Tales of Terror from the Black Ship

Chris Priestley (author)

David Roberts (illustrations)

Bloomsbury, UK: 2008; 243pp

ISBN: 9780747589877

Genres: adventure, gothic

Ethan and Cathy are sick. Their father, who runs the Old Inn, has gone to fetch help, leaving them side by side in his bed to look after each other. After a time they feel a little better and creep downstairs to wait by the fire. The Old Inn balances precariously on a high cliff in Cornwall and, although once a popular and merry place, has become a gloomy, poorly frequented last resort for those seeking shelter and a drink. It seems unlikely that it is to this place, one dark and stormy night, that a sailor arrives, full of terrible tales of mystery and murder.

Although he and his sister enjoy the chilling tales, Ethan becomes aware of a something strange about their visitor and is keen for the storm to end and their father to return.

At first the prose seems a little over-written, full of unnecessary adverbs and adjectives but the persistent reader will soon discover that there is purpose in this gothic style. All is not as it seems, not only with their unexpected visitor, but also with Ethan and Cathy. Shortly after the sailor leaves, another two men arrive with quite different motives. This is clever writing, being in fact a series of short stories linked only by the presence of the children and the tale-telling sailor. Priestley has taken full advantage of the traditional literary device of the ‘dark and stormy night' but has twisted it into something beyond the usual danger and drama, concluding with a twist that will delight most children. While probably not to be read to sensitive children before bedtime, the book is perfect for reading aloud, especially at a camp. It also provides excellent modelling of how to write a well-crafted ghost story, as most of the chapters involve ghosts or similar horrors.

David Roberts' illustrations deserve mention as they enrich each chapter with a haunting picture that adds to nightmarish quality of each tale. There are also pictures at chapter headings which entice the reader to continue, to read ‘just one more' before closing the book until next time. This is definitely a book that will appeal to readers who enjoyed Coraline or who like to tell ghost stories on a dark night.