Synopsis: Thirteen-year-old Prince Noa has hated the ocean since the day it caused his mother’s death. But staying away from the sea isn’t easy on his tropical island home where he’s stuck trying to keep up with his dim-witted and overconfident younger brother Dagan–the brawn to Noa’s brains. When a vengeful pirate lays siege to their home, Noa and Dagan narrowly escape with their lives. Armed with a stolen ship, a haphazardly assembled crew, and a magical map that makes as much sense as slugs in a salt bath, the brothers set sail for the realm’s other kingdoms in search of help. But navigating the sea proves deadlier than Noa’s worst fears. To free his home, Noa must solve the map’s confusing charts and confront the legendary one-eyed pirate before an evil force spreads across the realm and destroys the very people Noa means to protect.
Release Date: 27th April 2021
Format Read: Ebook
Genres: Middle Grade, Mythology, Adventure, Friendship, Fantasy, Pirates
Pages: 352
Thank you so much to Jolly Fish Press and Netgalley for the earc to read and review.
Review: When Noa’s kingdom is under attack by another king it’s all up to him to use the magical map his father gave him and rescue his kingdom. With his brother and a team full of kids from his school they set sail together in the treacherous magical seas.
I have to be honest I didn’t know if I was going to enjoy this book at all, but it was such a thrill and adventure, so many unique beings mentioned and mysterious characters and a deep rooted mystery to solve that honestly I failed at solving miserably.
I had one small issue with the story and that was that Alya didn’t board the ship, I wanted her to be on it so badly and see how her and Noa would have dealt with being together in close quarters and together constantly. Plus we needed a few females on the ship seriously it’s important to show that girls can steer a ship just as any boy can. I was happy when we did eventually get females aboard but would have been nice to have had that included from the start.
This story was one that seriously threw me through a loop, what a bumpy journey they ended up being part of and all the lost history that Noa was having to solve during the trip. As I was reading I found myself making theories as to who the Death King was, what was really going on with the kingdoms, who was the bad guy really and what was going to happen. I couldn’t have guessed further from what actually happened and that made this story incredible to me, a complete shocker and twist and it was so thrilling to be wrong and learning the truth.
I loved exploring the mythology of the story, getting introduced to the kingdoms, meeting with the pirates and the uniquely created mythical beings of the seas. I liked that as the story progresses Noa starts to mature enough and starts acting as though he’s next in line to be a king.
It’s such an action packed story, such a fun read, I found it had elements from so many classic children’s stories all mixed up into the one book with its very own unique take on each one. I would recommend this book to any child that likes an adventure and escape, they’ll love being sunken into this book.
Where to Buy: Amazon UK, Amazon USA, JollyFish Press, Wordery, Book Depository
About Author: Melissa Hope earned her degree in English and is passionate about sharing her knowledge to help writers improve their craft and connect with the writing community. She escaped the frostbite normalcy of Canadian winters to live in Florida with her family, bipolar cat, and growing collection of scuba gear. Visit her website www.authormelissahope.com to watch free writing tutorials.
apapergirlapapertown 