SEA OF GOLD

An impoverished Irish farm boy finds himself among pirates on the hunt for a fabled treasure.

Revising the text of his 2010 Fish and, to a lesser extent, the cast, if not the storyline's general drift, Mone plunks 12-year-old Maurice Reidy aboard the Scurvy Mistress. Dubbed Fish for his love of swimming, the boy, while literally learning the ropes and enduring rough treatment from brutal first mate Scab, helps treasure-hunting Capt. Walter Cobb solve a puzzle that leads to a golden chain big enough to encircle a city. Readers familiar with Treasure Island will feel a distinct sense of déjà vu as, along with the glittering MacGuffin, certain members of the ragged, knavish, racially diverse crew turn out to have mutinous agendas of their own and the climactic action takes place on or near a remote island. On the other hand, the author does retain his protagonist’s resolute pacifism and the cast’s strong, active women from the previous edition (notably Fish’s knife-throwing young ally, Nora, and ruthless rival pirate Lady Swift). He also adds a list of several more hidden pirate treasures to set up the sequels. A cutaway view of the sloop heads up a fresh set of spot art at the chapter heads for this redesigned reboot.

A rousing yarn.