Piratica II: Return to Parrot Island - Softcover

Tanith Lee lives in England.

Grade 7 Up—Art Blastside is back, trying unsuccessfully to live a settled life of luxury and marital bliss. The former pirate eagerly agrees to go back to sea, even if it is in the service of her former foe, the English government. Reunited with some of her crew and at the helm of a newly improved Unwelcome Stranger, Art sets out to harass and rob enemy ships. She also plans to get her hands on a mysterious green book that holds valuable clues to almost all of the treasure ever carried across the sea. The captain and her crew are dogged by her arch nemesis, Little Goldie Girl, and haunted by the threat of the ethereal black Widow, a pirate-hunting vessel manned by Mary Hell. The many plot twists involve fierce battles, treachery, and loves lost and found, and Lee's colorful characters are appealing and unique. Art and crew manage to save the day in an epic and climactic naval battle and secure the treasure to boot. Because the story delves into some elements of adult romance including marital problems and a pregnancy, it is difficult to predict who will relate to this book. Less-sophisticated readers will miss the jabs at pirate wannabes and subtle humor imbedded throughout. Mature readers with a taste for pirate themes and strong female heroines will be heartily entertained.—Nicki Clausen-Grace, Carillon Elementary School, Oviedo, FL
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.