Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Reading Time
    • Home
    • Reviews
      • Highly Recommended
      • CBCA Short Listed
      • Early Childhood Books
      • Younger Readers
      • Intermediate Readers
      • Older Readers
      • ANZAC books
      • Great Read Alouds
      • Information Books
      • LGBTQIA+
      • Picture Books
      • Professional Development
    • Interviews
    • Suggestions
    • News
    • Meet The Review Team
    • Contact Us
    Reading Time
    You are at:Home»Reviews»Older Readers»The Pirate King (Spacejackers #3)

    The Pirate King (Spacejackers #3)

    0
    By Admin on May 29, 2017 Older Readers, Younger Readers

    Huw Powell,  The Pirate King (Spacejackers #3),  Bloomsbury,  March 2017,  320pp.,  $15.99 (pbk),  ISBN: 9781408847664

    The Pirate King was a fun read, a space opera packing plenty of action, sharp turns and wit. If I were a betting woman, I’d put my money on author Huw Powell being a fan of Star Wars and Joss Whedon’s Firefly tv series.

    The Pirate King is the third and final book in the Spacejackers series. There was enough background given within the story that I could keep up, but I’m keen to go back and read the adventures that led up to Jake “Kid” Cutler facing down the forces of the Interstellar Government with a golden cutlass in one hand, a laser pistol in the other, and a motley collection of space pirates, aliens and rebels at his back. As Jake tries to stop Admiral Vantard from taking over the galaxy, torturing his friends, and destroying his home planet, he comes to learn that leadership has its price. And epic space battles ensue.

    The pace of the action doesn’t let up, and the battles are fast and furious with many twists, reversals and daring deeds. This will be a fantastic book for readers who like headlong action with a few well-timed moments for Jake to consider the implications of what he’s doing, and regroup. And in the midst of all these battles, Jake still has a mystery or two to contend with, and the secret of the hidden planet Althus to keep. Will Jake the Pirate King of Althus hold onto his crown and save the galaxy, or will Admiral Vantard win the day?

    The humour walks a nice line with a few broadside nods – one of the characters, for example, is an alien called Nanoo, whose Uncle Morc comes to their rescue – without tipping over into slapstick comedy. There is a wide cast of colourful characters, and I became particularly fond of Crazy Kay Jagger, the pink-haired captain of the Divine Wind.

    All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed following Kid Cutler and his crew through their swashbuckling space adventures, and I’m sure that readers aged 10 to 14 who like their action with a splash of humour and a heaping helping of space opera are going to love this series.

    For it is, it is a glorious thing to be a Pirate King!

    Reviewed by Emily Clarke

    Related Posts

    The Ghost Locket

    The Ghost Locket

    Dirt Circus League

    Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    • Themes
    • Curriculum
    Action adventure Airplanes Alphabet Anxiety autism Bullying CBCA Awards Coming of age Dystopian emotions family fantasy friendship grief Historical humour magic Mystery Post apocalyptic Readers Cup reluctant readers school Sci-Fi series of books siblings Sport Starting school Teacher Notes
    ANZAC Australian animals Australian history Biography Culture & Diversity Disabilities First Nations Geography health Humanities mental health Poetry Reconciliation resilience Science STEM Stolen Generation sustainability Wordless books



    Recent Comments
    • Cherie on Elephant Island
    • Patricia Tilton on Freddy the Not-Teddy
    • Jilanne Hoffmann on Freddy the Not-Teddy
    • Penelope Pratley on The Secret of Sapling Green
    • Emily Flint on Walk of the Whales
    Recent Posts
    • The Ghost Locket
    • The Ghost Locket
    • Enough Love?
    • Wonderful Shoes
    • A Human for Kingsley
    Recent Comments
    • Cherie on Elephant Island
    • Patricia Tilton on Freddy the Not-Teddy
    • Jilanne Hoffmann on Freddy the Not-Teddy
    • Penelope Pratley on The Secret of Sapling Green
    • Emily Flint on Walk of the Whales
    © Copyright 2021 The Children’s Book Council of Australia - All rights reserved

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

    Posting....