Customer Reviews

Pirate Wars (Wave Walkers)

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

 

 

I rushed right out to the store the day this was released, I couldn't wait to read this last installment. The first two books in this very creative trilogy had had me riveted and enthralled. This finale is not bad, but not fabulous and I think on the whole I was disappointed. The entire book is one long battle. It picks up immediately after the ending of the second book, and could not be read as a stand alone in any way. If you tried to you would not understand a thing. The battle for Alenium to defeat the Maelstrom is a roller-coaster ride of adventure, battles under the ocean, battles on the ocean, battles over the ocean and the battle in the city itself. Switching constantly from one aspect of the battle to the another, from one of the many characters to another quickly, the story just seems to never end and goes on an on and leaves you a bit impatient to just have it over with. Although the action is there and the magic too, it lacked the plot substance and deep character development that I felt made the first two books more wonderful. I actually too thought in some sections, the story was wobbly and was starting to not make sense. I loved the flying manta rays and the very cool seahorses, Jaconius the whale and the return of the magic mussels, but I did not like the rather dumb twist of what the author did with the Hexhermetic Worm. If you take the three books as a whole, as one story, then this gets high marks and rave reviews. This is a story that is different and extremely well written, with fantasy features that are very creative. But as a stand alone story this lacks quite a bit. I highly recommend then to take all three books and read them one after another quickly to get a better feel for the whole image of the story Meyer creates. I didnt hate this book, but I cant say I loved it either.

In the midst of the sparkling sunlight, warm waters and persevering pirates of the Caribbean, an evil force called the Maelstrom grows stronger in preparation for taking over the world. The only people who can stop it are 14-year-olds Jolly and Munk. Two young men battling against an inevitable evil force does not appear like fair odds, but Jolly and Munk are not an average pair of teens --- they are polliwogs. Touched by a ribbon of magic, Jolly and Munk possess amazing talents, one of which is the ability to walk on water.

The first two books in this series explain how Jolly is raised and trained by a pirate named Captain Bannon; she loves her life on the sea and being a pirate. However, in one horrific skirmish, a horde of venomous spiders attacks her entire adopted family, and she barely escapes with her life.

Munk's story starts out on a lonely plantation island with only his parents and a handful of ghost laborers for company. Jolly washes ashore after escaping the spider attack, and they quickly learn of each other's abilities. However, one of the Maelstrom's monstrous soldiers follows Jolly to Munk's island and murders his parents.

Jolly and Munk soon meet up with an odd assortment of cronies, including a princess, a dog-faced man, the Ghost Trader, a young fellow named Griffin, and a poetic worm, among others. Together, they join forces in the fight to protect the world from the evil Maelstrom. They travel to the floating coral island called Aelenium, where they begin learning more about their special abilities, which include magic and breathing underwater. These talents will help them in their inevitable fight against the Maelstrom that has now arrived.

In PIRATE WARS, the band of friends split into separate groups to begin the defense against their beloved Aelenium and their very lives. Jolly and Munk drop down to the depths of the ocean floor to creep up on the base of the growing Maelstrom. They know they are the key to victory, yet they aren't quite sure how to go about their impossible task. On their journey, they encounter a ghost-like girl named Aina, who turns out to be one of the original polliwogs from way back when. She agrees to help them, yet Jolly mistrusts her. Will this ancient polliwog be the secret to victory, or their greatest enemy?

Meanwhile, the rest of the gang tackles the daunting task of defending their coral city from the Maelstrom's army of kobalins. Princess Soledad dons diving gear and joins the soldiers below the surface of the ocean to protect the anchor chain holding the floating city. Griffon returns from the sea with new allies, including a giant whale named Jasconius. Then he climbs on the back of a giant flying ray to join the battle from the sky, while Walker and the dog-faced man become involved in the fight on the ground.

The poetic worm is out of commission for a while when he decides to form a cocoon during the chaos. However, the results of his pupa are not only shocking, but also incredibly helpful in the desperate struggle. And, as if fighting the kobalins weren't enough of a challenge, the cannibal king and his army decide to wage their own war on the city while her defenses are down. The heroes only need to hold out until Jolly and Munk can finish off the Maelstrom, but they are fading fast and the future isn't looking bright for the good guys. However, none of them refuse to give up; they will fight with every ounce of strength and heart until the end.

Kai Meyer has delivered yet another exciting adventure with the third installment of The Wave Walkers. This talented author has an amazing writing style in which he never wastes a word; every inch of space is crammed with fast-paced action and vivid imagery. Meyer's imagination goes wild, creating the surprising and the unexpected from beginning to end, while the storyline feeds on itself, producing page after page of excitement. And he throws in a dash of humor in just the right places. Fans will be thrilled with PIRATE WARS and eagerly awaiting his next gift to writing.

Bought these for my 13 year old son and he liked the first one (Pirate Curse) the best, the second one (Pirate Emperor) was still pretty good, but "was confusing in the way it linked from the first book to the second book." The third book (Pirate Wars) was better than the second book in its storyline, but "the setting and many details were just plain out there." Overall, he would recommend them, but they were not his favorite series.

'Pirate Wars' drifts far too much from the first two books of the trilogy. Literally everything related to piracy ended in the second book. This book is all about magic, gods, and the Maelstrom. The plotline tries to confuse you and keep you interested, but it just makes it look like Meyer is making it up as he goes along.
All the previous personality structures of many characters are completely destroyed and rebuilt for no apparent reason. In addition, little to no attention is paid to Walker, Buenaventure, and Soledad, the only real pirates in the book. And when they do appear, Meyer focuses on Walker and Soledad's sudden infatuation with each other. There is no sign left of the daring and proud individuals who have been replaced with these romantic strangers.
Frankly, this book was a disappointment centered around a confusing plotline filled with mussel magic and romance. If that's what you want from these books, have fun.
But, because of Meyer's incredible imagination, this book doesn't let you put it down until the very last page. It seems as though he just went all out and let his creative brain explode onto the pages, which is always intriguing, but in this case leaves you tired and waiting for a magical army of unicorns to appear out of nowhere.