I can't wait to read this; I really enjoyed the first one!
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September 17, 2014: Although I enjoyed this one, I still prefer the first, as I found it a bit easier to figure out the villains and motivations this time around. That being said, it's still a fun read for anyone wishing for a bit more piratical adventures in their lives. ( )

Review originally posted at The Children's Book and Media Review

Hilary Westfield is now Terror of the Southlands and everything a pirate should be. Well, that’s what she thought anyway until Captain Blacktooth tells her that unless she does something truly piratical—finding a treasure, defeating dueling masters, killing a sea monster, or something along those lines—she will lose her status as a part of the VNHLP. When the Enchantress goes missing, she and her crew decide that they need to do everything they can to rescue her. Along the way they have to compete with incompetent investigators and a mysterious group called the Mutineers whose plans could change their way of life. Between swashbuckling episodes on the high seas and a High Society Ball, Hillary is able to learn more about what it takes to be a pirate.

The second of this series is just as charming as the first. The Gargoyle is as entertain as always, this time working diligently on an autobiography about what an excellent pirate he is. Again the story is told partly through letters, newspaper articles, and other communications between major and minor characters. The letters can be entertaining, but some of the text can be hard to read. The growing friendships between the characters have a lot of good lessons, and Hillary’s determination to be a pirate while not being mean or villainous is inspiring. This book will leave readers exited for the last book in the series, The Buccaneers’ Code. ( )

I didn't enjoy this one as much as the first in the series, but I did enjoy getting to spend some more time with Hilary, Charley, the Gargoyle, and the rest of the gang.

The premise of the series is charming -- a young girl from an affluent family aspires to become a pirate (instead of a "society lady") and ends up becoming the "Terror of the Southalnds." But it's a hard premise to sustain, given how difficult it is for a child to behave in a believably "piratical" fashion, so it started to wear thin in this second book.

I was glad to see that there's only one more in the series, but I think I'll wait a few months or more before listening to that one, in the hopes that will make the story seem a bit more "fresh" than this one did. But I still gave this one four stars rather than three, simply because I love the concept behind it (and the strong female lead) and wish there were more books like this to read!

( )

3.5 stars. Same light hearted writing and tongue in cheek portrayal of pirates and a life on the high seas as the first book. I wasn't quite as entertained, but I'm excited to see where book three goes. Full review on the blog. ( )

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These days, I’m just not all that into middle grade books. That’s what I’m realizing. As they’re becoming, I think, increasingly popular, I’m trending the other way. I found Magic Marks the Spot to be hilarious and full of adventure. Somehow, though, I didn’t feel nearly as invested in this second book. It’s some combination of my mood, my boredom with most middle grade, and the book itself.

The Terror of the Southlands is definitely cute and funny, as the first installment was. Reading it on the heels of Hook’s Revenge was probably a bit of a mistake. I was not in the right mood at all. You can expect to get a book that’s very close in tone to Magic Marks the Spot. This is either a good or bad thing, depending on the type of reader you are. For my part, I really hope to see any sort of middle grade fantasy get a lot darker in the later installments. Book one might be flufftastic, but book two should have higher stakes. The Terror of the Southlands does not; if anything, the stakes are diminished. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it wasn’t what I wanted.

Carlson’s writing continues to be delightful and humorous. My favorite parts of The Terror of the Southlands were actually the letters and newspaper articles at the end of each chapter. Such a technique is really hard to get right, but I think that Carlson makes them so interesting. They tend to have character discussion of what went on in the previous chapter, and they’re so funny. The one exception to this is the gargoyle’s memoir, which is a retelling of book one with him as the hero. Funny in theory, but trying in actuality.

The other thing with middle grade fiction is that there doesn’t tend to be much romance, because obviously they’re very young. Romance really helps engage me in a story and there is none of it here. I think I remember having a ship in the previous book, but there’s no hint of romance here at all. Middle grade ships can be so cute with the handholding and the awkward flirting. Either Charlie and Claire or Charlie and Hilary could have been so completely adorable together, but oh well.

The plot of The Terror of the Southlands is lacking the piratical bent to be honest. Hilary, in fact, receives a notice for unpiratical behavior at the beginning. If she doesn’t do something piratey, she will be removed from the League. This is good. Unfortunately, she goes to rescue her friend, the Enchantress, instead, which frankly is not a pirate thing. The argument made is that pirates watch out for their mates, but I’m not sure that that is actually true and also pirates definitely do like to steal things. In book one, she found treasure at least, but she doesn’t nothing remotely piratey in this book. What’s the point with having her be a pirate if she’s NOT a pirate? Why not have her join the royal navy or something?

For all that, The Terror of the Southlands is definitely cute. I’m probably going to read the next book in the series anyway, but I do hope to see higher stakes and more actual pirate behavior in the next book. Also, is some romance too much to ask? ( )