Pirates of Darksea

One night, 11-year-old Max finds a parrot trying to deliver a letter to his older brother Christopher. But Christopher is in hospital, where he’s been very ill for several months.

The letter is from Captain O’Malley, inviting Christopher onto the Stolen Sunrise. The pirate ship only appears when the full moon hangs low over Galway Bay – and it hails from Darksea, a magical kingdom deep in the heart of the Atlantic Ocean. Max hopes that if he answers the letter instead, he can bring back some magic to cure Christopher. 

Once aboard the pirate ship, he’s confronted with a Pirate Queen and a problem. There is a dark monster gobbling up the beautiful islands of Darksea, and Captain O’Malley needs a certain sword. They make a bargain: if Max helps the Captain acquire the sword, he can take some magic for his brother. And so begins a rip-roaring adventure, full of peril and heart-stopping moments, with huge heart too. 

Catherine Doyle is an accomplished writer, and here she creates brilliant, memorable characters, not least Squawk the rather selfish parrot. The theme of illness in the family is dealt with sensitively, while there’s plenty of humour and pace to keep readers turning the pages. Absolutely fantastic.