Peter and the Shadow Thieves, by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson (Hyperion, 2006)

When Peter learns that his friend Molly may be in danger from evil people seeking control of the fabled starstuff (a mysterious dust which grants amazing powers to the user), he leaves the relative safety of Mollusk Island and returns … Continue reading

Curse of the Blue Tattoo, by L.A. Meyer (Harcourt, 2005)

After her grand adventures aboard HMS Dolphin came to an ignominious end following the discovery that ship’s boy (later midshipman) Jacky Faber was, in fact, a fifteen-year-old girl, the spirited heroine of the Bloody Jack series embarks upon a new … Continue reading

Under the Jolly Roger, by L.A. Meyer (Harcourt, 2005)

Jacky Faber, Scourge of the Seven Seas, is at it again! After leaving the Lawson Peabody School For Young Girls under dubious circumstances (the fire wasn’t entirely her fault), Jacky finds passage across the Atlantic on a whaling ship, as … Continue reading

In the Belly of the Bloodhound, by L.A. Meyer (Harcourt, 2006)

Author: L. A. Meyer The infamous, irrepressible Jacky Faber has been many things in her time: orphan, begger, thief, sailor, officer in the British Navy, schoolgirl, lady, pirate, and entertainer.  However, she’s about to take on an entirely new role: … Continue reading

His Majesty’s Dragon, by Naomi Novik (Del Rey, 2006)

As the Napoleonic Wars rage on, the captain of the British ship, HMS Reliant, one Will Laurence accidentally gets swept up in events far greater than his own everyday experiences could ever have anticipated. The capture of a French frigate … Continue reading

Empire of Ivory, by Naomi Novik (Del Rey, 2007)

After a near-epic journey halfway across the world to China and back, surviving adventures, treachery, and battles galore, Captain Will Laurence and his dragon companion Temeraire thought they could settle back into something resembling a normal life. Normal, that is, … Continue reading