Caroline Carlson

Ahoy mateys!!!! Guess what today is!!! The release date of the Terror of the Soutlands.

If yer not reading the Terror of the Southlands, then yer gonna get thrown out of the Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates. This is yer first warnin’.

Hilary Westfield, the Terror of the Southlands herself, hasn’t raised her sword for months and if she doesn’t do something daring like slay a sea monster or defeat a rebel pirate, she is in danger of being tossed from the VNHLP. But when she hears show more that Eugenie Pimm, the Enchantress has disappeared, she decides to find her, because a pirate must always help a mate. Along with her first mate, Pirate Charlie Dove and her faithful gargoyle, she makes her way to Miss Pimm’s Finishing School for Delicate Ladies, to find Miss Pimm gone. But she meets up with her old friend, Claire, who wants to help find the Enchantress and go on an adventure. So off they go, on a rousing sea-faring adventure, the likes of which should put Captain Blacktooth, the very president of this here VNHLP right about The Terror. But, nay, ’cause he’s against this adventure and skullduggery.

But The Terror won’t be bullied because a pirate must NOT forget to be fearsome. Thar’s cannonball blasts and sword fights and rope tying and rescuing in this yarn. Thar’s pirating and disguising and magic. Thar’s grog drinkin’ and mast climbing and skullduggery galore.

So, if’n yar goin’ to be a right proper pirate, then it’s the Terror of the Southlands that should be on the night stand in yer cabin. Don’t make me give you a second warnin’. Us pirate types are short on patience and my sword hand is itchin’. show less

Review originally posted at The Children's Book and Media Review

Hillary Westfield is the daughter of the Admiral of the Royal Navy, but that doesn’t stop her from dreaming of being a pirate. When she writes to the Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates (VNHLP), they turn her down because she is a girl and then forward her information to Miss Pimm's Finishing School for Delicate Ladies. She and her friend, the gargoyle, run away from finishing school to sail the high seas. She joins Jasper show more Fletcher (“Terror of the Southlands”), Jasper’s ward Charlie, a boy named Oliver who she suspects is up to no good, and (to her dismay) her former governess, Miss Greyson, in a quest to find the largest treasure trove of magic in the kingdom.

Carlson’s writing is clever, witty, and sometimes hilarious. The gem of the book is the dynamic characters with unique voices. The pirates are based on fictional pirates, so the emphasis is on finding treasure rather than the activities of historical pirates. There are some pirate battles and talking about running people through, but the book has little violence. Sailors who lose sword duels simply jump into the ocean and swim back to their ship. The interaction between pirate and high society girls adds humor and uniqueness to this fun book. With plenty of scoundrels and adventure to enjoy, a reader will likely wish to join the Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates themselves. show less

- Audiobook - Young Hilary Westfield wants so very badly to be a pirate. There are only two problems: 1) her father is an Admiral in the Navy, and 2) the Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates (VNHLP) won't accept young girls! How rude! In fact, they forward Hilary's rejected VNHLP application to Admiral Westfield, which gets Hilary shipped off to a prestigious finishing school. She promptly escapes and joins a rag-tag band of reject pirates. The crew includes a young boy named Charlie, a show more budgerigar named Fitzwilliam Fletcher, the gargoyle from Hilary's home bedroom, and Hilary's own governess. Their mission is to do what all pirates do, of course - find buried magic! The pirate ship is shortly followed by Admiral Westfield's best Naval vessel and the headmistress of the finishing school, who want to catch up with Hilary and bring her back home. Or do they?!?

SO CUTE! It's like a younger, funnier, lighter Bloody Jack, with magic. And a talking, overwrought, romance-novel-obsessed gargoyle. Recommended if you like children's books and pirates, and/or if you're addicted to Katherine Kellgren. It's not as fantastic as the Bloody Jack series or the Incorrigible Children, but it's a nice way to pass the time while you're waiting for the next volume in those series. show less

After my last middle grade was such a terrible dud, I was a bit afraid to embark into these pirate-laden waters. What if I felt like they'd shivered the timbers of these books unfairly, robbing them of a better life for inferior content? Or stole away my precious time, better spent with other books? Thankfully, Caroline Carlson's pirates aren't such vicious fiends. They're quite honorable, as pirates go anyway, and entirely lovable. Magic Marks the Spot is pretty close to perfect for what I show more want from a light-hearted middle grade: humorous, populated by lively characters, and promoting the idea that both boys and girls are capable of the same sorts of things.

Before I even got to page one, Magic Marks the Spot had already made me smile and snort. See, before the page numbers even start counting, there are several pages of letters, which set the tone for the rest of the novel. In fact, letters, documents, and snippets of books are woven brilliantly throughout the novel, a technique often used, but rarely done to quite so enjoyable effect.

Hilary Westfield receives a letter congratulating her on her acceptance to the Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates' Piracy Apprenticeship Program and telling her that the program will change her from "a wide-eyed and innocent young man." Hilary writes back, informing them of her excitement and correcting them on a factual error: namely, she's a girl. The VNHLP writes back aghast and offended, forwarding her application on to Miss Pimm's Finishing School for Delicate Ladies, much to Hilary's disgust. In her final response to the VNHLP, she closes with this:

"I assure you that I will walk the plank a thousand times, into cold and shark-infested waters, before I will attend Miss Pimm's.

I remain,
Hilary Westfield
Really Quite Furious with You"

From that moment on, I was in love with this book and its characters. Hilary is a fantastically sassy girl who refuses to let anyone, be they parent, headmistress or pirate, tell her what her gender means she can and cannot do. Magic Marks the Spot is so girl-positive and anti-stereotypes. Pirates can be friendly, girls can be pirates, boys can sew without it doing them a lick of harm, governesses can be sassy, and old ladies can be badasses. These are excellent lessons for the intended age group, and are conveyed in a totally non-preachy way.

Though almost everyone she meets tells Hilary she cannot be a pirate because of her gender and social standing, she does not give up. She has a dream and will not let anyone stop her from getting there. Plus, she has a plucky gargoyle sidekick to help cheer her up when times get rough, like when she's forced to attend Mrs. Pimm's, which teaches courses like etiquette and fainting. Gargoyle is so completely precious, with his desire for ear scratches and dream of one day having a pirate hat.

Hilary's governess, introduced as a rather drab, formidable figure, turns out to be wholly delightful as well. As soon as she ceases being Hilary's governess, she's able to open up to Hilary and truly be a friend. Eloise Greyson is a wonderful human being, and I totally support the ship of her with the pirate captain Jasper, Terror of the Southlands. He's basically the most lovable pirate after Captain Shakespeare from Stardust. Oh, and Charlie, his first made is adorably awkward, and I am waiting for some super cute middle grade romance to happen later.

The one aspect that had me side-eyeing the book was how unaffected Hilary is to learn that her father is the bad guy. Yes, he's not been the most supportive parent ever, but she's sad for like five minutes and then is completely unaffected for the rest of the book. Admiral Westfield was not so terrible that a daughter wouldn't struggle to accept his villainy or be tempted to join up with him. Hilary's a strong girl, so I don't doubt that she would make the same choices, but I would have liked to see her feel more in response to what is a completely groundbreaking change for a child.

Magic Marks the Spot kept me grinning and laughing the whole way through. There's situational humor, sarcasm everywhere, and silly puns. Basically, it's perfection for me and other people who have the sense of humor of a ten year old, like, say, actual ten year olds. I see this being a huge hit with the intended audience, but it's a delight for an older reader as well. show less