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The Jupiter Pirates: Hunt for the Hydra (Jupiter Pirates, 1) Hardcover – December 23, 2013

by Jason Fry (Author)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 51 ratings
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Treasure Island meets Battlestar Galactica in book one of the swashbuckling sci-fi adventure series SLJ called "space opera in the classic style" in a starred review, from New York Times bestselling author Jason Fry.

The relationship between Tycho Hashoone, his twin sister, Yana, and their older brother, Carlo, isn't your average sibling rivalry. They might be crew members together aboard the Shadow Comet, but only one of them can be the next ship captain. So when the Hashoones find themselves in the midst of a dangerous conspiracy—one that will pit them against space pirates, Earth diplomats, and even treachery from within the family—each sibling is desperate to prove his or her worth. The only trouble is, if they don't work together, none of them may make it out alive.

Perfect for fans of fantasy adventures like Ranger's Apprentice and such space-age epics as Star Wars, The Jupiter Pirates: Hunt for the Hydra is a wholly original saga about a galaxy on the brink of war and one unforgettable family caught in the cross fire.

Don't miss the action-packed sequel, Curse of the Iris.

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  1. Reading age
    8 - 12 years
  2. Book 1 of 3
    Jupiter Pirates
  3. Print length
    256 pages
  4. Language
    English
  5. Grade level
    3 - 7
  6. Lexile measure
    860L
  7. Dimensions
    5.5 x 0.89 x 8.25 inches
  8. Publisher
    HarperCollins
  9. Publication date
    December 23, 2013
  10. ISBN-10
    0062230204
  11. ISBN-13
    978-0062230201
  12. See all details
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The Amazon Book Review
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Life on the starship Shadow Comet is never dull. As privateers for the Jovian Union, the Hashoone family makes its living by seizing the cargos of enemy ships. After discovering a suspicious passenger aboard a captured ship, the Jovian Union enlists the Comet and her crew to help the government stop a cleverly disguised plot against the Jovian people. Captained by their mother, the three Hashoone children are in constant competition to one day win command of the Comet,and their dynamic is fun to watch as they balance their roles in the family with their roles as crew members. Battle tactics feature prominently in the narrative, providing a close look at the strategy behind the story’s action. Ship schematics and a glossary are also included to make readers feel at home. The first title in the Jupiter Pirates series mixes old-fashioned swashbuckling with laser cannons and politics, resulting in an exciting read with a dash of intrigue—think Star Wars meets Treasure Island. Grades 4-7. --Julia Smith

Review

“This is space opera in the classic style -- ultracool technology, sinister interplanetary intrigue, and thrilling space-battle action. A fully realized future world.” — School Library Journal (starred review)

“Mixes old-fashioned swashbuckling with laser cannons and politics, resulting in an exciting read with a dash of intrigue--think Star Wars meets Treasure Island.” — Booklist

“Fry loads up his supporting cast with colorful characters and his nonstop yarn with hot action. As Tycho’s cyborg grandpa puts it: ‘Arrr.’” — Kirkus Reviews

“Danger and political intrigue blend with wholesome family dynamics, making for an entertaining space adventure.” — Publishers Weekly

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ HarperCollins (December 23, 2013)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 256 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0062230204
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0062230201
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 8 - 12 years
  • Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 860L
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ 3 - 7
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 12 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.89 x 8.25 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 51 ratings

About the author

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Jason Fry

Jason Fry

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I'm the author of The Jupiter Pirates series, in which we meet Tycho, Yana and Carlo Hashoone. They're part of the crew of the Shadow Comet, and simultaneously siblings and competitors. Each wants to be the next captain of their family's starship -- but only one of them will be chosen.

The Jupiter Pirates is part high-seas adventure and part space-age epic -- I've had a blast writing the first three books and am currently plotting out the second half of the saga. Officially the Jupiter Pirates books are for kids 8-12, but readers far older than that will enjoy them too.

As for me, I'm a writer, editor, and digital-content guy based in Brooklyn, N.Y. I've written more than 50 Star Wars books and short stories, as well as novels set in the Minecraft and Transformers universes. In a previous life I spent more than 12 years at The Wall Street Journal Online, where I wrote the Real Time column about technology and co-wrote The Daily Fix, a daily roundup of great sportswriting. Since 2005 I've co-written Faith and Fear in Flushing (faithandfearinflushing.com), a blog about the New York Mets, with my friend Greg Prince.

If that seems like an odd mix, well, I think so too. But one way or another, I've written or worked with writers nearly all my life. It's all I ever wanted to do, and I'm profoundly grateful that I've been able to do it.

Whether you're writing about a far-off galaxy or a nearby baseball team, the path to becoming a successful writer is the same: Write every day, learn from other writers and from good editors, push your writing to make sure it's as clear and engaging as possible, and value every form of writing you get to do. And be nice -- it takes a team to get a book from idea to bookstore shelves, and everyone else involved deserves your help, respect and gratitude.

For more on the Jupiter Pirates, drop by jupiterpirates.com. For more about me, see my personal page at www.jasonfry.net or visit my Substack at jasonfry.substack.com/. Thanks!

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
51 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book engaging and enjoyable to read. They praise the writing quality as excellent for young readers and adults alike. The story is described as adventurous with just the right amount of danger. Readers appreciate the well-developed characters and strong female character. Additionally, they find the underlying themes and topics understandable, providing enough information for them to get lost in the story.

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EnjoymentWriting qualityIntrigueCharacter developmentComprehension
9 customers mention "Enjoyment"9 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book. They find it engaging and pleasurable to read, with well-developed characters. The book is described as adventurous and exciting, making it a great option for reading with kids.

"Hunt for the Hydra was a very fun and enjoyable book...." Read more

"...and 9 yr old boys, I'm always on the look out for books that will be engaging and pleasurable reading for them, with an intelligent voice and..." Read more

"...It's exciting and full of new ideas, so he was always curious and engaged, but the underlying themes and topics were totally understandable for him...." Read more

"...I found the book adventurous and exciting. It showed typical sibling rivalry. This book modernized piracy and made it new and fresh." Read more

8 customers mention "Writing quality"8 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the writing quality of the book. They find it engaging and well-written for young readers, with an intelligent voice and graceful English. The book is described as excellent for 3rd-5th grade students and one of the best young adult series they've read since Harry Potter.

"...The best writing for young readers also appeals to adults so parents will enjoy sharing this book with their offspring. The writing is sharp...." Read more

"...those are minor criticisms that don't mar an otherwise excellent young readers' book...." Read more

"...author is building, and it's paced for teen readers, but the writing was very engaging and I found myself drawn back to it and looking forward to..." Read more

"...and pleasurable reading for them, with an intelligent voice and graceful English...." Read more

6 customers mention "Intrigue"6 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's intrigue and adventure. They find the setting of a spaceship a wonderful one for a swashbuckling tale of galactic piracy. The characters are fresh and the story really draws them in. The story has interesting angles, reminding readers of pirates on the high seas. The action scenes are good and well-timed.

"...A family-operated starship is a wonderful setting for a swashbuckling tale of galactic piracy, and is something that would definitely be a breath of..." Read more

"...It's exciting and adventurous with just the right amount of danger and intrigue! My son's first comment when we finished was, "wait!..." Read more

"...The story had a couple of interesting angles in that the main characters were a family of space pirates, er privateers, and the struggles that..." Read more

"...Definitely reminds me of pirates on the high seas [Excuse me...privateers. Yes. There really was a difference back in the day]...." Read more

3 customers mention "Character development"3 positive0 negative

Customers like the well-developed characters and strong female characters. They mention the world-building is great and the book is fun.

"...The writing is sharp. The characters are nicely drawn -- especially a half-robotic grandpa. The narrative is nicely paced...." Read more

"...It was great to see Tycho's mother, Diocletia, as a strong female character, hard-edged and focused but with hints of softness that shine through at..." Read more

"...The characters are fresh and the story really pulls you in." Read more

3 customers mention "Comprehension"3 positive0 negative

Customers find the underlying themes and topics understandable. The book provides enough information about the state of affairs. While some parts may be difficult to follow, they enjoy getting lost in the story.

"...Jason has built is an intriguing one, and this first book reveals just enough information about the state of affairs between Earth and the renegade..." Read more

"...was always curious and engaged, but the underlying themes and topics were totally understandable for him...." Read more

"...can be difficult - but this is a story they can get lost in...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Roy Peter Clark
    5.0 out of 5 stars A Classic space adventure series in the making
    Reviewed in the United States on February 20, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    I remember in the 1950s the thrill of reading space adventure stories such as "Assignment in Space with Rip Foster" or related TV series such as "Rocky Jones, Space Ranger." In recent decades, such adventures have grown into the enormous Star Wars and Star Trek franchises. A brilliant young writer, Jason Fry, enters the fray with Jupiter Pirates. In volume one of what promises to be a series, he introduces us to a family of space privateers navigating the moons of Jupiter, seeking adventure and treasure, against some ruthless villains who make Blackbeard look like Mary Poppins. The best writing for young readers also appeals to adults so parents will enjoy sharing this book with their offspring. The writing is sharp. The characters are nicely drawn -- especially a half-robotic grandpa. The narrative is nicely paced. I predict this book and its sequels will have a great run, on the page and eventually on the screen.
    4 people found this helpful
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  • Jeff Ferguson
    4.0 out of 5 stars Great world-building, well-developed characters, and swashbuckling fun.
    Reviewed in the United States on January 6, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    Hunt for the Hydra was a very fun and enjoyable book. Young readers should definitely be able to relate to its young protagonist, Tycho, through whose narrative the story unfolds, and the book's supporting characters are all well-developed with their own unique characteristics, too. It was great to see Tycho's mother, Diocletia, as a strong female character, hard-edged and focused but with hints of softness that shine through at times. Her more-relaxed but still trustworthy and competent husband, Mavry, was a good foil to complement her leadership style, but Tycho's grandfather --- an old-fashioned, stereotypical pirate complete with space-age wooden legs and bursts of "Avast!" and "Arrrr" --- definitely stole the show.

    The world that Jason has built is an intriguing one, and this first book reveals just enough information about the state of affairs between Earth and the renegade Jovian Union to paint an interesting picture of the galaxy without shifting the focus away from Tycho and his family too much. It's a nice balance of small-scale family drama and large-scale galactic conflict, with more of each sure to come in the volumes that follow. Fry's action scenes are good, and he never interrupts their well-timed pacing to explain what technical jargon means. Instead, he writes about the jargon in such a way that younger readers should be able to easily figure out what it means, even if they're just stepping into this kind of sci-fi world for the first time. And if they can't, hey, there's a helpful glossary at the back.

    My criticisms are minor. The book could have used a more well-developed villain --- the heroes' primary pirate foe only appears on a handful of pages, despite being more interesting and intimidating than the more prominent courtroom baddie. With that said, the door was definitely left open for him to play a bigger role in the next book. Descriptions of planetside locations were pretty basic and didn't give me a strong idea of what the spaceports and domed cities looked or felt like. Finally, the past participle "said" was used very, very often, and noticeably so. Sometimes five or six times consecutively. Maybe I'm being too harsh on a children's book, but varying it up with 'cried,' 'muttered,' etc more often would have been refreshing, or even following it up with an adverb now and then.

    Like I said, those are minor criticisms that don't mar an otherwise excellent young readers' book. Jason's been writing reference books in the Star Wars universe for years, but why Lucasfilm Ltd. doesn't tap him to write prose more often is beyond me. A family-operated starship is a wonderful setting for a swashbuckling tale of galactic piracy, and is something that would definitely be a breath of fresh air in a Star Wars universe full of the same old lightsaber-swinging Jedi facing galactic crises EVEN BIGGER than the last ones!!! However, I'm really glad to see Jason given the chance to play around in a universe of his own creation. It's a very well-built one with the potential to play host to plenty more exciting adventures, and I'll be sticking around for the sequel for sure. I definitely recommend Hunt for the Hydra to young readers, and to fans of sci-fi and pirate fiction of all ages.
    6 people found this helpful
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  • Allan
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fun introduction to a new series
    Reviewed in the United States on February 12, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    I picked this book up because I was familiar with Jason's writing for various Star Wars books. Even though the book was listed as targeted at teens, I thought I would see what the author could do with a whole new world of his own (rather than the constraints of the Star Wars fictional world). I really enjoyed the book-- it's not long enough to flesh out the whole world that the author is building, and it's paced for teen readers, but the writing was very engaging and I found myself drawn back to it and looking forward to the next in the series by the end. So mission accomplished.

    I bought the book as a present for some of my friends kids and heard nice things about the book from them, so I think it works well for the target audience too.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • L. Varas
    5.0 out of 5 stars Engaging thoughtful reading to inspire kids
    Reviewed in the United States on January 9, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    My kids love this book! As the mother of a 14 yr old girl, and 12 and 9 yr old boys, I'm always on the look out for books that will be engaging and pleasurable reading for them, with an intelligent voice and graceful English. Sometimes you can find one side of the equation, but the other is lacking. Happily, Jupiter Pirates delivers both. The plot combines a lot of elements my kids love. Fry is creative and exciting. Can't wait for the next one. A great gift! I picked up a bunch for birthday parties.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • M. Shanoff
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great New Option for Reading With Kids!
    Reviewed in the United States on February 6, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    I just finished reading this with my almost 8yo, and we both loved it. It's exciting and full of new ideas, so he was always curious and engaged, but the underlying themes and topics were totally understandable for him. It's exciting and adventurous with just the right amount of danger and intrigue! My son's first comment when we finished was, "wait! we don't know who will be captain! oh, that means there has to be another one. good."
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Casey Wade
    3.0 out of 5 stars Exciting Adventure
    Reviewed in the United States on February 4, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    This book would be awesome for 3rd-5th grade students. I found the book adventurous and exciting. It showed typical sibling rivalry. This book modernized piracy and made it new and fresh.
    One person found this helpful
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  • BigMike
    4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable, fast read for lovers of Space Opera and YA
    Reviewed in the United States on January 2, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    OK, I admit reading this was a guilty pleasure like snacking on Pringles or eating an entire pint of Haggen Dasz. It was light, fun and mildly entertaining. Characterizations were a bit weak and I never managed to relate to the main character, Tycho. The mother/captain had about as much warmth as HAL 9000 just before he tries to kill Dave. The story had a couple of interesting angles in that the main characters were a family of space pirates, er privateers, and the struggles that ensued at both the micro and macro levels between being a law abiding privateer and a pirate were fun to explore. The science was OK, and the action pretty good.
    4 people found this helpful
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  • A mom
    5.0 out of 5 stars An 11-year-old Reader's Review of Jupiter Pirates
    Reviewed in the United States on January 8, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    Jupiter Pirates is a extremely well written book. The character's choices are like those of a real person and the book is full of excitement! I couldn't go to sleep until I finished it! And it takes a lot to get me hooked!
    3 people found this helpful
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