Capt. Hook : the adventures of a notorious youth

Title: Capt. Hook : the adventures of a notorious youth
Author: J. V. Hart; with illustrations by Brett Helquist
Publisher: HarperCollins
Year of Publication: 2005

About the Book:
Written by the same person who wrote the popular movie 'Hook', Hart writes about the Captain's troubled youth before he became Captain Hook.
Hook, first known as James Matthew is the bastard son of 'Lord B', and then novel starts with James' first day at Eton. Shunned for being illegitimate and tormented by the uppity Arthur Darling, James plots and schemes, ever determined to be the one to come out on top.

While it isn't strictly speaking a pirate novel, this book gives an interesting look into the origins of one of the most famous pirates in literature. The majority of the novel takes place in Eton, but the later half is set aboard the ship the Sea Witch where we find out how James Matthew becomes Captain Hook.
Hart's characters are very much well rounded and likable, James himself is a lovable sort of anti-hero and a good contrast to his best mate Jolly Roger (who is very much as jolly as his namesake), and James' love interest, a Sultan's daughter, Ananova is also no wilting flower.

Helquist's illustrations would be familiar to those who've read A Series of Unfortunate Events and very much add to the narrative. Hart weaves an engaging, if slightly disturbing tale, filled with romance, revenge plots, and whistling spiders (???) that will have you rooting for Hook and his pirates when you next read Barrie's Peter Pan.

The Price of Freedom

Title: The Price of Freedom (Pirates of the Caribbean)
Author: A. C. Crispin
Publisher: Disney Editions
Year of Publication: 2011

About the Book:
Yet another prequel, but this time exploring the backstory of one of our favourite pirates, Captain Jack Sparrow.

Being the son of infamous pirate Captain Edward Teague, it's only natural that 25-year-old Jack Sparrow rebels by  making an honest living as a merchant seaman for the East India Trading Company.
Sure, he remembers his childhood pirating days, but he also remembers the ever-present fear of the noose and being under the ever watchful eye of his father. It's not like he can return either. He broke the code, and now he's no longer welcome at Shipwreck Cove.

Essentially a story about how Jack got his beloved Black Pearl, it also explores how 25-year-old Jack Sparrow became the Captain Jack we are familiar with. Crispin keeps true to the Johnny Depp's portrayal of Jack, while also giving her own spin on the character. Her research is well shown, with details about life on the sea, 18th century ships, weapons, and tactics well scattered amongst the misadventure, romance and humour of the novel.

At a whopping 653 pages, it might be a bit of a stretch for those who don't like their novels on the long side. However, it's Crispin's attention to detail, her faithful rendering of characters we know and love, and her skillful storytelling that make The Price of Freedom seem nowhere near long enough.

Silver : my own tales as written by me with a goodly amount of murder

Title: Silver : my own tales as written by me with a goodly amount of murder
Author: Edward Chupack
Publisher: Thomas Dune Books
Year of Publication: 2008

About the Book:
A fictional autobiography of Long John Silver. Yes, that Long John Silver.
Set long after Treasure Island, Silver is captured and bound on his ship the Linda Maria, which sails to England and for Silver, the noose. He writes his last will and testament to the ship's new captain, his cabin boy collecting the pages he writes when he gives Silver his daily meals.

This novel provides an interesting backstory to the infamous Long John Silver, which details his life from the slums of his poverty stricken childhood to his ascent to a notorious pirate; a life which includes murders, maps, codes, thievery and even a little bit of romance for the old priate. Chupack also throws in some familiar faces from Treasure Island as well, such as Jim Hawkins and Ben Gunn.

Chupack masterfully uses his knowledge of pirate language to make Silver sound as authentic as possible. Though some may find his use of pirate speak daunting to read, it is well-rendered and can be the stand out over the sometimes meandering plot.

As the title suggests, it does include some blood and murder, and is classified as being an adult book for young adults, so it is strictly for our older readers who aren't afraid of some gore.

Peter and the Starcatchers

Title: Peter and the Starcatchers
Authors: Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson
Publisher: Disney Editions
Year of Publication: 2006
Series: Peter and the Starcatchers

About the Book:
If you ever wondered how Peter Pan ended up in Neverland, how Hook lost his hand, how Tink came into being (laughing baby, not withstanding), then be prepared to find a comfy chair and dive into Peter and the Starcatchers.
A softer and lighter prequel (at least, compared to Capt. Hook: adventures of a notorious youth) to Peter Pan, orphan Peter and his band of boys are taken aboard the ship Never Land to be sent off as servants for an evil king. The Never Land is also holding mysterious cargo, a strange trunk whose magical contents is only known to Molly, one of the passengers aboard the ship. In pursuit of the cargo is the pirate Black Stache, whose character is strangely familiar. Filled with magic, sea battles and shipwrecks, Dave Barry explores the origin story of Peter and his Lost Boys, and how they got to Neverland.

A fast-paced, fun, if sometimes slightly absurd (Molly speaks Porpoise...really.) pirate adventure, this story is a great re-imagining of the Peter Pan mythos while still paying respect to the original. Barry's writing is humourous and witty, with plenty of small shoutouts and references to the original Barrie story, and his characters well fleshed out. Peter is very much in character of the original, if a bit more likable. New character and female lead Molly Aster is despite being the token female, brave, intelligent and a bit stubborn, and gets her own share of the action. She can also speak Porpoise.

The magic elements of the plot can be a bit of a stretch (one word, Porpoise), but overall it is a very fun book which has an engaging narrative that makes it very hard to put down. A popular novel, it is also the first of the Peter and the Starcatchers series, which so far spans four books.