Antigua de Fortune of the High Seas
Anna Rainbow and Oli Hyatt, illustrated by Paola Escobar
Chicken House

A riveting read is this piratical adventure. It took me a while to get drawn in, but once caught in its tentacles, there was no getting out until the final page.

Antigua de Fortune (preferred name Tiggy) is high-born, has to wear pretty frocks and attend balls and dance with the ghastly Salvador, but her dreams are of adventure on the high seas. Despite Tiggy knowing that the high seas are not the place she should go, she’s drawn by thoughts of mermaids and pirates. In contrast her best friend, Marina, suspected daughter of a selkie, would love to be in Tiggy’s position.

Now with the approach of the Blood Moon, the age-old mystery of the Pirate King is once more in people’s minds. Has the wicked curse-wielding, boy stealer truly gone or does he lurk somewhere ready to strike and ruin the celebrations.

When the Bloodmoon celebrations are under way, the Pirate King strikes again, kidnapping all the boys including Tiggy’s younger brother. Tiggy decides it’s time now for her to seize her destiny, take to the ocean and along with Marina and a band of ex-pirates attempt to rescue the boys; something that must be achieved before the end of the Bloodmoon eclipse.

For sure this has a twisting, turning plot; forTiggy it’s a voyage of self discovery as well as a salt-tinged mystery to solve, teamwork and friendship being crucial to the success of the mission.

From two debuting authors of primary fiction, this is a cracking book.