Cindy Vallar's Blog - Posts Tagged "mermaids"

Eldorado: The Pyrate Chronicles by Wayne Savage

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


In this second book of The Pyrate Chronicles, journalist Nathaniel Bagshaw returns to prison to learn more from the condemned pirate William Benton. His fantastical tale begins when supplies are low and a strange mist envelops the ships of Captain Björn "Ironside" Gunnarsson and Captain Wolfenden, who sail in consort. Their emergence from the murky cloak reveals a stone fort flying a Spanish flag. Not knowing how much time has passed since they entered the fog or whether their countries are at war or peace, they devise a plan. Gunnarsson and a small contingent approach the fort directly. Wolfenden and his men sail farther down the coast and sneak ashore.

The pirates are astounded to be greeted by 200 soldiers who look like the conquistadores of the past, and many enslaved natives. This domination doesn’t set well with the pirates, especially ship's surgeon Faustus Quiddington, but being outnumbered and the tenuousness of their plight forces Gunnarson, his wife Cassandra, and the rest of the shore party to keep their true feelings hidden.

Governor Hidalgo’s welcome raises some questions, which he answers. A treasure ship departed the viceroyalty in 1543. Ever since, they’ve been waiting for another galleon to return. In the intervening 175 years, an uprising resulted in the loss of some information and a blending of two cultures, such as the Holy Catholic bible of our Lord Jesus Christ-Quetzalcoatl. The other tidbit that gains the pirates’ attention is the fact that the governor has been stockpiling the annual collections of gold and silver while they wait for the treasure galleon to return.

The pirate who is particularly intrigued is Will Benton. Obeying orders isn’t his strong suit, and being a true pirate, he only heeds the captain’s commands in battle. Since gold is to be had, he has every intention of claiming his portion. Swiping one piece of gold proves relatively easy. No one notices because gold and silver adorn everything in the governor’s home. Purloining may lead people to believe that Will has no scruples, but he draws the line at human sacrifice. His disruption of such an act gains him a sentence of death. It takes all of Gunnarsson’s negotiating skills to gain Will’s freedom, but Governor Hildalgo’s price may prove too high.

This historical fantasy takes place in the early 18th century. Think of it as “a book in which Black Sails meets Gulliver’s travels [sic] with a dash of the authentic humour of that loveable pirate band Ye Banished Privateers.” (5) Savage’s depiction of piracy and the brutal realities of life in this time period show the depth of his research. There are occasions where too much data is conveyed in characters’ conversations; the dialogue is a device to show the passage of time and these details are interesting, but they aren’t always relevant to what’s happening in the unfolding scene. There are also some errors that a copyeditor would have caught.

Aside from the greed and allure that gold tends to spark, not everyone gets away with treasure. Rifts arise and this time around, they prove unmendable. The encounter with Hildalgo, however, is only one of the piratical adventures in this book. The second one involves sirens, sea serpents, and mermaids. It also shines a light on some minor characters, especially the women in the crew, in unique ways. It will be interesting to see what comes next for this band of pirates, especially since Gunnarsson’s captaincy may be in jeopardy.


(This review originally appeared at Pirates and Privateers: http://www.cindyvallar.com/adult-fant...)



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