Black Heart (Vampirates Series #4)

There's a new ship of Vampirates roaming the seas, leaving a trail of fear and devastation in its wake. So when one of the Academy's most-esteemed pirates is suddenly slain, the Pirate Federation takes immediate action to train a special crew of vampire hunters. Young pirate prodigy Connor Tempest is placed at the helm, which means he is leading the fight against a vampire ship with one very important passenger: His sister.

There's a new ship of Vampirates roaming the seas, leaving a trail of fear and devastation in its wake. So when one of the Academy's most-esteemed pirates is suddenly slain, the Pirate Federation takes immediate action to train a special crew of vampire hunters. Young pirate prodigy Connor Tempest is placed at the helm, which means he is leading the fight against a vampire ship with one very important passenger: His sister.

School Library Journal

Gr 5–8—In this addition to the series, twins Grace and Connor learn their true origins and get into some romantic entanglements. Readers need to be familiar with the previous volumes, as this one picks up immediately following the events in Blood Captain (Little, Brown, 2008), with some new characters introduced into the fray. While Grace accompanies her mother to Crescent Moon Bay to see her father's grave, Connor is made an officer on Cheng Li's vessel. A new threat terrorizes the coast in the form of a ship crewed by female vampires. The Vagabond, captained by Lady Lola Lockwood, follows vampire Sidorio's ship and feasts upon his top crewmen, Jez and Johnny. Cheng Li is then tasked with destroying all Vampirates. Connor is conflicted since Grace is onboard the peaceful Nocturne, and he tries unsuccessfully to convince Cheng Li that not all Vampirates are evil. When Sidorio goes so far as to marry Lady Lockwood, Jez and Johnny tip off Cheng Li and Connor is charged with stabbing the Lady, known as Black Heart. Cheng Li's secret knowledge about Connor helps them to escape from Sidorio for the time being. This is a fast-paced adventure story with a few surprises along the way.—Corinda J. Humphrey, Los Angeles Public Library

Justin Somper is a bestselling author in the UK. His Vampirates books have received international acclaim and have been published in over 20 languages. He lives in London.