Product Description

Adrift in the Mediterranean Sea, Ben falls captive to a band of slave traders and their leader Al Misurata. With his faithful dog Ned at his side, Ben must plot escape as the ship of scoundrels sails up the Libyan coastline toward Italy, where a trap awaits. Ruthless enemies and hard times appear around every bend, but Ben and Ned have quick wits to rely on and, just as important, one another.

Fans of the New York Times bestselling Castaways of the Flying Dutchman series will only want more after this latest installment – a rousing yarn that’s full of high-seas adventure!

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #460704 in Books
• Published on: 2006-09-14
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 368 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780399245497
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

From School Library Journal
Grade 5-8–Having escaped from the Flying Dutchman and its odious Captain Vanderdecken, Ben and his dog, Ned, are cursed to wander the Earth for eternity, never growing older. In this third account of their adventures, the castaways are again shipwrecked and separated. Ben is captured by the slave trader Al Misurata, while Ned is rescued by a company of itinerant entertainers. The two are reunited when the entertainers, the Rizzoli Troupe, are forced to perform for the trader, and all of them end up on Al Misurata's ship to be sold as slaves. Ned speaks to Ben telepathically, and since no one would expect a dog to understand human language, he overhears the villain's plans. This is just the beginning of the swashbuckling adventure as Ben and his black Labrador attempt to escape the ship and to rescue the Rizzoli Troupe, while, at the same time, avoiding recapture by the ghostly sailors of the Flying Dutchman. Numerous footnotes translate various snatches of dialogue in German or Italian. This can be either helpful or annoying, depending on your way of looking at it. However, it is easy to just enjoy the compelling and readable adventure. This book is a good choice for any library in which Jacques's books in general and the Castaways stories in particular are popular.–Tim Wadham, Maricopa County Library District, Phoenix, AZ
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
The third book in Castaways of the Flying Dutchman series continues the adventures of Ben and the black labrador Ned. Guided by the angel who spared them the fate of the Flying Dutchman's crew, they find themselves once again being used in heaven's fight against evil. This time they escape from a barbaric pirate and slaver, who relentlessly pursues them. As in The Angel's Command (2003), coincidence and fortuitous accidents forward the plot; however, the harrowing action, leavened by humor, makes this yet another riveting tale. Sally Estes
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Customer Reviews

Best book of the three so far
At last, a pretty good book by Brian Jacques on his series, Castaways of the Flying Dutchman. I found this book to be pretty entertaining and fun to read although there's a pattern developing here that began to look pretty redundent. In this book, our eternal young Ben and his dog, Ned got themselves captured by Barbary pirates and spent most of the book trying to get away from them and at the same time, trying to save his new found friends who he would have to abandoned anyway. The book have Ben and Ned virtually being passed on from one benefactor after another as they are led to safety and toward danger at the same time. Ben also learned a new aspect of this angelic curse when he realized that a love of a girl will be one thing he would never have for long since he have to keep on moving by angel's command. Since the story take place a lot on the sea, the curse of the Flying Dutchman and her crew remains always in the distance as they continued to haunt Ben and Ned.

As always, the ceaseless banters between Ben and Ned keep the story flowing and the book is well written enough that almost anyone of any age could enjoy it with ease.

One question I have is, if Ben looked like a 14 years old blond boy but have a life span of hundred generations, will he still act like a boy with such experiences and wisdom built into him?? You might think that by his 200th or 250th year of life, Ben might behaved more like an aged, overmatured wise man who look like a 14 years old blond boy!!

Anyway, any fan of this series should enjoy this book and considering the improvement over the previous two books, fans of the series won't be disappointed.

A Very Entertaining Read
I've read the other two in the series and I finally got my hands on this.

I'll keep this short.

Ben and Ned are back and for a whole lot more adventures. The story drew me in and had me turning pages. I finished the book in one day. If you loved, or even liked, the other books in the series, then this book will not disappoint.

Boy and Dog battle pirates
Reviewed by Kim Peterson for Reader Views (1/07)

Ben and his dog, Ned, survived the destruction of the Flying Dutchman years ago. Spared the doom of the ill-fated crew, these castaways were still affected by the avenging angel's curse--they live forever without growing a day older. Constantly on the move so no one detects their ageless nature, they roam the earth together. Due to the angel's benevolence, Ben and Ned can communicate with each other through thoughts.

In "Voyage of Slaves"--the third book of the series--Ben and Ned are adrift in the Mediterranean Sea when they are accosted by pirates. The cruel men toss the black Labrador into the ocean and take Ben to Al Misurata, a slave trader feared along the Barbary Coast. He keeps Ben for his knowledge of languages.

Meanwhile a traveling troupe of performers finds Ned and nurses him back to health. They make him a part of their traveling show. When Al Misurata drafts them to entertain, Ben and Ned are reunited. But their happiness is short-lived. Al Misurata takes them all to sea, and they soon realize that the Rizzoli troupe have been tricked and will be sold as slaves.

Ben wants to save his new friends, especially the beautiful girl, Serafina. But Al Misurata and his ruffians remain determined to succeed. The rest of the story ranges from seafaring adventures to perils on land where Ben and Ned encounter benefactors and villains. They must use their wits to survive and pray for good fortune as they try to outsmart their adversary and free the entertainers from a horrible fate.

"Voyage of Slaves" provides rough and tumble adventure for young adult males, though girls will enjoy the story, too. Set in the early 1700s, Jacques brings the nautical past to life with its harshness, dangers and glories. The bond between Ben and Ned resounds with poignancy and humor and will be appreciated by anyone who ever wished they could communicate with their four-legged childhood friend.

In "Voyage of Slaves," Jacques's cast of characters who befriend Ben and Ned is well-developed and diverse. The antagonists are intriguing and evil, yet believable. The author provides a compelling yarn where good triumphs over evil. Young adult "Redwall" fans will want to read this series, too.