Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
Vampirates: Demons of the Ocean
Fiction Series
For ages 12 and up
Little Brown , 2007 ISBN: 978-0316014441
When their father dies, twins Conner and Grace find themselves in dire straits. Their father left them nothing, other than the warmth of his love, memories, and an old sea shanty about vampirates. Desperate not to end up in an orphanage or in the home of the local bank manager (who really is a dreadful individual), the fourteen year olds run away, escaping from their childhood home in their father’s old boat.
Not long after making their get-away, the twins sail into a storm and their boat is destroyed. Conner is picked up by a pirate ship, and Grace is picked up by the vampirate ship, the very one that the twins heard about in their father’s shanty. Separated by miles of ocean from his sister, Conner is convinced that Grace is still alive though he does not know where she is. As for Grace, though she is on a ship full of vampires, she is safe. The captain is an honorable vampire and he is determined to protect the young girl. However, there are some vampires on the ship who don’t feel the same way. As far as they are concerned, humans are just a source of food.
This is the first title in what promises to be an exciting and very different series. Justin Somper manages to weave together vampire lore with piratical doings on the open sea. The combination is quite thrilling, and readers who enjoy a good yarn will not be disappointed.
