Troublesome Angels and the Red Island Pirates

Written by Hazel Marshall
Review by Val Loh

Bianca and Eva are making their way to Venice when they are marooned by pirates on an island en route. They find shelter with nuns and are debating what course of action to take next when they discover their archenemy Count Maleficio is in hiding on the island also.

The Count wants to kill Blanco in an act of revenge and take Eva, who he believes is the key to achieving his ultimate goal, back to Venice. Conflict and drama ensue, aided and guided in some instances by the angels who watch over our characters.

The story moves at a fast pace, with action and drama adding interest to this. The author explores moral issues when Blanco has a huge choice to make testing his loyalties. This is a colourful, lively story, made fascinating with the love of history woven into the fabric of the story and the skilful use of language.

The angels offer an extra dimension to what is already an enjoyable book. The text is broken up into easy chunks for the young reader to absorb and the use of humour and the mixed motives of the characters will also help the reader empathise with the main protagonists. Ages 9-11.