Phoenix Rising

Toby's feet have not touched solid ground since he was 6 years old, he has grown into a teenager aboard The Phoenix, a mighty ship that sails around the globe through the junk filled seas. He, his father, and their motley crew of pirates are all wanted men and women, unable to dock for long in case St George's Greymen capture them and hang them for crimes against the government.

The seas are far from safe either, as they contend with storms, acid waters and their dreaded enemy The Banshee, captained by the ferocious Pirate Nell and her equally terrifying daughter Ayla. When the crew learn the location of a consignment of solar panels lost at sea they know they must get their hands on them, as fuel resources have all but dried up on earth. They are not the only ones who want the panels, however, and suddenly The Phoenix is thrown into a life-or-death battle to save the precious resource.

This is an exhilarating, superbly written adventure story. Pearce captures all the swash-buckling excitement of old piratical tales, but reinvents them by placing her characters in a junk-filled, energy-starved future, and the combination works! The diverse characters are well thought through, and the pace is relentlessly gripping. This is the first in a series and deserves to earn legions of fans. Highly recommended.