Artemesia spent her childhood on a pirate ship, and she's sick of practicing deportment at the Angels Academy for Young Maidens. Escaping, she sets out to find her mother's crew and breezily commands them out to sea. Fiery Art soon shapes her men into the cleverest pirate band afloat. And then they meet the dread ship Enemy and her beautiful, treacherous captain, Goldie Girl. The Seven Seas aren't large enough for two pirate queens-Art will have to wage the battle her life to win her mother's title...and the race for the greatest treasure in pirate lore. This swashbuckling romp is packed with swordplay, skullduggery, and salty language. Tanith Lee proves once again why she is a favorite with adventure lovers everywhere! Book jacket. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

Starred Review. Gr 6-9 This rollicking tale features 16-year-old Artemesia Fitz-Willoughby, alias Art Blastside, who seeks to recapture her deceased mother's piratical lifestyle. A blow to the head awakens in Art memories of storms at sea, a deadly cannon shot, sword fights, distant lands, and stolen riches. Escaping the school chosen by her unsympathetic, detached father, the teen heads for Lundon and adventure. Undaunted by the discovery that her vivid seafaring recollections were stage performances, that her infamous mother, nicknamed Piratica, was not a pirate but an actress, Art seeks to turn fantasy into reality. Through guile and bravado, she hijacks a seaworthy galleon; inspires devotion and toil among her mother's motley crew of actors; demonstrates instinctive skill for sailing, swordplay, and parley; and pursues the rumor of buried treasure. With melodramatic flair, heroes and rogues are introduced and the plot twists and turns. Handsome Felix Phoenix, fleeing mistaken identity as a highway robber, joins the crew and tantalizes Art with his inscrutable, aloof behavior. Little Goldie Girl, pirate captain of the Enemy, is her cutlass-wielding nemesis. Ultimately, the wit and antics of her thespian crew save Art from the hangman's noose. The lively, whimsical narration is filled with a concoction of puns, 18th-century British references and spellings, and a smattering of modern slang. Presented in three acts with multiple scenes, Piratica is a refreshing, tongue-in-cheek, tangled tale that will entice readers who crave adventure and fantasy. Gerry Larson, Durham School of the Arts, NC Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

Gr. 6-10. Set in an alternate world akin to the nineteenth century, Lee's latest novel depends heavily on contrivance, beginning with the first scene: 16-year-old Art bumps her head and suddenly remembers her forgotten childhood, including her mother, a famous pirate. She knows her mother is dead, but she's determined to find the ship crew she remembers. She succeeds, but she's in for a metaphorical head thump. Her mother wasn't a real pirate; she only played one in a long-running stage show. Nonetheless, Art still thirsts for sea life, and she convinces the old stage crew to apply their skills to an authentic ship and try pirate life on real open seas. Perilous treasure hunts, near-death escapes, and a hint of romance ensue. Lee's plot often stretches credibility, and the setting in a closely parallel world seems unnecessary. But readers able to overlook the blatant plot manipulations will enjoy a thrilling adventure, which, like Celia Rees' Pirates [BKL D 15 03], lets girls control the main. Find more pirate titles in Ilene Cooper's Read-alikes column Ship Ahoy [BKL S 1 04]. GillianEngberg. From: Syndetics Solutions, Inc. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

Tanith Lee is a two-time winner of the World Fantasy Award. She has written seventeen books for young readers, including the beloved series The Claidi Journals. Ms. Lee lives with her husband on the south coast of England Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

Act 1 Molly's Daughter
1
No Angel	3
Pink for a Girl	10
Common Talk	16
2
Pistols for Two, Coffee for Who?	26
Sinking Molly	39
After the Theater	50
3
Goose and Guest	56
Breaking the Ice	66
Port's Mouth Ho!	72
Act 2 Piratica's Daughter
1
The Port's Mouth Pudding	87
All at Sea	96
Changing Faces	106
2
Foe and Fortune	113
Four Wise Men	128
Own Accord	132
3
Trade and Traitor	143
Ships That Pass in the Nightmare	150
South by Southeast	164
Act 3 Piratica
1
Setting Fire to Canvas	183
Blond Bombshell	191
The Odder Sea	200
2
Treasured Isle	207
Parrot Fashion	213
Tidings	227
3
Walking the Planks	244
In the Same Boat	254
Trial and Error	262
Last Scene: Lockscald Tree	273

Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.