'Utterly brilliant. Sensationally swashbuckling. Completely magical' - A.F Steadman, author of Skandar and the Unicorn Thief

From the award-winning author of The Storm Keeper's Island, set sail on Catherine Doyle's latest perilous adventure to the magical islands of Darksea

Deep in the heart of the Atlantic Ocean, where the full moon rests on the horizon, lies a secret kingdom called Darksea. Ruled by the Pirate King, Captain O'Malley, Darksea's tranquil waters have, of late, been haunted by an invisible and deadly monster - a monster that is eating the once-beautiful islands in gigantic bites.

On the other side of the horizon, at his home in Galway, Max Reid and his family are battling a different monster. His big brother Christopher is in hospital and getting sicker - and his parents have begun to talk of miracles.

Then one night a loud, bright red parrot taps on Max's bedroom window, carrying an invitation from the pirate king. Captain O'Malley needs a new crew member for a dangerous quest; and the reward is everything Max has been hoping for.

But in Darksea, not everyone is as they seem. When Captain O'Malley's secret threatens to upend their mission and destroy Max's chance to help his family, Max realises he's going to have to navigate much more than he bargained for.

Catherine Doyle grew up beside the Atlantic Ocean in the west of Ireland. Her love of reading began with great Irish myths and legends, and fostered in her an ambition to one day write her own. She is the author of The Lost Girl King as well as the bestselling Storm Keeper trilogy, set on the magical island of Arranmore where her grandparents grew up. The first book in the trilogy, The Storm Keeper's Island, won the Books Are My Bag Readers Award and the IBW Children's Book Award. Catherine lives in Galway.