Demons of the Ocean

I don't really have much to say about this. It's been long enough since I read middle-grade books that I can't really tell if I would have liked this or not. As a reader today, I just know that I long for more. More action. More terror. More world building. I can't tell if this would appeal to the young folks anymore, my perspective is just too changed. (A friend even called me a raunchy librarian. Harsh, but not exactly wrong.) But I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to a middle grades reader. It's not bad, I'm just not its audience. ( )

Recommendation

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars I love this book, can't wait to read the next one! I recommend this to all ages as my dad and I read this book and we both enjoyed it! Scary in some spots so I don't recommend this for young readers under 6.

Awesome part

My favorite part of Vampirates is when Connor & Grace's dad before he passed away told them stories of Vampirates in a song and the beginning of the song goes like this;

I'll tell you a tale of Vampirates,

A tale as old as true.

Yea, I'll sing you a song of an ancient ship,

And it's mighty fearsome crew.

Yea, I'll sing you a song of an ancient ship,

That sails the ocean blue...

That haunts the ocean blue,

The Vampirates ship tattered sails

That flap like wings in flight.

They say the captain he wears a veil

So as to curtail your fright

At his death-pale skin

And his lifeless eyes

And his teeth as sharp as night. ( )

"Well, if pirates are bad
And vampires are worse,
Then I pray that as long as I be
That though I sing of Vampirates
I never one shall see."

There is some truth to every fairy tale, at least in the book Vampirates, Demons of the Ocean by Justin Somper. This is the first book of the Vampirates series.

For Conner and Grace, the Tempest twins of Cresent Bay, Vampirates were a spooky lullaby told in their lighthouse home when the storms blew in. Then all at once, their father dies and the children are destitute. In a series of unfortunate events that reminded me of Lemony Snicket, the twins are seperated. Then, the story devices get a little obvious.

Conner is brought aboard the pirate galleon The Diablo, captained by THE most notorious pirate of the times. Meanwhile Grace finds herself on a mysterious vessel and hid from the crew for reasons unknown. The unnamed ship is litterally shrouded in a fog. And of course, the twins dreams about each other and discover that their best chance of survival relies on being reunited.

Despite the cliches, I really liked the storytelling style. The whole book reminded me of a bedtime story or fairy tale itself, filled with unlikely friends and overcoming fears. The over-the-top themes are exciting, consistant and rationalized by the characters so that they seem natural.

This was not a typical young adults vampire story; the monsters really are scary and dangerous, there is no sappy love interest to speak of, and the pirates do real sword battle. I especially enjoyed the nautical details... I love an author who does his research! The story alternates from the point of view of either twin, making this story appropriate for both girls and boys of the tweenish age. I would also recomend this story for anyone looking for some light entertainment.

As I read the final words "So it ends. So it begins," I can't wait to see what happens next.

The Vampirates book is about twins that get lost at sea. Connor the older of the two has been picked out of the sea by Cheng Li. The deputy on the ship The Diablo. While Grace has been picked up by the Vampirate ship. A crew of vampire pirates that have been on the ship since the beginning of their new life. Each week they have a Feast or a sharing of blood. But what the captain doesn't know is that there is a rebel vampire. He wants more blood and if Grace wants to survive she must get off the ship before he finds her.

I have just found a new-to-me favorite series and author and likely the narrator, too. I had so much fun listening to this first in the VAMPIRATES series and cannot wait to listen to the next in the series, TIDE OF TERROR, I hope it's next up on Recorded Books wishlist.
This is the perfect book to listen to for anyone, even though it's supposed to be a YA paranormal.
The world-building is very cool and I like that it's a future that isn't overwhelmingly bleak like a lot of futuristic venues tend to lean on. It's vampires and pirates and all that that entails....blood and fighting on the high seas and the gritty pirate pubs with wenches. There are good-hearted pirates and bad.
And Daniel Philpott gives just as fab voice to the fab written characters. Nothing too over the top, just right over the top. I have the image of a vampire Captain Jack Sparrow in my cranium as I listened to some of the vampirates...and obviously this is not a bad thing if you know me at all. *grin*
If you'd like to see a super interview with Justin Somper, the author, here's the site over at BittenByBooks. He's just as nifty as the books he writes.
Five more please vampirates beans.... ( )