Eleven year-old Tom Fallon’s humdrum cabin boy life is about to become epic—and exceedingly dangerous. Tom’s ship has been ordered to capture Geoffrey “Black” Iron, whose pirate hordes are overrunning the Caribbean Sea. Unbeknownst to Tom, a secret weapon is hidden deep in his ship’s hold—a prize Black Iron will stop at nothing to obtain. As the pirates close in, Tom must unlock the power of this secret weapon to keep the whole Caribbean from falling into the clutches of Black Iron. Born in Ravenna, Ohio, Mark A. Trexler is the author of The Vanquished. Having earned degrees at Western Michigan University and Wayne State University, Trexler now lives in Royal Oak, Michigan with his wife, and three daughters. Illustrations by Raymond Apuada