The Treasure of Peril Island: An Adventure Novel for Teens

C.W. James

Oct 2021 · Insundry Productions Books

About this ebook

The winds of change are about to fill the sails of young Jack Drayton…

A penniless man living on a barge on the Thames in 1903 London, Jack Drayton is unsure of where his life is heading. He’s trying to decide what to do next with himself, when he meets a peculiar stranger. Needing a ride to shore one evening, Jack hitches a ride from this stranger, who speaks, dresses, and behaves as though he’s stepped out of another era. After Jack helps the man escape a fracas in town, he tells Jack that he is in fact Black Juan Gaskara; an infamous pirate, and claims that he’s on the run for his life.

Now, that would be all fine and good, except for the fact that the real Black Juan Gaskara would have to be over 112 years old; or more logically, dead.

However, despite his disbelief, Jack is intrigued by the man. Especially when he learns of the treasure that he has apparently hidden on Peril Island, a place that only Black Juan knows the location of.

Before Juan is murdered by decedents of the crew he double-crossed over the loot, he leaves Jack with a cryptogram that will reveal where the treasure is hidden. Suddenly it's up to Jack to recover the treasure before Black Juan’s enemies – who wish to use it to set up a global crime empire – get their hands on it first. With his best friend Hector at his side, Jack must venture on the journey of a lifetime to find the treasure before Gaskara’s foes put an end to his search…and his life!

Author C.W. James creates a fast-paced and fascinating historical novel that will capture the imagination of young adult audiences and hold them fast until the very last page. Perfect for bibliophiles and reluctant readers alike, The Treasure of Peril Island is the kind of book that will ignite one’s love of reading, or continue to kindle the existing flame. A classic story of adventure, mystery, and hidden treasure, this is the optimal book to add to any teen library!

Ratings and reviews

The Treasure of Peril Island by C.W. James is a thrilling tale of pirates and treasure. A young man named Jack, meets an old man who claims to be Black Juan Gaskara, the famous pirate who disappeared nearly 80 years ago. Jack, and his wealthy friend Hector, decode a message written by Gaskara while he was in a fugue state. On the run from murderous pirates, Jack leaves behind the girl he loves and embarks on a riveting adventure with Hector to find the mysterious island and treasure. They soon discover that gold is not the only secret Peril Island is hiding. This exciting adventure story reminded me a little of Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson as I began reading it. The essence of adventure and sense of intrigue is imbued in this thrilling story right from the beginning. The characters are intriguing and easy to picture as they are detailed and well described, but I found Jack to be a sharp and particularly compelling character. Although the writer used some creative spelling during the dialogue to let the reader know which characters spoke with accents, the practice was not so frequent as to be overwhelming. This is an enthralling pirate adventure story that I think would be great for young adult audiences, as the action comes quickly and rarely lets up, so readers will surely be engaged with this story. But this is also a good story for middle grade readers as well, as there is violence in the book but the blood thirsty pirates are not as ruthless or cutthroat as they might be in a novel geared towards adults. This lends this novel an enchanting Pirates of the Caribbean feel while still feeling unique. The Treasure of Peril Island is a swashbuckling fantasy that is consistently entertaining. If you’re a reader looking for a quintessential pirate adventure story, then you’ll have plenty enjoy in C.W. James well crafted novel.

About the author

C.W. James is the pen name of an author who lives in rural Northern Nevada with two rescue cats. He enjoys hiking and movies from the Golden Age of Hollywood, especially 'B' movies and the serials from Republic Pictures.

Under his real name, he has published four middle to upper-grade nonfiction books, as well as approximately two dozen magazine articles on topics such as movies and computer tutorials.

"C.W. James" is a combination of his middle name and his parents' middle names.

Oh, and C.W. James is no relation to the Australian jeweler of the same name.