Twins Grace and Connor again challenge the high seas. This time the magic and mystery of the Vampirate society is secondary to their impulse to examine their own lives in order to understand and reconcile the truth about their dark familial roots. This solid fourth series entry stays fresh while not overdoing the vampire-pirate conceit.

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