Review by Colin Credle
Scott Chantler’s Three Thieves series follows the quest of orphan Dessa to find her twin brother Jared, who was mysteriously kidnapped by Queen Magda’s Chamberlain Greyfalcon many years ago. Dessa is accompanied by two companions, a roguish Norker named Topper and a one-headed Ettin named Fisk. The three are pursued by the Queen Magda’s Dragon Soldiers, led by the one-eyed Captain Drake. Dessa, trained as an acrobat in a travelling circus, has proven adept at escaping and collecting clues as she stays several steps ahead of Captain Drake, whose past was revealed in The King’s Dragon.
In Pirates of the Silver Coast, we follow two storylines. Dessa is unearthing what the mysterious word “Astaroth” means, what it has to do with her brother’s disappearance, while Captain Drake pursues Dessa on foot. Dessa managed to steal Captain Drake’s horse, which she sold for funds needed to hire a ship. The word Astaroth was discovered early in the series and its true meaning is revealed in this instalment.
Most of the attention is on Dessa, who acclimates to life at sea quite well. We meet duplicitous pirates, enterprising smugglers and fortune tellers who lend some insight on to what may follow. This is a more light-hearted part of the Three Thieves series, with many loose ends coming together to keep the momentum and pacing of the adventure moving forward.
Chantler’s characters at this point are quite familiar to us, and some minor characters even return. Without having read the previous volumes, Pirates of the Silver Coast stands high on its own merits, with notable dialogue. Chantler’s artistic consistency elicits affection for our heroes, the expressiveness engages the unfolding challenges and foibles and Chantler continues to effectively use panels to infuse plenty of action. In Pirates of the Silver Coast there is great anticipation as to what will happen when the two storylines converge, when Captain Drake and Dessa meet again. Dessa can’t keep escaping adn eventually they will have to confront each other, perhaps in The Dark Island. It promises to be more fun, more action and maybe even some well-deserved redemption.