Vampirates 3: Blood Captain [Hardcover]

Justin Somper (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2008 | Grade Level: 3 and up | Series: Vampirates (Book 3)

As fans of the Vampirates series know, nothing is quite as it seems when Vampirates and pirates are involved, so twins Connor and Grace have to keep up their guards. But with every new challenge pulling them farther apart, it seems that the time has finally come for the twins to explore their separate fates.

Grace, unable to forget the blindness she caused her Vampirate friend Lorcan, chooses to journey with him to see if his sight can be restored. As for Connor, he must endure the latest addition to the Diablo crew: Captain Wrathe's awful nephew, who seems to dislike him from the very start. Will both twins find success, and what will it take to bring them back together?

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Justin Somper has been writing stories and scripts for as long as he can remember. He worked in the editorial and marketing departments of various UK children's publishers before establishing his own children's creative consultancy, where his clients include the Roald Dahl Literary Estate and a number of major UK publishers. Justin took swordfighting classes to help him write the fight scenes in Vampirates.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 576 pages
• Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (April 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316020850
• ISBN-13: 978-0316020855
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 2 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #908,330 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Justin Somper is an exciting creative talent in children's book publishing. Beginning his career as a writer/editor for Usborne, he joined Puffin Books as a publicist in 1992 and moved to Random House as Children's Publicity Director in 1996. In 1998, Justin broke free to become one of the UK's first specialist children's book publicists. He has since worked with Anthony Horowitz, Louise Rennison, the Roald Dahl literary estate and the Narnia literary estate amongst others.

Now, Justin has made the transition from leading book publicist to bestselling author with the Vampirates sequence. The first title, Vampirates: Demons of the Ocean debuted in 2005. Justin was dubbed "The Next Big Thing" by Sunday Times Magazine while, in Waterstone's "Harry Potter Report", the chain's buyers selected Demons of the Ocean as their top recommendation for fans of Harry Potter. The Sunday Times said Vampirates "promises to be an addictive series". The Evening Standard welcomed "a vivid and bloodthirsty debut", whilst The Times acclaimed "a clever combination of two genres that could make it as popular as Pirates of the Caribbean".

With Demons of the Ocean, Justin won the Birmingham KS3 "Explores" Book Award and the Solihull Children's Book Award. He was runner-up in the North East Children's Book Award and short-listed for the prestigious Red House Children's Book Award. Justin's work has also won praise from fellow children's book authors including Darren Shan who calls it, "An intriguing mix of piracy and vampirism. Justin Somper has brought new terrors to the blood-drenched seas - bravo!!!"

The Sequel
Vampirates: Tide of Terror was published in the UK in August 2006. It was book of the month for the Daily Telegraph's Family Book Club (with a rave review from Carol Thatcher - "I was swept along by the story... entertaining, relevant, interesting and thoroughly commendable") and Blue Peter Book of the Month. Tide of Terror instantly became a top 20 children's books bestseller.

In 2006, Justin made debut appearances at the Hay Festival of Literature, the Edinburgh International Book Festival and the Cheltenham Festival of Literature, as well as visiting schools and libraries throughout the UK. Particular highlights included an event on the deck of the Cutty Sark and a very enjoyable return to his old primary school in Hatfield.

Vampirates goes Global
2006 saw the release of many of the international editions of Vampirates growing the global phenomenon. The US edition of Demons of the Ocean published in October 2006 and has garnered strong reviews. "This fantastic tale will find many fans," said School Library Journal. The Spanish edition of Vampiratas: Demonios Del Oceano has sold over 30,000 hardback copies and already been reprinted five times. Vampirates has been promoted on the Warsaw metro and in Brazilian cinemas. The Vampirates books are now available in 23 territories wordwide.

World Book Day
In 2007 the Vampirates reached new heights as Justin was invited to write a "£1 book" to mark the 10th World Book Day in March. Vampirates: Dead Deep achieved number 7 in the children's books bestseller lists and number 11 in general bestsellers.

Blue Peter Star Author
In March the same year, Justin was asked by Blue Peter to be the show's first online "Star Author". For this, he wrote a weekly blog on the Blue Peter site for 20 weeks from March to June. During July and August 2007, Justin embarked on his first foreign author tour - in Australia, meeting fans in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth. On his return to the UK he appeared again at the Edinburgh International Book Festival, the Bath Children's Book Festival and the Windsor Children's Book Festival.

"Just read it"
The much anticipated fourth Vampirates novel, Black Heart was published in March 2009. It was widely praised.

"Readers who like their fiction fast, funny and a little gory will lap up Vampirates." The Irish Independent

"Page-turning, award-winning, genre-busting fiction." The Daily Telegraph

What's next?
The fifth book in the Vampirates sequence, Empire of Night will be published in March 2010 in the UK and in August 2010 in the USA. To mark the publication Justin will be touring in the UK in March and USA in September 2010.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 3rd in the Vampirates Series, December 17, 2008

By 

SciFiChick "The SciFiChick" (Fishers, IN USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Vampirates 3: Blood Captain (Hardcover)

Picking up where the previous novel left off, Connor has rejoined the Diablo crew and Grace went back to the Vampirate ship. When Connor meets Captain Wrathe's nephew, it seems that Moonshine already knows Connor and holds a grudge against him for some reason. And Grace travels to a vampire Sanctuary to get help for Lorcan who has been scarred physically and emotionally. But when an old friend returns, who was thought dead, it will affect both of the twins and have an even bigger impact on the Vampirates and those at the Sanctuary.

Connor's future seems bright on the Diablo. But when Captain Wrathe decides to plan a dangerous raid with his brother's crew, Connor is put in a uncomfortable position. Meanwhile, at the Sanctuary, Grace has several adventures of her own while trying to assist with Lorcan's healing. And Grace learns Lorcan has a secret that involves her past. Things come to a climactic end when a dangerous enemy returns, and people who were trusted are revealed to be traitors.

Connor's character goes through even more trials in this story. And he's forced to do a lot of soul searching. While Grace is faced with ten times the danger, since she's surrounded by vampires, and strangers at that. She seems a bit more naïve than usual, and acts a bit stupidly at times. This is strange behavior for the "smart" twin. But of course, her actions lead to more suspense, like in any good horror movie. And with such a climactic ending, readers (like me) will be waiting impatiently for the next installment.

This is by far the best in the series. The amount of suspense and danger more than doubled. The evil characters seem more evil. And no one seems safe. Not even the Vampirate Captain.

This is a fantastic series for youth and adults alike. With loads of swashbuckling adventure, blood-thirsty vampires, and creepy suspense. If you haven't been reading Vampirates, get on board!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great addition, January 23, 2011

By 

Elizabeth "Swords for Fighting" (CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Vampirates 3: Blood Captain (Hardcover)

It seems like each book in the Vampirates series gets better and better! I loved Blood Captain, the third installment in the series, more than the first two. I must admit that I enjoy Grace's story so much more than Connor's. Even though they are twins, the paths that they have chosen are so completely different. Connor has his pirate dreams while Grace feels right at home on the Vampirate ship. I find Grace's interaction and relationships with the vampires so interesting. My favorite parts in the book are when Grace and Lorcan are involved. Their relationship is intriguing, and I cannot wait to see where it goes in the next book.

One thing I am curious about is Connor, Bart and Jez's lost weekend. It is hinted that they had a pretty wild experience one weekend that they were off pirate duties. I really want to know what happened! I wish it was explained in the book, but it is not. I hope it will be explained in a future book.

As with the other books, the ending was a cliffhanger. It was a quick read full of adventure, drama, suspense, and action. Needless to say, I wanted to start the next book as soon as I finished.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A 5-star addition to a good sci-fi series, April 24, 2008

By 

Armchair Interviews (Minneapolis, MN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Vampirates 3: Blood Captain (Hardcover)

Vampirates: Blood Captain by Justin Somper is the third book in this series that mixes vampires and pirates in a heady romp through a world of rising oceans, treasure and mystery. Be warned, when you have read this book you will immediately want to find copies of the previous two books so you can read more about the characters.

In this installment, Connor Tempest and his twin sister Grace are pursuing separate paths, exploring their place in the world. Connor continues cutting a swath in the pirate world. He meets Molucco's brother, Barbarro, and his son, Moonshine, who takes an immediate dislike to Connor. The boys are thrown together as Molucco and Barbarro plan a daring raid.

Grace travels with a blind vampire to a mysterious Sanctuary to learn if Lorcan's blindness can be healed. In the Sanctuary she begins to learn healing from Mosh Zu, a vampire guru, but all is not as it seems. She finds both friendship and betrayal as she learns new skills.

The characters in Blood Pirate are well rounded, believable, and likable. As I read a chapter about Grace, I would be wondering what was happening to Connor. The alternating chapters became a device to keep the reader's interest, and Somper doesn't stick slavishly to them. The other people who populate the book are given the same careful treatment. Some were introduced in earlier books and some are new to this one, but each one is crafted with the care and attention to detail that run through the book. Yet the book is more than just character, it is a wild ride through a fascinating world.

Justin Romper is working on the fourth book of the series. Read this one, and you too will be waiting impatiently for its release.

Armchair Interviews says: Good sci-fi!