How to Be a Pirate was a solid continuation of the How To Train Your Dragon series. David Tennant’s audiobook narration was fabulous and Cressida Cowell’s trademark wit was delightful. While I had a few problems with the story’s structure I generally enjoyed the fun and adventure of the story.

How to Be a Pirate follows the children of the Hairy Hooligan Tribe as they embark on a pirate training course. They soon discover the map to a lost pirate treasure and the tribe ventures on a perilous journey to claim the bounty on a fearsome, dragon-infested island.

While I found the majority of this book entertaining the core story was felt weaker than its predecessor. Hiccup faces very similar challenges as he did in How to Train Your Dragon so there was little novelty to engage me. His emotional arc of wanting to become a Viking hero felt more like a weaker repeat of steps previously trodden rather than an extension and development of his journey.

The book still did have its strengths namely that the ending was incredible. I didn’t expect the moral complexity explored in the story’s conclusion in a book this lighthearted and silly. Questions of sacrifice for the greater good were both deftly handled and fit perfectly with the overall tone of the story. This added layers to both the word and Hiccup as a protagonist and gives me hope that the series in future will continue to balance silly fun and rich storytelling.

I also adored Hiccup and Stoick’s relationship in this book. This father-son bond is a core emotional point in the series and How to Be a Pirate had fantastic moments between the two that brought me close to tears. I love the lack of shame Stoick has about his son. While Hiccup isn’t the spitting image of a Viking hero Stoick never fails to support Hiccup and fiercely defends him in the face of danger and scrutiny.

How to Be a Pirate was a fun read. While some of the book felt repetitive the whimsical pirate adventure great father-son relationship and fantastic moral depth of its conclusion made it a worthwhile read. I can’t wait to continue with these audiobooks as the year continues.