Ahoy there me hearties! It’s a pirate’s life for me…well not really, but you can’t help feel pirate-y after reading the first of a brand new trilogy of pirate adventures with a twist, Flyntlock Bones: The Sceptre of the Pharaohs, by acclaimed author Derek Keilty and debut illustrator, Mark Elvins.  This is the first chapter book offering from Scallywag Press for children aged 7-10 years and it definitely lives up to their usual high standards of exciting and quirky new books.

I’m delighted to share my review of this new book on today’s stop of the blog tour celebrating Flyntlock’s publication this month!

Flyntlock Bones: The Sceptre of the Pharaohs, by Derek Keilty illustrated by Mark Elvins

Welcome to the Black Hound – a ship full o’ the cleverest pirate investigators ya ever set eyes upon…You OK, lad? Ya gone paler than a full moon.’ 

When Flynn applies for the job of cabin boy on the Black Hound, he doesn’t expect it to be a pirate ship! But soon he’s setting sail for the Seven Seas, on a perilous quest to recover ancient treasure bound by a magical curse….

Adventure abounds from the first page as we join Flynn on the Black Hound on his first sea voyage – well his first journey anywhere!  Having been in an orphanage most of his life, Flynn can’t wait to escape and after getting over the shock of discovering he’s on a pirate ship, he can’t help but be excited when he finds out that Captain Watkins and his crew are actually pirate-investigators!  Flynn immediately makes friends with Red, a feisty girl who is a pirate-ship pro and he soon has to find his sea legs as the Black Hound heads to the Isle of Tut to solve another mystery.

It’s a brilliant twist on pirate stories, combining all the best bits – think treasure maps, swashbuckling, suitably grumpy pirate cooks, walking the plank, pirate grog  – with a mystery thriller narrative including a villain named Captain Morihearty! Highly enjoyable with a fantastic cast of characters, the story is brilliantly enhanced by illustrations reminiscent of the master himself, Chris Riddell.  This is definitely one to watch and I’m sure will go down brilliantly with would-be pirates and sleuths alike.  Great fun!

Find out more at www.scallywagpress.comand check out the rest of the tour using #FlyntlockBones

Derek Keilty lives in Belfast and is the author of over ten books for children. His work has been translated into many different languages, and shortlisted for the Children’s Books Ireland Book of the Year. He has a thriving schools program, storytelling and taking creative writing workshops around local schools.

Mark Elvins lives in Yorkshire. When he’s not drawing pirates he’s a print-maker and recently won an English Heritage competition to illustrate the displays at Whitby Abbey.

With thanks to Scallywag Press for inviting me to participate in the blog tour and sending me this book to review.