Product Description
Sebastian Darke, his opinionated buffalope, Max, and the fierce fighter Cornelius are heading to the bustling port of Ramalat to embark on a perilous sea journey. They are ready to risk their lives in search of the fabled lost treasure of the pirate King, Captain Callinestra. But first, they must make it through the dark and mysterious forest of Geltane and
survive an encounter with the beautiful and bewitching Leonora, a powerful enchantress with a magical hold over Sebastian’s senses. And, as if that wasn’t bad enough, little do they know that, when they finally reach Ramalat, a feisty female sea captain, an infamous young pirate, ravenous sea creatures, and furious sea battles await them.

But there’s no turning back. Will they discover the lost treasure? Will Sebastian live to tell the tale? Will Max ever stop moaning?

Philip Caveney has written many novels for adults. This is his second book for young adults. He lives in England.


From the Hardcover edition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

An thrilling tale about pirates, monsters, and treasures beyond your imagination
After a heroic act of taking down the evil King Septimus, Sebastian Darke is back! With his long-time buddy, Max the Buffalope, and the short (but mighty) warrior Cornelius. They are off to another grand adventure! And this time, out into the sea!

After being saved from a monster by a man named Adam, the trio is told that his sister, Leonora, knew that they were in danger. But these siblings have an agenda of their own. They are out to get the treasure that Sebastian and his friends are trying to find!

Attempting to escape from their pursuers, Sebastian and the gang hires a ship to find their way to the mysterious island that holds Captain Callinestra's world fortune. With fierce pirates, a long-lost loot, and mythical creatures, you should prepare for another fantastic quest with Sebastian Darke!

After reading the Prince of Fools, I knew I had to one day get my hands on the sequel. And I was not disappointed as Caveney delivered a non-stop and fun action story with enthusiastic characters, new and old!

The plot kept me hooked and I continued flipping the pages, dying to know what happened to the characters next. When you think things are going to be okay, another problem jumps out! You will be sitting there, biting your nails as you pray for the characters' safety.

I pitied Sebastian throughout this novel because he fell under an enchantment where he would only think of the evil Leonora. On his journey, he made acquaintances with the pretty female captain pirate, Jenna. I think she is pretty cool and I do hope she makes an appearance again in the next novel but for some reason I doubt so. Sebastian slowly but surely grew up some more after encountering plenty of obstacles in this expedition since the Prince of Fools. He is an odd character to have a story evolve around because of his personality and situation but I love how different he is compared to most male leads.

What I adore the most about the novel is how everything is like a classic hero story for kids. You have the protagonist with his steed and best man, going through deadly challenges to get to the treasure that was lost for hundreds of years. Except it is a read for teens instead of the youngsters.

I definitely recommend the Sebastian Darke series if you have not read it yet! It gives you a break from the usual supernatural/fantasy stuff that you generally find in YA fiction. I'm anxious for the third installment!

Read more of my reviews at: Stop, Drop, and Read! - [...] ... Read more

Product Description
Egypt 1923.Fifteen-year-old Alec Devlin is on his way to the Valley of the Kings. Accompanied by his faithful valet, Coates, Alec is to spend his summer holidays working on his Uncle Will-s archaeological dig. It-s not the first time he's spent his summer this way . . . but this year things are different.Uncle Will and his young assistant, Tom Hinton, have recently made an amazing discovery - an ancient tomb hidden deep below the earth. But only hours after opening its doors, Uncle Will falls mysteriously ill and Tom seems to have disappeared without trace.Together with Ethan Wade, the young American soldier of fortune who is managing the dig in Uncle Will's absence, and a pretty French woman called Madeleine Duval, Alec sets about unravelling the tomb-s mysteries. Seemingly harmless animals have turned into rabid killers . . . long dead mummies are rising from their tombs . . . the spirit of a powerful High Priest is claiming the bodies of the living as his living hosts . . . Together Alec and Ethan must confront a terror that has waited three thousand years to be reborn. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Did not live up to expectation
I have read the other three young adult novels this author has written - the Sebastian Darke books which were really good.This one was a let down after reading those.
Alec has been given permission to visit his uncle's dig in the Valley of Kings, Egypt.Unfortunately, his uncle is now in a home after having a mental breakdown due to seeing a three thousand year old mummy take the form of a colleague.Along the way, we meet many characters, but none of them jump off the page greatly.Alec isn't so much the protagonist of this, as he is a piece of driftwood along for a wild ride downstream.The writing is good, but I think this could have been 100 fewer and been a better book.I hope that the next volume in this series is better. ... Read more

Product Description
Sebastian Darke; his snarky buffalope, Max; and fierce fighter Cornelius are off on another hair-raising quest after being hired by a rich merchant to seek out the legendary lost city of Mendip. Not only must they find it, they must bring back valuable proof of its existence. Sebastian doubts they’ll reach their destination after trudging through miles of jungle filled with warrior beasts and terrifying tribes. But then he meets the beautiful Keera, whose people believe he’s the Chosen One sent to free their tribe from their brutal enemy. Little do they know that Sebastian is definitely not the hero type. He just wants to bring back valuable proof of the lost city. But will the price they must pay outweigh the rewards? ... Read more

Product Description
The Lord of Laughter, The Monarch of Mirth—if only the bumbling 17-year-old Sebastian Darke could be a successful jester like his father. The problem is, Sebastian’s not funny. But after his father’s death, with no choice but to beg in the streets, the half-human, half-elf teen sets off with Max, his father’s slightly cynical Buffalope, to offer his services as a jester to King Septimus of Keladon. On the way, they meet Captain Cornelius Drummel, small in stature, but the fiercest of fighters. The three rescue the fair princess Kerin, who’s being held captive by brigands, and happily escort her home. If only Sebastian knew the kidnapping was engineered by the evil King Septimus! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Do we need another shallow princess rescued by a sincere naive dolt from the evil machinations of a scheming uncle?!?!
This book is like a very, very, very tired Disney movie. There are brief glimpses of originality, but the story mainly consists of stereotype characters in a very predictable plot. There are much better fantasy books out there.

Great story, terrible type
I agree with other reviewers that this is a fun and exciting story.I would like to complain about the physical book itself.The typeface that is used on the paperback copy I received is very tiny.Granted my eyes are quite a bit older than the target audience for this book, but I don't think I have ever seen printing this small in a paperback book.I can understand saving paper and not wanting to make the book too "fat", but the page formatting could have easily been modified.There is no real need to have 3/4 inch margins on the top and bottom of each page (and that is measured from the page number and the page title).

Anyway, enjoy the story, just be sure you have a good light to read by.

great adventure, rich characters
This was a really fun read.Some of the characters were so delightful they have stayed in my mind in rich imagery for the 6 months since I read the book.What I like best was the ending.It's a great lesson for the teen readers, and allows for further adventures of the friends we've grown to love.Great fighting scenes, a tiny bit of romance, and good clean fun.Recommended for age 8/9 to adult, and good for a read-aloud, too.

A Great Adventure
Sebastian Darke sets off on a journey with his companions Max, his opinionated buffalope Cornelius, a seasoned and fearless warrior. The goal of their adventure is to find the lost treasure of the pirate king, Captain Callinestra. The journey begins with their passage through the dark forest of Geltane, where any number of mysterious creatures can end their journey where it began, and they meet the powerful enchantress Leonora.

This book is fun and instantly engaging. There are loads of adventure and edge-of-your-seat action, and it's never boring. The author has put his finger on the perfectrecipe for fun and adventure for kids of any age. What a great read!

Reviewed by Kim Shults

sebatian darke Prince of fools
For anyone who is a Harry Potter fan or who love the books Magyk and Flyte,you will LOVE this book.Very clever and witty,the characters are well formed and the story zips along,forme it's the humor that I loved so much,it's a fantasy world though with animals and humanoid creatures just one step removed from our world.Easy to read aloud for your 8 to 12 year old,yet very enjoyable for any adult that loves the fantasy genre.I've just ordered book 2. I hope there is a long line of the adventures of Sebastian Darke. ... Read more

Product Description
Mexico, 1924. At his father's hacienda, restlessly waiting for adventurer Ethan to arrive, sixteen-year-old Alec and his faithful valet Coates head out into the wilderness in search of an ancient archaeological site...only to discover that Mexico is every bit as perilous as The Valley of the Kings. Pursued by ruthless bandits, involved in a plane crash in the middle of remote rain-forest and finally an unwelcome guest in a lost Aztec city where the inhabitants still practice rituals of human sacrifice, once again Alec must use all of his skills and stamina to survive. ... Read more

Product Description
After his adventures in Egypt and Mexico, Alec decides that a summer spent on the island of Crete will be a far safer option, however unbeknownst to him several young travellers have recently disappeared from the island ...A chance encounter with mysterious multi-millionaire Tobias Wolfe leads to an invitation to visit his private paradise, Candia and when Wolfe's daughter, Ariadne, slips Alec a note pleading for help, Alec can't refuse. Trapped in Candia, Alec discovers that Wolfe's obsession with ancient Greek myths goes far deeper than anyone could have imagined - plunged into a living nightmare Alec must use all of his ingenuity to survive. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Loved this book
This book came into my possession as part of a lot of horror/thriller paperbacks I found on eBay. I'd never heard of it before and started reading it with misgivings, because it's not the kind of book that would normally appeal to me. But as one reviewer wrote, it almost immediately lured me in and then kept me coming back to find out what happened next. I think it's a wonderfully written book, full of lush description that has the ability to make your skin crawl. The characters arebelievable, the setting dark and ominous, and the storyline moves along at a good clip. Plus the dark romantic elements are surprisingly effective. What's not to like?

The only thing I didn't like about the book was the surprise ending. I found it very disturbing. But I've been thinking about it ever since I finished the book last night, so maybe that's the point!

I highly recommend this book, and I am not a young adult. In fact, I'm off now to find out if Philip Caveney has written any other books. A sequel would be interesting....

Still good after all these years
I read this book when I was 9 yrs old and and 25 years later it still has the ability to lure me in.I'm not sure why some of the other reviews state that it's not so great of a read the second time around, or once they've gotten older.I guess I'm still a kid at heart, but I do love a good fantasy, mystery.It's a great read and one of my all time favorites.

Loved it as a youth and as an adult
I don't understand a few of the prior reviews.They liked it as an adolescent and read it over and over again but only ranked it 2 stars?I also read it in my early teens, and as an adult I scoured bookstores until I was able to find it.Still as enjoyable in my 20's and 30's as it was back then.Not too many books can boast that!

similar to the prior review
I, too, read this book as a young teen & was very captivated by it.It has just enough sex & romance in it to keep the pages turning...as well as the horror element, of course. I recently pulled it out again & found it not nearly as good as I'd recalled (poorly written in some aspects, actually) but stillfun read & the end does have a surprising twist that I had forgotten. Overall, worth whiling away a few hours. Ideal airport or travel readig.

My favorite guilty pleasure
Ok, this book is not very good in comparison to, say, Shakespeare, but I read it over and over years ago when I was an adolescent. It's entertainment on the level of a good soap opera with appropriate amounts of scandal and sin. Fun, entertaining, and entirely seedy, and I'm positive Philip Caveney, the author, knew exactly what he was writing. I recommend it for anyone with a few bored hours. It's a page-turner on the same level of cheap horror, and I have to say the story intrigued me enough years later to search for and buy a copy. It was my first guilty pleasure, and it hasn't let me down as an adult when I need a break from the heavy stuff. ... Read more

Product Description
"Sebastian Darke" is the author's debut work for children and is pitched squarely at the 9+ market. Featuring the eponymous hero (a would-be jester desperate to make money, let alone people laugh); a shaggy, sarcastic "buffalope" called Max who can talk (and does, at great length); and Cornelius, an unlikely pint-size warrior who could give Zorro a run for his money. This is a fast, funny story that will grip readers from the very first page. ... Read more

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A psycho-thriller. ... Read more

Product Description
A psychothriller featuring an innocent family in peril from an unknown source. ... Read more

Product Description
Duffy prides himself an expert on horror...But when journalist, Kate Morrison approaches him with tales of a secret society of vampires dedicated to the consumption of human blood, he dismisses the idea as too ridiculous for words.Then Kate's blood-drained body is found lying dead in an alleyway... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Bloody but rewarding
I was given this and it's not my usual choice, but I must say I did enjoy it a great deal.There are some great moments of humour but the violence is quite offensive in places.I wouldn't say it was over the top but it is powerfully written and a strong stomach is needed.

That said, I enjoyed this very much.There's a great story and the take on vampires is wonderful and effectively chilling.But be careful, it is strong stuff.

Hot stuff!
I bought this because I've read other books by Caveney, and this is one of his best.I read it in a night and haven't enjoyed a book this much for years.Love Bites is the kind of thriller you can't out down.

I've been very disappointed with horror novels recently, but this is a restoration of faith.There are a number of elements I really love - good violence, fun, some decent heavy breathing sex and plenty of atmosphere.Parts of the book grabbed me especially, but the whole thing is superb.If it was a film, think Evil Dead 2.

I was bitten
Another thriller from a master of his craft. It races along at a cracking pace, and I was hooked (or is that 'drained'?) from the start. Vampires - and their novels - come in lots of forms, and this one has many new twists and lashings of red stuff. For fans of the vampire genre, this is an original, must-read new spin on a familiar theme: spread the word. It's an ebook: that's 'e' for easy to download, 'e' for an exciting read, and 'e' for eeearrghh! look out, it's behind you!

I've been bitten!
I loved this! I've read all of his other books and it's been a long wait for this one, but it was worth it! It's kind of like a vampire story, but not like one you ever read before...these are vampires as they really are, not Bela Lugosi capes and fangs; and I love the way Caveney's able to switch from moments of genuine terror to laugh out loud funny. This is a worthy successor to Skin Flicks and Speak No Evil. If you haven't read his novels yet, you've got a treat in store! ... Read more

Product Description
When three tormented souls are brought together, sparks from the past will ignite a blazing inferno of madness and obsession. ... Read more