Reviews

Both Literacy and Piracy in a Great New Book, December 31, 2009 By K.G. Carlson “Kernal Ken”  (Ashburn, VA, USA) –     Amazon Verified Purchase The title of W. Everett Prusso’s first novel, Pirate Slayers, Book One: Ghost Waves, may seem presumptuous to some. After all, how can a first time author be so confident in his premier work that he knows there will be yet another, or even more? To those who question that title — read this book! A thoroughly enjoyable novel of three 19th Century young Americans, and an Australian, who find themselves in a series of strange and dangerous situations in and around the pirate-filled Caribbean of the mid-1800’s. And, as has been mentioned by the [next] reviewer, this book is not filled with questionable language or sexual innuendo. In that alone, it stands apart from many of the other offerings for today’s young people. Prusso has the knowledge of all things nautical to make his story flow realistically from problem to predicament. His personal experience in travel agency work make his descriptions of the surrounding lands, climate and flora/fauna as accurate and believable as his shipboard lore. By the way, this book is not just written for young people. I am 65 and spend most of my reading hours with history or biography. But occasionally, I will pick up a novel just to see if its first few chapters will catch my attention. Ghost Waves certainly did so, and kept it throughout a period of fun reading each night before retiring. Made for great dreams too!

From Goodreads.com

Mary Gray rated it:

Owns a copy — Read in December, 2009It seems in today’s literature it is popular to stress certain themes. Independence is a regularly pushed characteristic—especially in female characters—as well as following our hearts, no matter the circumstances, no matter the promises we’ve made. A disrespectful attitude in teenagers has become a common attribute, I suppose as a way for authors to make their characters feel more “round,” flawed, or possibly even relatable. But chastity is rarely an esteemed attribute in today’s characters. It has become unpopular, even a disappointment to some of the most ethically minded of readers.

There have been two themes in Ghost Waves that have transcended the regularly acclaimed themes of today’s fiction. 1) Ghost Waves celebrates virtue and 2) it embraces the rightfulness of keeping promises as a way of honoring our elders and parents. I don’t remember the last time I read a book with such a straightforward yet moderate celebration of “the olden day” morals. Disney’s older stories taught them well: Cinderella valued obedience, Snow White valued hard work, and Pinocchio learned honesty. Many of the more modern stories stress the necessity of “following our hearts,” no matter our commitments. But, what are we teaching our children, if their hearts yearn to cross certain boundaries? Boundaries of chastity, of obedience, of respect—to both our God and to our parents and elders?

But Ghost Waves isn’t a Sunday school lesson outlining the ways to achieve a pious heaven. It is truly an adventure, with an antagonist I absolutely adore. Vanessa Scrimshaw has to be one of my favorite antagonists I’ve read about in a long time. She is horribly cruel but you cannot help but be intrigued by her—her ruthless dedication to always be Captain and her entertaining dialogue adds the perfect zing to a book I would simply call fun.

This is a story of Mormon Pioneers sailing on the Brooklyn around South America all the way to California on the Prophet Brigham Young’s orders. But the tale is contrasted with an entertaining threat of ruthless Pirates with equally fascinating personalities. This is a book I am excited to read with my son in a couple of years (he just turned five). He’s already fascinated by the vivid artwork on the front cover. He told me he loves “those guys floating on the cover,” the ship and “the water—my most favorite color.” Little does he know that those are the Ghost Waves. I can’t wait to curl up with him and read it out loud together. It is such a fun book.

My first review by Karen Gowen…. thanks Karen…

The Pirate Slayers, Book One: Ghost Waves

by W. Everett Prusso

The cover art on this book is incredible and promises romance, adventure, action and pirates. Let me say that Ghost  Waves lives up to it, providing all this and more. It is a remarkable offering from a new author, an amazing accomplishment for a first novel. First in a series, Ghost Waves delivers. It kept me intrigued until the very last page, and although the ending was satisfying, it left me wanting more, just as a good book is supposed to do. Now I have to wait for the second in the series,Scrimshaw’s Revenge, to get more of Thomas and Matt, Elizabeth and Nicole! Aargh!

The first chapter opens with Captain Vanessa Scrimshaw, the beautiful but ruthless pirate who was separated from her beloved husband ten years earlier, and swore vengeance on the world ever since. One by one, we are introduced soon after to the protagonists: Thomas and his family in Brooklyn, Elizabeth and her cousin Nicole, also from Brooklyn. After boarding the ship of Mormon pioneers headed to San Francisco, they meet Matt, a young sailor from Australia.

When these four are inadvertently thrown overboard, the adventure begins in earnest. And how they happen to fall off the ship is an incredible account that Prusso writes in a thrilling, entirely believable way. Once they are on their own, it’s only a matter of time before they cross paths with Captain Scrimshaw.

The adventure keeps you turning the page, but what I loved about this book was the reality of it. I have never been on a sailboat, I have never been south of Baja California, never been on a boat except to fish and water ski in the lakes of Minnesota. In Ghost Waves, Prusso took me around the cape of South America, along the coast of Brazil, to the Caribbean, stopping to visit incredible sights along the way. He is widely traveled, and his knowledge of these areas comes through in a lovely, subtle way.

Of course, you know there has to be romance, with four teenaged youth alone on the sea, stranded on an island, and facing one adventure after another. I absolutely loved the romance of this book, the way it develops in such a believable, natural way. And the way Prusso manages to keep it chaste shows his great skill as a writer. Then again, is it as chaste as one might think? He keeps us guessing about that just as he keeps us enthralled with the story itself.

Ghost Waves has everything, and I predict it will be a huge success. It’s the kind of book you read and want to tell everyone about, because you want to share this exciting discovery with others. Which is why it is the first title I chose to review on my blog. Although I will review all of WiDo Publishing titles here, I can’t guarantee that I will get an advance look at others like I did with Ghost Waves. 

It is to be released in time for Christmas, and is now available for preorder on Amazon. For more on this incredible book and its author, (and for a better view of the cover) visit Prusso at https://weverettprusso.wordpress.com/.