PIRATE ACADEMY

The year is 2507: Sea levels have risen, technology is largely absent, and a “golden age of piracy” reigns in this series opener centered around the Pirate Federation’s Academy in the Coral Sea Province.

Jasmine Peacock, Jacoby Blunt, and their peers hone their seafaring skills and develop friendships with the rest of the Barracuda Class. Calm and well-liked Jasmine, noisy and messy Jacoby, and 13 other 11-year-old recruits from the most prominent pirate families worldwide have formed tight but competitive friendships. They’re united by their class motto: “Wound one Barracuda and you wound us all.” Not long after the term starts, Jasmine’s parents and their ship, the Blue Marlin, go missing, and a newcomer named Neo Splice joins the Barracudas. Knot-tying classes, races in training yachts, and combat lessons with swords keep the kids busy as they bounce from having adventures to fighting evil. The short chapters are punctuated by Skaffa’s modern, stylish art that evokes anime. The violence and gore are tame, even as the Pirate Academy team battles the League of True Pirates at Skullhead Rock. This action-packed series opener focuses on moving the plot along and emphasizes positive messages about friendship rather than devoting a lot of time to in-depth worldbuilding. Names and appearances signal ethnic diversity among the cast members.

A jolly high-seas adventure.