Max and the Spice Thieves Book ONE (Secrets of the Twilight Djinn) by John Peragine

When his mother goes missing, Max Daybreaker's world is turned upside down.

Luckily, a crew of Spice Pirates, led by the mysterious Captain Cinn, help Max on his dangerous mission across the three seas.

Along the way, an unlikely alliance aids in his search-a teenage warrior queen, a three-eyed seer, and an assassin spy.

Their journey takes them through treacherous lands while facing shapeshifting bears, an ancient witch, harpies, and the nightmarish Djinn, who will stop at nothing to enslave the world.

With every new challenge, Max unlocks the secrets of his unsettling past. Powers awaken within, forcing him to question everything he knows.

Is Max who he thinks he is? Only time and destiny will tell...

• 978-1735389639
• 272 pages

"In John Peragine's boisterous middle grade fantasy, a boy undertakes an odyssey to reunite with his family.

Twelve-year-old Max's father is missing, and his mother has just been abducted, so he joins Captain Cinn and his pirate crew to work as a cabin boy, and to seek answers with their help. Armed with his rare history book, The Secrets of the Twilight Djinn, Max and Cinn gather motley helpers as they cross challenging terrain. Friendships form while Max learns the truth about his parents, outrunning the Twilight Army and evil djinns that threaten them all. 

Amid themes of regal power and those who fight it, seafaring scenes set on Captain Cinn's Saucy Pig steal the show, as does the book's witty banter, and everyone's penchant for improvising bumbling, thrilling escape plans that deepen their ties to each other. 

When Max discovers untamed magic within himself, his sudden power helps to steer him closer to his goals. His gradual change from a sheltered farm boy to a brave pirate-in-training comes via brisk episodes that raise enough intriguing questions to spur the next installment of the series.

With its focus on ragtag, skilled fighters and renegade sentiments, Max and the Spice Thieves is an entertaining island adventure."

-Karen Rigby -Foreword Magazine