related to the topic being discussed. The endnotes include the sources used in these condensations. Three examples of such events are Blackbeard’s blockade of Charlestown, the buccaneers crossing the Isthmus of Darien, and the capture of Calico Jack Rackham and his crew. Next Little discusses the myths pertaining to each episode before examining how they became myths and what facts led to this false picture of Golden Age pirates.

Unfamiliar terms are explained in context, and Little clearly identifies whether his conclusions are drawn from known facts or are educated hypotheses based on what period documentation shows. The source material listed in the extensive bibliography reveals not only the depth of his research, but also the numerous archival material and primary documents he consulted. The book includes a center section of illustrations, endnotes, and an index.

While a few other volumes discuss pirate myths, The Golden Age of Piracy goes far beyond these. Little sifts through the popular mythology and purposeful ideological speculation to introduce readers to the real pirates without turning a blind eye to their cruelty and crimes. That he does so in language that any reader will understand makes this a valuable resource and worthwhile addition to any pirate aficionado’s or historian’s library




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The Pirate's Duchess by Katherine Bone

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


A suicide in 1806, a vow to his father, and an assassin’s attempt on his own life in 1807 compel Tobias Denzell, the sixth Duke of Blackmoor, to abandon his beloved wife Prudence and assume a false identity. The Black Regent, a notorious smuggler and pirate, allows him to protect his wife, assist those who have suffered devastating losses at the hands of a greedy swindler, and help out-of-work miners in Exeter, England. His sole aim is to bring about the downfall of the Marquess of Underwood, a curmudgeon obsessed with wealth who will do whatever is necessary to acquire others’ inheritances.

For two years Tobias attacks Underwood’s ships until he is on the verge of bankruptcy. But then his wife decides to marry Underwood’s son and shows her future father-in-law a survey map of the Blackmoor estate. It shows the location of a rich vein of copper – a fact that puts Prudence in grave danger. Once Underwood gets his hands on her dowry, her worth will be nil. The only way to save her life is for Tobias to come back from the dead, but she may never forgive him for betraying their love. Not to mention that his sudden reappearance will endanger his life since Underwood will assuredly attempt to murder him again, and someone may connect him to the Black Regent, which will earn him the hangman’s noose. The lynchpin in his plan to finally bring about his nemesis’s downfall and keep Prudence safe requires the help of Underwood’s son, but Tobias is no longer certain he can trust his longtime friend.

It’s taken two long years for Prudence Blackmore to shelve the memories of the horrible night when her husband died, but with the Earl of Marwick’s help, she is finally ready to move on with her life. She’s no longer the timid widow, but a strong woman who can stand on her own feet and take whatever life brings. Although still in love with Tobias, a dead man can’t give her the companionship and family she desires, so she accepts the earl’s proposal. Standing at the church altar, she’s unprepared for her husband’s resurrection. Anger and hurt play tug of war with her heart, and the winner is by no means a certainty.

This historical romance novella is the first volume in a new series, Regent’s Revenge. Bone’s imagery is vivid and readily transports readers back to the 19th century, and her characters are memorably drawn. It’s a short, fast-paced read with only a small portion of it taking place on a ship, but it adeptly sets the stage for future adventures.




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The Pirate's Debt by Katherine Bone

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


The guise of the Black Regent offers Basil Halford, Earl of Markwick, a chance to right his father’s wrongs and restore the reputations and incomes of the dead marquess’s victims. But prowling the seas around the coast of South West England as the masked smuggler and pirate necessitates that he separate himself from his few remaining friends. One of those men is Pierce Walsingham, a revenue agent who has vowed to hunt down and destroy this so-called “Robin Hood.”

Reality weighs on Markwick like an anchor around his neck. The hangman’s noose awaits him if he’s caught, and even a lifetime spent redressing the destructive deeds of his father may never pay for that man’s sins. Nor is he as adept in this role as his predecessor, the Duke of Blackmoor. But in July 1809, news arrives that Lady Chloe Walsingham has gone missing. He must rescue his friend’s sister before her curiosity ruins her reputation or puts her in harm’s way. Doing so, though, puts him in danger. She could well see through his disguise and, inevitably, he will cross paths with her brother who also searches for her.

Constant reading of her favorite novel convinces Chloe Walsingham that she must find the man she loves, but locating Markwick proves challenging. Only her love can redeem him from the depths of his despair over his father’s scandalous greed. When whispers of Markwick’s whereabouts surface, she and her maid board the Mohegan bound for Penzance. Besides, her brother has taught her how to defend herself, so what trouble can she get into?

Rough seas force the captain to head for safer waters, and lights on the shore seem to indicate a refuge. Then rocks are sighted and a black ship looms behind, preventing the Mohegan from collision. With insufficient boats for all the crew, the captain orders some sailors to swim for shore. Chloe watches in horror as those who reach the safety of the shore encounter wreckers who bludgeon the sailors to death. Nothing in her books has prepared her for such malevolence. Then cannon fire erupts and a second ship, farther out, is spotted. Which evil poses the greatest danger? Her only salvation is the Black Regent, but where is he when she needs him most?

The Pirate’s Debt is the second book in The Regent’s Revenge series. Sufficient background information from the first book, a novella, is included within The Pirate’s Debt, that readers new to this series will readily understand the events leading up to Markwick’s assumption of his alter ego. The only flaw in this otherwise gripping historical romance is a tendency to repeat character motivations and feelings, which at times dissolves the tension. The scenes involving the wreckers, Chloe’s rescue, the sea battle, and the confrontation with the black ship’s captain are nail-biting, riveting pages. Bone is adept at snaring the reader’s attention and not releasing it until the story concludes. Her well-drawn characters easily come to life. Even the villain – Captain Carnage, a man whose mantra is “Dead men tell no tales” – is depraved yet stirs the reader’s sympathy. Those who dare to venture within the covers of this book won’t be disappointed.




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When the Mermaid Sings by Helen Hollick

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


For years, Jesamiah Mereno has endured his older half-brother’s bullying. But the day they bury his father in 1708, the harassment goes too far and Jesamiah fights back. Banished from his home, he signs aboard a merchant ship bound for Port Royal where he hopes to meet up with a friend of his father, Captain Malachias Taylor. On the way, the vessel is overtaken by a Spanish warship. In spite of his young age, Jesamiah devises a wily plan and the merchant captain takes a risk on the fifteen year old.

Meeting Malachias and joining the privateer proves easier than Jesamiah expects, but he soon earns himself an enemy among the crew. He’s also tempted by a beautiful mermaid, who mistakes him for his father, and a girl’s voice he hears in his head. She’s come to him in the past, but has never revealed her name until now and more than once Tiola intervenes in dire situations. So does his father’s ghost, which leaves Jesamiah wondering who’s real and who’s not.

After a successful voyage, they put into port and Malachias disappears. A week later a note arrives with orders for Jesamiah to appear at a gentleman’s club. When he gets there, he must play the final round of a high-stakes card game. Contrary to Malachias’s hope, Jesamiah loses and, once again, Jesamiah comes up with an audacious plan to regain what is lost. This time it means they can never return to Port Royal.

This novella is a prequel to Hollick’s Sea Witch Voyages and takes place over the span of two years. Readers learn why Jesamiah changes his surname to Acorne, as well as how he becomes a pirate. Along the way, he meets Henry Jennings, whom he crosses paths with time and again in the future, and Charles Vane, who becomes a deadly enemy. An accusation of murder and a sea battle that nearly costs Jesamiah his life are but two of the mishaps he endures in this fast-paced enchanted tale set before his days as captain of the Sea Witch.




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Emily Windsnap and the Pirate Prince by Liz Kessler

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Calamity is a hallmark of the Windsnap family. They are forever preventing disasters. After a brief respite from halting a major disaster, it’s time to return home. Being merfolk, Emily’s dad and her best friend travel underwater, but her mom, who is human, will sail aboard a five-star cruise ship. Thirteen-year-old Emily can go either way since she’s half mermaid, half human, but knowing her mom sometimes feels left out, Emily decides spending some quality time with her mom is best. So with her mom, her mom’s best friend, and Aaron, her own boyfriend, Emily boards the ship. After all, what can possibly go wrong there?

PIRATES!

To be more precise, the pirate king, his wife, and his two sons, along with all the members of their crews, board the cruise ship, steal all the treasure, and lock the passengers in their staterooms. Well, almost all. Emily realizes that Aaron has vanished and fearing he’s in trouble, she sneaks out of her cabin to search for him. That’s how she happens to overhear the pirate king discussing a contest with his sons, Noah and Sam. Noah, who is arrogant and seems to do no wrong, has won the first round. Sam had been in the lead, until his mother realized the present he gave her – Emily’s mother’s necklace – has a mermaid on it! His dad goes ballistic, and Emily realizes that the pirates hate mermaids. Which doesn’t bode well for her if they learn her secret. She also discovers why Noah has snatched Aaron. He’s familiar with Halflight Castle, which gives Noah an advantage in the next round of the contest. The ultimate prize is Trident’s Treasure, and once they find it for their father, he will retire and the winner will become the new pirate king.

Determined to find Aaron, Emily offers Sam a way to better his chances of winning. If she helps him find the treasure and he becomes the new pirate king, he promises to release Aaron. It seems to be a win-win situation until she discovers that Sam doesn’t really want to be a pirate and that his crew would rather be aboard Noah’s ship. Plus pretending to be a hostage isn’t as easy as she thought, and what if Sam or the others discover who she really is? That possibility becomes even more real when she learns that Noah doesn’t have just one prisoner. He has two: Aaron and Shona, her best friend and mermaid. Even worse, Aaron has turned pirate.

This eighth book in the series is a galvanizing treasure-hunting adventure, whether this is your first visit to Emily’s world or you’re a longtime fan. It’s also a tale of discovery, not only in deciphering the puzzles but also in being true to yourself, rather than what everyone expects you to be – a lesson Emily learns the longer she works side-by-side with the pirates. Kessler deftly demonstrates the differences between a loving family and a dysfunctional one. Emily Windsnap and the Pirate Prince is humorous, poignant, and magical.




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Captain Kidd's Lost Ship: The Wreck of the Quedagh Merchant by Frederick H Hanselmann

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


On 30 January 1698, William Kidd and the crew of the Adventure Galley seized a merchant ship known as the Quedagh Merchant. She was laden with “1200 bayles of muslins, raw silk and calicoe of all sorts, fourteen hundred bags of brown sugar, 84 bayles of raw silk and eighty chests of opium . . . [along with] iron and saltpeter and other goods of less value” (38) They sailed to the Indian Ocean to capture pirates; instead, Kidd was denounced as a pirate. To clear his name, he sailed the Quedagh Merchant to the Caribbean, where she later sank. He was eventually arrested and taken to London, where he stood trial for murder and piracy.

Captain Kidd’s Lost Ship recounts Kidd’s rise and fall, the demise of both him and his prize, and her rediscovery. But far from the simple telling of a privateer who becomes a pirate, this volume delves much deeper into the myth, history, and archaeology surrounding one of the best-known episodes in pirate history. The following quote from page one best explains the purpose of this book.

“Archaeology is not solely the excavation of a site and the recovery of its artifacts; it includes an investigation of the social activity surrounding a site and its formation, the historical context, the actions of individuals in the past as related to a site, and the management and preservation of a site for public benefit and future generations.”

Hanselmann deftly recounts not only the scientific and theoretical sides of the story, but also showcases how one person’s actions and decisions, in combination with those of others and the states involved, snowballed into the loss of both ship and man. It is a tale of interconnected networks – the English East India Company, Armenian traders, sailors, privateers, and piracy – in a global tapestry that reaches from the Indian Ocean to the Caribbean and several points in between. He also explains how they identified the shipwreck and how the Dominican Republic decided to turn this archaeological find into a Living Museum in the Sea.

Even those familiar with William Kidd’s rise and fall will find new information within this book and come away with a better appreciation of who this man was, what he did, and how global changes played a significant part in his story. The step-by-step review of all aspects allows readers to better see “the differences between the commonly held view of Kidd and his vessel that has been passed down through the centuries and the true tale of Kidd’s rise and fall in a much broader context.” (2) The inclusion of contemporary documents, some of which may not appear in other works on Kidd, are an added bonus to a book that is well written. To further place this episode within its historical context, Hanselmann includes a Chronology of Events. There is also a list of cited literature and an index.

While the theoretical explanations may mislead some to think this is a pedantic treatment of a fascinating subject, the author provides a gripping account of how archaeologists sift through myths and legends to discover the reality. Hanselmann provides a well-rounded, more complete glimpse into Kidd and the world in which he lived. It’s one of the best demonstrations of how actions have consequences and how those consequences impact individuals in real world situations. As a result, Captain Kidd’s Lost Ship is an invaluable and informative addition to any maritime, archaeological, or piratical library.




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Jean Lafitte Revealed: Unraveling One of America’s Longest-Running Mysteries by Ashley Oliphant

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Jean Laffite was a master of deception. He muddied the water to such an extent that separating truth from fiction is a monumental undertaking – one that often leads to disagreement among historians as to which “truth” is real. His time in New Orleans and Galveston is well documented, but even 200 years later some mysteries remain, especially as regards his life once he departed Texas. The authors of Jean Laffite Revealed believe that they have unearthed the truth about this period and it is up to readers to read and weigh the evidence in order to determine whether their hypothesis is correct.

Their search for Jean Laffite actually sprang not from an interest in this “gentleman pirate,” but from tales of another man, Lorenzo Ferrer, who lived in Lincolnton, North Carolina, from 1839 until his death in 1875 at the age of 96. Supposedly, this man was really Laffite. This book is a culmination of their research, detailing how they backtracked his true identity and what documentary evidence they uncovered to support their suppositions.

To conduct their research, they followed the protocol of any scholarly research, but they chose to write in the vernacular of a wider audience. As they pen in their preface, “Prepare yourself for one of the most unbelievable yet verifiably true stories you can imagine, a tale complete with international Freemason plots, double agents, explorers charging into open frontier, jail breaks, miraculous rescues, faked deaths, shady financial scams, and murder – all of it hinging upon control of the Gulf of Mexico and the sustainability of one of the most effective black market operations the United States has ever known. Parts of our hypothesis contradict commonly accepted Laffite historical chronology and challenge long-held beliefs about what ultimately happened to him. . . . Hang on to your hat because this is not our mama’s sleepy history book.” (xii)

Their investigation is divided into three parts. Part I summarizes the known facts about Laffite during his years as a pirate/privateer. They sift through two centuries of the best published resources to recount his life in Louisiana, Texas, and the Gulf of Mexico. Part II concerns when Ferrer first appears in Mississippi, since before then they find no documentary evidence to prove his existence. This section also discusses connections he made that eventually bring him to North Carolina, which is the subject of Part III. Here is where they delve into their theory and demonstrate that contemporaries of Ferrer’s began speculating about his true identity in the nineteenth century.

In addition to the narrative, the authors include a sampling of the documents they collected during their search. Unfortunately, the poor quality of some of these copies makes it difficult to see what they saw. Several appendices and endnotes are included, as is a list of the works they cite. The preface does include a cast of characters. What is missing is an index, which would make it easier for other researchers to find information.

This book requires readers to make a leap of faith, yet there is one segment for which there is no documentation in support of their hypothesis. It is this gap that is the most telling. Whether Laffite died at sea following a battle or he survived and lived a long life remains a matter of debate and conjecture. Since they have been unable to find any proof of Ferrer’s existence prior to his arrival in Mississippi, they believe he is Laffite. Yet there is no definitive evidence to prove this. They do point out similarities between these two men, who may well have known some of the same people. They did turn up an interesting clue in one letter that could be a code name for Laffite.

Jean Laffite Revealed is an interesting addition to Laffite history. Each reader must decide the veracity of what is proposed. The strengths of this book are the depth of research that the authors conducted and that they recognize this as a starting point for other seekers who wish to prove their hypothesis. This is also a great resource for those seeking information on North Carolina history and genealogy.




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When The Mermaid Sings: A Jesamiah Acorne Short Read Nautical Adventure by Helen Hollick

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


For years, Jesamiah Mereno has endured his older half-brother’s bullying. But the day they bury their father in 1708, the harassment goes too far and Jesamiah fights back. Banished from his Virginia home, he signs aboard a merchant ship bound for Port Royal where he hopes to meet up with a friend of his father, Captain Malachias Taylor. On the way, the vessel is overtaken by a Spanish frigate. In spite of his young age, Jesamiah devises a wily plan and the merchant captain takes a risk on the fifteen year old.

Who is he? The lad with black hair. Special gifts are awakening in eight-year-old Tiola Garrick, but they must be kept secreted from her father – a strict authoritarian minister who rules family and congregation with abusive resolve. Although in Cornwall, she reaches out time and again to safeguard the young stranger, especially once he reaches Port Royal.

Meeting Malachias proves easier than Jesamiah expects, but the merchantman’s bosun is none too happy at Jesamiah’s desertion to Malachias’s crew. A confrontation is inevitable, and soon results in new self-awareness. He’s also tempted by a beautiful mermaid, who mistakes him for his father, while a girl’s voice in his head warns him away from the deadly siren. Tiola has spoken to him in the past, but never before revealed her name. When his father’s ghost also speaks, Jesamiah wonders who’s real and who’s not.

After a successful voyage, the Mermaid returns to Port Royal and Malachias disappears. A week later a note arrives with orders for Jesamiah to appear at a gentleman’s club. When he gets there, he must play the final round of a high-stakes card game. Contrary to Malachias’s hope, Jesamiah loses and, once again, Jesamiah comes up with an audacious plan to regain what is lost. This time it means they can never return to Port Royal.

This short story is a prequel to Hollick’s Sea Witch Voyages series and takes place over the span of nearly three years. Its geographical spread extends from Virginia south to the West Indies and east to England and Africa. I first reviewed this book in 2018, but this new edition includes scenes omitted from the original publication. The point of view shifts abruptly in one or two scenes, which may initially disconcert readers; on the other hand, one character’s recounting of the day Port Royal sank into the sea allows us to experience the event through the eyes of a young boy.

Within the pages of When the Mermaid Sings we learn why Jesamiah changes his surname to Acorne, as well as how he becomes a pirate. Along the way, he meets Henry Jennings, with whom he will cross paths in the future, and Charles Vane, who becomes a deadly enemy. Like the blue ribbon Jesamiah weaves into his plaited hair, Hollick entwines run-ins with the Royal Navy, a murder accusation, a mortal skirmish belowdecks, and a mind-boggling sea chase that nearly costs Jesamiah his life into a fast-paced enchanted tale set before his days as captain of the Sea Witch.




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The Pirate Captain Ned Low by Nicky Nielsen

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Edward Low, alias Ned Low. Not the best known of pirate captains, but one of the most brutal. His hunting grounds stretched from the Bay of Honduras to Newfoundland to the African coast. Despite all the mayhem he caused, he was never captured, never stood in the dock, never paid for his crimes. He simply vanished. This is his story.

Edward Low was baptized in 1688 into a family familiar with crime. He grew up on London streets, where he also acquired his education. At some point, he relocated to Boston, Massachusetts where he married Elizabeth Marble in 1714 and became a ship rigger. He lived a normal, family life until the loss of one of two children and, later, his wife. Prone to quarrel and drink, unable to keep a job, he left Boston in 1721. By year’s end, he had mutinied, committed murder, and turned pirate. His crew eventually described him as a “maniac.” Writers tended to use words like “savage” and “psychopath.” Not surprising given how he tortured and slew his victims, including Nathan Skiffe, a well-liked whaling captain who treated his men fairly.

Anyone who studies pirates soon discovers that there are lots of gaps in the historical record. Certainly, this is true in some degree with Low, but there are also far more facts and accounts of his piracy and life than are found for better-known pirates. Nielsen delves into these original sources to show who the real Ned Low was, as well as to discuss how he has been portrayed in them. Among the consulted renderings are eyewitness accounts from victims (especially Philip Ashton and his cousin, Nicholas Merritt), newspaper articles, and Captain Johnson’s A General History of the Pyrates. (The last is a somewhat controversial document that does include some fallacies. One intriguing example cited concerns the death of a French cook. Johnson says Low burned the man alive, whereas Ashton doesn’t even mention the cook.)

The book consists of nine chapters that cover Low’s life and his encounters with other pirates, such as George Lowther, John Massey, Charles Harris, and Francis Spriggs. The epilogue discusses the role maritime historian Edward Rowe Snow played in lore associated with Low. The one appendix lists the pirates captured by HMS Greyhound, along with their ages and places of birth, as well as which ones were eventually executed for their crimes. There is a section of black-and-white illustrations, a bibliography, and an index.

Throughout the narrative Nielsen poses numerous questions and then explains what may have actually occurred based on empirical evidence, his research, and educated analysis. He also provides necessary background information to orient readers. The Pirate Captain Ned Low is an absorbing, fact-based biography that sheds light on some of the murkier waters – what the author describes as “hazardous shoals of speculation, hearsay and outright lies.” (xii) It is a significant addition to any collection dealing with pirate history, especially that of the eighteenth century.

(Readers should note that with Low’s reputation for cruelty, this book contains a lot of violence and Nielsen pulls no punches in presenting this facet of this pirate.)


This review originally appeared in the March 2023 issue of Pirates and Privateers at http://www.cindyvallar.com/Nielsen.html



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Double O Stephen and the Ghostly Realm by Angela Ahn

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


What do you expect with a last name like Oh-O’Driscoll? Ridiculous, right? And it opens Stephen up to all kinds of nicknames – which he hates. Natural for someone who’s just twelve years old and half Korean half Irish. He lives with his mom, who’s more into education than fun and blames everything on his dad, especially Stephen’s fascination with pirates. The only person he trusts is Brandon, his best, and only, friend. And they share a secret. They are PIVENTURATES.

A piventurate, you ask? It’s not even in the dictionary! (Not for want of their trying.) Stephen creates the word because he is not into the stealing and violence side of piracy, which is what dictionaries focus on. What he craves is adventure and sailing. After all, isn’t a pirate “a courageous explorer and a bold adventurer who loves the sea?” (5)

And what an adventure lies in store for Stephen! It begins with a pirate ship seen from his window. Then, while practicing swordsmanship during recess, Brandon is injured and Stephen gets suspended from school. Mom is not happy! She has no intention of allowing him to waste time during his suspension, so they go to a museum. Except the expected exhibit has closed. A new one on local history is now open. The first display showcases a nineteenth-century sea captain named William J. Sapperton. Sapperton may or may not have been a pirate. Stephen is thrilled, Mom not so much, especially once he touches an artifact and sets in motion a cascade of events that takes him to The Midway – a place where living people do not belong – where he meets Sapperton’s ghost. Of course, when you go where you should not be, trouble ensues. Trouble like pirates (living and dead), ghosts, broken promises, kidnapping, and discovering family secrets.

Told from a first-person perspective, this is not your typical pirate story, but it most certainly is entertaining and daunting. Stephen is willing to take chances to help others, even when Mom wishes otherwise. (Risk may be involved, but the violence is minimal and more implied than real.) The characters come to life (even the ghostly ones). Aside from the pirates, this is also a story of not fitting in, of following your dreams, of taking responsibility and making what goes wrong right, and being who you are. It’s also about learning about family, which in Stephen’s case involves discovering Korean lore and beliefs. Written for children ages nine to twelve, Double O Stephen and the Ghostly Realm is an awesome pirate – or should I say piventurate – tale for anyone (even an adult) who dreams of being a pirate or just wants to be true to oneself.


This review originally appeared in the March 2023 issue of Pirates and Privateers at http://www.cindyvallar.com/Ahn.html



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