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Vampirates #4
Czarne Serce
Strzeż się czarnego serca...
Nowy statek wampiratów grasuje po oceanach, siejąc postrach i zniszczenie. Gdy odpływa przed świtem, na nabrzeżu można znaleźć czarną królową kier. To znak rozpoznawczy pięknej Loli Lockwood, która nosi dziwny tatuaż wokół oka, a krew sączy się z drogocennego weneckiego kieliszka.
Zuchwałe zbrodnie wywołują gniew Federacji Pirackiej. Cheng Li staje na czele elitarnego oddziału łowców wampirów. Jej tajną bronią jest Connor Tempest.
Grace, wstrząśnięta wyborami brata, poznaje tymczasem rodzinne sekrety. Przeszłość kryje straszliwą prawdę... ale i obietnicę.
Kim naprawdę są Grace i Connor?
Nowy statek wampiratów grasuje po oceanach, siejąc postrach i zniszczenie. Gdy odpływa przed świtem, na nabrzeżu można znaleźć czarną królową kier. To znak rozpoznawczy pięknej Loli Lockwood, która nosi dziwny tatuaż wokół oka, a krew sączy się z drogocennego weneckiego kieliszka.
Zuchwałe zbrodnie wywołują gniew Federacji Pirackiej. Cheng Li staje na czele elitarnego oddziału łowców wampirów. Jej tajną bronią jest Connor Tempest.
Grace, wstrząśnięta wyborami brata, poznaje tymczasem rodzinne sekrety. Przeszłość kryje straszliwą prawdę... ale i obietnicę.
Kim naprawdę są Grace i Connor?
480 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
68 people are currently reading
2308 people want to read
About the author
Justin Somper
54 books514 followersJustin Somper is a bestselling UK author whose Vampirates books have been translated into over twenty languages. Justin trained in sword-fighting to help him write the fight scenes in the Vampirates series.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 156 reviews
June 25, 2021
Jeszcze do niedawna twardo zapierałam się, że nie robię rereadów i szkoda mi było czasu na wracanie do starych książek, skoro tyle nowych historii czeka na poznanie. Wampiraci to jedna z tych serii, których nigdy nie udało mi się skończyć, a nie chciałam zaczynać od piątego tomu, dlatego postanowiłam przeczytać całość od nowa, tym razem z zamiarem skończenia jej! I szczerze to była jedna z najlepszych decyzji, jakie mogłam podjąć.
Jestem kompletnie, niezaprzeczalnie i szaleńczo zakochana w tej serii, a przez to nie umiem być obiektywna w tej kwestii i mimo, że do niektórych tomów jest to już moje trzecie podejście, wciąż nie znalazłam elementu, który by mi się nie podobał. Do tego zdecydowanie nie jest to książka, którą mogę czytać publicznie, bo sprawia mi za dużo radochy i w tym miejscu pragnę serdecznie pozdrowić pracowników bank Millenium, którzy na pewno widzieli moją minę ;).
Przed Connorem i Grace prawdopodobnie najważniejsza próba, bo w tym tomie wychodzi na jak cała prawda i w końcu poznajemy ich historię, ich przeszłość i powiązania ze światem Wampiratów. W końcu wszystkie puzzle wskakują na swoje miejsce, a my wreszcie mamy pogląd na całą sytuacje i możemy o wiele lepiej zrozumieć wydarzenia, które zdarzyły się do tej pory, a także w końcu wiemy, dlaczego Wampiraci tak dziwnie zachowywali się w obecności Grace.
To niezwykle ważny tom, choć dla niektórych może być powolny albo nudny, ale ja osobiście czekałam na to! Faktycznie pierwsza połowa książki ma powolne tempo, ale jest to zabieg celowy, bo powoli dowiadujemy się nowych faktów, historia jest odpowiadana przez osobę słabą, która nie ma dużo życia przed sobą i tempo zostało idealnie dopasowane. Daje nam to też czas na zaczerpnięcie oddechu i przygotowanie się na cios i szok, które otrzymujemy, a także na przetrwonienie emocji, które targają bliźniętami.
Nie zapominajmy też o nowych Wampiratkach, Czarnych Sercach, które namieszały w fabule! jeśli do tej pory myśleliście, że Sidorio był tym złym, to koniecznie musicie poznać Lady Lolę Lockwood, bo to dopiero jest szatańska babka! A jej wątek jest po prostu świetny i balansuje powolne tempo pierwszej części, bo przez drugą mkniemy, a kolejne wydarzenia są tylko lepsze!
No i Lorcan. ❤️
Jestem kompletnie, niezaprzeczalnie i szaleńczo zakochana w tej serii, a przez to nie umiem być obiektywna w tej kwestii i mimo, że do niektórych tomów jest to już moje trzecie podejście, wciąż nie znalazłam elementu, który by mi się nie podobał. Do tego zdecydowanie nie jest to książka, którą mogę czytać publicznie, bo sprawia mi za dużo radochy i w tym miejscu pragnę serdecznie pozdrowić pracowników bank Millenium, którzy na pewno widzieli moją minę ;).
Przed Connorem i Grace prawdopodobnie najważniejsza próba, bo w tym tomie wychodzi na jak cała prawda i w końcu poznajemy ich historię, ich przeszłość i powiązania ze światem Wampiratów. W końcu wszystkie puzzle wskakują na swoje miejsce, a my wreszcie mamy pogląd na całą sytuacje i możemy o wiele lepiej zrozumieć wydarzenia, które zdarzyły się do tej pory, a także w końcu wiemy, dlaczego Wampiraci tak dziwnie zachowywali się w obecności Grace.
To niezwykle ważny tom, choć dla niektórych może być powolny albo nudny, ale ja osobiście czekałam na to! Faktycznie pierwsza połowa książki ma powolne tempo, ale jest to zabieg celowy, bo powoli dowiadujemy się nowych faktów, historia jest odpowiadana przez osobę słabą, która nie ma dużo życia przed sobą i tempo zostało idealnie dopasowane. Daje nam to też czas na zaczerpnięcie oddechu i przygotowanie się na cios i szok, które otrzymujemy, a także na przetrwonienie emocji, które targają bliźniętami.
Nie zapominajmy też o nowych Wampiratkach, Czarnych Sercach, które namieszały w fabule! jeśli do tej pory myśleliście, że Sidorio był tym złym, to koniecznie musicie poznać Lady Lolę Lockwood, bo to dopiero jest szatańska babka! A jej wątek jest po prostu świetny i balansuje powolne tempo pierwszej części, bo przez drugą mkniemy, a kolejne wydarzenia są tylko lepsze!
No i Lorcan. ❤️
September 26, 2023
Action and neverending twists and turns!
December 9, 2018
I am giving the book 2.5 stars so you could say that I am between "It was ok" and "I like it" but more of "It was ok". I will mention several reasons below why I like this series a little.
SPOILERS
There were a couple of drawbacks present in this book that made me dislike Vampirates the more we go through the story:
1. The huge plot-twist, Sidorio, who was supposed to be the main antagonist of the whole Vampirates series turned out to be Connor and Grace's biological father. It was awkward and I wasn't quite happy with how it turned out. It was like forcing the story to go on. I dislike it when people make the main characters and the antagonists of any book/show to be connected in an illogical way.
2. Grace's personality. SHE is so BORING as a character and I don't like her at all. Whenever I get to read her chapters I feel like turning the pages and skip her chapters to read more of Connor's rather than her boring chapters and personality. I hope that her character develops better in the next book.
3. Sally got pregnant by pregnancy spell that was cast upon her by some "priestess" who seemed to be a witch instead. I find it ridiculous and illogical. PREGNANCY SPELL? THAT'S BIZZARE.
At first, before Sally and Dexter's disembark from The Nocturne, Sidorio told Sally "I will make sure that you'll never forget me." I expected him to do something against her will but it turned out that he negotiated with some witch to make a strange spell and cast it upon Sally to get her pregnant. Maybe the author is a bit generous and he didn't want his characters to go through traumas.
4. A romantic relationship between Grace and Lorcan. Grace is 14 years and how old is Lorcan exactly? Wasn't he supposed to be above 500 years? Shouldn't he be a paedophile? I found it a bit disgusting tbh especially their kisses! Their relationship developed in an instant right after Grace's discovery about her real race of being a Dhampir (Half-human/half-vampire). In my opinion, their relationship should have developed slowly. I love slow-burn and fluff but Grace and Lorcan got fluffy almost immediately. Bruh, Grace is 14... So young to get in fluff.
I am trying to recall the things I disliked from this book but these were the main that I am kind of against.
There were a few things that I liked about this book:
1. The usage of aconite, hawthorn and silver to kill a vampire. I loved the idea!
2. The characterization of Jez Stukeley, Jacoby and Johnny. They are the best! They are so funny and vivid. I had to laugh so hard at the last few chapters of Vampirates! I loved the cat-mouse chase and the annihilation of Lady Muck in front of Sidorio. Sidorio was like "You killed my wife twice!" to Connor. He even ran after Jacoby to retrieve Lola's head from him, that was amusing and priceless. I don't like Sidorio nor Lady Lola so the newlyweds deserved a nice present during their marriage ceremony.
3. I love Connor as a character. He is so realistically humane. He went through emotional turbulence after he killed a man in one of the raids conducted by Cutlass Cate and Wrathe brothers, he had to protect Moonshine, a spoilt brat, from danger. Despite his success on his post, he still regretted taking a man's life.
I also love it when sensed that he is a bad indecent friend of Jacoby after "snatching" Jasmine from his friend and after Cheng Li gave him a mission to assassinate Lady Lola. He was ashamed of himself and regret was eating him. I hope Connor and Jacoby remain friends in the next 2 books of the series.
Favourite lines and phrases:
1. But does it really matter where you come from? Isn't the important thing where you're going? -Connor
2. When you know what you want out of life, you just have to go after it. - Bo Yin
3. Maybe home isn't a place. Maybe it's a feeling you have inside of you, being around the people who matter to you. Maybe your home is here. - Oskar
Favourite actions:
1. Gritting his teeth, Connor leaped forward and sliced Lady Lola's head clean from her neck. The head rolled to one side. Jacoby grabbed it and started to run, as if in the middle of a particularly brutal rugby match.
2. Angelika and Marianne were both in tears, staring down at Lady Lola's lifeless face. Angelika still held the bridal bouquet. She looked sadly down at the golden hand.
"I'll be having that, thank you very much!" cried Moonshine Wrathe, reaching down and tearing it out of Angelika's confused clutches.
The end.
SPOILERS
There were a couple of drawbacks present in this book that made me dislike Vampirates the more we go through the story:
1. The huge plot-twist, Sidorio, who was supposed to be the main antagonist of the whole Vampirates series turned out to be Connor and Grace's biological father. It was awkward and I wasn't quite happy with how it turned out. It was like forcing the story to go on. I dislike it when people make the main characters and the antagonists of any book/show to be connected in an illogical way.
2. Grace's personality. SHE is so BORING as a character and I don't like her at all. Whenever I get to read her chapters I feel like turning the pages and skip her chapters to read more of Connor's rather than her boring chapters and personality. I hope that her character develops better in the next book.
3. Sally got pregnant by pregnancy spell that was cast upon her by some "priestess" who seemed to be a witch instead. I find it ridiculous and illogical. PREGNANCY SPELL? THAT'S BIZZARE.
At first, before Sally and Dexter's disembark from The Nocturne, Sidorio told Sally "I will make sure that you'll never forget me." I expected him to do something against her will but it turned out that he negotiated with some witch to make a strange spell and cast it upon Sally to get her pregnant. Maybe the author is a bit generous and he didn't want his characters to go through traumas.
4. A romantic relationship between Grace and Lorcan. Grace is 14 years and how old is Lorcan exactly? Wasn't he supposed to be above 500 years? Shouldn't he be a paedophile? I found it a bit disgusting tbh especially their kisses! Their relationship developed in an instant right after Grace's discovery about her real race of being a Dhampir (Half-human/half-vampire). In my opinion, their relationship should have developed slowly. I love slow-burn and fluff but Grace and Lorcan got fluffy almost immediately. Bruh, Grace is 14... So young to get in fluff.
I am trying to recall the things I disliked from this book but these were the main that I am kind of against.
There were a few things that I liked about this book:
1. The usage of aconite, hawthorn and silver to kill a vampire. I loved the idea!
2. The characterization of Jez Stukeley, Jacoby and Johnny. They are the best! They are so funny and vivid. I had to laugh so hard at the last few chapters of Vampirates! I loved the cat-mouse chase and the annihilation of Lady Muck in front of Sidorio. Sidorio was like "You killed my wife twice!" to Connor. He even ran after Jacoby to retrieve Lola's head from him, that was amusing and priceless. I don't like Sidorio nor Lady Lola so the newlyweds deserved a nice present during their marriage ceremony.
3. I love Connor as a character. He is so realistically humane. He went through emotional turbulence after he killed a man in one of the raids conducted by Cutlass Cate and Wrathe brothers, he had to protect Moonshine, a spoilt brat, from danger. Despite his success on his post, he still regretted taking a man's life.
I also love it when sensed that he is a bad indecent friend of Jacoby after "snatching" Jasmine from his friend and after Cheng Li gave him a mission to assassinate Lady Lola. He was ashamed of himself and regret was eating him. I hope Connor and Jacoby remain friends in the next 2 books of the series.
Favourite lines and phrases:
1. But does it really matter where you come from? Isn't the important thing where you're going? -Connor
2. When you know what you want out of life, you just have to go after it. - Bo Yin
3. Maybe home isn't a place. Maybe it's a feeling you have inside of you, being around the people who matter to you. Maybe your home is here. - Oskar
Favourite actions:
1. Gritting his teeth, Connor leaped forward and sliced Lady Lola's head clean from her neck. The head rolled to one side. Jacoby grabbed it and started to run, as if in the middle of a particularly brutal rugby match.
2. Angelika and Marianne were both in tears, staring down at Lady Lola's lifeless face. Angelika still held the bridal bouquet. She looked sadly down at the golden hand.
"I'll be having that, thank you very much!" cried Moonshine Wrathe, reaching down and tearing it out of Angelika's confused clutches.
The end.
May 7, 2023
76%
This series is weird, the kids dad is a fucking idiot that can get voodoo curses done, alright.
Also luke he almost killed his daughter, y'all is weird as hell but at least it's not predictable
This series is weird, the kids dad is a fucking idiot that can get voodoo curses done, alright.
Also luke he almost killed his daughter, y'all is weird as hell but at least it's not predictable
November 1, 2012
3.5
(I wish I'd had time to write this review before I finished the next book in the series - 'cause now I'm getting them confused in my mind.)
At the end of Book 3, Grace and Connor's mother returns as a spirit during the Captain's healing, so Grace and Connor get to meet the mother they never knew, and also learn more about themselves and secrets about themselves.
Meanwhile, Sidorio continues to be Sidorio, but a knew villain, Lady Lockwood - the Black Heart - seems to be a heretofore unknown rival to the self-styled Vampirate King.
And meanwhile meanwhile, Cheng Li is on her way to becoming a captain of her own ship, but things get messy...
I think I may be expecting too much from these characters. Maybe I forget that during the course of these four books, the kids, while having gone through a lot, haven't actually aged all that much... but even though, rationally, I can tell myself this, it still irks me when people keep repeating the same stupid patterns.
I was especially irritated, once again, with Connor, who, while learning the secrets of his past, Seriously?
Also, I'm getting tired of people holding out on information for the purpose of upping the tension and drama. I hate it when the plot of a book pretty much revolves around people not telling each other shit... and that happens a lot in these books, and sort of is only getting worse.
That said, I still breeze through them and find them compelling reads. Even while people are annoying me, I still keep turning those pages, wanting to know how things will turn out... even if I'm hoping that they don't go as I expect them to go.
Also, Sidorio and Lockwood are kind of cute together, in a messed up way. (Though I really didn't understand the whole
Overall, I like some of the developments, like , continue being irritated with Connor and mistrustful of Cheng Li, but found the big reveal
(I wish I'd had time to write this review before I finished the next book in the series - 'cause now I'm getting them confused in my mind.)
At the end of Book 3, Grace and Connor's mother returns as a spirit during the Captain's healing, so Grace and Connor get to meet the mother they never knew, and also learn more about themselves and secrets about themselves.
Meanwhile, Sidorio continues to be Sidorio, but a knew villain, Lady Lockwood - the Black Heart - seems to be a heretofore unknown rival to the self-styled Vampirate King.
And meanwhile meanwhile, Cheng Li is on her way to becoming a captain of her own ship, but things get messy...
I think I may be expecting too much from these characters. Maybe I forget that during the course of these four books, the kids, while having gone through a lot, haven't actually aged all that much... but even though, rationally, I can tell myself this, it still irks me when people keep repeating the same stupid patterns.
I was especially irritated, once again, with Connor, who, while learning the secrets of his past, Seriously?
Also, I'm getting tired of people holding out on information for the purpose of upping the tension and drama. I hate it when the plot of a book pretty much revolves around people not telling each other shit... and that happens a lot in these books, and sort of is only getting worse.
That said, I still breeze through them and find them compelling reads. Even while people are annoying me, I still keep turning those pages, wanting to know how things will turn out... even if I'm hoping that they don't go as I expect them to go.
Also, Sidorio and Lockwood are kind of cute together, in a messed up way. (Though I really didn't understand the whole
Overall, I like some of the developments, like , continue being irritated with Connor and mistrustful of Cheng Li, but found the big reveal
May 2, 2018
Where do I begin?
Connor and Grace finally meet their mother, in the flesh! And she’s not actually alive, just... well, just like Tom Riddle who came out of the diary in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets! Only, in this book, their mother - Sally - started from being solid and slowly disintegrated until poof! she’s finally dead for real.
Grace has made the decision that she was going to stay with the Vampirates and Connor decided to stay with the human pirates... Humpirates? But don’t fret! Grace has the ability to astral travel, so they can have some kind of Skype call if ever they need to talk to each other. How convenient, right?
And if Grace’s powers are not enough, the twins learn that they are actually dhampirs, or for the Muggles, human and vampire half-bloods. They get all the amazing abilities vampires get - immortality in the lead - without having to suffer their weaknesses! Yay for the twins! They’re not weak against silver or wolfsbane! But I’m not sure how these things can weaken vampires when they’re usually used against werewolves.
And to top all of that, they both finally start each of their own romantic escapades... which was a disappointment, to be perfectly honest. I’m one of the hardcore Grace and Lorcan shippers but when their moment came, it felt flat, lame, boring. Connor’s cavorting with Jasmine was much more interesting but it was still bland. I guess it had to do with the writing itself. Mr. Somper would be better off writing adventure stories...
But anyway, amidst all the positive things that they learned, a negative piece of information had to be revealed to balance it all out! And what is that, you ask? Well, the evil guy, Sidorio, turns out to be the twins’ father! They’re not Dexter Tempest’s children after all! But oho, they can’t accept that they are Sidorio’s offspring and stubbornly claim that only Dexter was their father!
I’ve said enough. This book has revealed so much compared to the previous ones. Not only that, a lot more things have happened compared to the previous ones. And I think that sort of backfired. The important moments and events got pushed to the side as if they were just fillers. Also, because there were so many events at once, Mr. Author failed to really dive into the story. I could see that his goal was to make the reader understand and feel the weight each character was carrying. But they were as light as feathers? How could he expect the reader to sympathize with any of them?
Connor and Grace finally meet their mother, in the flesh! And she’s not actually alive, just... well, just like Tom Riddle who came out of the diary in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets! Only, in this book, their mother - Sally - started from being solid and slowly disintegrated until poof! she’s finally dead for real.
Grace has made the decision that she was going to stay with the Vampirates and Connor decided to stay with the human pirates... Humpirates? But don’t fret! Grace has the ability to astral travel, so they can have some kind of Skype call if ever they need to talk to each other. How convenient, right?
And if Grace’s powers are not enough, the twins learn that they are actually dhampirs, or for the Muggles, human and vampire half-bloods. They get all the amazing abilities vampires get - immortality in the lead - without having to suffer their weaknesses! Yay for the twins! They’re not weak against silver or wolfsbane! But I’m not sure how these things can weaken vampires when they’re usually used against werewolves.
And to top all of that, they both finally start each of their own romantic escapades... which was a disappointment, to be perfectly honest. I’m one of the hardcore Grace and Lorcan shippers but when their moment came, it felt flat, lame, boring. Connor’s cavorting with Jasmine was much more interesting but it was still bland. I guess it had to do with the writing itself. Mr. Somper would be better off writing adventure stories...
But anyway, amidst all the positive things that they learned, a negative piece of information had to be revealed to balance it all out! And what is that, you ask? Well, the evil guy, Sidorio, turns out to be the twins’ father! They’re not Dexter Tempest’s children after all! But oho, they can’t accept that they are Sidorio’s offspring and stubbornly claim that only Dexter was their father!
I’ve said enough. This book has revealed so much compared to the previous ones. Not only that, a lot more things have happened compared to the previous ones. And I think that sort of backfired. The important moments and events got pushed to the side as if they were just fillers. Also, because there were so many events at once, Mr. Author failed to really dive into the story. I could see that his goal was to make the reader understand and feel the weight each character was carrying. But they were as light as feathers? How could he expect the reader to sympathize with any of them?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 3, 2018
I loved this book. I like the race, and how they are competitive and how they all try to win. I hate how Lola kills the Headmaster, and gives them his body. I like how the pirates are determined to kill those Vampirates. I like how Grace gets to meet her mother. I love that they take Sally back to their hometown. I really like how Sally heals when they go back. I like how she is able to rejoin the twin’s father. I hate how Sidorio and Lola meet and how they go around causing destruction wherever they go. I like how the pirates try to kill Lola, and I hate how she comes back.
Read
April 30, 2021When I started reading the series, I really wanted to quit. "I could keep reading Gabriel Garcia Marquez", I thought to myself. I just kept reading. Not until the fourth book, things get interesting, but I think it's worth the time. If you are reading or want to read this book, here is my advice: Persevere. It WILL seem boring. It WILL seem meaningless, but at the end, you get to see pirates beheading brides, so, you know, just carry on.
June 28, 2022
La continuación de esta gran historia revela las respuestas de importantes misterios en este cuarto libro.
Me enganché desde la primera página y no podía parar de leer. Tiene muchos momentos de tensión, de aventuras, piratas y, por supuesto, muchos vampiros que dan un toque oscuro y macabro a la historia.
Me enganché desde la primera página y no podía parar de leer. Tiene muchos momentos de tensión, de aventuras, piratas y, por supuesto, muchos vampiros que dan un toque oscuro y macabro a la historia.
March 31, 2022
Connor and Grace are finally able to meet their mother and find the truth about their birth. While Grace wants to learn more, Connor can't accept any of it. And when Siderio is joined by Lady Lola, a vampire as bloodthirsty as he is, the Pirate Federation takes notice and create a squad to deal with the Vampirates lead by Captain Li. Connor is on the squad too, but his loyalties are divided knowing how much Grace cares for some of the Vampirates. And when the truth about Grace and Connor reaches Siderio's ears, they need to take action fast especially to not also get used by the Pirate Federation.
This series is keeping on the edge from page one. I need to know how the story continues ASAP.
This series is keeping on the edge from page one. I need to know how the story continues ASAP.
April 12, 2025
There are a couple of big things in this series I can't quite get my head around...
Lorcan is 17 and Grace is 14 which is an age gap enough, but Lorcan has been 17 for how long?! and to have known Grace's mother at least 14 years ago it's just such a weird dynamic and I don't think the romance should have been as rushed - or necessarily there at all.
The book series is good and hugely nostalgic for me, but reading now as an adult it doesn't sit too easily anymore.
Lorcan is 17 and Grace is 14 which is an age gap enough, but Lorcan has been 17 for how long?! and to have known Grace's mother at least 14 years ago it's just such a weird dynamic and I don't think the romance should have been as rushed - or necessarily there at all.
The book series is good and hugely nostalgic for me, but reading now as an adult it doesn't sit too easily anymore.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 8, 2010
This could be a difficult review to write as there are sooooo many plot OMG's abounding throughout the book. Suffice to say that it's really intriguing with plenty of eye-popping developments.
I felt a little behind the story curve since I had to skip book 3, BLOOD CAPTAIN, as I am waiting for it to make its way up my wishlist on RecordedBooks. I couldn't wait to listen to BLACK HEART...and I am running low on audiobooks....so I did my best. I still enjoyed the story as it's vampirates and a fab story and Daniel Philpott is a narrating phenom.
Plenty of action, adventure on the high seas, vampirates, regular pirates...
Connor and Grace just get back together and are now torn apart again, by choice this time. Each twin has to accomplish their own journey in their way. Each has chosen sides, Grace with the vampirate ship, the Nocturne, she started with and Connor with Captain Cheng Li's new ship, the Tiger.
There's a new vampirate threat and it's not who the rest of the pirating world thinks it is. Lady Lola is the 'new' ship on the block and she is biting first and not really hanging around to ask questions later.
And I think that's about all I can say without giving away plot points. And now I wait for EMPIRE OF NIGHT: VAMPIRATES #5 due out in Aug 2010. OH! I still have BLOOD CAPTAIN to look forward to. Well YaY!!
Five bloody adventure on the high seas beans....
I felt a little behind the story curve since I had to skip book 3, BLOOD CAPTAIN, as I am waiting for it to make its way up my wishlist on RecordedBooks. I couldn't wait to listen to BLACK HEART...and I am running low on audiobooks....so I did my best. I still enjoyed the story as it's vampirates and a fab story and Daniel Philpott is a narrating phenom.
Plenty of action, adventure on the high seas, vampirates, regular pirates...
Connor and Grace just get back together and are now torn apart again, by choice this time. Each twin has to accomplish their own journey in their way. Each has chosen sides, Grace with the vampirate ship, the Nocturne, she started with and Connor with Captain Cheng Li's new ship, the Tiger.
There's a new vampirate threat and it's not who the rest of the pirating world thinks it is. Lady Lola is the 'new' ship on the block and she is biting first and not really hanging around to ask questions later.
And I think that's about all I can say without giving away plot points. And now I wait for EMPIRE OF NIGHT: VAMPIRATES #5 due out in Aug 2010. OH! I still have BLOOD CAPTAIN to look forward to. Well YaY!!
Five bloody adventure on the high seas beans....
March 28, 2015
Black Heart is the fourth book in the Vampirates series and the best one yet! Somper just gets better and better with each book. Without ruining the series for new readers, I'll simply say that it's an adventure-packed tale of vampires and pirates. Each chapter is told from a different perspective which gives readers insights to every aspect of the story, allowing you to see the inner workings of each key character. Nearly every chapter ends on a cliff hanger, which makes it a very fast read since you're rushing to see what happens next. Full of twists and turns and huge revelations, Black Heart never bores you for even moment.
On top of his excellent storytelling, Somper also impressed me with his immaculate research. He incorporated loads of real vampire history and folklore into this story, which made this history buff very very happy.
Overall, I loved this book and I can't wait to read the next one. The series may be geared for ages 9-12, but in spite of that it can be enjoyed by any age. I highly suggest checking out the Vampirates series.
On top of his excellent storytelling, Somper also impressed me with his immaculate research. He incorporated loads of real vampire history and folklore into this story, which made this history buff very very happy.
Overall, I loved this book and I can't wait to read the next one. The series may be geared for ages 9-12, but in spite of that it can be enjoyed by any age. I highly suggest checking out the Vampirates series.
July 20, 2009
Definitely not my favorite of the series. In fact, I don't think I'll read any more if he writes them. First off, the kids should be at least 2 years older, (they are 14) or else not have serious romantic interests. Next, the book was completely anticlimactic, and seems hopeless. The bad vampirates need to be destroyed. Come on! I didn't like the plot twist of Sidorio being their father, or that he impregnated their mom by having an evil witch cast a spell on her. (at least, as a children's book, it didn't tell other ways she could have gotten pregnant). Overall, not a fan. I don't really recommend it, it's creepy and kind of disgusting. (The Vampirates themselves are disgusting, I mean)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 3, 2021
**3.5**
1) Super-power tweens = cool😎 (I want more)
2) Smh Connor, so many questionable choices🙄
3) Grace, remains to exist for storytime sessions📖
4) Sidario is dumb as fuck
5) Lady Lockwood is the classiest vampire to exist in supernatural history🍷
6) Off with her head!!!
7) Cheng Li🤮
(I will also take this time to acknowledge Lorcan's stupidity in the previous books. He complained so much about Grace needing to stay away from the world of vampires while knowing what she is. So...what did he expect her to do? Come of age on her own and start destroying everything around her? Smart thinking, man. Real smart.)
1) Super-power tweens = cool😎 (I want more)
2) Smh Connor, so many questionable choices🙄
3) Grace, remains to exist for storytime sessions📖
4) Sidario is dumb as fuck
5) Lady Lockwood is the classiest vampire to exist in supernatural history🍷
6) Off with her head!!!
7) Cheng Li🤮
(I will also take this time to acknowledge Lorcan's stupidity in the previous books. He complained so much about Grace needing to stay away from the world of vampires while knowing what she is. So...what did he expect her to do? Come of age on her own and start destroying everything around her? Smart thinking, man. Real smart.)
June 22, 2016
Black Heart is probably the best book in the Vampirates series so far! Finally we start getting answers about the mysterious pasts of the main characters, and as always the novel is full of high stakes adventure! Very exciting read!
October 13, 2019
It was wow.... a plot twist
The bad guy was the father of the twin. Not sexually conceived but witchcraft.
The bad guy was the father of the twin. Not sexually conceived but witchcraft.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 6, 2023
Things I liked:
- Lady Lockwood and her crew, and the idea of bottling blood in wine bottles and also treating it like wine. They had style and class and were really good new characters.
- Connor and Grace are moving away from each other and finally going in two different directions for good. Connor even rejects his mother because she 'doesn't belong in his world' - or at least not the one he would like to see. Instead, he joins the mission to assassinate vampirates.
- As before, the characters Stukeley and Johnny (they're the best!)
- that now, finally, the mysteries have ended and we (and Grace) finally know the whole story. It was exciting, but it also annoyed me to be presented with only little bites at a time before one of the characters had to rest before it could continue.
Things I didn't like:
- The pregnancy spell. Srsly? The king of the vampirates, who doesn't shy away from brutality but rather advocates it, summons a witch for a pregnancy spell? (I understand that the author wanted to keep his book teen-friendly, but none of this made sense. Why is Sidorio the father of the twins anyway? Because he handed the ingredients to the witch? Neither did he cast the spell himself, nor was any ingredient part of him (like hair, blood, whatnot)).
- The raid on Sidorio's wedding. Cheng Li + crew attack the vampirates to kill Lady Lockwood. All the vampirates are petrified at first, ALL of them, and yet only Lady Lockwood is attacked by Connor. Cheng Li should have taken the opportunity to kill as many as possible, especially Sidorio as well. What's the point of the whole crew going to the wedding if only one person attacks? (I mean in the end it was good they didn't try because their plan didn't work and they needed the support to get away safely, but they were confident that it would work and the risk would've been worth it (it IS their mission to assassinate all of them after all)). The scene was messy, illogical and therefore unfortunately a very flat finale.
- Lorcan and Grace's relationship that developed all of a sudden from one moment to the next, suddenly forgetting any of Lorcan's previous character traits. I liked Grace & Lorcan as a couple, liked their slow burn, but Lorcan all of a sudden jumps all over her, even though he is still 500 years older and Grace is... what, 14? It got cheesy, terribly shallow, and frankly uncomfortably weird, especially their kisses.
- Lady Lockwood and her crew, and the idea of bottling blood in wine bottles and also treating it like wine. They had style and class and were really good new characters.
- Connor and Grace are moving away from each other and finally going in two different directions for good. Connor even rejects his mother because she 'doesn't belong in his world' - or at least not the one he would like to see. Instead, he joins the mission to assassinate vampirates.
- As before, the characters Stukeley and Johnny (they're the best!)
- that now, finally, the mysteries have ended and we (and Grace) finally know the whole story. It was exciting, but it also annoyed me to be presented with only little bites at a time before one of the characters had to rest before it could continue.
Things I didn't like:
- The pregnancy spell. Srsly? The king of the vampirates, who doesn't shy away from brutality but rather advocates it, summons a witch for a pregnancy spell? (I understand that the author wanted to keep his book teen-friendly, but none of this made sense. Why is Sidorio the father of the twins anyway? Because he handed the ingredients to the witch? Neither did he cast the spell himself, nor was any ingredient part of him (like hair, blood, whatnot)).
- The raid on Sidorio's wedding. Cheng Li + crew attack the vampirates to kill Lady Lockwood. All the vampirates are petrified at first, ALL of them, and yet only Lady Lockwood is attacked by Connor. Cheng Li should have taken the opportunity to kill as many as possible, especially Sidorio as well. What's the point of the whole crew going to the wedding if only one person attacks? (I mean in the end it was good they didn't try because their plan didn't work and they needed the support to get away safely, but they were confident that it would work and the risk would've been worth it (it IS their mission to assassinate all of them after all)). The scene was messy, illogical and therefore unfortunately a very flat finale.
- Lorcan and Grace's relationship that developed all of a sudden from one moment to the next, suddenly forgetting any of Lorcan's previous character traits. I liked Grace & Lorcan as a couple, liked their slow burn, but Lorcan all of a sudden jumps all over her, even though he is still 500 years older and Grace is... what, 14? It got cheesy, terribly shallow, and frankly uncomfortably weird, especially their kisses.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 19, 2020
Enter lady Lola Lockwood, and her team of Vampirates who leave playing cards with black hearts to all the victims they kill! At first they are leading Sidorio and his team a many dance but eventually they wood meet up which leads to romance!
Meanwhile Connor eventually joins Cheng lis crew aboard her ship The Tiger but after the Commodore of the academy is found dead there ship becomes one of the first ships to fight the Vampirates!
Grace meanwhile goes with her Mum back to where she is born and meets the soul of Dexter her father and they both disappear back to the after life!
Cheng Li at first goes after Sidorio wrongly thinking that he killed the captain of the pirate federation, but after been lured into a taxi boat with Johnny and Stukeley learns that it was actually Lady Lockwood who did the deed, and she is planning to marry Sidorio which puts their noses out of joint so they hatch a plan to destroy at her own wedding, Connor is to do the deed, but he is captured and only Cheng Li saves him by telling Sidorio that he is his son, Grace learns off this through Lorcan and Lady Zu
So many twists and turns and the twins learning that through some spell Sidorio is actually their blood father paves way for the next book in the series as how will they both react?
Meanwhile Connor eventually joins Cheng lis crew aboard her ship The Tiger but after the Commodore of the academy is found dead there ship becomes one of the first ships to fight the Vampirates!
Grace meanwhile goes with her Mum back to where she is born and meets the soul of Dexter her father and they both disappear back to the after life!
Cheng Li at first goes after Sidorio wrongly thinking that he killed the captain of the pirate federation, but after been lured into a taxi boat with Johnny and Stukeley learns that it was actually Lady Lockwood who did the deed, and she is planning to marry Sidorio which puts their noses out of joint so they hatch a plan to destroy at her own wedding, Connor is to do the deed, but he is captured and only Cheng Li saves him by telling Sidorio that he is his son, Grace learns off this through Lorcan and Lady Zu
So many twists and turns and the twins learning that through some spell Sidorio is actually their blood father paves way for the next book in the series as how will they both react?
December 31, 2023
Twins, Grace and Connor Tempest are living in very different worlds. Grace has found a home with a ship full of vampires, learning healing skills from their guru, Mosh Zu. Connor is aboard the pirate ship, The Diablo, learning pirating from Captain Molucco Wrathe and his first officer Cutlass Cate.
In this instalment we find out how the twins came to be, the love story of their mother, Sally, and their Father, Dexter, and the truth about how their mother died. We also see renegade Vampirates; Quintus Antonio Sidorio, Jez stukeley and Johnny Desperado setting up their own fleet by seizing a prison hulk and turning the already violent criminals into more vampires to raid and massacre the coastal towns. Cheng Li also appears in this episode as she makes Captain and sets out with her own crew to hunt down the vampirates who entered the pirate academy murdering senior staff and gifted students. We learn more about Cheng Li’s family history too.
I love these books. The world of the vampirates has captured my imagination and I really enjoy these action packed adventures. There’s so much going on and so many amazing characters with a concept that is both fun and engaging. Some quality YA fantasy
In this instalment we find out how the twins came to be, the love story of their mother, Sally, and their Father, Dexter, and the truth about how their mother died. We also see renegade Vampirates; Quintus Antonio Sidorio, Jez stukeley and Johnny Desperado setting up their own fleet by seizing a prison hulk and turning the already violent criminals into more vampires to raid and massacre the coastal towns. Cheng Li also appears in this episode as she makes Captain and sets out with her own crew to hunt down the vampirates who entered the pirate academy murdering senior staff and gifted students. We learn more about Cheng Li’s family history too.
I love these books. The world of the vampirates has captured my imagination and I really enjoy these action packed adventures. There’s so much going on and so many amazing characters with a concept that is both fun and engaging. Some quality YA fantasy
August 7, 2024
This book starts out kinda slow. Grace and her mom spend time together. Connor does his own thing, not believing he has anything to do with the Vampirates, which is funny because in the first book, the Vampirate song soothed him. We finally find out who the twins’ parents really are. And Lady Lockwood causes disaster for everyone. Something is up with Stukeley and Johnny too. Those two have a plan to rise in the ranks. A good, but slow, installment in the series. This one has less violence than others in the series, or at least less open violence. It insinuates it more than shows it. I still think this is a good series for middle schoolers.
January 9, 2025
I’m giving this book a 4-star because it’s what introduced me to reading fantasy at a young age when I had otherwise detested reading. Seriously, nothing and nobody could interest me in picking up a book until I happened upon the Vampirates front cover in my middle school’s library. I saw the skull and crossbones and nervously checked it out. I fell in love with it. It kept my young mind engaged and interested in turning the next page. Looking back as an adult, was it as wonderful as I originally believed it to be? Not quite. But I would read it again for the nostalgia…for remembering the feeling of “hey reading might not be so bad.” I love reading now, and I owe it to this series.
January 5, 2023
This was such a shocking book! The mystery of the Tempast twins parentage was just utterly shocking and I cannot believe that Mr Somper actually went there! I love how he tackles the story of both past and the present and how each revelation effects both Connor and Grace and how they reacted differently. Which left me utterly shocked at the end, especially with the relationships that occurred and developed.
August 30, 2025
Ya que las referencias de crepúsculo y de Piratas del caribe empiezan a acabarse... Metemos un arco de colegio de piratas.
Sí, como Hogwarts pero cuando te gradúas acabas haciendo prácticas como oficial en un navío pirata.
La FP ha llegado a la piratería y lo peor es que es interesante si no rompe tu suspensión de incredulidad. Nuevos personajes, acción decente y una premisa que va tomando forma para el final.
Sí, como Hogwarts pero cuando te gradúas acabas haciendo prácticas como oficial en un navío pirata.
La FP ha llegado a la piratería y lo peor es que es interesante si no rompe tu suspensión de incredulidad. Nuevos personajes, acción decente y una premisa que va tomando forma para el final.
April 30, 2024
🔆Spoilers 🔆
Omg so I started this series way back when I was like 13 (28 rn) and I've been waiting for Lorcan and Grace to kiss and it FINALLY happened. I was so terrified they were going to make this weird big reveal he was her dad and I would've been devastated. Very much enjoyed this one! On to the next!
Omg so I started this series way back when I was like 13 (28 rn) and I've been waiting for Lorcan and Grace to kiss and it FINALLY happened. I was so terrified they were going to make this weird big reveal he was her dad and I would've been devastated. Very much enjoyed this one! On to the next!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 29, 2019
If your more of a fan of vampires this is a good book where three is more on the pirate side. You finally learn of Conner and Grace history. I liked the twists in this book. Can't wait to see where it's going to take me next.
May 1, 2021
ME ENCANTO!! Esto tiene un explicación... Quizá no es mi favorito pero definitivamente es uno de los que más me han gustado ya que aquí es donde se revela una gran cantidad de información increíble sobre los gemelos y está el plot twist por eso mismo es la ostia!
August 4, 2021
This volume was better. 3 was hard to get through, but this got back to better material. Some plot twists and long awaited stuff finally happening. This doesn't leave me on a cliff Hanger though. Probably will continue anyway.
May 19, 2024
there are six of these
(so far)
I'm not going any farther with it
but I will say that if you are a YA
reader looking for that
Pirates of the Caribbean adventure kind of thing
with more direct focus on the supernatural and genuinely
interesting characters, read these books.
(so far)
I'm not going any farther with it
but I will say that if you are a YA
reader looking for that
Pirates of the Caribbean adventure kind of thing
with more direct focus on the supernatural and genuinely
interesting characters, read these books.
July 6, 2017
This book will take you for an emotional roller coaster ride
Displaying 1 - 30 of 156 reviews