Vampirates: Demons of the Ocean by Justin Somper

This is the first of three (so far) books that mix vampires and pirates together and surprisingly they work pretty well together, not unlike a good fluffernutter sandwich. I know what you are thinking. How could peanut butter, bananas and marshmallow creme go well together? Dude. You just have to try it. And it is much the same with Vampirates. It has the swashbuckling adventure that we all know and love from those famous Johnny Depp pirate movies. It also has creepy gothic vampires who just happen to have an affinity for the seven seas.

Grace and Connor are the children of a reclusive lighthouse keeper. He sings them old sea chanties to calm them down before bedtime. The children’s favorite chanty is about Vampirates, a sea faring vampire clan that plunder, and pillage, but also feast, on human blood. Soon the kids grow into young adults and their father passes away. Left orphaned, they turn to the sea and take off on their father’s small yacht. Suddenly a storm comes from nowhere and they are cast into the sea. Grace is rescued by the mysterious Vampirates, while Connor is saved by a gang of pirates. It is up to Connor to learn the pirate trades of sword fighting and pillaging in order to rescue his sister from becoming a vampire’s dinner. And it is up to Grace to find the truth behind the Vampirates and their reason for sailing the ocean blue.

This book is suitable for all ages, and has strong male and female main characters. It would be a good read for anyone who likes adventure, vampires, historical fiction, and suspense. Justin Somper does a wonderful job of setting the stage for a series of books without being obvious about it. One warning, Demons of the Ocean has an abrupt end so make sure you have the second book on hand so you can pick up the story right away.

Posted under a librarian reads, review