"SWEPT UP BY THE SEA," by Tracy and Laura Hickman, Shadow Mountain, $17.99, 323 pages (f) (12 and up)
"Swept Up by the Sea," written by husband and wife duo Tracy and Laura Hickman, shares a sweeping tale of piracy, romance and adventure, complete with mermaids, wannabe pirates and a lethal secret.
The novel tells the story of Percival Taylor, a young man who sets out to become a legendary pirate. The only problem — he can't seem to talk his way onto a single boat.
In a twist of fate, Percival is mistaken as a pirate rogue by the beautiful governor's daughter and must prove his buccaneer soul to secure her affections. In spite of the odds and his proper breeding, Percival soon secures a ship and crew and sails off on adventure across the high seas with the help of an old professor with a magical secret that could kill them all.
Along for the ride are the governor's daughter and Percival's jilted fiancée in an adventure that leads them to insurmountable treasures, mermaids, self discovery and true love.
Throughout the novel, Percival's optimism and stoic nature capture the readers' favor, while additional characters including the professor and a lonely shipwright add depth and charm to the story. Overall, the tale is relatable to adolescents and adults alike who dream of adventure.
The novel is self-titled as "A Romantic Fairy Tale," and it does not disappoint. The search for happiness and old and new love is prevalent throughout the story, but not enough to sicken the young gentleman readers.
"Swept Up by the Sea" is enjoyable and free from vulgar language and situations and is appropriate for readers 12 and older. It contains all the charm of a pirate adventure without any of the debauchery and draws the reader in with an intriguing plot and a depth of story that keep the pages turning.
This story was originally the second book in the Dragon's Bard series titled "Blackshore" and was reworked to be a stand-alone book, according to the authors' website at www.trhickman.com.
The first book in series, "Eventide," was published last year by Shadow Mountain.
The Hickmans, who are the parents of four children and live in Utah, will be at Salt Lake Comic Con, which is Sept. 5-7 at the Salt Palace Convention Center.
Email: ajones@desnews.com