Magic Marks the Spot (Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates)

After reading the delightful series, The Hero's Guide, I was hoping to find other amusing, lighthearted books in the same vein. While searching Goodreads, I came across a series called Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates. With a name like that, it had to be good. I have read the first book and now just started reading book two. And yes, it it a fun, lighthearted romp into the world of

high society and pirates.

Here's what Amazon has to say:

Hilary Westfield has always dreamed of being a pirate. She can tread water for thirty-seven minutes. She can tie a knot faster than a fleet of sailors, and she already owns a rather pointy sword.

There's only one problem: The Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates refuses to let any girl join their ranks of scourges and scallywags.

But Hilary is not the kind of girl to take no for answer. To escape a life of petticoats and politeness at her stuffy finishing school, Hilary sets out in search of her own seaworthy adventure, where she gets swept up in a madcap quest involving a map without an X, a magical treasure that likely doesn't exist, a talking gargoyle, a crew of misfit scallywags, and the most treacherous—and unexpected—villain on the High Seas.

Written with uproarious wit and an inviting storyteller tone, the first book in Caroline Carlson's quirky seafaring series is a piratical tale like no other.

What makes this so much fun are the characters and absolute absurdness of everything. In the world in which Hilary lives, there are those of High Society and then those beneath them, like the pirates. Interwoven in the story are excerpts from "books" and "news articles" written from both points of view. Which are absolutely hilarious.

To give you an example of what High Society is like for a young lady, here's a quote from the guidebook for young ladies:

"Archery-- a most graceful sport if one can manage to fire one's arrows without perspiring."

If said young lady is blessed with quite a burly arm, them I suppose it's possible.

Now on to the scalawags and treacherous pirates. To keep things civilized, or at least nearly so, the pirates have their own league...Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates or VNHLP. In the VNHLP's manuals, you can find all sorts of useful information for all aspects of pirating. For example, the purpose of a pirate is to find treasure. To do so, you need a VNHLP approved map:

"to guide future pirates, a treasure map must include a dotted line indicating the best route to the treasure. Obstacles along the route (such as crocodile dens, hanging skeletons, etc...) should also be noted on the map. The route must end in a large X to mark the spot where the treasure is buried.

If you do not posses a VNHLP approved treasure map, abandon the quest at once. Without proper maps, pirates would wander aimlessly through the kingdom digging holes in the ground at random, causing disruption and potential injury to citizens who do not watch their step."

To find more of these delightful quotes or if you have been secretly wishing to become a pirate yourself, please check out Magic Marks the Spot at your local library or online resource.