Cindy Vallar's Blog - Posts Tagged "privateer"

The Most Bold and Daring Act of the Age: A Henry Doyle Novel by E. Thomas Behr

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Napoleon escapes from exile and returns to Paris, where he proclaims himself emperor. If a shipment of gold, destined for his Shiite collaborators, succeeds in reaching its destination, the leaders of Russia and Prussia will be assassinated and the disruption of supplies to their armies will pave the way for his Grand Armée to defeat the British.

Ten years have passed since Henry Doyle left America and joined the Tuaregs, a nomadic desert people of North Africa. He’s now fifty-one years old, married to Dihya, the leader of his adopted tribe, and together they have a son. A Mohawk and former British spy, he knows England cannot succeed without her allies. The best way to thwart Napoleon is to snatch the gold as it passes through the desert, but to do that he must once again become El Habibka the spy. After successfully infiltrating an enemy tribe, he takes the information to his friend, the Dey of Algiers. But the Dey has his own enemies, and instead of achieving the desired outcome to their plans, the Dey dies and Henry is imprisoned in a dungeon where excruciating tortures are inflicted.

Once a feared manipulator of people and money during the Reign of Terror and later as one of Napoleon’s trusted secret agents, Chameau now lives in a crime-ridden section of Paris. He enjoys his reclusive retirement until he learns that his most despised nemesis is once again afoot. Finally having a chance to kill Henry Doyle entices Chameau to once again assist the emperor in his new bid for power. He must go to Algiers, but first he requires bait to tempt Doyle into a trap.

Patrick Kirkpatrick, a former captain in the American Navy and now a successful privateer, operates out of Nantes, France. He intervenes one night in a vicious assault on an American woman and her brother. Only later does he discover the truth about her and the attack and, realizing the danger Henry is in, he and his men head for the Mediterranean to warn his half-brother. On the way he encounters his old friend, Steven Decatur, now commodore of a squadron of vessels bound for Algiers to force an end to the raids on American ships and the payment of tribute in return for peace. Steven is only too happy to assist, but for Patrick to succeed in rescuing Henry they must find a way to get past the Algerine fortress and into the harbor without their true identity being discovered.

Intrigue, greed, betrayal, and love are intricately interwoven into this sweeping historical novel. Faith and philosophy also play important roles in Henry’s singular life, and Behr ably shows how different beliefs can respectfully intersect and peacefully co-exist. This long-awaited sequel to Blood Brothers takes readers from Algiers and France to the woodlands of the Iroquois Confederacy and the rebuilding of Washington, DC. There are also several sea battles, including an astounding confrontation with a legendary Barbary corsair. While the majority of the action occurs in 1815, brief interludes journey back to 1779 when Henry was a young Mohawk warrior.

This story may not appeal to all readers. At times the language is explicit and leaves little to the imagination. Peter’s union with Lavinia aboard the privateer seems somewhat contrived. The exploration of Henry’s morality and evolving beliefs are at times lengthy, but they are essential elements to the story and his character.

The intricacy of the web Behr spins, the profound depth of his characters, and his ability to meld people from history with imaginary ones are the hallmark of this book and the series. For those who would like to learn more about Henry’s earlier life, he includes a sample chapter from Blood Brothers. For fans who eagerly await the next title in the series, he entices with a preview of The Lion’s Son. Regardless of whether a reader likes or dislikes The Most Bold and Daring Act of the Age, this thought-provoking novel leaves an indelible mark that lasts long after the story concludes.




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The Pirate Bride by Kathleen Y'Barbo

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Like her great-grandmother who journeyed to America aboard the Mayflower, twelve-year-old Maribel Cordoba leaves her Spanish home to travel with her father to Havana. This is the most time she has spent in his company, for he rarely had time for her until he announces that her beloved mother and grandfather are dead. But even at sea he often ignores her. Her only solace is her friend, cabin boy and lookout William Spencer, and her cherished book that recounts the exploits of real pirates like Anne Bonny and Blackbeard.

Maribel loves to climb aloft to read or to join William in searching for other vessels. When sails are sighted, he thinks it might be the Ghost Ship whose captain and crew materialize out of thin air to attack Spanish vessels. They take no prisoners, leave no witnesses. Then they vanish. Still, Maribel hopes to finally meet a pirate. William vows to join the Frenchmen, if they’ll let him. Although she scoffs at the idea that the strange ship is a ghost, she decides to join too.

Captain Jean Beaumont takes pride in the legends surrounding him and his men, even if they’re not all true. At twenty-five he holds a privateering license from King Louis XV and even though they attack France’s enemy, Jean never takes his share from the captured prizes. On this particular voyage, he seeks a particular Spanish vessel – the one that carries Cuba’s new Consul General, Antonio Cordoba. The last time their paths crossed twenty years ago, Jean barely survived after Cordoba ordered the captured ship sunk with all hands and passengers on board.

Falling debris knocks Mirabel unconscious during the battle between the two enemy vessels. When Jean boards, he ignores the colorful lump on the deck. He seeks only one outcome – vengeance for the deaths of his mother and baby brother. But his second in command, Isaac Bennett, attempts to dissuade Jean because revenge belongs to the Lord. With Jean’s attention momentarily averted, Cordoba fires a hidden pistol and the bullet strikes Israel. Enraged, Jean attacks his nemesis and the two men fall overboard. Cordoba sinks into the depths of the ocean.

Only after Jean returns to his ship does he discover that his crew has brought aboard the wounded Mirabel. Children, especially females, are forbidden, but he has never harmed an innocent and doesn’t intend to do so now. He would ransom her, but since she claims her family is dead, he’s left with the question of what to do with her. Mirabel, of course, has the perfect solution. She knows all about pirates, so she should join his crew. Following orders, however, is not her strong suit, which lands her in the brig after kicking Jean. He soon discovers that this brazen girl has wormed her way into the stalwart hearts of ne and his men and, before long, is one of the crew – a temporary inconvenience only.

Contrary to what her father told Mirabel, her mother and grandfather still live. When her grandfather discovers his granddaughter is gone, he vows to find her no matter how long or how much money it requires. On learning that his son is dead and that French privateers have taken Mirabel, he wields the full power of his influence within French circles to have Louis XV declare Jean Beaumont and his men pirates.

Still at sea, Jean remains ignorant that he is now considered an outlaw and that French and Spanish warships hunt the Ghost Ship. They attack another vessel and during this engagement, Mirabel is swept into the sea. Only later is it discovered that she is missing. After an exhausting day of searching for her, Jean retires to his cabin while Israel and his longboat continue the hunt. He eventually finds an unconscious Mirabel, but can’t return to the ship because it’s under attack. The warship is the victor, and they imprison the pirates and take the Ghost Ship with them to New Orleans. With nowhere else to go, Israel sails to an island so the nuns there can nurse and raise Mirabel. In the years that follow, Mother Superior tells her that she only dreams about pirates, but Mirabel knows they are really memories. One day she hopes to reunite with the handsome pirate captain and her pirate friends.

The Pirate Bride is the latest installment in the Daughters of the Mayflower series and takes place in two parts. The first recounts Mirabel’s sea adventures, while the second half takes place eleven years later after she grows up and reunites with her family. Part one, which sets the stage for the romance and underlying mysteries that unfold in part two, interweaves adventure with humor and heartache, and includes several unexpected twists. The characters capture our hearts, much like Mirabel manages to do with the privateers, and transport us back to 1724. The subsequent half of the story provides an intriguing study of how someone raised on an isolated island reenters a world governed by strict rules, proper etiquette, and specific social orders. There are times when the reader feels almost as left out as Maribel did when she left Spain. Her reunion with her family isn’t fully explored. We never get a sense that she’s really in danger and the mysteries are too easily solved. Employing the slave trade and its ties to piracy as a means of bringing Jean and Maribel together again is historically accurate and a refreshing theme from usual romances of this type, but the subplots of the second half are told more than shown, which prevents readers from becoming fully involved. As an inspirational romance, The Pirate Bride is a pleasing tale into which the religious aspect is subtly knitted. The author’s note provides a good summary of the political relations between France and Spain during this time period, which helps explain how a privateer could be deemed a pirate even if he never violates the law.




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The Black Ring: The Nicholas Fallon Sea Novels, #2 by William Westbrook

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Keeping accounts and working in the office are not Nicholas Fallon’s cup of tea and after weeks of such busy work, he’s more than ready to return to the sea. His partner, Ezra Somers, founded the Somers Salt Company of Bermuda; his daughter, Elinore, is the love of Nicholas’s life. When a message requests Nicholas’s presence on Antigua, both are wise enough to know that the sea is as vital to him as blood. With his schooner refitted, he collects his crew, including his childhood friend, Beauty, and his coxswain, Aja. Beauty lost her leg in an accident many years ago, but she is the bravest person Nicholas knows and a superb second in command. Aja has grown from the scared, mute boy left to die on a sinking slave ship, to a vital member of the crew with hopes of one day captaining his own vessel.

Upon their arrival at English Harbor in Antigua, Nicholas joins Rear Admiral Harry Davies aboard his flagship. Although Nicholas is not part of the Royal Navy, he has, in the past, assisted them and the two men are good friends. This time Davies asks Nicholas to ferry a senior intelligence agent to Cuba, where the man can quietly slip ashore to discover whether there is sufficient dissatisfaction with Spain to warrant British help in undermining Spanish control of the island. As a privateer, Nicholas can go where the Royal Navy cannot. On a more personal note, Davies requests that Nicholas seek out a woman whom Davies cares for in Matanzas.

Always on the lookout for opportunities to take advantage of his letter of marque, Nicholas’s curiosity is aroused when they sight strange sails. The ship far surpasses his schooner in armament and men, but she runs up both a Spanish flag and a white one before asking Nicholas to come aboard. Since England and Spain are at war, it could be a trap, yet he accepts the offer. He doesn’t buy the captain’s story, and his doubt is confirmed when a passenger slips him a note saying they are actually prisoners. Still, there is more to the situation than the Spanish captain admits, which triggers one of Nicholas’s out-of-the-box ideas that results in the capture of the enemy vessel.

Nicholas and his crew also cross paths with pirates led by a ruthless defrocked priest known as the “Holy One.” They intercept secret communications between France and Spain that necessitate a visit to Haiti to warn Touissant Louverture. Then there are the captured runaway slaves and Davies’ friend at Matanzas who ae in need of rescuing before they face a firing squad. Beauty sustains a wound from which she may not recover, and news of her condition results in a deadly encounter with the Holy One for Ezra and Elinore.

Interspersed throughout the book are italicized chapters that recount the tale of a captured African warrior who is sold into slavery. These tell the story of Young David, who eventually crosses paths with Nicholas and Aja. All are vividly drawn, such as the portrayal of the slaver’s battle with pirates that unfolds from David’s perspective while he and the other slaves are chained belowdecks. Several are gut-wrenching depictions of the Middle Passage and life as a slave on Cuba. Yet entwined within them is an everlasting hope to reclaim his freedom, no matter the cost.

The myriad subplots are intriguing and expertly intertwined with the main part of the story. From first page to last, Westbrook snares the reader and doesn’t let go in this enthralling second Nicholas Fallon novel that surpasses the first. Spiced with gifted ingenuity and daring escapades, this nautical adventure is not to be missed.




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The Pirate's Wife: The Remarkable True Story of Sarah Kidd by Daphne Palmer Geanacopoulos

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


She weds for love the third time, an enduring love that weathers unforeseen storms. But these events come later.

She begins life as Sarah Bradley in 1670. Fourteen years later, her mother has died and her father, a sea captain, wishes to start life anew and so he, Sarah, and her two brothers sail for Manhattan. Within a year, she marries a wealthy merchant named William Cox. According to law, she is now his property with no legal identity of her own. Nevertheless, she is clever and inquisitive and soon suggests a way that he can expand his business ventures to reap greater rewards. This retail venture takes advantage of her creativity and her sewing skills, as well as providing her the rare opportunity to be a “she-merchant” at the age of seventeen. Two years later, Cox is dead.

Sarah marries again in 1690. Through her second husband, she meets a confident and wealthy privateer. His name is William Kidd and he helps the new governor put down a Jacobite rebel and his followers, which gains Kidd much respectability within New York society. When Sarah’s spouse dies suddenly, she and William wed in 1691 after attending the rebel’s execution. They settle down and start a family, while William follows his trade as a sea captain. He eventually grows restless and, after consulting with Sarah, sets sail for England to secure a privateering commission. Circumstances, manipulations, and misadventures steer Kidd’s desired course from his chosen path and forever alter Sarah Kidd’s life.

The Pirate’s Wife is Sarah Kidd’s story, from respected member of society to disgraced wife of a convicted pirate. Although the historical record provides a decent amount of information about this dutiful, loyal, and religious woman, Geanacopoulos postulates the whys and wherefores behind some of Sarah’s thoughts and actions. She also introduces readers to Governor Benjamin Fletcher (a friend to pirates) and Lord Bellomont (an enemy of pirates), as well as taking time to discuss pirates and their way of life near the close of the 17th century. She provides overlooked information about Kidd’s agreement with Bellomont, Sarah’s arrest, and Sarah’s attempt to rescue her husband from a Boston jail.

The book includes endnotes, a bibliography, and an index. In addition, Geanacopoulos shares Kidd’s own 1699 account of what happened aboard the Adventure Galley.

Most authors present the lives of the Kidds from William’s perspective. Geanacopoulos, who has written before about the women in pirates’ lives, shines her spotlight on Sarah. This breathes new life into their story and shows this tenacious woman as she was, both as an individual and as a product of the time and circumstances fate dealt her.

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



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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...)

The Arkanaut's Oath by Guy Haley

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Drekki Flynt, swashbuckler extraordinaire. A Kharadron privateer, he captains Aelsling, the fastest sky-cutter in the Skyshoals and named for his wife . . . er ex-wife, whom he hopes will return to him soon. He and his fellow skyfarers have come to the filthy, lawless Bavardia to meet with his former father-in-law who has a long tally of grudges against Drekki. (Not least of which are that Drekki stole his daughter and his ship.) But if Drekki accepts this venture, Throkki will wipe the slate clean and stop sending assassins to kill Drekki.

Such an offer tempts Drekki as much as treasure for the taking. Of course, there has to be a catch. Nothing comes easily for him and his fellow skyfarers. This time around, he is chosen for this venture because he is the best and he is expendable should things go awry (which is a given when Drekki is involved). Lady Sanahsa Lerarus, a human mage, must retrieve the last Talisman of Achromia before the current one protecting the old empire’s surviving city against daemons and other dark magic fails.

Naturally, they will not be the only ones searching for the Talisman and some will try to stop them. Oh, did I mention that the hidden vault that holds the Talisman is located somewhere in a derelict city infested with grots, the ancestral enemies of duardins, which is what Drekki and many of his skyfarers are? Nor is the vault simply a vault; it has special powers such as turning intruders into stone. Not only can’t Drekki refuse this job; there also is no aether-gold for him and his fellow skyfarers. But fear not, Drekki has ways and means of finding treasure in the least likely of places.

He also has a knack for finding trouble, and this time around trouble abounds. There are gargantuan squigs, snotlings, daemons, witch hunters, screamers, disc riders, unnatural storms, harkraken, a shipwreck, and Kaptain Blackheart who dares to fly the Jolly Orruk! Not to mention a spy aboard Drekki’s vessel, or the immense vortex that is slowly pulling them inside.

In the true fashion of swashbuckling novels of yore, The Arkanaut’s Oath takes readers on a breathtaking, daring adventure reminiscent of the largest, twistiest, and most exhilarating roller coaster imaginable. The imagery of Drekki’s world is masterfully drawn with words that are far better than the poetic verses crafted by Drekki’s ship’s poet. Interwoven with serious topics of war and strip-mining are humorous episodes, such as the security guard who also collects autographs. This may be Drekki Flynt’s first full-length novel, but I certainly hope it will not be his last. He may be used to being unpopular, but he’s also one of a kind and he and his fellow skyfarers are just the right sort to have with you when things get dicey.


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



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The Cursed Shore: An epic Napoleonic naval adventure by J. D. Davies

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


The summer of 1795 finds English soldiers disembarking at Quiberon Bay in Brittany. The expedition – a joint venture with French royalists – is an attempt to regain control of France and place the imprisoned boy king Louis XVII on the throne. Accompanying the expeditionary force is Lord Edward “Ned” Wilden, who is also a lord of the Admiralty and less widely known, a spymaster for the prime minister. Neither believes this venture will be successful. There is too much infighting between the royalist factions. The emigrés look upon the Chouans and Vendéeans with disdain, even though these men of varying social ranks have remained in France to fight the republicans, while the former fled their homeland. Ned’s job is to keep peace among these factions, a thankless job that he would far rather be someone else’s.

Leonore Kermorvant, the widow of a royalist martyr whom she betrayed to the republicans, questions where she stands with her brother-in-law. There is an attraction between the two, but there also is an unbridgeable gulf that neither seems willing to cross. Perhaps this is one reason she dares to violate all that she believes in to provide succor to a wounded royalist colonel.

Philippe Kermorvant, Vicomte de Saint-Victor, is livid when he discovers the intruder in his home, but the colonel’s contingency plans find Philippe the prisoner instead of the royalist. It is only Leonore who can save him, but her actions have opened a wider chasm and once free, he immediately goes to sea. Since his requests for a new ship fall on deaf ears within the Marine Nationale, he grudgingly accepts a privateer’s commission from a Swiss merchant and his son. Philippe has misgivings but needs the funds to repair his chateau. With a comrade from his old crew joining in this voyage, he sets aside that niggling worry. Only to have it roar back to life when secret orders are revealed after they set sail.

Davies has a knack for taking disparate threads and twining them together to create a riveting tale that is adroitly brought together in unexpected ways that eventually make perfect sense. At the same time, the characters and the situations they face elicit emotions that readers readily understand and identify with. Normally, Lord Wilden is portrayed more as the villain in the Philippe Kermorvant Thrillers, but in this third title in the series he is a likeable character who comes across in ways that make him very human. It is the introduction of a new, young character that deftly makes this humanizing poignant and real, while at the same time bringing the realities of war front and center. Of the three books so far, The Cursed Shore is the best and Davies does a laudable job in making a highly complex event easy to comprehend.



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

A Merciful Sea by Katie Daysh

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Royal Navy Commander Arthur Courtney is betwixt wind and water. He’s lost his command but is offered a position as a volunteer on a ship of the line – one that may come with a string attached. Once at sea, he has nothing to do. Although disturbed by the implied condition and the lack of activity, he senses an undercurrent of disquiet permeating the ship, but is unable to discern its cause. The crew aren’t practiced in firing their guns; sickness plagues some men; laudanum goes missing; and a midshipman dies. Then there’s the captain’s indecision. Yet, Courtney would rather be at sea than remain at home, for trouble brews on the island as well.

Hiram Nightingale is adrift. He never wanted to be a naval officer, but now that he has been dismissed from the service, he’s not sure what to do with himself. Although he is master of a vessel that belongs to his brother-in-law, it’s not the same as commanding a warship. Seeing Courtney off aboard HMS Lion only raises more doubts and emphasizes his lack of purpose. Then he learns of mysterious notes that his beloved Courtney never mentioned. Discovering who sends these and thwarting the implied peril provide one lifeline, but this isn’t enough. A suggestion from an old acquaintance leads to another idea, and Nightingale takes to the sea again as a privateer, fighting the enemy and protecting the Isle of Wight where Courtney lives. Ascertaining who that enemy is proves more challenging than he first thinks.

This final book in the Courtney-Nightengale trilogy takes place in 1804 and 1805. Although the first half of the book is slow-paced, Daysh lays the groundwork for what unfolds in the second half. Nightingale, who wants to be accepted by the islanders, unearths the true enemy and risks his life to help them in a portrayal that is both as riveting and galvanizing as the storm that unleashes its fury in the midst of the chase. While Nelson’s pursuit of the French fleet to the Caribbean and back again provides the initial background for Courtney’s time at sea, the crowning event of this book is the Battle of Trafalgar. Daysh places us above and below decks of HMS Lion in ways that allow us to experience the fighting firsthand. It is filled with gritty realism where we hear the roar of the guns and the screams of those who give the ultimate sacrifice. The resolution of this atypical romance is in keeping with the time period and the characters who understand the risks they take in loving each other.


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



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