Vampirates: Blood Captain

Please note that this review may contain spoilers for earlier instalments of this series. You can read my reviews of these novels [here] and [here].

Wow, back to Vampirates at long last. It feels like a long time since I’ve last talked about this series but let’s find out if there’s been any improvements since Tide of Terror.

Blood Captain was written by Justin Somper and first published in 2008. It is the fourth instalment of the Vampirates series, following Demons of the Ocean (2005), Dead Deep (2007) and Tide of Terror (2007) and preceding Black Heart (2009), Empire of Night (2010) and Eternal War (2011). The series is set in a future where rising sea levels have flooded most of the world, allowing pirates to rule the oceans once again.

Lorcan still refuses to take blood and grows weaker every day. In a final attempt to cure him, the Vampirate Captain sets sail for Sanctuary. This mountain-top haven is home to Mosh Zu Kamal, a legendary vampire healer who believes that any vampire can be taught to control their bloodlust. Naturally, Grace goes along with her friend to assist with the treatment and soon finds that Mosh Zu wants to take her under his wing, seeing that she is a natural healer.

Aboard the Diablo, Connor’s life has grown more complicated. In an attempt to distract his brother from seeking revenge against the Vampirates, Molucco Wrathe has planned a rather ambitious raid. Unfortunately, this has forced Connor into direct contain with Wrathe’s obnoxious nephew, Moonshine. Babysitting Moonshine almost drives Connor insane and he thinks that things can’t get much worse. Yet, as the raid goes horribly wrong, he is forced to question exactly what it means to be a pirate and whether he has what it takes to continue his career.

And all the while more vampires join Sidorio’s cause, choosing to indulge in their hunger rather than control it…

Vampirates: Dead Deep / Tide of Terror

Please note that this review may contain spoilers for its prequel, Vampirates: Demons of the Ocean. You can read my review of this novel [here].

Vampirates is a fantasy/horror series by Justin Somper. It is set in a future where the seas have risen, covering most of the Earth and causing a resurgence of piracy. The first novel, Demons of the Ocean, was published in 2005 and was followed by Dead Deep (2007), Tide of Terror (2007), Blood Captain (2008), Black Heart (2009), Empire of Night (2010) and Eternal War (2011). For the purpose of this review, I will be primarily looking at Tide of Terror.

Set three months after the events of Demons of the Ocean, Connor and Grace have settled into a life aboard the pirate vessel, the Diablo. While Connor embraces his destiny as a pirate, Grace is more reserved. She still misses the vampires that she has left behind – particularly her friend Lorcan – and is torn between wanting to stay with her brother and her desire to go back to the Vampirate ship.

When a raid on a rival ship goes horribly wrong and a pirate is killed, Grace fears that Connor will one day meet the same fate. With the help of Cheng Li, she manages to arrange for Connor to visit at the famed Pirate Academy in the hope that he would chose to remain there in relatively safety.

However, far across the ocean, trouble is brewing. Grace has started having visions of the Vampirate ship and sees that more and more vampires are rebelling against the Captain, deciding that they would rather kill indiscriminately than maintain a passive relationship with humans. To make matters worse, she learns that Lorcan has been refusing to drink blood since her departure and is gradually growing weaker. Seeing her friends in trouble strengthens Grace’s resolve. She knows that she must find a way to help them. The only question is how.

Vampirates: Demons of the Ocean

First published in 2005, Vampirates: Demons of the Ocean is the first instalment of a six part series. It was written by Justin Somper and is targeted at 10-12 year olds (although I would say that there could be some appeal for an audience slightly older than this). Please note that there may be some minor spoilers in this review but I’ll try to steer clear of major plot points.

The story is set in the year 2505, after the oceans have risen and covered most of the world in water. Twins Grace and Connor Tempest grow up in a small and tightly knit community as they only children of the light house keeper. Throughout their childhood, their father sings them sea shanties about ‘Vampirates’ – the crew of a terrifying ghost ship that spells death to all those who see it.

Following their father’s death, Grace and Connor decide that they would rather run away than be taken in by another family. Quickly, their boat is caught in a storm and utterly destroyed. Connor is fished out of the ocean by Cheng Li – the Deputy Captain of a pirate ship. Convinced that his sister must also have survived, he joins the pirate crew in order to search the ocean for her. Meanwhile, Grace has been rescued by a mysterious sailor named Lorcan and taken aboard a ship of a different kind. Confined to a single cabin, she is told that she must remain hidden from the rest of the crew if she wishes for her safety to be assured…