Magic Marks the Spot

Pirates! Magic! Treasure! A gargoyle?!

Caroline Carlson's funny tween novel The Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates #1: Magic Marks the Spot is perfect for fans of Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events and Trenton Lee Stewart's Mysterious Benedict Society.

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.

But can a girl who’s supposed to be learning macramé really become the most fearsome pirate on the High Seas?

• A Girl Pirate Who Won't Take No for an Answer: Hilary Westfield can out-sail and out-knot any boy in the navy. The only thing standing in her way is a stuffy, all-male pirate league.
• An Unlikely Friendship: Hilary's only ally is her loyal, stone gargoyle who offers questionable advice and would much rather stay warm and dry.
• From Finishing School to High Seas: Instead of learning about petticoats and politeness, Hilary escapes the dreaded Miss Pimm’s Finishing School for Delicate Ladies for the adventure of a lifetime.
• A Magical Treasure Hunt: Follow a mysterious map without an X on a quest for a legendary treasure, alongside a crew of misfit scallywags and the most unexpected villain on the High Seas.

Admiral Westfield sucked in his breath and released it in a tremendous gust. "My dear," he said, "let me be clear: You are a young lady. You will not tell silly tales and you will never be a pirate."

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. She particularly enjoys defying authority, 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.

Girls belong at Miss Pimm's Finishing School for Delicate Ladies, learning to waltz, faint, and curtsy. But Hilary and her dearest friend, the gargoyle, have no use for such frivolous lessons—they are pirates! (Or very nearly.)

To escape from a life of petticoats and politeness, Hilary answers a curious advertisement for a pirate crew and suddenly finds herself swept up in a seafaring adventure that may or may not involve a map without an X, a magical treasure that likely doesn't exist, a rogue governess who insists on propriety, a crew of misfit scallywags, and the most treacherous—and unexpected—villain on the High Seas.

Will Hilary find the treasure in time? Will she become a true pirate after all? And what will become of the gargoyle?

Avast! Pirates, magic, girl hero and a gargoyle sidekick? YES!! MAGIC MARKS THE SPOT is an amazing debut, a funny, rollicking adventure featuring a take-no-prisoners heroine and a cast of colorful characters. I eagerly look forward to the next book. - Sarah Prineas, author of The Magic Thief series and the Summerlands series

A whimsical, swashbuckling romp into a deeply imaginative world; Carlson’s novel is as plucky and clever as its heroine. - Soman Chainani, New York Times bestselling author of The School for Good and Evil

“There’s merriment and intrigue on the high seas in this debut novel… Carlson’s characters are as memorable as they are entertaining.” - Publishers Weekly (starred review)