Reviewed by Amber (The Literary Phoenix) on
Fidelia is not quite prepared for an adventure right now.
Her parents were just hopelessly drowned in the Undertow all because she told them the storm was far off. She's mourning for goodness sake and her whole future hangs in balance. EVERYTHING is changing.
This is a super, super bad time for her to be abducted by pirates.
Unfortunately for Fidelia, this is one of those instances where her opinion doesn't matter very much, so kidnapped she is and bundled aboard the Jewel to sail with fearsome Captain Merrick the Monstrous and his crew of miscreants. Her task? Retrieve Merrick's treasure from the bottom of the sea. If she fails, she'll walk the plank.
I would have LOVED this story as a kid.
It's a long one, over 400 pages, but it moves quickly. There's flashbacks of both Fidelia's experiences and Merrick's, and just enough scientific explanation for make it interesting BUT not too much that the story gets confusing or riddled with facts. To be honest, it doesn't feel like there's much scientific basis for Fidelia's experiments (which is probably why the author doesn't deeply explain their mechanics) but a little suspension of disbelief, and it's excellent.
Also... PIRATES. There are not enough pirate books. These pirates are likable, and the bloodshed is minimal. There is death and dying though so that may be something to know. No gruesome bloody pirate deaths, mostly "disappearances," so the gore is really a non-issue.
I believe there will be illustrations in the finished version? I had placeholders, so I expect pretty science-related diagrams will make it to the final version.
Overall I liked it.
I thought this was a fun novel, fast-moving, and sure to capture the attention of a younger audience.
I would rate this as a must-read for MG readers who like adventure stories.
Reading updates
- Started reading
- 29 September, 2017: Finished reading
- 29 September, 2017: Reviewed