Bookworm Speaks!- The Jupiter Pirates: Hunt for the Hydra by Jason Fry

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Bookworm Speaks!

The Jupiter Pirates: Hunt for the Hydra 

by Jason Fry

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The Story: In the future, the Solar System is divided amongst the corporate ruled Earth and the moons of Jupiter called the Jovian Union. Between them is the Hashoone Family of the ship Shadow Comet, a former group of pirates, that are now privateers for the Jovian Union. On board the Shadow Comet are twin siblings Tycho and Yana and their older brother Carlos are rivals to who will be the next captain. Mysterious threats from all corners of the Solar System are brewing that will force the Hashoone Siblings to put aside their rivalry in order to survive. Star Wars meets Pirates of the Caribbean in the swashbuckling science fiction adventure . 

The Good: The very fact that its Battlestar Galactica meets Treasure Island, is proof enough that this book is cool. Most pirate media is grossly inaccurate but we don’t care. Hollywood made them cool and thus they are cool. 

The concept of a pirate family is also well done and not seen very often in Bookworm’s experience. Its obvious

The younger characters are competent and intelligent but at times still immature and lack confidence. Writing believable characters is hard enough, young people are especially challenging. Yana is hot headed and impatient. Carlos is skilled but arrogant and lacks people skills and Tycho lacks confidence and frankly, may care too much to be cut out for a pirate. The characters are realistic and multifaceted and tell a compelling story. 

The book also deserves credit for making the mother, Diocletia, the Captain, instead of the father which is more common.  

He may be a walking stereotype but the character of Huff Hashoone is very lovable. The author takes the time honored tradition of the hook hand and peg leg and gives it a sci-fi twist by making him a cyborg. How he speaks like a pirate, along with many other of mannerisms, including his tattoos would make him right at home at Shipwreck Cove. The characteristic, old-timey, everything was better in my day, is quite enjoyable as well. That is always funny. 

The villain finally is not as multifaceted as the main characters but it is made up for by being just a good villain. Diabolical and ruthless, he is just a bad guy pure and simple. A dragon for the heroes to slay. 

The author tells superb action scenes that carry on the adventure tradition but it sure to take time to provide scenes that involve talking. Politic’s is a real force in any conflict. It is as much about words than just about shooting people. The way the Hashoone’s have to deal with politicians and officials and the status of their titles and records, may not be realistic per se but it does mirror what people in actual positions have to deal with. Paperwork is a fact of life. 

As for the action itself…it is very well done. Creating a real sense of tension. The reader can feel the anticipation in the characters and the thrill of the hunt. That combined with the nautical lexicon used on board the Shadow Comet really evokes the sense action upon the high seas. 

The Flaws: There is already a flaw with the book straight away. The cover illustration is great, but no scene in the book that Bookworm could see, matches it. Bookworm, knows the intent of such an awesome color, but its one of those things that can irk a reader. 

At times, there are some details that don’t really add up. It can appear at times that the author wasn’t exactly sure what exactly the setting was intended to be other than outer space. The culture and mannerisms of various characters seems to invoke the age of ocean piracy with terms such as lord and baron and the style of dress. Is the author attempting to do the Victorian Era in space such as in the film Treasure Planet, or is it something else? The implication is that it is the case, but it’s hard to tell. 

The science fiction setting is inconsistent as well. Most of the time the book portrays a soft sci-fi vibe, with artificial gravity and laser guns but at other times it comes off as a hard sci-fi book, with non-aerodynamic ships, external fuel tanks and other details. Waffling is never ideal when writing a book, especially sci-fi. Be sure on the kind of story you are telling.  

There also some inconsistencies in regards to the technology. The character of Huff is stated as no longer eating, being sustained by his cybernetics, but we see multiple instances of his consuming alcohol and taking medication orally. Again, not that big of a deal but those little details can add up and the author needs to be careful.

Finally…at the start of the book we are given an diagram of the Shadow Comet, which is all well and good but it’s a diagram, a blueprint. What would really be nice is a full blown illustration of the Shadow Comet, flying through space. It would go a long way with helping the reader visualize the action. 

Final Verdict: While some elements don’t gel together as well as they could have, the Jupiter Pirates is a fun, swashbuckling adventure that captures the essence of the pirate tales of yore with a science fiction twist. 

On a final note…Bookworm thinks Tycho will be Captain. But maybe that’s too obvious. We’ll see. 

Four out Five Stars 

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