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Princelings of the East #2
The Princelings and the Pirates
The Princelings of the East is a trilogy relating the adventures of unlikely heroes Fred and George. Two innocents abroad, they solve problems caused by unintended consequences, commercial greed, and blind prejudice—and still find time to engage in troubled love affairs and nearly blow themselves up with their own inventions.
The opening of The Princelings and the Pirates, the second book in the series, finds Fred and George happily pursuing their interests and enjoying the hospitality of Castle Buckmore. When Prince Lupin of Buckmore announces his unhappiness with the wine, they set off to discover what has gone wrong at the winery. Captured by pirates, shipwrecked, and in danger for their very lives, the heroes are drawn into the Battle of Dimerie, where Fred meets his true love and George gets more than he bargained for.
Suitable for ages 8 and over, The Princelings and the Pirates is a fantasy adventure combining a generous amount of swashbuckling with a dash of concern at society's ills spiced with the stirrings of a first love interest.
The opening of The Princelings and the Pirates, the second book in the series, finds Fred and George happily pursuing their interests and enjoying the hospitality of Castle Buckmore. When Prince Lupin of Buckmore announces his unhappiness with the wine, they set off to discover what has gone wrong at the winery. Captured by pirates, shipwrecked, and in danger for their very lives, the heroes are drawn into the Battle of Dimerie, where Fred meets his true love and George gets more than he bargained for.
Suitable for ages 8 and over, The Princelings and the Pirates is a fantasy adventure combining a generous amount of swashbuckling with a dash of concern at society's ills spiced with the stirrings of a first love interest.
- GenresYoung AdultChildrens
181 pages, Paperback
First published January 31, 2012
About the author
Jemima Pett
30 books327 followersJemima Pett has been living in a world of her own for many years. Writing stories since she was eight, drawing maps of fantasy islands with train systems and timetables at ten. Unfortunately no-one wanted a fantasy island designer then, so she tried a few careers, getting great experiences in business, environmental research and social work. She finally got back to building her own worlds, and wrote about them. Her business background enabled her to become an independent author, responsible for her own publications.
Her first series, the Princelings of the East, is now complete, with ten mystery adventures for advanced readers set in a world of tunnels and castles. There's a strong element of time travel, and relies on thinking yourself out of difficult situations! Jemima does chapter illustrations for these.
Shehas also published two volumes of Christmas stories for young readers, the BookElves Anthologies, and her father's memoirs White Water Landings, about the Imperial Airways flying boat service in Africa. Her current work-in-progress is the third in her (adult) science fiction series set in the Viridian System, in which the aliens include sentient trees.
Jemima now lives in Hampshire with her guinea pigs, the first of whom, Fred, George, Victor and Hugo, provided the inspiration for her first stories, The Princelings of the East. She is currently writing short stories for anthologies, and working on ideas for a new climate-related fiction book.
See my blog at jemimapett.com
The Princelings series at Princelings of the East series
My science fiction books at Viridian System series
Her first series, the Princelings of the East, is now complete, with ten mystery adventures for advanced readers set in a world of tunnels and castles. There's a strong element of time travel, and relies on thinking yourself out of difficult situations! Jemima does chapter illustrations for these.
Shehas also published two volumes of Christmas stories for young readers, the BookElves Anthologies, and her father's memoirs White Water Landings, about the Imperial Airways flying boat service in Africa. Her current work-in-progress is the third in her (adult) science fiction series set in the Viridian System, in which the aliens include sentient trees.
Jemima now lives in Hampshire with her guinea pigs, the first of whom, Fred, George, Victor and Hugo, provided the inspiration for her first stories, The Princelings of the East. She is currently writing short stories for anthologies, and working on ideas for a new climate-related fiction book.
See my blog at jemimapett.com
The Princelings series at Princelings of the East series
My science fiction books at Viridian System series
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
September 30, 2013
Summary:
Our friends Fred and George of Marsh Castle are back. They've been living with Prince Lupin, and working on the development of strawberry juice power. But a wine shortage has darkened the horizon, and Fred and George join with their old friend Victor to visit Chateau Dimerie and find out what's going on. Along the way, they are pressed into service by pirates, meet a ghost, and are plunged into battle alongside an army that actually knows what it is doing. Fred and George are no soldiers, but they have guts and brains, and come out okay in the end. Realism is preserved (if one can speak of realism in a world run by guinea pigs and powered on strawberry juice) as no one escapes unscathed before making their way to the happy ending.
Review:
I am delighted to report that Ms. Pett has returned in this second volume of the Princelings trilogy even stronger than she was in the first. Subtle changes have made me more comfortable with the idea that these decidedly anthropomorphic characters are, nonetheless, guinea pigs, much as we accept Ratty and Mole of The Wind in the Willows. The world of the Castles is becoming more clear to me, and the story is fast-paced. The action seems to me just right for middle grade children (say, ages 9-12, as the writing is not simplistic at all). Dangers faced are real, and there is some suspense, but violence is minimal and the ending happy. Fred and George are, as they should be, different men (er, guinea pigs) than they were at the beginning. There is just a whiff of romance, and a little bit of legal/political business at the end which may not be as exciting to young readers, though it is clearly important to the development of the series.
Ms. Pett's writing is clear and strong, the book well-edited, with very few awkward moments and no typos that I noticed. Her illustrations are, as always, delightful, if too small on my Nook.
I am looking forward to reading the next installment in the series, and will reserve that final 1/2 star so that there's room to go up if the next book, as I confidently expect, is even better. 4.5 stars.
Our friends Fred and George of Marsh Castle are back. They've been living with Prince Lupin, and working on the development of strawberry juice power. But a wine shortage has darkened the horizon, and Fred and George join with their old friend Victor to visit Chateau Dimerie and find out what's going on. Along the way, they are pressed into service by pirates, meet a ghost, and are plunged into battle alongside an army that actually knows what it is doing. Fred and George are no soldiers, but they have guts and brains, and come out okay in the end. Realism is preserved (if one can speak of realism in a world run by guinea pigs and powered on strawberry juice) as no one escapes unscathed before making their way to the happy ending.
Review:
I am delighted to report that Ms. Pett has returned in this second volume of the Princelings trilogy even stronger than she was in the first. Subtle changes have made me more comfortable with the idea that these decidedly anthropomorphic characters are, nonetheless, guinea pigs, much as we accept Ratty and Mole of The Wind in the Willows. The world of the Castles is becoming more clear to me, and the story is fast-paced. The action seems to me just right for middle grade children (say, ages 9-12, as the writing is not simplistic at all). Dangers faced are real, and there is some suspense, but violence is minimal and the ending happy. Fred and George are, as they should be, different men (er, guinea pigs) than they were at the beginning. There is just a whiff of romance, and a little bit of legal/political business at the end which may not be as exciting to young readers, though it is clearly important to the development of the series.
Ms. Pett's writing is clear and strong, the book well-edited, with very few awkward moments and no typos that I noticed. Her illustrations are, as always, delightful, if too small on my Nook.
I am looking forward to reading the next installment in the series, and will reserve that final 1/2 star so that there's room to go up if the next book, as I confidently expect, is even better. 4.5 stars.
July 10, 2013
Having read the first in the series, this felt like being back on familiar territory. I'm growing rather fond of Fred and George, the intrepid guinea pig heroes, who find themselves plunged into another hazardous adventure, complete with swashbuckling pirates and beautiful princesses. As in the first book, the story is narrated in a fun and engaging style and I love the witty chapter sub-headings!
August 20, 2019
Another great story about the adventures of our furry friends, Fred and George. This time they get a LOT of action with, and against, pirates. Sadly there are some characters we won’t meet again, however, there are some we certainly will.
See my review also at:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view...
and
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Princelings-...
See my review also at:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view...
and
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Princelings-...
October 15, 2015
Our Princeling twins, Fred & George, face unexpected swashbuckling adventures in The Princelings and the Pirates. The adventure starts off innocuously enough - the wine from Dimerie has run out and the person that Castle Buckmore originally sent to find out why hasn't returned, so Fred, George, and Victor set out for Castle Dimerie to discover what's wrong. Along the way, they get kidnapped by pirates, meet beautiful princesses, as well as dig out long hidden secrets.
I'm not entirely sure why I didn't feel as engaged with this second book of the trilogy. I love swashbuckling adventures and I did like The Princelings of the East quite a bit, so I was actually looking forward to this one a lot. Maybe it suffers from the general middle syndrome of almost all trilogies. Then again, I think that the Princeling books can be read as standalones so that shouldn't really be a factor.
It could possibly have felt a little disjointed - The Princelings of the East centres pretty much around Fred and George, and is located primarily Castle Buckmore with the occasional time travel, but The Princelings and the Pirates has a much wider scope. In this one, we jump from Castle Buckmore, to Castle Dimerie, pirate ships, Castle Marsh and the deserted Castle Fortune, with a few other castles being mentioned and thrown into the mix.
Whatever it was, Pirates was still a pretty good read.
I'm not entirely sure why I didn't feel as engaged with this second book of the trilogy. I love swashbuckling adventures and I did like The Princelings of the East quite a bit, so I was actually looking forward to this one a lot. Maybe it suffers from the general middle syndrome of almost all trilogies. Then again, I think that the Princeling books can be read as standalones so that shouldn't really be a factor.
It could possibly have felt a little disjointed - The Princelings of the East centres pretty much around Fred and George, and is located primarily Castle Buckmore with the occasional time travel, but The Princelings and the Pirates has a much wider scope. In this one, we jump from Castle Buckmore, to Castle Dimerie, pirate ships, Castle Marsh and the deserted Castle Fortune, with a few other castles being mentioned and thrown into the mix.
Whatever it was, Pirates was still a pretty good read.
September 13, 2013
Once again the world of princelings created by Jemima Pett is brought to us by beautiful writing. I love the author’s voice in this tales. The tone of the story makes you feel ancient, in a very good way. The Princelings and the Pirates is a beautiful fairy tale for boys and girls, exquisitely presented to the reader. A masterpiece on its own, this pirate’s tale will delight you to the end.
Princes George and his almost identical twin Fred are out on another quest and adventure in Book Two of the Princelings Trilogy. We wonder through which parts of their world they will take us this time. New mysteries are afoot as the Princes need to find the reasons for the absence of Dimerie wines from Prince Lupen’s castle. Also, the disappearance of people from Humber? And young Harry who was sent to find news about the wine problem and was never heard of again. Then it could be that Princess Kira needs rescued from the pirates who have kidnapped her for a ransom. But, I am sure it has to be that the twins are taken by the pirates themselves. So who will rescue whom?
It really doesn’t matter where they take us because, with the two of them, I am sure we will find a delightful tale to tell at the end of our journey. Happy readings.
Once again, Pett has done an awesome job of keeping us glued to the pages with her tone and vivid characters. I found this book enchantingly refreshing and entertaining. This elementary school aged book will become a treasure in any library, be it at school or home.
Princes George and his almost identical twin Fred are out on another quest and adventure in Book Two of the Princelings Trilogy. We wonder through which parts of their world they will take us this time. New mysteries are afoot as the Princes need to find the reasons for the absence of Dimerie wines from Prince Lupen’s castle. Also, the disappearance of people from Humber? And young Harry who was sent to find news about the wine problem and was never heard of again. Then it could be that Princess Kira needs rescued from the pirates who have kidnapped her for a ransom. But, I am sure it has to be that the twins are taken by the pirates themselves. So who will rescue whom?
It really doesn’t matter where they take us because, with the two of them, I am sure we will find a delightful tale to tell at the end of our journey. Happy readings.
Once again, Pett has done an awesome job of keeping us glued to the pages with her tone and vivid characters. I found this book enchantingly refreshing and entertaining. This elementary school aged book will become a treasure in any library, be it at school or home.
September 3, 2014
This is the second book in the Princeling Trilogy.
Fred and George have come a long way since the first book The Princelings of the East. Fred continues to be deep in thought and George is working on his inventions, especially the one that power will be created using strawberry juice.
The princelings find out that something is happening to the Demeri wine and they are sent out with the friends to find out why. They find out that pirates are going from castle to castle and raiding what ever they can find, including the wine.
They get everyone together and fight against the pirates. When they find out who is behind the pirating. Fred and George are surprised. Will the pirates continue their scourge and what will happen to Fred and George?
This is a good book. It kept my interest and I like that even though this is during medieval times, there is still a modern aspect to the story. I have enjoyed the story.
Fred and George have come a long way since the first book The Princelings of the East. Fred continues to be deep in thought and George is working on his inventions, especially the one that power will be created using strawberry juice.
The princelings find out that something is happening to the Demeri wine and they are sent out with the friends to find out why. They find out that pirates are going from castle to castle and raiding what ever they can find, including the wine.
They get everyone together and fight against the pirates. When they find out who is behind the pirating. Fred and George are surprised. Will the pirates continue their scourge and what will happen to Fred and George?
This is a good book. It kept my interest and I like that even though this is during medieval times, there is still a modern aspect to the story. I have enjoyed the story.
June 8, 2012
The second book of the Princelings trilogy benefits from the author's experience, giving readers a more flowing tale and plenty of excitement. After the all-action prologue we spend a little time re-establishing the main characters and the problem to be solved, and then the adventure takes off, with abductions, storms, rogues, heroes and heroines. Even a ghost!
Not only is a nice story in itself, but it takes us on into the third of the trilogy, leaving threads unravelled and a desire for ulitmate happy endings.
I wrote the book so I may be biased, but my Amazon reviews include "one of the strongest female characters I've seen in young-adult fantasy fiction, and I'd recommend the book on the strength of her character alone."
Not only is a nice story in itself, but it takes us on into the third of the trilogy, leaving threads unravelled and a desire for ulitmate happy endings.
I wrote the book so I may be biased, but my Amazon reviews include "one of the strongest female characters I've seen in young-adult fantasy fiction, and I'd recommend the book on the strength of her character alone."
August 13, 2016
Palace intrigue, betrayal, kidnapped by pirates, young love, epic battle scenes, and injuries.
This is a tight, profound, well crafted, well edited (!) book with great character development. It's not scary, but touches on real life situations in a matter-of-fact way without hysteria. Overall story arc is incredible.
I'm buzzing through this enjoyable series and lovin' it.
This is a tight, profound, well crafted, well edited (!) book with great character development. It's not scary, but touches on real life situations in a matter-of-fact way without hysteria. Overall story arc is incredible.
I'm buzzing through this enjoyable series and lovin' it.
August 13, 2016
Palace intrigue, betrayal, kidnapped by pirates, young love, epic battle scenes, and injuries. This is a
tight, profound, well crafted, well edited (!) book with great character development. It's not scary, but touches on real life situations in a matter-of-fact way without hysteria. Overall story arc is incredible.
I'm buzzing through this enjoyable series and lovin' it.
tight, profound, well crafted, well edited (!) book with great character development. It's not scary, but touches on real life situations in a matter-of-fact way without hysteria. Overall story arc is incredible.
I'm buzzing through this enjoyable series and lovin' it.
September 23, 2016
This was an excellent second book for the series. I love the characters, and the plot is exciting and interesting. Like with the first book in this series, I think it could have been even more amazing if the author had used more guinea pig terms rather than people words, such as "cavie" instead of "person" for example. However, since I know this is just something I personally think would have been a nice touch, and not doing so doesn't spoil the story in any way, I'm not going to count her not doing so against her.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews