History YMMV / PeterAndTheStarcatchers

* AngstWhatAngst: The death of [[spoiler: Leonard]] in ''Sword of Mercy'' gets dwelt upon surprisingly little considering his prominent, sympathetic role in all of the previous books and [[spoiler: being a loving blood relative of several main characters.]]
* ContestedSequel: Some people like ''Bridge to Neverland'' for being LighterAndSofter, and journeying to modern times. Other fans dislike it for its TrilogyCreep, leaving some loose ends unresolved, being less quick-paced than previous books, and leaving behind the original supporting cast without even featuring their direct descendants. Adding to the controversy is how it retcons the original novel by having Captain Hook still alive long after the Victorian era. While this twist is appreciated by those who don't want to see Hook eaten by Mr. Grin, it is less pleasing to those who like how effective a build-up to the events of the original book ''The Sword of Mercy'' is.
* EnsembleDarkhorse:

** Slank is just as formidable as Captain Hook in the first book, suffers from VillainDecay in the second book, and [[ChuckCunninghamSyndrome then stops appearing]]. This is especially disappointing to those who feel that Captain Nezerra (who is an interesting character but lacks Slank's resourcefulness and personal history with Peter) gets a story arc that could have worked just as well if it had gone to Slank. 
* UnintentionallySympathetic: Slank's hulking, whip-wielding henchman Little Richard is treated as TheBrute, but he gets some good funny moments, seems fairly overwhelmed and terrified by everything that's happening, doesn't want to hurt the mermaids until they attack him, suggests moving an unconscious Peter so he won't drown, and doesn't seem to use his whip to inflict pain as much as he does to restrain people. This can make his fate of being [[spoiler: killed and eaten by Slank between books]] feel somewhat harsher than Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson probably intended.

** On a lighter note, the sounds from the cabin Slank and Mrs. Bumbrake are in implies that the two are having sex.

* AuthorsSavingThrow: The tribe that lives on Neverland has [[ValuesDissonance NOT aged well]] in the slightest, even if it was FairForItsDay. Barrie and Pearson decided to make the tribe a Polynesian tribe who know (and distrust) English due to a member having been enslaved.

** Mr. Magill (a Starcatcher who appears in the second and fourth books) is pretty well-liked for providing both some good awesome and funny moments with his BeastMaster skills and interactions with the bear and wolves that accompany him.

** A BadassPreacher appears in a single chapter of ''The Sword of Mercy,'' resisting physical torture from the villains who are after the eponymous sword before ultimately caving in to save his beloved church from being burned down.

** ''Everything'' about King Zarboff's enormous and ever-hungry pet snake (who gets some very detailed illustrations) is pure NightmareFuel.

* MagnificentBastard: [[MookLieutenant Cheeky O'Neal]] in ''The Sword of Mercy'' is quite the wry, cunning {{Determinator}}. He and his accomplices (who are in [[BadBoss constant fear of his wrath]]) strand themselves in a lifeboat near the island, posing as helpless, grateful castaways so they'll be rescued by the Mollusks and given access to their starstuff. When the natives become suspicious of them and send them off the island, they steal a boat and head back, with O'Neal triggering a [[FlareGun small volcanic eruption]] to send enough smoke into the air to alert Captain Nezerra and a ship full of henchmen. He then helps hold Fighting Prawn's daughter hostage for the starstuff. When [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere most of his companions flee]] after an ocean battle, O'Neal opts to swim back to the island, hidden under a tangled piece of sail to continue his quest, accompanied only by Nezerra.

* NauseaFuel: It's PlayedForLaughs, but it's pretty disgusting when Hook makes Smee bite off his dirty, yellowed toenails.

* MagnificentBastard: MookLieutenant Cheeky O'Neal in ''The Sword of Mercy'' is quite the wry, cunning {{Determinator}}. He and some accomplices (who are in constant fear of his wrath) strand themselves in a lifeboat near the island, posing as helpless, grateful castaways so they'll be rescued by the Mollusks and given access to their starstuff. When the natives become suspicious of them and send them off the island, they steal a boat and head back, with O'Neal triggering a small volcanic eruption to send enough smoke into the air to alert Captain Nezerra and a ship full of henchmen. He then helps hold Fighting Prawn's daughter hostage for the starstuff. When most of his companions flee after an ocean battle, O'Neal opts to swim back to the island, hidden under a tangled piece of sail to continue his quest, accompanied only by Nezerra.

* ContestedSequel: Some people like "Bridge to Neverland" for being LighterAndSofter, and journeying to modern times. Other fans dislike it for its TrilogyCreep, leaving some loose ends unresolved, being less quick-paced than previous books, and leaving behind the original supporting cast without even featuring their direct descendants. Adding to the controversy is how it retcons the original novel by having Captain Hook still alive long after the Victorian era. While this twist is appreciated by those who don't want to see Hook eaten by Mr. Grin, it is less pleasing to those who like how effective a build-up to the events of the original book ''The Sword of Mercy'' is.

**Mr. Magill (a Starcatcher who appears in the second and fourth books) is pretty well-liked for providing both some good awesome and funny moments with his BeastMaster skills and interactions with the bear and wolves that accompany him.

** Fighting Prawn describes how one of his sons was eaten by Mr. Grin while trying to free the crocodile from {{egomaniac hunter}}s.

* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter: Preston and Harbuckle, the two pirates set adrift by Hook for being too fat, get enough funny lines and HiddenDepths to feel like they should be secondary characters, and then vanish from the story after being picked up and questioned by Slank. [[WhatHappenedToTheMouse It isn't even revealed if Hook takes them back into his crew after capturing the ''Neverland'' or leaves them to die with the ship's passengers and crew.]]

* ContestedSequel: Some people like "Bridge to Neverland" for being LighterAndSofter, and journeying to modern times. Other fans dislike it for its TrilogyCreep, leaving some loose ends unresolved, being less quick-paced than previous books, and leaving behind the original supporting cast without even featuring their direct descendants. Adding to the controversy is how it retcons the original novel by having Captain Hook still alive long after the Victorian era. While this twist is appreciated by those who don't want to see Hook eaten by Mr. Grim, it is less pleasing to those who like how effective a build-up to the events of the original book ''The Sword of Mercy'' is.

** Mr. Slank [[spoiler: kills and cannibalizes]] his faithful sidekick during the TimeSkip between the first two books.