In seventeenth century England, a terrible accident forces orphaned Philip Marsham to flee London in fear for his life. Bred to the sea, he signs on with the Rose of Devon, a dark frigate bound for the quiet shores of Newfoundland.

Philip's bold spirit and knowledge of the sea soon win him his captain's regard. But when the Rose of Devon is seized in midocean by a devious group of men plucked from a floating wreck, Philip is forced to accompany these gentlemen of fortune on their murderous expeditions. Like it or not, Philip Marsham is now a pirate--with only the hangman awaiting his return to England.

With its bloody battles, brutal buccaneers, and bold, spirited hero, this rousing tale will enthrall young listeners in search of seafaring adventure.

This story has been described as kind of like Treasure Island, but I thought it went beyond that classic tale, with plenty of nautical jargon and historical references to flesh this out into an interesting adult read. ( )

It was a bit hard for me to read, language wise. I can remember trying to read this when I was a runt, and failing. If I could get a little more comfortable with the writing style, this would probably pose as a thoroughly adventurous, ‘dun dun dun’ sort of tale. I was fully invested by the end, so perhaps that’s how long it took me to adapt. I imagine with future readings my appreciation for this book will grow. (I read another book by this author that didn't have the "sea" language, and I quite enjoyed it.) So I worry that this book's trickiness to read gives it some undeserved wrath. Stick with it, and the tale actually gets fairly compelling. ( )

From my earliest days, I have had a taste for science fiction. To me, adventure equaled hopping in one's spaceship and blasting off for distant worlds. As I grew older and became aware of other genres of fiction, I gained a vague awareness that the plot of a typical space opera could easily be rewritten--to fit another genre, to be set in the Wild West or on the open seas. I never had an interest in experiencing those other genres, however. The few snatches of westerns or pirate swashbucklers I saw on television never made me hungry for a different taste. I have now learned that maybe I just needed to experience a good story in one of those other genres. The Dark Frigate is a pirate story. It's the tale of Philip Marsham, a young man born and bred to the sea. Left on his own when his father is lost at sea, Philip sets out to seek his fortune. After wandering a bit inland he is drawn to the sailor's life and ships out on The Rose of Devon. Unfortunately, the ship encounters a band of pirates and circumstances force Philip to sail with them. It's a great book. Mr. Hawes made the entire world come alive, so much so that I had to adapt my thinking to the archaic language used by the characters. Conversely, I had no problem picturing scene after scene in my mind as I read it. It's sold as a book for young adults, but I found the story and characters to be quite grown up. We bought the book for my daughter's schooling and, given her tastes, she may not like this one. If that's so, I'll be glad to take this tome off her hands and put it on my own shelf.
--J. ( )

This one might be tough for today's young readers with old English vernacular but is still a thrilling story of the high seas! ( )