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In the early 26th century, in a seaside town called Crescent Moon Bay, on the east coast of Australia, fourteen-year-old twins Connor and Grace Tempest once lived in a lighthouse with their father, Dexter. After their father’s death, however, they’re left with nothing but each other.
Afraid of ending up in an orphanage (or, worse, being adopted by the town’s banker), the twins climb into their father’s old boat and head out to sea. But when a sudden storm comes and rips the boat apart, the twins are separated—and they have to struggle to survive.
Fortunately, both twins are rescued—but that doesn’t mean they’re safe. Connor is rescued by pirates who immediately take him in as one of their own. But Grace is rescued by Lorcan Furey, a mate on a ship that’s manned by blood-thirsty vampire pirates.
Though both twins are convinced that the other is still alive, they have a huge ocean to search—and all kinds of dangers to face—before they can be reunited.
Demons of the Ocean sounds pretty scary—and, in a way, it is. I mean, not only are there pirates, but there are also a bunch of pirates that are vampires, too. Pretty creepy stuff, really. But since it’s written for kids (it’s suggested for grades 6-9), Somper tones the scary stuff down a bit. In fact, these pirates are pretty mild-mannered, happy-go-lucky pirates. The pirates who rescue Connor are, for the most part, pretty nice people. And even when they hop aboard another ship to fight for its treasure, they prefer to use their swords to frighten instead of to kill. And as for the vampirates, they’re pretty dangerous guys (and girls)—but Grace spends quite a bit of the book locked in a cabin, away from the rest of the crew.
While this first book in the Vampirates series is pretty mild, it’s exciting and suspenseful nonetheless—and I have a feeling that the series will only get more and more thrilling with each new book. It’s a bit like Pirates of the Caribbean, complete with eerie twists. And as you get to know the characters and their story, you’ll have a hard time setting the book aside—because you’ll want to know how (and if) it all works out.
Though it may be a bit too scary for younger readers (but, then again, I would have thought that Lord Voldemort would be pretty scary for younger readers, too—so what do I know?), Demons of the Ocean is a captivating page-turner of a story—for both kids and grown-ups. Despite its 300-plus pages, it’s a quick read. And when this first adventure ends, you’ll want to rush out and pick up the next.
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