Pirate Emperor

by Kai Meyer

Book Overview

In the vast Caribbean Sea, pirates Jolly and Griffin are stranded on a tiny island where a peculiar architect is building an enormous bridge -- but to where? Another world? Before they can find out,... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1416924744
• ISBN13: 9781416924746
• Release Date: May 2007
• Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
• Length: 298 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.3" x 9.1"
• Age Range: 11 to 15 years
• Grade Range: Grades 6 to 10

Customer Reviews

Readers will eagerly flip through the pages and impatiently waiting for the third book in the series

In the midst of the sparkling sunlight, warm waters and persevering pirates of the Caribbean, an evil force called the Maelstrom grows stronger in preparation for taking over the world. The only people who can stop it are 14-year-olds Jolly and Munk. Two young men battling against an inevitable evil force does not appear like fair odds, but Jolly and Munk are not an average pair of teens --- they are polliwogs. Touched by a ribbon of magic, Jolly and Munk possess amazing talents, one of which is the ability to walk on water. The first book, PIRATE CURSE, explains how Jolly is raised and trained by Captain Bannon, who loves her life on the sea and being a pirate. However, in one horrific skirmish, a horde of venomous spiders attacks her entire adopted family. Jolly fears they lost their lives but knows that someday she must find out what actually happened. Will she discover that the worst did happen but that it didn't involve death? Munk's story starts out describing how he has grown up on a lonely plantation island with only his parents and a handful of ghost laborers for company. He thinks he is the only polliwog in existence; his parents have tried to keep it a secret for safety reasons. But the secret doesn't keep. Jolly washes ashore after escaping the spider attack, and they quickly learn of each other's abilities. And then, one of the Maelstrom's monstrous soldiers follows Jolly to Munk's island and murders his parents. Both Jolly and Munk are now alone in the world. But that quickly changes when they meet up with an odd assortment of cronies, including a princess, a dog-faced man, Ghost Trader, a young fellow named Griffin, and a poetic worm, among others. Together, they join forces in the fight to protect the world from the evil Maelstrom. They travel to the floating coral island called Aelenium, the city that once oversaw the jail cell of the Maelstrom before he escaped. While on Aelenium, Jolly and Munk begin learning more about their special abilities from a wise old man named Forefather, who happens to be an expert on the history and nature of polliwogs. With hard work and determination, they discover new skills, including magic and breathing underwater. These further talents will help them in their inevitable fight against the Maelstrom. However, just as their small army seems to be organizing and gaining ground, it begins to fall apart. The princess decides she needs to leave and avenge her father's death. Following her example, Jolly feels that it's finally time to discover what happened to her own adopted father, Captain Bannon, and sneaks off on a ship in the middle of the night. Griffin thinks this is a really bad idea and tries to stop her by following on one of the 12-foot-tall seahorses. Unfortunately, he encounters a strange fluke of a problem that swallows him out of commission for a while. And back on Aelenium, Munk feels hurt and left out by the growing attractions between Jolly and Griffin. Meanwhile, the Maelstrom g

Very imaginative

As always, Meyer is an incredibly imaginative storyteller, and the way he intricately weaves his plot structure throughout the story keeps the reader constantly guessing what's going to happen next. Personally, I have been enjoying this trilogy more than the Dark Reflections Trilogy because there are a lot more twists and the characters seem to have a wider arc and a greater range of experiences. Above all, though, what makes this book, and the others so far in the series, so fun is the unique world that Meyer has created and thrust into the middle of the pirate myth lore, which people have a tendency to love. I recommend this book to all readers 10+. -Lindsey Miller, [...]

Courtesy of Teens Read Too

Jolly and Griffin set off to find out where the endless-appearing bridge goes, but they find themselves trapped when the bridge bursts into flame and strange creatures called kobalins attack before they can escape. Then the Ghost Trader appears as if by magic and sweeps them off to the city of Aelinium in this Caribbean fantasy world. Their world is threatened, and they will have to dive deep into the water to keep an ancient source from opening a gate into the world of Mare Tenebrosum, a deep, black, and lightless place, but Jolly wants to rescue Captain Bannon first. He is the only father she has ever known and he is in danger. She steals a ghost ship and sets off on that mission. Griffin follows, but strange otherworldly creatures, along with pirates and a host of menacing monsters, get in their way and send the plot in other directions. Swords, ships, ghosts, and magic combine to make fast action and unexpected twists. While this story would have been easier to understand if I had read the first book in THE WAVE WALKERS series, Kai Meyer is a master at creating compelling characters and a lively plot that will keep you reading. It appears that there will be a third volume in the series, and I can't wait for more adventures with these characters. Reviewed by: Grandma Bev