A review by aylea
The Buccaneers' Code by Caroline Carlson

5.0

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.