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PIRATE EMPEROR

THE WAVE WALKERS, BOOK TWO

Shiver me timbers, Meyer’s back with another firecracker freebooting fantasy. The “polliwogs” Jolly and Munch, along with their motley companions, have arrived safely at the floating coral island of Aelinium, there to hone their magical powers and prepare for battle with the monstrous forces of the Maelstrom. But Jolly, rendered uneasy by the pressure of expectations, steals away to complete her original quest: rescuing her erstwhile captain and crew. Her friends scatter as well, pursuing their own private agendas, but reunite to defy the sinister cannibal king Tyrone in his plot to become Pirate Emperor. Jolly matures considerably in this installment, as she grapples with the shattering complexities of romance, friendship, loyalty and betrayal; the revelation of the uncomfortable ambiguities of “good” and “evil” force her to acknowledge her true enemy. Voyaging beyond the Caribbean lore of the first installment, Meyer invokes potent mythic figures from a variety of world traditions. Still, piratical shenanigans remain paramount, and blistering action trumps all. Even scurvy lubbers will hoist a mizzen for this merry yarn. (Fantasy. 10-14)

Pub Date: May 8, 2007

ISBN: 978-1-4169-2474-6

Page Count: 304

Publisher: McElderry

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2007

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THE RISE OF NEPTUNE

From the Dragonships series , Vol. 2

Not as strong as the series opener, but the space battles galore will satisfy returning fans.

Lunar Jones and Dread the dragon rally the Dread Knights to defend Mars from attack by Triton, the dragon from Neptune’s largest moon.

About a year has passed since 14-year-old Lunar Jones became a dragoon and bonded with Dread, the planetary dragon of Mars. In this second series entry, Mars is now productive and again accepting Earthers as settlers, while Lunar adjusts to being in a leadership role, despite being younger than most of those he commands and “responsible for protecting all of Mars.” Proctor (strategy), Doc (programming), Little Will (lead scout), and Mara (who’s nicknamed “Wildcard”) reprise their crucial roles, while the story is fleshed out with other familiar faces, a batch of new recruits, and dragoons and dragons from throughout the solar system. Upon the approach of unknown vessels into Mars’ atmosphere, Lunar and Dread recall uncomfortable rumors about hostility from Neptune’s dragons, and the battles begin. Lunar narrates most chapters; occasional sections are told from Proctor’s point of view. A whiff of romantic attraction doesn’t impede the nonstop action, and the epilogue points to more entries to come. The dragon backstory holds together, although several innovations that appear at just the right time and support healing or offer battle advantages feel like overly easy solutions. Most humans present white.

Not as strong as the series opener, but the space battles galore will satisfy returning fans. (Fantasy. 10-14)

Pub Date: Oct. 7, 2025

ISBN: 9781665946544

Page Count: 432

Publisher: Aladdin

Review Posted Online: Aug. 16, 2025

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2025

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CAPTAIN UNDERPANTS AND THE TERRIFYING RETURN OF TIPPY TINKLETROUSERS

From the Captain Underpants series , Vol. 9

Is this the end? Well, no…the series will stagger on through at least one more scheduled sequel.

Sure signs that the creative wells are running dry at last, the Captain’s ninth, overstuffed outing both recycles a villain (see Book 4) and offers trendy anti-bullying wish fulfillment.

Not that there aren’t pranks and envelope-pushing quips aplenty. To start, in an alternate ending to the previous episode, Principal Krupp ends up in prison (“…a lot like being a student at Jerome Horwitz Elementary School, except that the prison had better funding”). There, he witnesses fellow inmate Tippy Tinkletrousers (aka Professor Poopypants) escape in a giant Robo-Suit (later reduced to time-traveling trousers). The villain sets off after George and Harold, who are in juvie (“not much different from our old school…except that they have library books here.”). Cut to five years previous, in a prequel to the whole series. George and Harold link up in kindergarten to reduce a quartet of vicious bullies to giggling insanity with a relentless series of pranks involving shaving cream, spiders, effeminate spoof text messages and friendship bracelets. Pilkey tucks both topical jokes and bathroom humor into the cartoon art, and ups the narrative’s lexical ante with terms like “pharmaceuticals” and “theatrical flair.” Unfortunately, the bullies’ sad fates force Krupp to resign, so he’s not around to save the Earth from being destroyed later on by Talking Toilets and other invaders…

Is this the end? Well, no…the series will stagger on through at least one more scheduled sequel. (Fantasy. 10-12)

Pub Date: Aug. 28, 2012

ISBN: 978-0-545-17534-0

Page Count: 304

Publisher: Scholastic

Review Posted Online: June 19, 2012

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2012

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