Sebastian Darke: Prince of Pirates [Kindle Edition]

Philip Caveney (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

In Prince of Fools (2008), Sebastian Darke wanted to be a court jester, but just didn’t have the comedic chops. Here, he leaves the intrigue of court life behind for adventure abroad. Along with his faithful companions—a talking buffalope named Max and the half-pint-sized warrior Cornelius—Sebastian hits the high seas in search of a buried treasure. The witty banter of the three heroes often skews closer to petty bickering and is used excessively to pad the scanty plot. But all the right elements—monsters, curses, and treasure—are present in another good-spirited adventure with plenty of light drama. Grades 7-10. --Ian Chipman

Product Description

Sebastian Darke, his opinionated buffalope, Max, and the fierce fighter Cornelius are heading to the bustling port of Ramalat to embark on a perilous sea journey. They are ready to risk their lives in search of the fabled lost treasure of the pirate King, Captain Callinestra. But first, they must make it through the dark and mysterious forest of Geltane and
survive an encounter with the beautiful and bewitching Leonora, a powerful enchantress with a magical hold over Sebastian’s senses. And, as if that wasn’t bad enough, little do they know that, when they finally reach Ramalat, a feisty female sea captain, an infamous young pirate, ravenous sea creatures, and furious sea battles await them.

But there’s no turning back. Will they discover the lost treasure? Will Sebastian live to tell the tale? Will Max ever stop moaning?

Philip Caveney has written many novels for adults. This is his second book for young adults. He lives in England.


From the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Format: Kindle Edition
• File Size: 1851 KB
• Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers; 1 edition (April 14, 2009)
• Sold by: Random House Digital, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B00256Z3IQ
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #374,592 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
  • #92 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Fiction > Children's Fiction > Historical Fiction > Medieval

More About the Author

I was born in North Wales in 1951. My first novel The Sins Of Rachel Ellis was published in 1977 and through the 80's and 90's, I published a series of thrillers for Headline Publishing, including Speak No Evil, Skin Flicks and 1999. These books will be available on kindle in 2012.

In 2007 my first children's novel, Sebastian Darke: Prince Of Fools was published and went on to be published in 20 countries around the world. There have since been two more Sebastian Darke books - Prince Of Pirates and Prince Of Explorers. I also published three stories in the Alec Devlin series - Eye Of The Serpent, Empire Of The Skull and Maze Of Death. They tell the exciting (and sometimes terrifying) adventures of a 15 year old archaeologist.

Most recently I have published Night On Terror Island, the first adventure in my Movie Maniacs series. This book relates the story of a very strange cinema, where the new projectionist, Mr Lazarus, really can put you in the movies!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An thrilling tale about pirates, monsters, and treasures beyond your imagination, January 2, 2010

By 

Diana Dang (Ontario, Canada) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Sebastian Darke: Prince of Pirates (Hardcover)

After a heroic act of taking down the evil King Septimus, Sebastian Darke is back! With his long-time buddy, Max the Buffalope, and the short (but mighty) warrior Cornelius. They are off to another grand adventure! And this time, out into the sea!

After being saved from a monster by a man named Adam, the trio is told that his sister, Leonora, knew that they were in danger. But these siblings have an agenda of their own. They are out to get the treasure that Sebastian and his friends are trying to find!

Attempting to escape from their pursuers, Sebastian and the gang hires a ship to find their way to the mysterious island that holds Captain Callinestra's world fortune. With fierce pirates, a long-lost loot, and mythical creatures, you should prepare for another fantastic quest with Sebastian Darke!

After reading the Prince of Fools, I knew I had to one day get my hands on the sequel. And I was not disappointed as Caveney delivered a non-stop and fun action story with enthusiastic characters, new and old!

The plot kept me hooked and I continued flipping the pages, dying to know what happened to the characters next. When you think things are going to be okay, another problem jumps out! You will be sitting there, biting your nails as you pray for the characters' safety.

I pitied Sebastian throughout this novel because he fell under an enchantment where he would only think of the evil Leonora. On his journey, he made acquaintances with the pretty female captain pirate, Jenna. I think she is pretty cool and I do hope she makes an appearance again in the next novel but for some reason I doubt so. Sebastian slowly but surely grew up some more after encountering plenty of obstacles in this expedition since the Prince of Fools. He is an odd character to have a story evolve around because of his personality and situation but I love how different he is compared to most male leads.

What I adore the most about the novel is how everything is like a classic hero story for kids. You have the protagonist with his steed and best man, going through deadly challenges to get to the treasure that was lost for hundreds of years. Except it is a read for teens instead of the youngsters.

I definitely recommend the Sebastian Darke series if you have not read it yet! It gives you a break from the usual supernatural/fantasy stuff that you generally find in YA fiction. I'm anxious for the third installment!

Read more of my reviews at: Stop, Drop, and Read! - [...]