Cindy Vallar's Blog - Posts Tagged "nautical-fiction"

The Sugar Sacrifice by Lyle Garford

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


When Baron Jean Baptiste Raimond La Chance arrives in St. Lucia in December 1792, he introduces the innovative guillotine to the enlightened citizens of the French island. His assistants, who arrived first, are agents who explained the rights of man to the slaves and confiscated any property belonging to royalists. He should deal with two consequences of freeing the slaves – the decrease in food and sugar production – but he’s more interested in punishing anyone who impedes the Revolution’s agenda. His first target is Marchel Deschamps. Not only is this naval officer a traitor, who refuses to divulge where a cache of gold is hidden, but his father was responsible for ruining La Chance’s family. Once La Chance learns all he needs to know from Deschamps, the traitor has a date with Madame Guillotine.

The summons from the British spymaster in the Caribbean is a welcome diversion from the normal routine of running the Navy Dockyard on Antigua, but Commander Evan Ross and Lieutenant James Wilton also know it means they must risk their lives once again for king and country. The turmoil in France has had a ripple effect that has now spread to their own backyard; and with no word from St. Lucia, they are ordered to go to the island, locate Deschamps, find out what’s going on there, and rescue him if necessary. Speed is of the essence, but with war on the horizon between England and France, they are hampered in quickly leaving Antigua. Nor can a British warship just sail into the French port, so they must convert a navy ship to an American trading vessel, disguise themselves as traders, and acquire a handpicked crew that includes not only seamen, but also a lock picker, a forger, and a burglar. Also accompanying them is Manon, James’s girlfriend, who grew up on St. Lucia and whose father still lives there. While on St. Lucia, she and her father disappear and the attempt to rescue Deschamps is derailed. Out of options, Evan returns to Antigua for more help, but James remains behind to search for Manon.

The Sugar Sacrifice is a roller coaster of excitement that has readers sitting on the edges of their seats and holding their breath. It’s a stunning tale of consequences, courage, loyalty, and heartache into which rays of hope still beam. Some readers may not gain a full understanding of the title until the Author Notes at the end, even though Garford hints at the reason early in the story. Others may find the violence difficult to read, but it is historically accurate and never gratuitous. Garford achieves what all historical novelists strive toward – portraying history in a way that makes it come alive and puts readers in the midst of the action. In fact, the horrors of the guillotine are so vivid readers will hear the blade drop. Whether newcomers to the series or already fans, readers of this third book in the Evan Ross tales will find this one as entertaining as the first and eagerly await the forthcoming title, The Sugar Rebellion.




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Evening Gray Morning Red by Rick Spilman

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Being the only man aboard who knows how to navigate, Thomas Larkin is voted by the crew to take them to Massachusetts after the captain dies at sea. It is a lonesome and frightening experience, but also a challenging one for a sixteen year old who began the journey as an able seaman. With the help of John Stevens, the bosun and a former privateer nearly twice his age, Thom gets them safely home. They are greeted by an undercurrent of dissatisfaction mixed with anger, for the Crown expects the colonies to pay for debts England accrued during the war. The presence of the British warship anchored in the harbor merely aggravates the tense situation in 1768.

While Thom and Johnny celebrate their homecoming, as well as new jobs on a forthcoming cruise, a press gang invades the tavern. Johnny escapes, but Thom is swept up and taken aboard HMS Romney. Feeling honor bound to save his young friend and knowing he can’t do so ashore, Johnny volunteers to join the Royal Navy. After taking the king’s shilling, he realizes escaping the ship is nigh impossible. To complicate the situation, Thom seethes with anger at being denied his freedom and Lieutenant William Dudingston is an arrogant man who hates colonials.

Patience and observation provide an opportunity to escape, but the arrival of a fleet of British warships intervenes and instead of getting away, the Romney weighs anchor and heads south for the Caribbean. Five arduous months fraught with challenges and dangers, both on deck and at sea, finally present a new chance to desert during a brewing tempest. Yet freedom fails to lift the haunting weight Thom has carried with him during the voyage. Sooner or later he will once again encounter his nemesis, Dudingston, of this he has no doubt.

Gripping nautical and historical fiction at its best, Evening Gray Morning Red is really two different books that span four years. The first half focuses on the pressing and escape, while the second presents a tantalizing depiction of the historical confrontation between the packet boat Hannah and the Royal Navy Schooner Gaspee off Namquid Point, Rhode Island – an event that united the colonies and was a precursor to the American Revolution. Spilman deftly brings the period, people, and situation to life in a way that a history can never achieve. While there are occasional misspellings, missing words, or too many words, none of these diminish the excitement, anger, or fomenting rebellion that marked the actual event. From first page to last, he whisks readers back in time to stand beside Thom and Johnny and experience all the emotions and intrigue they do. When the back cover closes, it’s like leaving good friends. You miss being with them, but the voyage was more exciting and fulfilling than you ever imagined. Highly recommended.




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Polaris by Michael Northrop

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Owen Ward eagerly watches the coast of Brazil from the deck of Polaris. He’s certain the crew distrusts him, perhaps even dislikes him, because he’s the captain’s nephew. This is particularly true of the other boys, since he holds the coveted position of cabin boy, while their duties are mundane and irksome. The launch disappeared a week ago, when eight of the ship’s best sailors transported his uncle, the first mate, the ship’s doctor, and the odd botanist upriver to collect specimens from the exotic flowers and trees.

Henry Neap, the botanist’s apprentice, was deemed too scrawny for an arduous journey. He also searches for the boat’s return; when the botanist chose him for an apprentice, he finally belonged. On the ship, he keeps clear of Owen, who reminds him of the bullies who persecuted him at school. When Henry spots the launch, it’s half-empty and among the missing are the botanist and ship’s doctor. Which means he alone . . . again.

A single trunk is hauled up and given to Obed Macy, a strong boy who rarely comes up from the dark stinky hold. Ordered to stow the trunk, he takes it below and doesn’t return. One of the returning sailors stumbles aboard and, over the next few days, grows clumsier and sicker. Angry whispers spread among the crew until finally, the captain orders the men to gather on deck, but locks all the boys except Obed in his cabin. Soon after shots are fired, and Owen knows that his uncle is dead.

After a time, the ship becomes eerily quiet. The boys force open the door to their prison, but no one is on deck. The crew set the ship on fire and fled in the launch. The boys stop the flames before they ignite the gunpowder, which would blow the ship to smithereens. Henry wonders why the mutineers abandoned Polaris. Owen takes command, knowing it’s up to him to take the ship home. But there are only five others left to help him sail Polaris: Manny and Mario Iglesias, hardworking brothers who share a secret; Aaron Burnett, the exceedingly slow and cautious powder monkey; Thacher Maybin, the new hold rat with the scarred face; and Henry, who is totally useless when it comes to working the sails and doing other ship-related tasks.

Another problem to overcome is the low food supply. Whenever they go below to bring some up, they encounter a strange smell, hear odd sounds, and feel as if something watches them. But if they can work together, they might just get home despite the fact that none of them know much about running a ship. If they make it through the storms. If the leaks don’t get bigger. If whatever lurks below, stays there.

Polaris is a spine-tingling tale of historical science fiction. The intended audience of this Junior Library Guild selection is students in grades three through eight, but even adults will find themselves sitting on the edge of their seats, holding their breath as they turn page after page. Northrop takes factual elements from the 1830s and spins a plausible – yet terrifying and compelling – story that is not for the squeamish or faint of heart.




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The Money Ship by Joan Druett

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Inquisitive and headstrong, six-year-old Jerusha Gardiner loves being with her father aboard his whaling ship. She basically does what she wants since her parents assume someone else is watching her. (She often does the same ashore. Although she tries to please her mother, she usually fails. And it’s no different on the Huntress.) As the three-year voyage passes, her inquisitive nature compels her to learn whatever she can, including studying discarded medical books and asking the first mate to teach her navigation.

Going to sea is more his mother’s idea, rather than Nelson O’Cain’s. But it does provide him with one advantage; he’s far from his vindictive half-brother, the duke’s legitimate son. During the voyage, his meteoric rise from apprentice to first mate leaves Nelson feeling ill-equipped to handle any problems that arise or Captain Gardiner’s precocious daughter. Yet when he finds her aloft, away from her mother’s rants, he keeps her secret and when his brother comes aboard with spiteful news, she is the only one to offer solace.

After a strange sail is sighted, Jerusha is sent to visit the captain in hopes of acquiring some fresh supplies. She expects to find someone like her father, but Captain Rochester of the Hakluyt is quite different and his cabin is like a magical place. He is a collector of treasure stories, so Jerusha shares the only one she knows – the day her father, as a young boy, found gold aboard a wrecked money ship – long before he became a sailor and was pressed into the Royal Navy. Rochester shares a tale of his search for the lost or buried treasure of a pirate, which he believes is somewhere in the South China Sea.

As time passes, the Gardiners and Rochester frequently cross paths as they visit ports in these exotic waters. One day, he shares his latest find to prove his hypothesis, which is reinforced when Jerusha catches a fish that turns out to have a plate of gold within its belly. But no one is getting younger and Rochester’s sudden death leaves Jerusha and her father, as her guardian, owners of the Hakluyt. Nelson also leaves to sign aboard an East Indiaman, but during a visit, he intervenes when his brother attempts to blackmail Captain Gardiner and physically threatens Jerusha. Then his brother is murdered, Nelson is arrested, and Jerusha is sent to the United States to live with an aunt she’s never met while her father remains in Borneo intent on continuing Rochester’s treasure hunt and conducting a profitable trading venture that raises the ire of the British East India Company.

The Money Ship isn’t a typical nautical tale. Rather it is a coming-of-age story in both familiar places and exotic locales. Divided into four separate parts, it follows the lives of Jerusha from childhood into womanhood and Nelson, who is just entering adulthood when he signs aboard the whaler. While no specific dates are given, it begins after the Napoleonic Wars have ended and transports readers from England to Singapore, Borneo, and Massachusetts. Druett wonderfully populates her story with a plethora of characters that include pirates, Sea Dyaks, missionaries, Illanoans, and many others both reputable and despicable. She intricately weaves a tapestry of unusual cultures and complicated politics with infidelity, secrets, arranged marriage, and betrayal. From first page to last, The Money Ship transports readers back to the early nineteenth century on an epic journey spiced with high adventure and contemptible lows. Be forewarned: the tempests blow not only at sea, but also on land and one is never quite certain who will survive.




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Race to the Bottom of the Sea by Lindsay Eagar

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Saying goodbye to the sharks on the last day of summer is a ritual for Fidelia Quail. She has studied her favorite fish for eleven years – her whole life. But this year, the sharks just aren’t cooperating. Not a single one is anywhere to be found, even though Fidelia entices them with their favorite chum. While she hopes and waits, her parents are down below in the submersible Fidelia invented. They are famous oceanographers who study the fish and flora of the nine seas. Fidelia is on the research boat, tagging fish and watching the Undertow – the deadly winter storms – approach.

Still, there’s time to make it back to the safety of Arborley Harbor. Her parents agree to ten more minutes, which turns out to be good because that’s when the biggest shark Fidelia has ever seen appears. Not only is his size a surprise, but it’s a totally new species! She names him “Grizzle” because of the scar on his dorsal fin, and if she can tag him, she will become famous. Aside from getting to decide on Grizzle’s scientific name, she might even win an award to go beside those of her parents.

The sea becomes rougher and time has run out. She misses tagging Grizzle and radios her parents that she’s heading for home and will meet them there. But they never arrive. When the submersible finally washes ashore, it’s smashed to bits. The loss of her beloved parents hits Fidelia hard and she blames herself for their deaths. Aunt Julia, the supreme librarian at Arborley Library (Fidelia’s new home), is understanding and caring. But she’s not Fidelia’s mother or father. As the days pass, Fidelia helps out at the library, but she never ventures outside, never visits her seafaring friends, never even opens her journal or cares about sharks.

One day, Aunt Julia tells her they must go to Fidelia’s house to pack up everything. The house is to be sold and all the contents belong to the university that funded the Quails’ research. Aunt Julia also suggests that perhaps she and Fidelia should move to the mainland – a suggestion that means moving away from the only home Fidelia has ever known. Too upset to think, she runs from the library, eventually making her way to where she lived with her parents.

And encounters pirates. Not just any sea-robbers, but the most notorious pirate, who is “wanted in thirty nations for robbery, burglary, arson, murder, jail breaking, and piracy” – Merrick the Monstrous, Terror of the nine seas – and his mates, Cheapshot Charlie and Bloody Elle. (85) They’ve come for Dr. and Dr. Quail, but since they’re not available, Fidelia will do. They’re kidnapping her, but if she helps willingly, Merrick promises to return her to Arborley within a week. If she refuses, he’s not known for being nice. Fidelia sees no alternative but to go with her kidnappers, so she collects the equipment she will need and the pirates take her to the Jewel, a pirate ship that has seen better days. Hopefully, the vessel will get them to where she’s supposed to help Merrick recover his treasure.

There are just three, no four, minor problems . . . well, perhaps not so little really. Merrick has violent coughing spells and is getting sicker each day. Fidelia has never quite gotten out the bugs in the Water-Eater – her invention that should allow her to breathe underwater, but does not. Then there’s another group of pirates, whose leader holds Merrick responsible for the loss of one of his mates. And the fourth complication? Admiral Bridgewater of Her Majesty’s Navy. This pirate hunter is particularly determined on capturing and hanging Merrick the Monstrous. He’s come close several times in the past, but each time Merrick has foiled his plans or managed to escape from prison. NOT THIS TIME! He will recover Merrick’s treasure and see him dead once and for all, no matter what!

Written for eight to twelve year olds, Race to the Bottom of the Sea is a wonderful scientific pirate adventure that readers of all ages will enjoy. Interspersed throughout the present-day story are brief interludes that show readers how the lives of Merrick the Monstrous and the other pirates intersect with Admiral Bridgewater and Fidelia’s family. They end with quotations from one of Dr. and Dr. Quail’s many books, Exploring an Underwater Fairyland, which are tied into what is recounted. Fidelia is an intelligent, bubbly girl who must come to terms with devastating loss and upheavals in her life. As she learns to cope, she also discovers that sometimes even nasty pirates have good qualities and that she’s not the only one who’s been hurt and has regrets. Race to the Bottom of the Sea is both entertaining and educational. It’s a great story to read aloud, perhaps with other pirate fans (like parents or librarians and teachers; maybe even the principal), or just by yourself. Even boys will like this Junior Library Guild selection, even though Fidelia is a girl.




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Brewer’s Revenge by James Keffer

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Surrounded by fog, Katherine Wilkerson can’t see beyond the ship on which she and her family sail. They are bound for St. Eustacius in the Caribbean, where her father is to take up his new position. Before the day ends, though, he and many others are dead, her mother and the three other women are kidnapped by pirates, and she and the other six girls are left on the ship as the pirate captain departs with a final warning: El Diabolito rules the Caribbean and the British are not welcome!

Thus begins Brewer’s Revenge, the second book in the Hornblower’s Legacy series. The prologue serves only to introduce the nefarious scourge plaguing the Caribbean; it also leaves readers wondering what becomes of Katherine because she’s such a compelling character.

Following the prologue, the story focuses on Master & Commander William Brewer, who is now the captain of HMS Revenge, a sloop of war converted from a prize he seized from Jean Lafitte. She is his first true command – a fact that makes him nervous, although he does his best not to convey his feelings to his crew – and she is armed with four 18-pound carronades and sixteen 12-pound guns. The driving goal in his life – almost an obsession, really – is to track down and kill El Diabolito, the man responsible for killing men under a younger Brewer’s charge before they could reach Jamaica.

Many of the men aboard Revenge were with him on his previous ship, HMS Defiant, but Midshipman Noah Simmons is new. Brewer accepts him only because his mentor and commander, Admiral Hornblower, requested that he do so. Not only is Simmons the newest and oldest midshipman at twenty-three years of age, he’s also the governor’s son and on board because of a “youthful indiscretion” that required him to leave Jamaica as soon as possible. From what he knows and sees of Simmons, Brewer surmises that he’s more accustomed to giving orders than taking them. He’s also good at doing only what’s absolutely necessary to get by; to this end, he bullies the youngest midshipman into doing his duties. When he leaves a mark on the midshipman, Senior Midshipman Jonathan Reed intervenes with the help of the boatswain’s mate, which marks Reed as an enemy as far as Simmons is concerned.

Brewer’s first assignment is a two-week cruise to familiarize himself with Revenge and to visit two governors on nearby islands. His first stop is St. Kitts, where he meets Sir Henry Danforth and his daughter, Elizabeth. Smitten with each other, they agree to write to one another. More and more Brewer finds his thoughts on her, more than his command, but what kind of life can he offer her when he spends most of his time at sea and she would have to live alone? (The romance between William and Elizabeth is promising, but readers may have to wait awhile to learn what happens since the next book in the series goes back in time to relate an earlier episode in Brewer’s career.)

His second destination is the French island of Martinique. The governor is less than forthcoming, except when they discuss Napoleon, but Brewer learns much more from the captain of the French frigate anchored in the harbor. Captain Albin Roussin reveals that five warships left his navy when they learned that Louis XVIII ruled France following Napoleon’s abdication. Three were sunk and the fourth hasn’t been seen since it sailed toward Brazil. The fifth vessel, a frigate, is now in the hands of pirates, whose current captain is El Diabolito. Captain Roussin and his men are in the Caribbean to capture and punish the deserters.

After Brewer delivers this information to Hornblower, he hopes to finally go after El Diabolito. Instead, his orders are to cruise off Puerto Rico in search of another Spanish pirate, Roberto Cofresi, whose recent attacks on merchant ships make him a greater threat. Brewer’s frustration at being thwarted from his true goal leads him to learn a painful lesson about the loneliness of command and just what it means to be responsible for the men who serve under him. Although they do engage the pirates, Cofresi escapes. One of his men, Charles Gibbs, is captured and Brewer learns that El Diabolito requested assistance from Cofresi to help him attack a treasure convoy carrying enough silver and gold to finance revolutions for independence throughout Spanish America for many years. They are to rendezvous in Colombian waters. Brewer devises a plan to convince the admiral to send the Revenge in pursuit of the pirates.

Unlike the first book in this series, Brewer’s Revenge progresses at a slow pace after the prologue. The first half of the book focuses on introducing the crew and setting up the parameters of the eventual action. Had I not read the first book in the series, I might have set this one aside, for the first half is basically a portrayal of the mundane life of the Royal Navy in times of peace in the early nineteenth century.

Those readers stalwart enough to keep reading, though, are richly rewarded once the midpoint of the book is reached. An accidental fall from the tops, an attempted murder, a startling meeting with a respected and admired colleague who soon becomes an enemy, and an unexpected appointment with Simon Bolivar elevate the action until it becomes non-stop and heart pounding. Unforeseen twists add icing to the cake, even if the author takes a liberty or two with the historical record to create a satisfying ending.




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The Captain's Nephew by Philip K Allan

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


During the Royal Navy’s assault on Ostend, First Lieutenant Alexander Clay is tasked with leading a shore mission to prevent the garrison of French troops at Nieuwpoort from reinforcing Ostend. The straightforward plan is to land, blow up a bridge, and wait for HM Frigate Agrius to return to retrieve them, but the plan goes awry almost from the start. Not only must he play nursemaid to his captain’s inexperienced nephew, but getting to their objective is fraught with complications no one expects, their arrival is noticed, and the uncooperative weather and water conditions prevent an easy recovery. Clay’s ingenious idea for getting his men back to their ship saves them from capture and they return to England to await their next assignment.

Captain Percy Follet’s report of the incident, which soon finds its way into the newspaper, gives credit for the incident not to Clay, but to his nephew, Lieutenant Windham. Lacking an influential mentor and not coming from a wealthy family, Clay fumes at the injustice done him. His only hope of advancement and gaining his own command is through his initiative and accomplishments. It grates that the undeserving-of-his-rank second lieutenant should garner the accolades that rightfully belong to him. When he questions Captain Follet about this injustice, a rift develops between the two men.

The Agrius’s next assignment is to escort a convoy of East Indiamen part of the way to India. The commander of the merchant ships invites all the navy officers aboard his vessel for a formal dinner, much to the chagrin of Clay. He much prefers the regimented wooden world in which he lives and he never knows what to say to women. He is pleasantly surprised to find that one of the ladies, Lydia Browning, is a friend of his sister and, by evening’s end, he’s captivated by Lydia. In the days that follow they become closer, but on the night he decides to declare his intentions, Captain Follet orders him to remain on Agrius. A marriage between Clay and Miss Browning would be totally unsuitable, and her uncle has asked the captain to intervene. Thus the rift between Clay and his commanding officer widens, and soon the crew becomes aware of it. The majority support Clay.

Once the Agrius bids farewell to the merchant convoy, she heads west to take up her new station in the West Indies. She is also tasked with finding and destroying a larger, more powerful French frigate bound for the island of St. Lucia and carrying much-needed stores and troops. In spite of his anger, Clay efficiently carries out his duties, but Follet’s resentment of his first officer leads to complications that endanger the ship and their mission.

The Captain’s Nephew opens with a mesmerizing and vivid portrayal of a man drowning and then regresses six months to show the events that culminate in this tragic incident. From first page to last, Allan bewitches and transports readers back to 1796 to walk the decks of a wooden ship and engage the enemy all the while experiencing what the characters endure. Equally compelling is that this is not just a tale of the officers of the Royal Navy. Interludes are woven into the story to personalize and recreate life on the lower decks, as well as to provide glimpses of what it was like for loved ones left behind. This first book in the Alexander Clay series offers a satisfying resolution of who dies, while only hinting at how it happens – an intriguing and perfect enticement for readers who will eagerly await the next chapter in Clay’s pursuit of his naval career and the woman he loves.




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Nathan Fox: Seas of Blood by L Brittney

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


At fifteen, Nathan Fox has led a most interesting and diverse life. Not only is he an actor in the same theatre company as William Shakespeare, but he’s also an agent in Sir Francis Walsingham’s Secret Service. Nor has he lived in a more fearful time. It’s 1588 and King Philip of Spain has vowed to send his great Armada against England. All of England is abuzz with rumors of the approaching invasion fleet, and everyone must defend queen and country to the bitter end. There is one chance to thwart Spain, but Walsingham has been unable to unlock the secret code that will reveal the identities of the Spanish agents who have infiltrated Queen Elizabeth’s court. Only one man, the astrologer who devised the code, can identify these infiltrators, but he has lost his mind after dabbling in alchemy and sorcery. It’s up to Nathan, his sister Marie, his partner John Pearce, an ex-soldier and expert swordsman, and Walsingham’s best cryptographer to unravel the code before it’s too late. To that end Nathan and the others sail to western Ireland where the pirate O’Malley may protect them from prying eyes and add the final touches in Nathan’s training before he and John embark on a dangerous assignment that could brand them as either traitors to the queen or English spies facing a Spanish executioner.

Aside from Grace O’Malley, readers meet several other people from history as Brittney skillfully brings to life the likes of Sir Francis Drake, Francis Walsingham, and Richard Bingham. Her fictional characters are equally well drawn and the humor and drama she weaves into her story’s tapestry compel readers to emotionally respond to what’s happening. She also provides vivid glimpses into the fear permeating England, the dangers of war and seafaring in the sixteenth century, and the deplorable conditions aboard the Spanish ships. While portions of the second part of Nathan’s mission seem slightly less plausible, she contrives these scenes with the same aplomb as the others, which lends them an air of credibility that a less-gifted writer would have difficulty achieving.

Seas of Blood is the third entry in the Nathan Fox series. Previous titles are Dangerous Times and Traitor’s Gold, but readers need not have read those stories to enjoy and understand this one. For those who want to know more about the history behind this tale, Iris Books also offers a companion book, Elizabethan World of Nathan Fox: Fact Book Three, which includes articles on Irish pirates, Grace O’Malley, English Sea Dogs, and much more.

The intended audience of this series is pirate apprentices – teens and young adults in landlubber speak – but this thrilling adventure rich in historical details will also appeal to older pirates. As Nathan himself thinks, “A mad magician; a secret code book; Ireland and pirates – who could want for more?” (33)




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The Reaper by Michael Aye

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


After preventing pirates from capturing a convoy of East India Company ships, Captain Gilbert Anthony finds his life and career in the Royal Navy forever altered. Newspapers tout his bravery and honor throughout the kingdom. A grateful EIC honor him with gold coins and a ceremonial sword. The king bestows on him a knighthood. And his father entrusts him with training his half brother, Midshipman Gabriel Anthony, to become a naval officer. This last task also involves inheriting Gabe’s uncle, who seems to be Gabe’s protector, but Dagan is a skilled topman with sharp eyes, which make him as asset aboard Gil’s ship.

On his father’s death, Gil becomes the Earl of Deerfield, but the Admiralty has need of him far from England’s shores. Colonial grievances have been mounting and the possibility of war looms. A more immediate threat, however, are the pirates preying on merchant ships in the Caribbean and off the coast of America. With his recent success against such rogues, the Admiralty thinks he’s the best one to confront this menace. To aid in this endeavor Gil assumes command of HMS Drakkar, one of the realm’s largest frigates captured in 1759 from the French. Gabe will serve as the senior midshipman, and among the other gentlemen joining the crew are a young boy named Mr. Davy and Fourth Lieutenant Witzenfeld.

Soon after the frigate sails for Antigua, Witzenfeld reveals his true character – a cruel tyrant with a temper and a vulgar mouth to match. He continually persecutes Davy, which brings the lieutenant into contention with Gabe. Problems escalate, forcing Gil to find a tactful way to deal convince the crew that they can trust him while demonstrating no favoritism or permitting abuse.

A second complication comes when they sight two schooners plundering a barque. One woman who survives the attack is Lady Deborah McKean, to whom Gil finds himself attracted – a thought that irks him since she just witnessed the murder of her husband, as well as the brutal rapes and murders of the other women aboard the merchant ship. Turning his attention to his purpose for coming to the West Indies, Gil gathers what scant information he can of the attack, leaving him with more questions than answers. That trend continues after further encounters with the pirates, including rumors of a fifty-gun black ship with black sails. Might there be someone ashore in league with the pirates? Why do they rarely leave survivors, even those who might garner high ransoms? Or is there a more nefarious purpose behind the attacks? When a coded letter falls into Gil’s hands, he acquires vital information that might lead to answers . . . if they can decode the message.

First issued in 2005, The Reaper is the first book in The Fighting Anthonys series and this new edition has been revised. Readers are quickly drawn into this high seas adventure, rife with action and interwoven with romance. It even includes some original poetry by Aye. While no decisive indication of the time frame is provided, it occurs sometime after the Battle of Quiberon Bay (November 1759) and July 1775 when the epilogue takes place. If there is any drawback at all in the story, it is that it ends too soon, but The Reaper definitely snares the reader into wanting to read the second volume, HMS Seawolf. It is indeed a worthy addition to the growing collection of nautical fiction.




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A Sloop of War by Philip K. Allan

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


When HM Frigate Agrius limps into Barbados with a larger French warship as her prize, Vice-Admiral Benjamin Caldwell is both dismayed and delighted. Her damage is such that she must undergo immediate repairs rather than allowing the commander of the Windward Islands station to implement his plan to seize the French island of St. Lucia. The saving grace is that First Lieutenant Alexander Clay has acquired some intelligence that will aid in that endeavor, and his actions in battle against a mightier foe and assuming command after the death of his captain earn Clay a promotion to master and commander and a vessel of his own, the sloop of war Rush. Finally, he has climbed the first two rungs of the social ladder that may raise his status as a suitable husband in the eyes of his beloved’s guardian. But Lydia is in far off India and Clay can only dream of the day when they may once again reunite. Until then, he forges a plan with his sister in England. She will hide his letters in her packages to Lydia.

In the meantime, Clay sails the Rush to St. Lucia with orders to blockade one of the island’s ports. The sloop’s sluggish response does not bode well for the assignment, but there’s little he can do to remedy the mass of seaweed and barnacles that foul her hull as long as they are at sea. The lack of speed allows an enemy merchant ship to slip past Rush into the safety of the harbor protected by the guns of the French fort. Clay’s anger at losing a potential prize gives rise to a daring plan to remedy the loss – one that requires him to trust that his men can carry out it, for as captain, he must remain aboard Rush. The night attack proves successful and a prize crew sails the merchant ship back to Barbados. Clay follows at a slower pace, which proves far more dangerous than expected when they encounter a 74-gun Spanish man-of-war whose captain wants the Rush as his prize.

While the main focus of this second book in The Alexander Clay series focuses on the British invasion of St. Lucia in the 18th century, A Sloop of War is entwined with several other tales. Lieutenant Nicholas Windham still blames Clay and his best friend, John Sutton, for the death of his uncle, the captain of the Agrius, and is determined to make them pay one way or the other. Able Sedgwick, a runaway slave, seeks refuge at Spring Hill Plantation, where the enlightened owner has freed his slaves, while making himself and his family pariahs among the plantocracy. To thwart Barbadian law George Robertson arranges for Able to join the Royal Navy and sail aboard the Rush. An ardent abolitionist, Jacob Linfield, the Rush’s surgeon, strikes up a friendship with Robertson and becomes enamored with his younger daughter, who seems more attracted to John Sutton.

A Sloop of War is a fast-paced nautical adventure interwoven with land and sea actions, as well as civilian, political, and historical elements. Alexander Clay may be the main character of this book, but Able Sedgwick is a likable fellow who easily takes center stage more than once. His integration into the crew deftly shows life in the Royal Navy, while at the same time demonstrating both acceptance and prejudice among a cast of characters where each is uniquely drawn and rarely stereotypical. The energy in the confrontation between Windham and Clay feels like being shocked by static electricity. Several scenes are laced with humor, and the wonderfully descriptive comparison in the final engagement perfectly allows readers to imagine what is unfolding. Fans of nautical and naval fiction will enjoy this second entry in the series and will look forward to the next phase in Alexander Clay’s career and love life.




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