Sail aboard the cursed Dragon for a seafaring tale of action and adventure. Kidzworld looks at The Smugglers by Iain Lawrence.
Author: Iain Lawrence
Iain Lawrence tells a whale of a tale with The Smugglers. He follows the adventures of the young lad, John Spencer. Poor John expects nothing but a quiet sea journey. But he winds up with far more than he bargained for. His ship, the Dragon, bears a terrible curse from its days as a smuggling vessel - a deadly curse of blood. Misfortune from the very beginning forces John into a harrowing journey full of seafaring folk and high adventure.
Adventure at Sea
There is no shortage of good things to say about this tale. The characters who fill the pages are wicked. From Crowe's thicker-than-pea-soup accent to his odd habits and talent with the bagpipes. Dashing Tommy Dusker leaps from page to page, corks bouncing as he sings his merry way to adventure and fame. Even the one-armed man at the dock has enough personality to stick with you for weeks. He's that much of a jerk.
The Real Deal
The tale of the Dragon and her crew is based on serious facts. The smuggling tricks are all real tricks used back in the 1800's. The lay of the ocean, cities and the stories of the people are just the way they really were. The real facts make John Spencer's story as solid as a week old bagel. It doesn't cheat on details, fudge important points or seem cheesy.
The Bottom Line
A final note from the author in the back of the book talks about real smuggling and where he got his information on it. He lists some books to read and delivers a chapter from his next novel. The Smugglers is a top-notch story, totally worth reading at least once - maybe even twice.
The Smugglers Rating:
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