It’s my turn on the blog tour for Justin Somper’s new book in the Pirate Academy series! Scroll down to meet one of the characters- Neo! Justin shares some insights into this character in his guest blog.
BLOG: MEET NEO SPLICE
SPOILER ALERT: Some key aspects of PIRATE ACADEMY: NEW KID ON DECK are discussed below.
Neo Splice isn’t only one of my favourite characters in PIRATE ACADEMY – he’s one of my favourites in any of my books so far. Neo is one of the “big three” protagonists in my new series but, unlike Jasmine and Jacoby, he doesn’t appear in VAMPIRATES. He’s a brand new character and, from the very beginning, there’s a definite air of mystery swirling about him.
Who is the new kid who arrives at the Academy under cover of night on board an old Scavenger ship? His sudden appearance in Barracuda Class arouses suspicions from some of his classmates – suspicions enhanced perhaps because they are already dealing with the shock of Wing Moon’s sudden departure the night before. Did Neo play a part in this?
There’s an awkwardness to Neo that I enjoy and can relate to. He hates being the focus of everyone’s attention in Knots Class. But, even early on, that awkwardness is balanced out by a sense of him already stepping into his power. We see him assert his authority over the old pirate who brings him to the Academy. There are already signs of a strong leader here.
Some of the Barracudas are more welcoming to Neo than others. In Sailing Class, Priya Swift warmly welcomes him onto her keelboat crew. Jacoby, however, is less well-disposed and falls into a sulk. He and his close pal Cosmo start planning further tests for the new kid. And there’s the painful scene where Cosmo enquires after Neo’s “pedigree”. But, again, we see Neo assert his power, simply by refusing to play the game.
Neo is a talented young man. We soon see his prowess at sailing and swords. In MISSING AT SEA, we discover he’s a talented diver too, and he appears strong and calm in a crisis – even if that isn’t the full story inside his own head. There’s nothing he won’t do to protect his new friends. He is deeply emotionally intelligent.
There’s a haunted quality to Neo – which, once we know his full story, feels totally justified. “Neo Splice” is a fake identity. His real name is Ned Darkwater and he is the only child of Captain Doll Darkwater – the beloved pirate captain who has been killed by the new rebel organisation, the League of True Pirates. Despite the best efforts of the Pirate Federation, Neo has been followed to the Academy by LOT P agents, with whom he has unfinished business.
Once his classmates – including Jacoby and Cosmo – find out the truth about Neo/Ned, they swiftly change their attitude and become protective of him. After all, “Wound one Barracuda and you wound us all.” As LOT P makes its next move on Neo, it’s very clear that his new classmates now fully have his back and will stop at nothing to save him.
By the time, MISSING AT SEA begins – Neo has been at the Academy a full month and is now very much treated as an insider. But we can see that he is more haunted than ever. He is having terrible dreams about that last night on his mother’s ship. And when Jasmine tries to recruit him to her crew for Oceans Bound weekend, he confesses he is thinking of bailing on the Academy altogether.
Neo is a highly honourable character. He hates the thought he has brought danger to his classmates at the Academy, simply by virtue of being there. There’s the sense that he has had quite a unique upbringing at the hands of Doll and he is confident dealing with adult pirate captains on a level footing.
But the fact remains that he carries the deep grief of losing his mother and increasing confusion about the night of her death. As the story continues – in PIRATE ACADEMY 3: SWORD ECHOES – he’s going to start finding answers in a rather surprising way.
The other mystery that I Iove about Neo is that, as mentioned at the top, he does not appear in the VAMPIRATES books. Given that Jasmine and Jacoby do, Neo’s absence can’t help but beg the question – what does happen to him? Where is he five years later when the main action of VAMPIIRATES begins? Rest assured, we will get to that. For now, I hope you enjoy getting to know Neo/Ned and following him on the start of his epic journey.
My Shelves Are Full 