A middle school book that tells the fantasy adventure of Max as he travels with Spice Pirates. Adventures await ranging from shape-shifting Snow Bears, Witch Queens, magical wizards. The reader travels across the seas to help Max find his parents. Stay attentive as the language used by the author to describe places, people, actions and feelings is part of the story itself. Captain Cinn is a master chef, perhaps a play on the word cinnamon; the family lives in Paradisi, certainly a paradise; Max is called Little Bear at the beginning of the tale reflective of his later shift to become a Snow Bear. These subtle clues compliment the story line. And also there is a “tale” within the story that mirrors the travels of Max and his pirate and other magical companions.
This is a complex tale filled with magic, dynamic characters and plot twists. It ends with a set-up for another volume of adventure for Max which young readers will be eager to read.

First sentence: “Max,” Mom said, gently stroking my arm. “Come on, Little Bear, it’s time to get up.” I cracked one eye open—it was still dark. I sighed loud and long. “It’s too early. The sun isn’t even up. Besides, what’s the point?”

Premise/plot: Max and the Spice Thieves is a middle grade fantasy novel by John Peragine. Max, our unlikely hero, stars in this coming-of-age fantasy novel. His father is missing, believed, dead; his mother is missing, possibly dead. All he knows has been turned upside down and shaken. He's keeping company with Captain Cinn, a spice pirate (not to be confused with a space pirate) and his crew...but not for long. Because Cinn is a wanted man. What he didn't expect is that he's WANTED to. But why? Who were his parents? Who is he? How much has been kept secret from him?

Max and the Spice Thieves has plenty of action, magic, and, well, fantasy. It stars plenty of supernatural beings. It might have more than its fair share of coincidences.

My thoughts: This one gets a definite three stars for me. It requires a certain suspension of disbelief. (Which isn't all that unusual for a fantasy novel--children's or adult).

Essentially what you see is what you get. Expect a children's fantasy novel starring a child who meets an assorted and varied cast of helpmates who set out on a mission/quest together. The mission/quest is challenging, as all quests are in fantasy, but the fate of the world depends on it. Fortunately the hero is stronger and smarter and braver than he knows.

If that kind of formula works for you--as an adult or as a child--this book may prove satisfying. I do think children have probably read less fantasy than adults so perhaps they never come across books that feel formulaic? Or maybe the secret is that they just don't care or even love that about a book?

I think we all as individual readers have our own favorite formulas that we just love and adore and can't get enough of.

This book is a super fun adventure story that consists of pirates, witches, princes and a 12 year old boy. There is so much "good stuff" happening in this book. It is a bit complicated with everything that is thrown at you at once but I am sure that it has the makings to become a much loved middle grade series.

When Max Daybreaker’s mother disappears, he joins a band of Spice Pirates to try to find her. During his adventures, he encounters many fantastical beings and worlds he believed were only a part of a storybook given to him by his missing father. Max’s journey through different lands takes him from the high seas to desert kingdoms, to arctic lands with ice palaces and shape shifting polar bears. All the while, Max is discovering more about his own mysterious powers.
Middle grade readers who enjoy fantasy adventures will enjoy this book.

A fun adventure story for all ages, and perfect for a family read.

After Max’s mom goes missing, and with his father already presumed dead at sea, Max teams up with an unusual band of new friends to search for his parents. Together, spice pirates, a warrior queen, a runaway, a seer, and an assassin thief, along with Max who is discovering hidden powers within himself, face many dangers along the way including the prince and his army, the Spice Guild’s captain, an old and powerful witch, harpies, snow bears, and the evil djinn that have recently been released back unto the world.

This first book of the new Twilight Djinn series is action packed and held my attention from the very beginning. The novel is filled with exciting and lovable characters like the kind hearted Captain Cinn, who was probably one of my favorite characters in this book. One of the best things about this book, though, was its beautiful sense of family. The author did an excellent job at showing the strong family bond, love, and closeness between Max and his parents.

Although part of a series, the book could be read as a standalone. I thank the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Max and the Spice Thieves is wonderful! Even the most reluctant middle grade readers will be drawn into the story and want to keep turning the pages.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my advanced copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

It was a really cute read. It was written for a younger audience than what I am used to. I did still enjoy the story. I wasn’t a huge fan of it being the first in a series. I wish I would have known that going into it-especially considering I am going to have to wait for the next book to be released to find out what happens! Max is such a love-able character with a wide array of instant friends! I did find it really refreshing that Max was portrayed as an emotional character. It talked about him crying more than once in the novel- I think it is a good example to the targeted age range that emotions are meant to be embrace. I wish there were more books about this. I think the whole concept is a really creative idea. I would recommend it to my nephews or anyone who wants to sail the sea with pirates and use your power to save the realm.

Young Max Daybreaker, bored with his humdrum life, dreamt of adventures in far-off ports spurred on by the last book he received from his father two years prior, The Secrets of the Twilight Djinn. His dad had been missing since he left for his latest voyage. Max read and re-read that book, convinced that his father was still alive, and he longed for the impossible – the day he could be a man and go searching for his dad. When Max’s mom wakes him one morning, surprising him with preparations for a journey they will undertake, he thinks she’s finally given in and is willing to travel with Max to find his dad. Though Max is unsure of her reasons or exact plans, she reminds him that his father is gone, but assures him they will be traveling, instead, on a pirate ship to an island where they will be safe – a place called Sanctus.

Before they even make it to the pirate ship, Max becomes separated from his mom, and has to be rescued from a couple of thieves by none other than spice thief, Captain Cinn of the Saucy Pig – the pirate ship they were supposed to travel to Sanctus on. Now, with both parents missing, Max has no choice but to accept the help of this spice pirate to discover what happened to his mom, and to find his dad who has been lost at sea and is presumed dead. Along the way they encounter mysterious creatures, unexpected allies, and gourmet meals prepared by the captain himself using a variety of exotic spices.

This action-packed fantasy adventure will keep preteens and middle grade students on the edge of their seats, fully engaged in the story from beginning to end. Just when the reader thinks that the tension is winding down, another unexpected turn takes the reader in a new direction. Instead of finding answers, Max stumbles upon more questions, each more puzzling than the last. The reader follows Max through each adventure, learning more about the Spice Islands, his parents, and an unknown force that Max never knew existed. While running from the Spice Guild, Max and the pirates of The Saucy Pig, along with other new-found allies, will encounter three-eyed seers, mysterious aquatic creatures, a witch queen, a zombie army and snow bears who can shapeshift into human beings. He quickly recalls all of these fantastical beings from his book, The Secrets of the Twilight Djinn, which becomes more of a guide to survive and maneuver through the many twists and turns of his adventure.

Will Max find his mom in time to save her from the Twilight Army? What is this Midnight Jewel that everyone seems to be after? Is Max’s dad really alive out there somewhere in the Three Seas or on one of the fifty Spice Islands, as he hopes? Are Max’s new-found allies truly friends or are they foes setting him up to fail?

Peragine does an excellent job creating this fantasy world with all of its sights and sounds and smells. I highly recommend Max and the Spice Thieves for the young and the young at heart. Available April 2021 - Preorder your copy today!
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I received a complimentary copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Max and the Spice Thieves by John Peragine
Young Adult Fiction | Action & Adventure | Pirates
274 pages
Crumblebee Books
L’Oste Vineyard Press

I enjoyed reading Max and the Spice thieves. It was very engaging. The characters were well developed and the scenes kept you glued to your seat as you read them. I loved the mix of magic and pirates as Max learns how special he is as he travels the seas in search of his mother. The imagery that is conjured by reading the words in the story is magnificent and the intensity of the story keeps the reader engaged. A great clean, fun and exiting story. I can't wait to read the next one in the series.

This book was very entertaining and original. Who knew that spices could be used as weapons?! From page one this book takes you on an adventure. The plot twists kept me turning the pages to see what would happen next. The backstories were well developed for most of the characters too. I did struggle at spots to understand who was who with some of the lesser characters. Lots of names that were fitting for pirates, but difficult to keep straight. I can't wait to read the next one to see what happens.

Overall it was a very interesting book and if readers like fantasy and magic this is sure to keep their attention. At times it was hard to read the “pirate lingo” with words such as “Ye, yer or “kin”, because it is not popular in the basic English language. Lots of twists and turns that I, as the reader did not see coming that kept me entertained. Though, there were so many twists and so many backstories from the characters that at times I did get confused. However, when the reader is done reading this book, they are left on a cliffhanger. If you want a story to wrap up and not wait for the second book to come out this book is not for you. I did not like how I was not fulfilled at the end because the characters were not finished on their journey and now I have to wait for the second book to come out.

This was a fun read with unique and interesting characters. There is a lot of world-building and many twists and turns that kept me entertained. It was great to have both boy and girl characters so prevalent. I think that will interest both boys and girls to read the story. I also liked how kind and compassionate Captain Cinn and his pirate crew were. I thought it was so clever to make him a chef using the spices he "procures". Max and his friends are exactly the kind of people you would want to go on an adventure with. Overall, the tone of this book was very sweet and I liked the message of not judging people by their appearance/occupation and giving them a chance to prove themselves worthy.

The book begins with the reader meeting Max, a sheltered teenager whose father has been missing at sea, embarking on a journey with his mother on a pirate ship. However, shortly after they arrive at the shipping docks, his mother goes missing. Witnesses say they saw her taken by two shadowy creatures, and Max is forced to rely on Captain Cinn, a Spice Thief, to help him find his mother. Max and the crew on the Savory Pig are caught by Prince Abed and forced to cease their search for Max’s mother. While the crew is taken to the towers as prisoners, Max meets both Anya, a spy disguised as a maid, and Linzy, Queen of Ardus. With the help of these two females, Max and the crew escape the palace and go back to sea with the help of kelpies (sea creatures) to increase the speed of their ship.It is in Max’s interaction with Anya that he learns his father is alive and has left an encrypted message for him to decipher.


Throughout his journey, the reader begins to notice Max’s skin sensitivity is more than just a reaction to wet and cold weather. Max has strong powers of his own, and begins to use his powers to protect himself and his friends. He describes it as a serpent rising within him. On their quest to find Max’s mom, the characters realize that the Twilight Army is increasing and in order to stop the Djinn from turning the dead into their soldiers, Max needs to find his mother and father, the true keepers of the Midnight Jewel. The Midnight Jewel was created by nature as a means to balance the world again.


Even though they fear their lives, Max and his team go to the Witch Queen to seek guidance and insight. There she instructs Max that he will have to go alone to find his mother, and assists by sending her harpies to protect them from the Twilight Army. War is raging all around them, but Max continues to search and save his mother from the Ice Palace. Max goes out in the ice flats alone. After being swallowed by a glass whale, he finds his father’s ship and encounters snow bears. After several confrontations and battles, Max strengthens his power in shape shifting and finally makes it to the Ice Palace to meet the Djinn leader and his mother frozen in ice.


As the ship’s crew and snow bears battle the Twilight army outside the palace walls, Max defeats the Djinn leader and is reunited with his father and mother. His father reveals he is Agus the Just...a wizard and brother of the Witch Queen. Agus soon leaves to slow down the Djinn, and Max is encouraged to continue on in his journey on the Saucy Pig.

I really enjoyed this book. I’m a homeschool parent and I read-aloud to my two elementary children daily. This is a book that would keep their attention and have them engaged in the character and plots which is why I marked it green. I also have a husband who is a sailor and I enjoyed some of the sailor dialect.

Max Daybreaker is about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime. Along the way he will meet pirates, princesses, assassins and queens. This was a cute middle-grade novel full of adventure, magic and did I mention pirates?!

The story started out excellent. I enjoyed the authors detailed descriptions of food and smells. It really brought the world to life. Where it started to fall about for me was towards the end. The ending got a bit muddled for me and it seemed that a lot of story was trying to get shoved into the last few pages of the story. There were also so many characters that I started to have trouble remembering who everyone was and how they played into the story. This book is set up for a series which I appreciate. I just started to struggle towards the end because so much was happening.

I also didn’t like the character of Max as much as I wanted to. He was not well developed as I would have liked especially for him being the main character. I loved all the supporting characters but Max just seemed a bit dim. He was a sheltered child thrown into this adventure which could explain some of his innocence. However, I often found him infuriating.

Overall, this was a great novel and I’m sure middle-grade students will appreciate it and have so much fun reading it! I would recommend this novel to friends.

Max and the Spice Thieves is a grand adventure, filled with pirates, magical creatures, and friendship. This was a fun read and middle grade readers, especially boys, will enjoy it. Max is a hero that is relatable; He seeks adventure, like his ship captain father, but is denied it his whole life, until now... Max frequently questions his ability to be brave and unafraid, but ultimately his love for his parents pushes him forward. This book looks at many themes that preteens are experiencing- who they are, being different, courage, doing what is right no matter what, friendship, family and love. Ultimately this is a fun adventure story that is well written and full of action. The book keeps moving forward with one adventure after another. If you like adventures I recommend this book.

Max And The Spice Thieves is a fanciful story about a young boy and an adventure of a lifetime. We begin the book with Max and his Mother (Bettina), who are setting out on a search for his Father, Captain Nicholas Daybreaker. The Captain recently vanished and both refuse to believe the worse. Soon after they start, Bettina also disappears. To reunite his family, Max will have to navigate his magical world and the Three Seas, face periles and learn to use his own magic he didn't know existed.
Along the way, Max meets pirates, spies, a Prince, a future Queen, and a 3 eye seer, snow bears, and many more friends and foes. One of his biggest influencers is Captain Cinn, a Spice Pirate with a love of cooking and properly spiced food. He takes Max under his wing and shows Max that pirates aren't always the bad guy. You will meet Anya, a simple maid, who is actually an assassin for the Thieves Guild. These are just a couple of the amazing characters Mr. Peragine has wrote about in his book.
Max has always believed he had a health condition which leaves him unable to deal with certain weather conditions (i.e. cold, heat, snow). Little did he know that this condition was part of the magic that flowed through his body. Max will learn later that his magic is controlled by love.
The primary foe in this book is the Djinn and the Twilight Army. They are an otherworldly undead army sent to destroy. Max must battle the Djinn to save his new friends, save the world they live in, and save his parents. He must figure out where his parents are and why they are protecting a secret called the Midnight Jewel.
The first book in the Secrets Of The Twilight Djinn will leave you ready to start the next in the series.If the second book in the series was out I would have already started reading it!

It’s been a few years since I’ve read a fantasy book and I was a little nervous about this pick.

All my expectations were met with this book!

From harpies to snow bears to a witch queen, this book has it all. Max and the Spice Thieves helps remind readers of the importance of love, family, and friendship while also allowing readers to travel to a brand new world. This book is such an easy and entertaining read and I look forward to the next book in the series! It’s also such a great read for any middle schooler and can easily become the next “Percy Jackson” - like series.

This was a really cute book, incredibly creative. Because its for middle grade, I didnt think I’d be as enthralled with it as I was, but it was a delightful and catchy read. I like that it can be seen as a book about adventure and fantasy, and is sprinkled with humor on the surface, but also has some good lessons in it for kids such as honesty, loyalty, keeping one’s word, and pushing past labels/barriers you may have made for yourself or that other's may have implied you had. Capt Cinn and others kept telling Max he was just a boy, and he is, but it didnt mean he couldn't be bold and make an impact. Max lead a quiet sheltered life, and during this book he found strength he didn't know he had. I think both boys and girls will feel a connection to this book, and I will look for the second book in the series when it comes out so that I can see what happens next!

Max and the Spice Thieves was an entertaining book for middle grades. The characters in the story were complex and multi-dimensional and it was a great quest for a tween seeking to find his parents and discovering several secrets along the way. There were pirates in this book, which was entertaining, but I appreciated the different take on the pirates, especially with their battles and weapons of choice. The book ended on a bit of a cliffhanger, setting up a second book to come in the series. While I appreciated the story and characters, it felt like at times it was doing a bit too much. Some storylines faded away without resolution, and others seemed a bit contradictory at points.

Readers who love a quest, magic, and the pirate life will enjoy this book and I look forward to the continued character development in the sequel.

I ADORED this book. I'm always happy to read anything about pirates and food and this book combines both of those! I thought the characters were unique and so fun. The Spice Pirate spin on typical pirates was fantastic! I really loved that Max is a kid who would love to stay in bed and read all day! The way he loved and respected his family was so sweet and I really appreciated that. The story has some exciting twists and secrets that were fun. I am glad to see this is going to be a series, because I need more of these adventures. This was a very fun read and I am so excited to share it with my kids. They are going to LOVE this story!

Thank you NetGalley and Crumblebee Books for the ARC of Max and the Spice Thieves in exchange for my honest review.