Phantom of Fire

Dylan Maples has grown up since some of his previous adventures across Canada which were told in four previous novels and are deftly recapped in brief near the beginning of this book. He’s 15 now, sassy and irreverent, but also deeply sad. One of his best friends, Bomber, was killed in a car accident, and Dylan’s response has been to shut down and completely remove himself from the world. His parents organize a mandatory family trip to visit friends in New Brunswick, hoping that the change of scene might help Dylan deal with his grief. Boring, thinks Dylan. The family arrives in Acadia where Dylan is less than impressed by the fancy house of his politically reactionary hosts. He discovers the beach though, and there he meets a mysterious girl, Antonine. He and Antonine witness the town legend - a flaming historical ship which is often spotted out at sea - and work together to solve this mystery.

It is charming that Dylan tries to act like a typical bored teen when, in fact, he loves nerdy adventures full of historical research. By sending the teens to the library to investigate the ghost ship, Peacock is able to lever in a great deal of local history, touching on topics like the Indigenous Mi’kmaq people and the Acadians. This also provides an opportunity to explore and explain the scientific explanations - St Elmo’s Fire, phosphorescence, will-o’-the-wisp. But the kids don’t buy it. The two have seen the burning ship more than once, and, on the second occasion, they even rowed out to sea for a better look. In the end, it is a clue from Antonine’s dad father that tips the pair off to the idea that the ghostly shenanigans might cover up a very sinister and very contemporary crime.

Dylan falls for Antonine right away, and his attempts at suave romance are clumsy but endearing. Even though the two develop an intense bond, Phantom of Fire is not a romance story, and readers are rewarded with only one small kiss at the end of the book. The two share the loss of a loved one and agree on what is really important in life. Unlike some other kids of their age, they care little for perceived differences between people and don’t judge by appearances. Their friendship is at the core of the book, and the way the two work together, develop a bond and help each other through grief is a strong example of the best kind of supportive relationship. It is worth noting that Dylan meets a cool girl in each one of the books - he’s got a goofy charisma and knack for making friends with smart, talented girls. The message is that it is always worth it to be honest with other people and try to make sincere connections.

Dylan is a fun character with a strong voice and lots of personality; he reflects on himself quite a lot and is pretty self-aware or pseudo self-aware. Occasionally Peacock tries too hard with the voice and the character becomes more of a caricature of a teen boy than a real person. There is a little stilted language from time to time (“I am funny about history. I actually like it and do very well in school in the subject.”). But these faults are fairly easy to forgive. Peacock is pushing to create a character who will really engage readers, a character who can take them on a journey into history. Dylan genuinely engages with the idea of learning about other places and times past.

The “Dylan Maples Adventure” novels are all part of a project to make history cool and, specifically, to make Canadian history feel alive and significant to young readers. “Canada is weird,” Dylan declares. “It pretends it isn’t, but underneath, this country is bat-crap crazy. It’s like an iceberg, with a cool surface and all sorts of invisible things going on underneath.” There is substantial educational content in the story but it is always gripping and well-integrated, so it never feels contrived.

The novel is full of strong opinions about the current political situation: the rise of right wing populism, extremism and anti-immigration scapegoating. Bill is one of Dylan’s hosts - a corporate consultant and the second husband of the family’s friend and former neighbor, Bonnie. Dylan dislikes Bill from their first meeting - he is arrogant, self-important, and he doesn’t listen. He is also impressed by a local politician, Jim Fiat, who is a hilariously accurate Trump clone. At first, Dylan tries to avoid confrontation with Bill by keeping his opinions to himself, but he ends up speaking his mind, challenging Bill on a number of issues. He points out that the ‘everyman’ Fiat is rich and comes from a privileged background and family legacy in politics.

Dylan also refutes Bill and Jim Fiat’s stands on immigration, uncovering their prejudice and racism. With the character of Dylan, Peacock is challenging every Canadian to stand up to liars and bullies by showing that even a teen can do it. Dylan doesn’t fall for the cover arguments for one second and immediately identifies Fiat as a bully, hypocrite and phony. In a way, Dylan’s behaviour and the whole adventure provide a wish fulfillment fantasy whereby a corrupt self-serving politician is uncovered as a fraud and criminal.

There is a lot more interaction with adults in Phantom of Fire than in many other children’s books. Dylan’s parents are simultaneously annoying and loving in that exasperating parental way. However carefully they are sketched and humanized, they never quite seem like real people, though. A lot of attention is paid to Bill, but his failings seem to add up to a type rather than a convincing character. Bonnie, his wife, is pleasantly blank. Other adult characters include Antonine’s mother, a retired fisherman, and a museum volunteer, and, even though they appear only briefly, each is warm and believable.

The main weakness of Phantom of Fire is the denouement which involves a confession much too easily obtained. “I don’t know why I’m telling you any of this,” the villain says, a line we have heard too often before. The plot is somewhat predictable. The ghost story as a cover for some kind of criminal activity is a well-used trope in adventure tales for kids. The big reveal doesn’t adequately explain much of the story, making it a little less than satisfying. A lot more of the threads of the story could have come together in a more sophisticated ending. But if you don’t inspect it too closely, then it is still all good fun.

Phantom of Fire is very much in the tradition of historic adventure stories like Moonfleet and Kidnapped and in movies with scrappy heroes and mysterious ships, like The Goonies. Phantom of Fire could also be described as Scooby Doo with more teen angst - there is one negative figure in the book, and he will obviously be unmasked as the villain. All in all, though, Phantom of Fire is a very good yarn full of action and suspense. It is probably the best in the series so far and combines a tale of adventure and romance with timely concerns about justice and fairness.