Michael Molloy (2) (1940–)

Clearly I'm 30 years (and then some) too old for this, but it had some good things going for it.
The main characters are two children, Abby and Spike. They are both likeable, dynamic little things, and the fact that they are both involved in the action makes this a good book for youngsters. Spike is the one who worries about Abby, Abby, though, volunteers for the dangerous stunts and carries them out.

There were a few continuity errors, like Captain Starlight looking at a map when last we knew he was blindfolded with his arms tied to his sides being just one. But that would be quibbling over smaller issues. I don't enjoy magic or books that rely on magic to resolve things, I'm far too practical to find that appealing. And it annoyed me in this book too, but the characters were good, the adventure had some challenges, needed some thinking and some brawn, there was trepidation and violence did not always win the day. The adults couldn't succeed without the children, and everyone learns something. A little bit good triumphs over evil, but the leader of the dark side gets away, so there remains that threat of future peril (always a bonus).
Not my thing, but surprisingly enjoyable.… (meer)

Michael Molloy is, apparently, an accomplished author of young adult fiction -- his "witch" books are very popular. With Peter Raven Under Fire, he turns his hand to historic naval fiction for young adults. Peter, the well-educated son of a clergyman is determined to go to sea and has prevailed on his father to find him a midshipman's berth. He is almost immediately swept into intrigue and espionage as he becomes the protégé of the mysterious Commodore Beaumont. Unfortunately, Molloy has not done his homework. Or rather, he has not done it well enough. The book is riddled with howlers and inaccuracies. He makes a muddle of naval vessels (100-gun frigates, indeed!), naval ranks and shipboard vocabulary. He makes no pretense at describing ship handling -- captains simply turn their ships. There are also language issues that a copy editor should have caught, like confusing "feint" and "feign". Molloy's conception of interactions among officers and men is based more on his imagination than on research. Still, this is fiction and written to engage young adults, so maybe that excuses some liberties. The same must be said for the preposterous plot in which Raven and Beaumont pit themselves against an evil villain who, like Dr. No, plots to rule the new world from his secret island fortress. For all that, Molloy is a skilled story teller and sweeps the reader into the action. For those willing to suspend disbelief and overlook historical inaccuracies (or, like many young readers, be unaware of them), this is an engaging story. I imagine a youngster would enjoy it, but if I were choosing historic naval fiction for a young friend I would probably start with Linda Collison or Paul Doswell.… (meer)