Peter and the Sword of Mercy by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson

The latest addition to the Peter and the Starcatches trilogy, making it officially more than a trilogy, is Peter and the Sword of Mercy.

This continuation of the adventures of Peter Pan is the first in the series that actively contradicts J.M. Barrie's story, while still sticking close enough to give it the sense that, "Oh, Mr. Barrie overheard part of THIS story, and that's where he got the idea for HIS story."

Which can be very effective, and I think my recommendation runs this way:

If you like anything at all to do with Peter Pan, and you love all the variations, then I definitely recommend this whole set. If you like additional material as long as it doesn't contradict the original story, then I'd suggest reading the original trilogy here, and skipping the latest one. If you're deeply devoted to Barrie's rendition of Peter, then I would probably not recommend this series.

In tone, it's a lot lighter than Peter Pan. While there is a strange sense of menace in Peter's forgetfulness and unpredictability, Barry and Pearson have made Peter into a more... human character, I think is how I want to put it. Barrie's Peter is always playing, even when it puts others in danger. Barry and Pearson's Peter has a stronger sense of responsibility and devotion to his friends. So if those aspects of the original story bothered you, this is definitely an interesting adaptation that you would probably enjoy.

My problem with this latest book was that there were too many characters. I think if I had read the other three more recently, that wouldn't have been a problem, but the authors leaned on their previous characterizations to make them familiar to me. The last fifth of the book, or so, is divided into at least six viewpoints of the action, and that's about when I started to struggle to get through it, although it wraps up nicely at the end. So, ehh, I hesitate to call that a bad thing, because if you've recently read the first three books, I don't think this would be such a problem.

Overall, I would say that if you liked the first three in this series, give this one a shot, too.

Peter Pan in Scarlet by Geraldine McCaughrean

So, I'm sure that most of the people here are aware of the "authorized sequel" to Peter Pan. It all began when the Great Ormond Street Hospital in London called for, basically, a contest, and found Geraldine McCaughrean to write Peter Pan in Scarlet.

I admit that I ordered it and began to read it with great trepedition. I didn't see how it could possibly live up to J.M. Barrie's work. However, I was pleased to find it to be quite a lot of fun, in a very close approximation to Barrie's style.

It's a good story, but I'm not sure I care one way or the other about it being an "authorized sequel," as all the hype would have us believe is so important. I don't think that it's necessarily better than some of the other adaptations, prequels, and sequels that are out there by now.

Still, I think it's worth a read, if you like the Peter Pan mythology at all.

Capt. Hook: Adventures of a Notorious Youth by J.V. Hart

I just finished reading Capt. Hook: The Adventures of a Notorious Youth, by J.V. Hart, which I recommend for Peter Pan fans.

I thought Hart did well mimicking the voice/tone of JM Barrie... the language was similar and evocative of Peter Pan. He pulled in a lot of familiar phrases: "an awfully big adventure," "good form," phrases that I associate with Peter Pan, as well as references to a second star to the right (of a particular constellation), and a vivid image of an island that appeared before the eyelids as they were closing.

Even more impressive was Hart's ability to make Hook, or James/Jas., sympathetic without taking away his essential villainous nature. He's a bit of an underdog at the beginning of the story, but cunning and ambitious and absolutely willing to do whatever it takes to win. And although he isn't the totally evil Hook we've come to love to hate, the devilish beginnings of his career path are there.

I found about 3/4 of the way through the book things got a little tedious, but I felt obliged at that point to pick it up again, and then things turned around and picked up again, themselves. Also there were a few loose ends left open, and I didn't know if the author intends to write a sequel but he sure left himself space for one. I would probably check it out but maybe not at the top of my list of things to read.

In any case, I do recommend it for those of you who need more from JM Barrie's world. After all, what would the world be like without Captain Hook...?