Cindy Vallar's Blog - Posts Tagged "espionage"

The Sugar Rebellion by Lyle Garford

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Grenada is a dangerous place in which to live in 1795, especially if you are English and white, particularly if you are Ninian Home, the governor. Originally colonized by the French, the English acquired the island as a prize of war, but British politicians have shown little regard for these people’s interests and even less for the mulattos and slaves. One of the latter is Julien Fedon, a plantation owner whose father was white and mother was a former slave. His position within the original colonists, his influence among the free mulattos, and his land make him the ideal candidate to lead a rebellion. The day to strike comes in March when Governor Home ventures from the safety of St. George. If they can capture him, as well as other wealthy English families, the rebels can use them as a bargaining chip to gain their demands.

Crippling wounds ten years ago nearly ended the Royal Navy careers of Evan Ross and James Wilton until Horatio Nelson offered them the opportunity to work for the British spymaster in the West Indies. They have become adept at what they do and the war with France makes their services much in demand. Their most pressing assignment now concerns the rebellion on Grenada, which has reached a stalemate after ten months. They are to assist the acting governor and an incompetent colonel in the Royal Army to bring about an end to the situation. Against his better judgment, Evan allows his wife, a former slave, to accompany him because she’s good at making friends, discovering tidbits of information, and not getting caught. One of her first revelations is that a female rebel may be sneaking into and out of St. George to spy on the British.

A two-fold problem faces Evan and James. They no established network of underground contacts, and the acting governor fears that time is running out for the hostages – forty men, women, and children. The direness of the situation compels James to offer to infiltrate the rebels. If he’s caught, he will most likely die, but he has one advantage over all those privy to their plan. He’s black. When added to his friend’s skill with weapons and a passing knowledge of French, Evan realizes that James might just succeed.

But the rebels are leery of the Royal Navy deserter and one of them yearns to kill him outright. Julien enlists the aid of his female spy, who should do whatever she must to ascertain the truth – a painful, but necessary condition since he is in love with Sophie Ventour. And when James meets Sophie, she awakens feelings he thought long dead. Each day becomes a tightrope to walk where his heart must battle his conscience, as well as the French spies who are helping the rebels and Sophie’s brother, the rebel who wants to kill him.

The Sugar Rebellion is a fast-paced depiction of an actual, but little known, uprising. Garford could have delved deeper into the psychological ramifications that Evan, James, and Sophie face in their line of work, but his rendering of infiltration and spying deftly unfold. Fans of the Evan Ross series will enjoy this fourth book that brings to life this Grenadian rebellion from differing points of view and demonstrates that events are never just black or white or that honor is neither colorblind nor restricted to one gender.




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The Dragon's Breath by James Boschert

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Still hunted by his beloved’s brother, Master of the Assassini, and a sultan thwarted from marrying Rav’an, Talon takes her and his newly-met son, Rostam, to Oman. There lives a man Talon once saved from an executioner’s sword, one who may be able to help the fugitives resettle in a new land. Accompanying them on this journey is Reza, Talon’s brother-in-arms and fellow fugitive from the Assassini, as well as another woman rescued from the sultan’s harem.

The day Talon arrives in Oman, Allam al Mardini celebrates his victory against an arch rival. His camel, Jasmine, has won the most prestigious race of the year. He welcomes Talon into his home, even though five months have passed since they were imprisoned together. He knows well that although Talon claims to be a merchant, his friend is far more than that. Talon soon discovers that he and Allam’s family have similar interests – merchant ships and a good game of Chogan. Talon is invited to play, but one of their opponents is the man bested in the camel race. After a failed attempt to inflict a fatal injury and a second loss to Allam’s family, Nejem al Khulood vows vengeance – a pledge that necessitates Talon’s and Reza’s intervention after Jasmine disappears.

Knowing of Talon’s interest in his family’s ships and journeys, Allam intercedes with his brothers and father and they provide their new friend with guidance in purchasing a new vessel and in journeying to Africa, Al Hind, and China. But such voyages are rarely without perils, as Talon, Reza, and their families soon discover. A sick woman in their first port of call soon leads to mobs trying to flee rumors of plague. When illness sweeps through the brothers’ ships, Talon must continue onward into unknown waters. The sighting of three sails announces the arrival of pirates too numerous to defeat in hand-to-hand combat; surprise is Talon’s only option, yet it offers a slim chance of survival.

In the midst of a vicious storm a foundering ship, showing signs of a fire and no crew, demands a daring rescue to save the four people still aboard. The gamble pays off in unexpected ways, since one of those saved is Lord Meng Hsü who was returning home from a mission to India on behalf of Guangzhou’s governor. Talon is intrigued by his guest and his country, but as tantalizing as a visit to China might seem, it must wait for another day . . . until a cruel and dictatorial ruler on an island off the Malay peninsula attempts to maneuver Talon into selling his cargo at a loss. But China is a land of strange customs and political maneuverings, where death is but a whisper away.

The Dragon’s Breath is the sixth entry in the Book of Talon series, and it is rife with roller-coaster adventure, exotic locales, and breathtaking jeopardy. Boschert spins a compelling tale with subplots intricately interwoven to create the finest silken tapestry. His knowledge and research of the various cultures transport readers back to the twelfth century, where the intoxicating allure and inevitable reality place readers in the midst of ambition, intrigue, jealousy, espionage, greed, betrayal, and survival. Talon and Reza come close to meeting their match when they tangle with eastern pirates, as well as a new and formidable group of assassins, the Ninja. There is even a quest to find a dragon, which matches the serpentine curves of that legendary creature and inserts a bit of levity into a story where it’s difficult to determine just who can be trusted. Whether new to Talon and his journeys or a longtime fan, readers will find The Dragon’s Breath rewarding, spellbinding, and an excursion not to be missed.



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Treachery by Julian Stockwin by Julian Stockwin

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Neither Kydd nor Renzi are in good places when this latest Kydd Sea Adventure begins. Renzi suffers from guilt for abandoning his friend when he needed him most. Kydd wallows in grief at the sudden loss of his beloved. Renzi makes a new vow to help Kydd, but it takes an encounter with footpads and the press gang to draw Kydd sufficiently out of his anguish to at least do his duty as captain of Teazer.

This Thomas Kydd is not the one that his men admire and willingly follow. This is a harsh, unyielding commander who demands immediate obedience. As a result, unease and possible mutiny ripple through the crew, though Kydd is too blinded to see or listen to Renzi’s warnings. It takes another to turn the tide before it’s too late.

Teazer and her crew have been relegated to the isolated station of the Channel Islands, where Admiral Saumarez is in charge. For Renzi, this provides him with new opportunities to continue his research. For Kydd, he is given a chance to show his mettle; Saumerez judges by deeds and courage instead of hearsay and innuendo. Kydd accepts the chance to prove himself worth; in doing so, he draws the ire of those who have been on station longer than he has. Then Kydd receives secret orders, which he successfully carries out. Upon returning to home port, his ship is boarded and he is accused of smuggling, which is against Admiralty rules. And the admiral denies ever giving him secret orders.

Treachery is the tale of what happens when an officer loses his command and must seek employment on land. It is also about backstabbing and vowing to clear one’s name, as well as following paths that go against one’s beliefs. Privateering and espionage play key roles in these struggles. The machinations behind a plot to kidnap Napoleon Bonaparte show the tenuous scheming between the English government, French émigrés, and French royalists. The action is riveting and the emotions are profound. Internal struggles play out alongside external ones. This ninth title in the series is one that fans will enjoy not only for these reasons but also because it delves further into multi-dimensions of character.


This review was originally published at Pirates and Privateers (http://www.cindyvallar.com/Stockwin.h...)




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The Force of Fate by Seth Hunter

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Anthony Merry is something of a diplomatic Jonah and he’s not pleased to be the British envoy to Washington City. When an imaginary slight from the president occurs, Merry is determined to get his vengeance. That seems entirely likely after his wife introduces him to Aaron Burr, who has a plan to secede the western territories from the infant United States and create a new country. This sounds like a plan that his superiors back in London can get behind, and so Merry immediately outlines how backing Burr is the way to go.

Captain Nathan Peake has his own problems. His fiancée – his word, not hers since she refuses to marry – is with child and he may or may not be the father. Plus, he must appear before a court of inquiry that is determined to discover why he was aboard the French ship responsible for killing Vice Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson at the Battle of Trafalgar and whether Peake colluded with the enemy. Not to mention the fact that he does have ties to the Bonaparte family, as does his fiancée, which may or may not be known to the court. Then, there’s the fact that both his mother and his fiancée are in imminent danger of arrest on charges of espionage.

Fate intervenes when the death of William Pitt brings about a change of government and those in power believe Peake will be more useful elsewhere. As a result, he is promoted to commodore of a squadron, which reunites him with old friends. He is also charged with a diplomatic mission to Washington City where the current envoy will be led to believe one thing while President Jefferson is reassured of the opposite. Fate, of course, is always accompanied by consequences. This time around Peake reunites with his nemesis, Gilbert Imlay, and must abet an escape from the Tower of London. Everyone has their own agendas, even President Jefferson, and a French fleet lurks off the coast of the Carolinas. Its representatives collude with Americans opposed to the current negotiations between the United States and Great Britain to bring about an end to the slave trade.

The Force of Fate takes place during the middle of the first decade of the 19th century and culminates with the 1806 Battle of the Atlantic between the British and French navies. It’s a facet of the Napoleonic Wars that is rarely depicted, which makes for an interesting interlude, especially when tied in with Burr’s scheming and early attempts to suppress slavery. Those who have never read a Nathan Peake novel may find this one a bit challenging to comprehend all of the story’s nuances, but fans of the series will enjoy this ninth entry. As always, Hunter excels at his depiction of sea battles, keeping readers on the edges of their seats as Peake and his men fight not only the enemy but also Mother Nature.


(This review originally appeared at Pirates and Privateers: https://www.goodreads.com/review/edit...)



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