Cindy Vallar's Blog - Posts Tagged "mutiny"

Battle's Flood by J. D. Davies

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


England in 1555 differs from the one in which Jack Stannard fought the Scots and witnessed the death of his friend aboard the Mary Rose. Henry VIII is dead; his daughter, Mary, sits upon the throne and expects her first child. Her husband is King Philip of Spain, but in spite of the peace between both countries, he has no desire to allow his wife’s people to venture into realms he deems the total domain of Spain, namely the New World and Africa. Not all Englishmen agree with this, chief among them being the Hawkins.

It is also a time when Catholicism once again holds sway, much to the delight of Jack and his daughter, Meg. Love blossoms between her and a young Spaniard whose father is friends with hers. Hope and prosperity give rise to great expectations, but that which is today isn’t necessarily true on the morrow.

The passing of twelve years brings many such changes. The Virgin Queen rules England and has restored the faith of her father to the land, much to Meg’s chagrin. She holds out hope that it is a temporary aberration, one that will change once again when Mary Queen of Scots succeeds her cousin Elizabeth. Jack, on the other hand, and his eldest son Tom are involved in the business of smuggling arms to France, where Protestant Huguenots are stockpiling arms for the day when the Catholic monarchy allies with Spain to stamp out the heretics. While Tom has been raised mostly in the Protestant church, his father retains many Catholic tendencies, and it is those that come to the attention of Francis Walsingham, the queen’s spymaster.

John Hawkins’s new expedition to Guinea and possibly the Caribbean is purported to be a trading venture into Spanish domains, but it has an ulterior purpose known only to a few. Walsingham wants Jack to accompany the expedition. Although hostilities with Spain are on the distant horizon, England is unprepared to wage war at this time. Therefore, Jack must do whatever he can to keep Hawkins from breaking the fragile peace between the two countries, and to keep a detailed record of everything that happens. Such unfamiliar waters to Jack and Tom require them to hire a skilled, black Portuguese, who is somewhat abrasive at times. But the voyage gets off to a rocky start; foreign ships entering the port fail to salute and a tavern brawl creates animus between Tom and Francis Drake, who one day vows to get revenge. And venturing to strange lands with unfamiliar customs and unknown dangers adds to the perils Jack and Tom face.

Such a journey means a lengthy separation from family and friends, so Jack puts Meg in charge of the family business. She tries to warn him that her stepmother is up to no good, but time prevents him from heeding the warning. Having despised and distrusted her stepmother from the moment they first met, Meg slowly unravels the intrigue and discovers that Jennet is in league with Jack’s most hated enemy. To thwart her stepmother, Meg devises a plan of her own, one that will protect the business, her father, and the secret she guards.

Battle’s Flood is the second title in the Jack Stannard of the Navy Royal trilogy. While the prologue takes place in 1555, the majority of the story takes place between 1567 and 1569. The backdrop for the story is Hawkins’s third voyage to collect slaves in Africa and then sell them to Spanish colonists in the New World. Yet even that one event did not occur in a void, as Davies shows as he deftly weaves the tumultuous European history into this tale in ways that make it easy to understand the intricacies of trying to survive in a world verging on war. He drops you into the midst of a battle or a storm at sea with just enough description that then compels your imagination to vividly fill-in the details. Peaceful interludes are woven into engrossing and sometimes nail-biting action, rife with mutiny, poisoned arrows, tribal warfare, the slave trade, smuggling, cannibalism, love lost, betrayal, enmity, feuds, scheming, regrets, and so much more. Equally compelling is his historical note, not only because he provides the history behind the fiction but also because he addresses inconvenient truths, thorny issues, and his treatment of these in the book. While history books discuss these events and recount the unfortunate circumstances that result in the abandonment of so many, those accounts are often mere words on a page. In Battle’s Flood, Davies brings to life the infamous and the famous, and transports you back to the sixteenth century in a way that makes you feel as if you are there.




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Larcum Mudge by Philip K. Allan

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


HM Sloop Peregrine is an unhappy vessel. Her captain brooks not the slightest infraction, and punishment almost always involves the cat. The discontent on the lower deck foments into mutiny and once in control, the mutineers and ship vanish in the Caribbean, with no one wise to the brutal and bloody slaughter because they assume the ship went down during a hurricane.

With repairs to HM Frigate Griffin almost complete, Captain Alexander Clay attends to the task of recruiting for his undermanned ship. A short time after a printer informs him that some mutineers have been captured, a visit with the First Lord of the Admiralty reveals that the mutineers delivered Peregrine to the French. Clay is ordered to sail to the Caribbean, find the ship, and recapture her. If that’s not possible, she must be destroyed. There is no other way to erase the stain on the Royal Navy’s honor. To assist him in this task is a boatswain’s mate who once served aboard the Peregrine before the mutiny.

In Plymouth, a man encounters mates from the Griffin talking outside a tavern where an officer is signing on new recruits. Larcum Mudge likes what he hears and decides to join the navy. Yet his familiarity with life aboard a king’s ship causes them to wonder why someone who has spent so much time on a whaling vessel never claims to have served aboard a warship before. Then, during an encounter with a French privateer, Mudge slays one of the captives after he surrenders. It looks like a righteous kill, especially when a tattoo on the dead man identifies him as a deserter from the Royal Navy.

With rumors of peace abounding, the Griffin sails for the Caribbean. Upon arrival there, Clay has a brief reunion with his brother-in-law, who warns him about the mercurial temperament of the captain who blockades Guadeloupe where Clay hopes to find Peregrine. Once arriving on station, he discovers there is also a French warship in the harbor – one that the blockading captain has no knowledge of. Since the fortifications and natural layout of the harbor make it impossible to extract Peregrine, Clay devises an ingenious, yet risky, strategy to succeed in his mission. That entails a series of orders, one of which upsets the blockading captain. During his absence, Clay discovers the reason for the outburst and, in the process, captures one of the mutineers. In the meantime, Mudge and his messmates are among the men tasked with implementing Clay’s plan. When one of them does so with a tad more zeal than necessary, they become trapped. Only Mudge can lead them to safety. In doing so, he reveals knowledge that he shouldn’t have.

This eighth book in the Alexander Clay series takes place prior to the Peace of Amiens in 1802. It also represents Allen’s first venture into self-publishing. While Clay plays an important part in this story – one that involves a puzzle that could reopen wounds of a past scandal – it is predominantly a tale of the lower decks. Allen’s artful recreation of the past is second only to his skillful creation of Larcum Mudge. The name alone sparks interest, but readers soon come to care about this man and what happens to him. Larcum Mudge is by far the best book in the series and an adventure that fans old and new will enjoy.




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Mutiny On The Rising Sun: A Tragic Tale of Slavery, Smuggling, and Chocolate by Jared Ross Hardesty

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


The Rising Sun peacefully navigated Caribbean waters in June 1743. “Murder! Murder!” The sudden cries rent the air as three mutineers carried out their bloody work. At least seven people died that night. Two survived because of the knowledge they possessed. And chained in the hold, bearing witness to the bloody deeds, were thirteen children and two young men, all enslaved and bound for the slave market in Barbados.

This is far more than a simple trade venture gone awry. As Hardesty recounts the events of that gruesome night – providing insight into what is known and can be hypothesized about the mutineers, the victims, and the witnesses – he reveals details of the smuggling cartel behind the voyage, the miseries of human trafficking, and an insatiable craving for wealth, power, and chocolate. How the mutineers were caught and what happened afterward brings the story to a conclusion.

Newark Jackson, a respected sea captain in Boston, had no idea this would be his final voyage aboard the schooner. Many knew that he owned a store that sold chocolate and that he owned slaves who turned the cacao beans into the popular commodity that people enjoyed; what was less known was that he also smuggled contraband into seaports.

Ferdinand da Costa, Joseph Pereira, and Thomas Lucas carried out the foul deeds. Ship’s mate William Blake and bosun John Shaw survived because of their training and experience, both of which aided them in thwarting the mutineers and bringing them to justice – a justice that was as brutal and horrific as the mutiny itself.

Two appendices cover circumstantial evidence, newspaper reports, and witness testimonies. Maps, advertisements, artwork, ship drawings, and photographs are also included. End notes and an index round out the book.

In his introduction, Hardesty describes this book as a “human history of smuggling.” (4) He deftly shows how and why illicit trade played a role in the lives of all those involved, either firsthand or peripherally. What happened aboard the Rising Sun allows him to show us what drove these colonists to participate in the buying and selling of contraband, and how smuggling could result in the consequences that occurred. The Mutiny of the Rising Sun is an eye-opening examination of capitalism, exploitation, and racism during colonial times that still has repercussions for us today.




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Mutiny by Julian Stockwin

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Thomas Kydd, now a master’s mate, returns in this fourth book that takes place in 1797. His promotion means he and his friend have separated. While Nicholas Renzi is aboard a 74-gun ship-of-the-line, Thomas serves on Achilles (64) where he makes a new friend, who doesn’t always approve of what Thomas does. He finds his mood turning morose from being separated from Nicholas. This changes somewhat after two encounters. One involves a married woman, and the other a drunken, but veteran, sailor with a low opinion of the Royal Navy.

The fortuitous arrival of Nicholas’s vessel reunites the two friends and, when the opportunity presents itself to forego the mindless routine of being anchored at Gibraltar, they volunteer for a special mission to Venice. Being circumspect is a necessary part of their assignment, which proves both a blessing and a hindrance. It is carnivale, a time when everyone wears masks, which makes it difficult to tell friend from foe. Renzi is acquainted with the city and speaks Italian, but the visit stirs up memories that drive a wedge between him and Thomas, as well as the others accompanying them. An additional complication is a clandestine pact between Austria and France that impacts Venice and endangers their lives and their freedom.

When Kydd finally returns to Achilles, he finds an unhappy ship. Some crew replacements are men given little choice in joining the navy. With orders to return to England, the ship sails for home. Thomas senses the brewing tempest, and news of the fleet’s mutiny at Spithead merely adds to his growing unease. The captain’s attempt to forestall the men from joining that ill-fated revolt backfires when the ships anchored at Nore also rise up against the Admiralty. Conflicted, Thomas wavers between being an officer now and a seaman before, until a new love interest, a dishonest gentleman, and a charismatic mutineer push him closer and closer to a fateful decision.

This volume in the Thomas Kydd novels focuses more on the mental and behavioral aspects of sea life, particularly as they affect Thomas and Nicholas. Each portrayal differs based on each man’s character traits and past experiences, with striking differences and similarities that strain their friendship almost to the breaking point. Rather than concentrate on the better-known mutiny at Spithead, Stockwin portrays the subsequent insurrection at Nore. The seamen’s discontent is justified, but the Admiralty’s response differs between the two anchorages. This is convincingly shown via scene shifts between London and Nore, as well as the almost palpable tug-of-war waging within Kydd. Equally well-rendered are the confusion and precariousness of carnivale, and the tragic death that leads to Thomas’s first true encounter with love. Commodore Horatio Nelson and Kydd’s first fleet action are artfully entwined with the major story threads. Mutiny provides readers with the feel of being swept into a maelstrom where the only way to endure is to hold on tight and hope to survive.


This review first appeared at Pirates and Privateers (March 2023) at http://www.cindyvallar.com/Stockwin.h...



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Sailor of Liberty by J.D. Davies

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


The voyage is to be sedate, a quiet sail into Saint-Malo and Philippe Kermorvant will step ashore with little fanfare. Fate decrees otherwise. The enemy emerges from the fog and unleashes a devastating volley that kills the captain. His matelots persuade Philippe to rescue them from the onslaught. He agrees and uses his experience commanding American and Russian ships to trick the enemy long enough to get away.

It is Year Two of the French Republic, although his many friends know the time as 1793. Some think his dream folly, but it is a pursuit he cannot give up. It gives his life purpose, something he lost when grief consumed him. Surely, the Republicans will grant his request, especially with the many letters of recommendation that he carries. Especially since his father was Verité, a hero, a legend, a forward-thinking Frenchman who espoused freedom long before the citizenry rose up against the monarchy. But nothing is guaranteed, particularly when the Committee of Public Safety dares even to behead Citizen Louis Capet, the former king of France. The same fate may become Philippe’s, a fact he understands since he is the Vicomte de Saint-Victor.

That possibility becomes all too real when someone close to Philippe denounces him as a traitor to the Republic and a mob comes to arrest him. Although given a chance to escape his prison, he prefers to meet Madame Guillotine. This decision, combined with his betrayer being denounced with irrefutable evidence, leads to Philippe’s freedom and the granting of his dream. He will captain Le Zéphyr, a 32-gun frigate manned by several hundred men. An easy task for someone with his experience, n’est-ce pas?

Perhaps not. His second-in-command denounced his predecessor to the Committee and expects to be given command himself. The crew is a mix of able seamen and landsmen, but each believes he has the right to question any order the captain gives. The representative of the Committee neither likes nor trusts Philippe. He must patrol regions of France where loyalists eagerly await a British invasion in support of their cause. Mutiny ripples through French warships, while English warships blockade the coast. It is only a matter of time before one, or more, of these enemies attempt to thwart Philippe.

Philippe may look through rose-colored glasses, but he does understand what’s happening in France. He is a flawed hero in this regard, but this makes him real and results in the truths he witnesses being all the more horrific. Many stories that depict the French Revolution and Napoleonic Era unfold from a British perspective, which makes this new series fresh and unique because readers experience events from the French point of view. The villains are dastardly and deserve our loathing, but Davies portrays them as products of their time and illustrates how tenuous a path Philippe must weave to navigate such treacherous waters. As always, Davies’s knowledge of history and the maritime world are seamlessly woven into the story, and he vividly and realistically portrays the brutality of war and revolution. This first entry in The Philippe Kermorvant Thrillers is a bewitching tale in and of itself, but the unexpected twist at the end promises many more provocative tales to come.




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(This review originally appeared at Pirates and Privateers: http://www.cindyvallar.com/JDDavies.h...)

Pirate & Penguin by Mike Allegra

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Imagine you’re the pirate captain sailing the Seven Seas when a bird tumbles down an iceberg and lands right on your ship. Has to be a parrot, right? After all, you are a pirate and what bird makes the perfect pal? A parrot.

Okay, this one looks like his plumage needs a new coat. And then he needs to perch right on your shoulder like all parrots do. And then he should speak. Right? Well . . . not exactly. He does try, but nothing seems to work just as you expect. But the final straw comes when he spits out the cracker you give him onto the clean deck of your ship and that cracker is all that’s left of your food. This is mutiny and something must be done. But walking the plank?

This is a delightful tale where all the words are spoken by the captain. Depending on the size of the words, young pirates immediately know whether to whisper, speak normally, or shout. The imaginative artwork perfectly captures the story and youngsters can easily tell the story even when some of the pirate’s words are unfamiliar ones. (Even those are wonderful adventures to try rolling around on young pirate tongues.) If you look carefully, you may see skulls and crossbones in unusual places, and just maybe you will find a parrot. But the star of this book is the penguin. (The only negative is the open fire on a ship’s deck, but this is fiction mixed with a little whimsy, so only grown-up pirates will disapprove of this little faux pas.)

Beware: Once young pirates hear Pirate & Penguin, it will certainly become their favorite book either to hear every night before bed or to join in while parents recount the adventure. (It just may become their favorite too.) It definitely deserves five pirate thumbs-up.


(This review originally appeared at Pirates and Privateers: http://www.cindyvallar.com/Allegra.html)




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Under the Banner of King Death: Pirates of the Atlantic by David Lester

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


A crowd gathers in Boston in 1720. An unrepentant pirate is to hang. His last words are to shipmasters, warning them to treat sailors honestly and decently. After the execution, John Gwin and Ruben Dekker go to an inn where they are joined by a stranger who buys them drinks. Some time later, they awaken from a drugged sleep aboard a ship of the Royal African Company bound for Sierra Leone.

Forced to work under a tyrannical captain who favors the lash, John is soon punished. Later, others reveal similar scars and talk about the only remedy – rum. That stirs memories of his own journey from Africa to the Caribbean aboard a slave ship. He tells Ruben that he later escaped his bonds and sailed with the pirate Stede Bonnet.

Once their ship disembarks their cargo in Port Royal, the crew celebrates in a tavern. Talk of becoming pirates plants the seeds of mutiny. Another unjust and brutal punishment on the way to New York causes the sailors and some Africans to rise up against Captain Skinner. They elect John as their captain, a sailor named Mark Read as their quartermaster, and go on the account. John asks the Africans where they would like to go and the decision is made to sail back to Sierra Leone to attack the RAC fort there.

The more successful they are in their piratical endeavors, the more incensed those back in London become. They finally decide that the pirates must be brought to justice. They hire pirate hunter William Snelgrave. He may be an experienced sea captain, but he may not be as adept at pirate hunting as he thinks, for he soon finds himself a prisoner of the very pirates he seeks.

Under the Banner of King Death is a graphic novel based on Marcus Rediker’s nonfiction pirate study entitled Villains of All Nations. In the foreword, Redicker explains “Why We Need Pirates,” and shows how the myths surrounding pirates are based on truth that is far more compelling than Hollywood’s depictions of pirates. Paul Buhle pens the afterword, “Pirates We Have Seen: Footnotes from Popular Cultural History” that discusses the current reinterpretation of pirate history and how pirates have been depicted in comics.

The book includes a historical timeline of the Golden Age of Piracy and a glossary of eighteenth-century vulgar speech found within the book. There is even a cameo appearance by Bartholomew Roberts.

Since this is fiction, it’s permissible for the authors to take liberties with some persons from history. Some readers, however, may find this disconcerting since the book is supposed to be a realistic portrayal of pirates. Snelgrave (a pirate captive, but not a pirate hunter) and Read (whose history and demise are well-known) could easily have been given fictional names to make them more believable characters. Equally curious are the use of occasional terms that do not fit the time period (“paramilitary” for example); having a native of the Cayman Islands be familiar with Robin Hood; and interrupting the story to show pictures of weapons, medical and sailing implements, and food.

The most compelling part of this novel is the stark and concrete black-and-white artwork. They depict the grim reality rather than an idealized version of pirates. The story is also realistic in depicting how sailors were treated, what drove them to turn pirate, and why they were willing to die to live a short, but merry, life.


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



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Devil of the High Seas by Lauren Smith

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


1742. Gavin Castleton is Admiral of the Black, leader of a loose confederation of Caribbean pirates. He is not, however, in control of his own ship. One of his men has turned most of the crew against him and he fights for his life in the midst of a storm off the coast of Cornwall, England. Seven years ago, he vowed never to return to his homeland but now has no choice. Wounded, he makes his way to the manor house through the smugglers’ cave below. He stumbles into his twin brother’s bedroom in the middle of the night. Instead of finding Griffin, he falls at the feet of a beautiful lady.

Her life is ending. There is just no other way to see it, as far as Josephine Greyville is concerned. Her brothers, one of whom is a former pirate, have grand adventures. Being a woman, she is entitled only to life as a wife and mother. Until the wounded man enters her room. She surreptitiously tends to his wounds and helps him hide, but once she discovers his identity, she must tell her intended, Griffin Castleton, a consummate gentleman.

Smitten by the spunky lady who comes to his rescue, Gavin decides the time has come to turn the tables on his brother. Griffin stole his beloved away seven years ago; now Gavin kidnaps Josie on the eve of their wedding. She and Gavin board a new merchant ship appropriated by his quartermaster. They pose as master, wife, and first mate instead of pirates and set sail. Speed is of the essence since the Royal Navy is hunting pirates in coastal waters and because Gavin has discovered just who owns the vessel they have absconded with: Josie’s older brother and Gavin’s former associate among the pirates. He and Griffin will come after them, but in the meantime, Gavin intends to give Josie the daring and courageous life she craves. Hopefully, he will also find the devil who stole his ship before their brothers find them.

Gavin is the flawed hero who immediately captures the reader’s heart, while Josie is the daring heroine willing to risk everything for the one she loves. The villain personifies the devil and his brutality is as legendary as his vileness. Smith artfully weaves description with such magic that the reader is transported back in time to the locations where this third book in the Pirates of King’s Landing series takes place.

The story, which is written for adults only, is a rip-roaring romantic adventure spiced with humor and emotion. (My favorite line is: “Lady Josephine, you cannot keep a pirate as a pet!”) As special treats, a secondary romance is interwoven with the first and the epilogue hints at the next book in the series, which involves Josie’s twin brother.*


*In the interest of full disclosure, I read and commented on an early draft of the manuscript. My review, however, is based on the published book, which I did not see or read until after publication.


(This review originally appeared at Pirates & Privateers: http://www.cindyvallar.com/LSmith.htm...)



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Caribbee by Julian Stockwin

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This fourteenth Kydd Sea Adventure returns Captain Thomas Kydd to the Caribbean, which he hasn’t visited since he was press-ganged into the Royal Navy as a seaman. Now, he comes to Admiral Sir Alexander Cochrane of the Leeward Islands Squadron for assistance in rescuing captured men in Argentina. Instead, Kydd and L‘Aurore are reassigned to Cochrane’s command since he is woefully short of frigates to protect the all-important sugar trade and to prevent the French from sending theirs to ports where the proceeds can fill Napoleon’s war chest.

Unfortunately, Kydd’s return isn’t all happy. One of the other commanders in the squadron is known to him and not in a good way. Captain Tyrell of the ,i.Hannibal was a lieutenant when they first encountered each other and his penchant for strict discipline left a bitter taste in Kydd’s mouth. Now in command of a ship-of-the-line, Tyrell is even more of a martinet, continuing to sow seeds of hatred amongst his crew. Equally unsettling is the fact that Tyrell thinks Kydd familiar but cannot fathom why. Sooner or later, Kydd fears that Tyrell will remember and destroy all that he has worked so hard to attain.

In the meantime, Renzi is plagued with a deep sense of foreboding. Napoleon is not one to take defeat lying down. In the year since Trafalgar, he has had time to plan and foment payback. Renzi fears that when he launches his next attack, it will prove catastrophic. It doesn’t take long for the emperor to reveal his next move, and it brings English trade to a standstill. One of the Jamaican planters affected is none other than Renzi’s brother.

Further complicating British trade in the West Indies is the fact that a pair of mysterious corsairs are seizing British vessels without fear of reprisal. The raiders and their prizes simply vanish and are never heard from again. While Kydd and his men patrol the Caribbean Sea in search of the enemy, Renzi follows through on the thought that a masterful organizer, similar to a spy master, is behind the many French successes. If Renzi can figure out where the enemy’s base of operation is, Kydd and the rest of the squadron can destroy the enemy once and for all.

Caribbee is an engrossing tale that mixes sea adventure and intelligence while contrasting how two men command their ships. One garners loyalty, the other, hatred bordering on mutiny. One aspect of this comparison involves the transfer of one of Kydd’s lieutenants and how he deals with the intolerable situation that he encounters. Interwoven into the central theme of the war and the navy, readers will enjoy noteworthy episodes that include tangling with an underwater volcano, a love interest for Kydd, a bumbling lieutenant who makes an audacious arrival that arouses Kydd’s ire sufficiently to want him transferred off L’Aurore, and a charge of murder that may see Kydd hanged. One of the best so far in the series where readers get reacquainted with people from Kydd and Renzi’s past and jaw-dropping action abounds.


(This review originally appeared at Pirates & Privateers: http://www.cindyvallar.com/Stockwin.h...)



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Tyger by Julian Stockwin

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Returning home from the Mediterranean, L’Aurore is discovered to be a rotting ship. Her crew is paid off and Thomas Kydd finds himself on land. He is to command a heavy frigate, but it could be a year before she is finished and ready to man and sail. In the meantime, he must appear as a witness at the court martial of his former commander. He finds himself betwixt wind and water as regards Commodore Popham, who did seize the initiative but also abandoned his post.

A conversation between friends is overheard by a reporter, and the next day Kydd finds himself a pariah. Instead of the promised new frigate, he is ordered to take command of Tyger, a ship recently beset by mutiny. If he declines, his naval career will be at an end. If he accepts, his chances of successfully carrying out his duty are slim to none. But Admiral Russell, whose force is part of the North Sea Fleet, believes in giving opportunities and judging men by their actions. He chooses Kydd and the Tygers for a mission to Archangel, Russia. As an ally, the Royal Navy should be welcomed with open arms; instead, their arrival is anything but. Distrustful of what he sees, Kydd must find a way to uncover the truth while getting his men to trust him and work as a cohesive unit. Tall orders when suspicion, betrayal, and discontent are the current watchwords of his crew, and the Admiralty merely wants to get rid of him.

This sixteenth title in the Thomas Kydd series delves into the notorious and unusual court martial of Sir Home Popham, showcasing both sides of the coin. While interesting, it leaves readers and Kydd feeling like fish out of water. Yet there is purpose in its inclusion, for it provides a stunning look at how a hero can fall from grace in an instant. At the same time, it sets up how Kydd comes to command Tyger and finds himself embroiled in a mutiny once again. The key to this novel is that much lies beneath the surface; nothing is exactly as it appears. Enemies lurk where least expected and this time, readers understand exactly what is meant about the loneliness of command as Kydd sails through treacherous waters from England to the Baltic and the High Arctic.


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



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