"It's Treasure Island meets The Outsiders... a grand adventure not to be missed." –Haris Orkin, award-winning author of the James Flynn Escapades
Abandoned as an infant, 15-year-old Bonnie Hartwright doesn't know who she really is. And that just might get her killed.
After her latest scrape with the law, foster girl Bonnie is abruptly carted off to a "reform sailing camp" on the Carolina coast. There, she discovers the camp is actually a training compound of a centuries-old secret society, all of whose members are descendants of a notorious pirate. Bonnie and her fellow teen internees, all denizens of the digital age, must now master the old ways of sword and sail as they prepare to battle a mysterious, unnamed enemy. During weeks of training, Bonnie finds herself drawn to both Wilder, a charismatic thief, and Reed, the grandson of the group's leader, a boy who carries the weight of a family legacy on his shoulders.
But a secret is being withheld from Bonnie, one that could end up proving lethal. Before it's too late, she must uncover the truth about herself or face certain death in a watery grave.
In The Brigands of the Compass Rose, Runkle and Webb put a modern-day twist on the swashbuckling page-turners of the past, blending action, romance, and a heavy dose of black magic into a thrilling young adult adventure like no other.
That secret society—the Brigands of the Compass Rose—and their recruits are led by the elderly Captain Ballister. Bonnie's crew consists of a New Yorker named Wilder, snooty film producer's son Tanner, young legacy brigand Barnaby, and the Captain's dashing grandson, Reed, among others. Each character earns their moment in the sun, as they uncover, together, a yacht-theft ring being run by men who answer to Calico Jack. More secrets are revealed, and Bonnie discovers, shockingly, that her parents are still alive—and she's the next target for Calico Jack. The climax is a rousing ship-to-ship battle between Bonnie's crew and the evil pirates, made all the more effective by Runkle and Webb’s careful development of the camaraderie between the young brigands.
More than just a high seas adventure, The Pirate’s Curse dives into sailing, sword fighting, herbalism, the history of piracy, and even the Gullah Geechee culture of the Carolinas, all subtly developed through the teens’ complex interplay. The love triangle between Bonnie, Reed, and Wilder stays at a steady boil, and, though the story has a satisfying ending, the authors leave plenty of unresolved threads for potential sequels. Beyond the compelling fantasy setup, this is a deeply emotional exploration of belonging and community.
Takeaway: Rollicking high-seas adventure with surprising depth.
Comparable Titles: Namina Forna’s The Gilded Ones, Erin A. Craig’s House of Salt and Sorrows.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: NA
Editing: B+
Marketing copy: A-
