Brian Jacques is a great storyteller. Absolutely love his Redwall series. I struggled to identify with the main protagonist in this story however
and that's the only reason I didn't go with a 5. The dog was more entertaining than the boy I felt... and the two parts of the book seemed somewhat clumsily mashed together. Overall? A solid read with signature Jacques humour and a fine companion for a rainy day.

This book is #2 in Jaques' new series, and it's cool.
Ben and Ned thought they would never go to sea again, but they do, with Raphael Thuron. After many adventures with him, the duo travel inland to battle against the Razan, who frankly sound creepy. Ben and Ned end up near the sea for the end. Good book!

This is one of my favorite books. It is the sequel to The Flying Dutchman, but can be read and enjoyed as a standalone. Each time I read this book I feel that I am enjoying a vast, fine meal. I savor each bite and don't ever get full of the fares. The story is character-driven, which I love, and full of heart. To me, this book stands above Jacques's Redwall series because it is simply easier to read (the mole dialect of the Redwall series is a tricky one), and there more relatable characters.

Brian Jacques enchanted me with his Redwall books, so when I saw this swashbuckling sea adventure I knew I had to read it. Being the second book in the series and having not read the first one, I didn't feel lost at all, embarking on a brand new adventure with these characters.

At first I thought it simple. The writing is gauged toward a younger audience, replete with exclamation points and 'pal!', and I kept thinking the characters were more like twelve rather than their actual fourteen and above. It was fun, but not magical. But then I kept reading, and it continued to grow deeper and deeper, like sinking. By the end I was almost in tears for Ben and Ned, who are forced to wander forever, never to have a place or people to belong to.

The story came in two parts, one on the sea, one on land, and everything tied together wonderfully. There was humor and wit, danger, and terrible villains. I loved it, and am eager to know the rest of the tales from the castaways of the Flying Dutchman!

This was OK...I had a hard time getting enthused about it, might be partially why it took me two months to get through it. Also, summer. At only 340 pages, that's pretty damn slow. However, I read the last hundred or so pages in the final sitting, and the last half of that was fast-paced and exciting. It almost made up for the rest. I liked the first installment of this series better, but this was good enough that I plan to finish it with number three one of these days. The bear thing though...ehh, it was cool and all, but just hokey enough that it kinda made me shake my head just a bit.

One of my favorite books, the Flying Dutchman series does not disappoint with this second instalment. The story kept me reading through the night, and remained compelling and entertaining, even in the slow beginning. The characters were still able to grow and develope, even in their perpetual blessed states. I love the dynamics between characters both old and new and the bits and pieces of the past we're given through this story. Really one of my most reread books. I love it.

See Zack & Clare's reviews -- I agree.

Ben and Ned the black Labrador dog have been saved from the Flying Dutchman and it's dead crew, which is always after them, even in their dreams. Ned can talk with Ben, who can nod or shake his head in the negative. Ben & Ned don't age, and have to move on when they have fulfilled their purpose of aiding or helping those around them -- or getting the bad guys caught. They are sometimes aided by a Christian Angel. So far, so good?

This book is written in two parts. The first part is a sea tale, with maps, sea shanties, pirates and such, called "The Petite Marie". The second part "The Razan", is about a band of not-too-bright guys who follow a dastardly witch who speaks in Thee's and Thou's, and is FINALLY killed abruptly when . . .(!). Character development is good, if somewhat shallow and transparently moralistic. I was able to easily put this book down.

An enjoyable continuation of the saga...looking forward to the concluding volume.

I thought that this book was to boring for me but I a mend this to people that would like adventre.

As a child, this was my favorite book. It's clear that Brian Jacques was my favorite author as a child, but what I loved about the Flying Dutchman series that he wrote is that it took us out of the fable-styled storytelling, and grounded us more in the real world with fantasy elements thrown in. Ben and Ned are wonderful protagonists, with Ben sounding like an ordinary boy with a huge destiny as an angel, and Ned is hilarious as the faithful canine companion. The side characters in The Flying Dutchman are also what tipped this installment in its favor. Karayna and Dominic are splendid characters, with Karayna becoming the role model for most of my female characters. She's powerful, intelligent, and proud, but she's also down-to-earth, fun-loving, and willing to do anything for those she cares about. Dominic was like reading myself in the book. Jacques had a way of writing that can suck you into the story, and I frequently find myself rushing back to his stories from my childhood, re-reading the tales, and then trying to figure out how to manage such a task. If the reader isn't immersed, then the author isn't doing his/her job.

A boy and the dog he can speak with have adventures with pirates on the high seas.

This book was good but was really slow.