Customer Reviews

Peter and the Sword of Mercy (Never Land Adventure)

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I loved, loved, loved this book! I was so excited that the authors had gone ahead and written a part 4, and it was in no way a disappointment. The adventure was uniquely different from the other books in the series, and there was lots of action and many sinister characters. Thanks for another wonderful book!

All is good in Neverland. So good, in fact, that Peter never expects to leave the wonderful island where he and the Mollusks reside. Most of the Starcatchers are old or have passed on, and the stardust that remains is well hidden from the rest of the world. Peter, Tink and the band of ever-young Lost Boys could not ask for a better situation. However, there is the presence of the infamous Captain Hook. Hook is stranded on the island with a few of his men, but he is sure to stay away from that "wretched flying boy." They live a kind of peaceful co-existence. But as new developments arise, that all is about to change.

In London, Queen Victoria's long reign has ended with her passing. Now her son, Edward, is the natural heir to the crown. But things do not go smoothly as the new king seems to be under some kind of spell. Forces are at work to keep him under the power of an evil band of men, led by the powerful Ombra, aka Von Schatten, a group that consists of the ferocious man/creature known only as the Skeleton:

"...his face, which was as hideously scarred as his hand, the shiny purplish skin drawn tight to the skull, hairless except for a few random tufts. A lone yellow eye glared from a deep socket; where the other eye would have been was only a hole. There was no nose; the mouth was a lipless cavern that could not fully close and thus revealed jagged teeth in a permanent mirthless grin."

This ruthless group is determined to get the tip of Curtana, which is Charlemagne's famous "Sword of Mercy." It is the Sword of Mercy that will give them the key to unlocking the chest that hides Stardust, the magical ingredient that grants immortality, youth and, of course, wealth.

While the Royal Family lies in peril, there are also strange happenings in the London Underground. People are disappearing, and James Smith -- once one of the Lost Boys himself -- has reason to believe that there is a conspiracy afoot. He stops one evening to visit with Molly and express his concerns, but too soon both James and Molly disappear. Now Wendy, Molly's 11-year-old daughter, is determined to locate her mother; to do that, she must first find Peter Pan. She has overheard enough of the conversation between her mother and James to know that only Starcatchers will understand the importance of this situation.

Thus begins one of Peter's most dangerous adventures ever.

Many familiar characters appear in this wonderful book: Wendy's Uncle Neville, a scientist and inventor of the Ornithopter, a flying machine that helps Wendy get to Neverland; Ammm, the porpoise leader (thank goodness Wendy speaks Porpoise); Lord Aster, Wendy's amazing grandfather; Shinning Pearl and Fighting Prawn, daughter and leader, respectively, of the Mollusk tribe; and, of course, the frighteningly determined Mr. Grin, the crocodile who mercilessly pursues Captain Hook.

In addition, some fun new personalities are introduced: Magill and his big bear, Karl; Patrick Hunt, a historian and specialist on the Sword of Mercy; Scarlet Johns, who, under the power of Von Schatten, works with the evil side; and the sniveling Simon Revile, traitor and servant of Von Schatten.

Between sinking ships, stardust, pirates, chomping crocodiles, sharp-toothed mermaids, ghosts, unexpected betrayals, and, yes, even some deaths, Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson continue with the high-quality, always exciting adventures of Peter, Tink and friends. When you're finished with this one, you'll be even more anxious for the next installment in this terrific series. James M. Barrie, the original author of PETER PAN so long ago, would be delighted.

--- Reviewed by Sally M. Tibbetts

My son and I are arguing and fighting over rights to keep on reading, and we're only on page 150. It is an excellent addition to the series and one I know we will enjoy again and again. Do yourself a favor and read all of these in order. If the length seems intimidating, the CD's read by Jim Dale are a treat not to be missed. Appropriate for 6 and up, but nothing inappropriate, only some implied scariness and bad guys.

Alright--edited now long after reading--we have since read the book and listened to the audio 2 times through. Enthralls all ages of normally active and excited kids every time we open it up/turn it on. Don't miss!

Like the rest of the Starcatchers books this one was great! Although while the other books were more of a prequel to Barrie's Original Peter Pan, this one took a totally different direction. Peter meets and has adventures with Wendy Darling. ANd this Peter isn't as courageous as the original peter pan. But Tinkerbell is way funnier!

My son, who has a PhD in mathematics, introduced me to this series; I was initially skeptical about reading another book about Peter Pan, after all, what more could be said I thought. I read the book as a child, and had seen the animated movie so what could possibly be left to write about?

Was I ever wrong about that notion, I was captivated by "Peter and the Starcatchers" and became a devoted fan of this series! What a fun trip to read of Peter's beginning and an explanation of how he became the boy who would never grow up as ably and entertainingly penned by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson. The incredibly fertile imaginations of these writers seemed to really blossom as they decided to fill in the details that get us to the point where J. M. Barrie takes up the narrative.

I have had the joy and pleasure of reading "Peter and the Starcatchers," "Peter and the Shadow Thieves," "Peter and the Secret of Rundoon," and now "Peter and the Sword of Mercy." All four books have been a delightful romp through sometimes humorous, yet sometimes threatening, action filled adventures as the reader follows the story of Peter and his friends. Some of the imaginative villains in these books make Captain Hook seem like a "not so bad" kind of guy.

I was definitely amused as I read the suggested age range for these books, 9-12; there is no question in my mind that children in that age range who enjoy reading a good adventure should certainly enjoy all of the books in the series. The truth of the matter, at least in my experience, is that readers of almost any age who enjoy a well written adventure story will have fun reading these books not only once but more than once.

I am truly pleased to have read them and have them available to read again. I can recommend them highly to anyone whose inner child has not shriveled and died.

My children and I really enjoyed the original trilogy. This is a wonderful addition to the story. Just as well done as the first books.

we love this series...
dear lovers of Peter Pan,
... and this one is just as much fun to read as the previous books. It is twenty years since the events in the previous book and Molly is now grown up (and Peter, of course, is not) and now mother to Wendy, John and Michael. The dark forces are once again trying to get a hold of the starstuff and the adventure to stop them evolves from there. A real delight.
kyela,
the silver elves

This is a great addition to the Starcatcher series, because it introduces a historical aspect on account of the Great Charlemagne. The book is also fantastic in plot trajectory, bringing back the old characters to add suspense and promise to story. Again Gregory Call introduces nice illustrations that re-captivate the imagination for our younger readers. I recommend reading all of the other books before diving into this one, because of the use of flashbacks referencing previous engagements with villains and heroes alike. The only aspect of the story that I didn't really like was the unexplained parts the beckoned for answers but never quite achieve in answering. Hopefully Dave and Ridley conjure another episode to retrace the rise of the Others and their new powers.

Fourth in the Peter and the Starcatchers fantasy adventures series for children loosely based on J. M. Barrie's Peter Pan: The Original Story

My Take
This was great fun to read as we dipped further into the original Peter Pan`s characters with Wendy, John, and Michael Darling although it's really only Wendy who plays an active part.

Some proofreader messed up. Fighting Prawn is suggesting that since the castaways have done such a good job helping the Lost Boys fix up their hut that they would be ideal to help fix De Vliegen which would get them and the pirates off Never Land but when they do raise up the ship, it's just the pirates and the Mollusks doing the work without any expectation of the castaways helping.

The ending activities tie in very well with the cache found in Bridge to Never Land.

The Story
It's 1902 in London and the palace is busily preparing for Crown Prince Albert Edward's coronation. But James believes that Ombra is back and that His Royal Highness is in danger. Believing that the police have been corrupted, he decides to seek out Molly and George. Having been involved in the earlier danger from Ombra, James is sure they will help so it's a tremendous setback when Molly refuses to help. She won't even allow him to talk to George.

Still, when James disappears after promising to visit the next day, it is enough to concern Molly and find her searching for her own answers. Too bad she didn't take James' warning as seriously as she should. For Molly Darling disappears. Fortunately, she did tell her daughter Wendy the tale and give her the locket she has worn all these years. Yet none of this helps when her father returns home and she tells him of the policeman she believes colluded in her mother's kidnapping. George is so desperate to not believe that he does contact the police and eventually accuses them of not being serious about finding Mrs. Darling. It's enough to find George in a spot of trouble.

The Darlings are lucky in their oldest child for Wendy is determined to find help and she displays the same adventurous spirit as her mother when she manages to gain Peter's help.

The Characters
Wendy Darling is the heroine we focus on in this story. Her brothers John and Michael simply perpetuate the attachment to Barrie's original story. Their parents are George and Molly Darling (the former Mary Aster of the first three stories in the series; George first showed up in Peter and the Secret of Rundoon (Starcatchers, 3)). George is heavily into denial while Molly doesn't want to upset George. Uncle Neville Plonk-Fenster is a magistrate in Cambridgeshire with a passion for inventing.

Lord Leonard Aster is ill and dying; Mrs. Bumbrake has become his housekeeper and knows all about the starcatchers. Magill is Lord Aster's backup at the Scotland Landing along with Karl the bear and they come in quite handy for their bit of b-and-e and tunnel exploration.

James Smith, one of the original Lost Boys, is all grown up now and working as a policeman. Actually, he's working undercover at the palace where he greatly fears that Lord Ombra is back! Ted is now a professor at Cambridge, Dr. Theodore Pratt. Patrick Hunt is a history fellow at Cambridge with Ted and an expert on the Sword of Mercy. A very handy man to have around.

Peter Pan is kept quite busy traveling and fighting both the enemy and his own cowardice. The current crop of Lost Boys: Slightly, Nibs, Curly, Tootles, Shining Pearl, and Little Scallop have their own adventures in Never Land getting kidnapped and fighting off the castaways. Fighting Prawn is still chief of the Mollusk Indians with his son Bold Abalone playing a fast role. Mister Grin also runs through as part of another's plot. Captain Hook, Smee, and his men are so anxious to get off the island that they readily agree to participate with the Mollusks and the castaways in raising their sunken ship although Hook does not endear himself to his crew as the voyage goes along and mutiny threatens. Ammm the porpoise who helped Molly so well is still alive and well.

Lord Ombra is back and possessing Baron Von Schatten`s body. Seems the baron was intrepid enough to descend into the exploded temple in Rundoon where he re-emerged a changed man. Simon Revile--such a descriptive name!--is his second-in-command. There is a crew of four out scouring Europe for the missing tip of Curtana: Skeleton, a truly hideous man with an even more hideous power, Scarlet Johns, and two others. Another crew--the castaways--is quietly invading Never Land to search out their cache of starstuff and includes Cheeky O'Neal as the leader with Frederick DeWulf, Angus McPherson, and Rufus Kelly. No-nose Nerezza captains their ship.

The Cover
The cover is quite frightening with a scene from the flying three-car train in the battle with Ombra's minions depicted as monsters while Wendy opens the chest of starstuff at them and Peter and Tink look on. It could be that they're looking monstrous because, being human, direct exposure to starstuff will kill them.

Truly, it is a beautifully detailed cover with lots of holographic, iridescent effects for the title and the author's name, the border on the sides and the bottom of the cover, and, particularly, the stars in Tink's flight contrail and when the starstuff flares out from the trunk.

The title is quite matter-of-fact as the entire story is about the necessity of finding the Sword of Mercy, a quite ancient artifact.

Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson teamed up again for this fourth installment in their series of Peter Pan prequels. Peter and the Sword of Mercy begins more than 20 years after Peter and the Secret of Rundoon ended.

Molly has married George Darling and has three children: Wendy, Michael, and John whom she has told stories to about her past adventures with Peter, the Lost Boys, Captain Hook, and the other inhabitants of Neverland.

This adventure begins when James, a former Lost Boy, arrives at the Darling house and tells Molly that he suspects the shadow creatures are now controlling Prince Albert Edward, the heir to England's throne. He believes that they're using him to gain access to one of the last known caches of starstuff (pixie dust in the cartoon). Molly begins to investigate what's going on, but she quickly goes missing and this time, it's Wendy that must come to the rescue. She has to somehow find a way to get to Neverland to enlist the help of Peter.

These books are great. They're written for young adults but their appeal is much broader than that. Barry and Pearson provide the perfect combination of talents to take the characters created by J. M. Barrie and give them a whole new life. The next book in the series comes out in just a few days.