Cindy Vallar's Blog, page 14

Ida Smith's Guarding What Remains (a review)

Guarding What Remains: a novel by Ida Smith

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Teddy’s incessant barking alerts Eleanor Cruthers to possible danger, but she can’t convince anyone in her family of eight to investigate. While they tend their fields, a suspicious fire sweeps through the house and barn. With everything gone, including Teddy, the 10-year-old blames herself for the losses, a guilt that only deepens when the family has no choice but to move west from Idaho to Spokane, where her aunt lives. The farm is all Eleanor has known. She wants to rebuild, but they can’t. Her father reassures her that this is a new adventure, a chance to try a new way of living, but it’s 1931. Businesses have shuttered. No one is hiring. Everyone wants them to go home, including her aunt. Instead of a sturdy house, warm clothing, and good food, the Cruthers are forced to live in a shantytown, a dangerous place for children and women left alone where desperate men who ride the rails prey.

Loss is life-altering, which Smith deftly demonstrates as readers experience a gamut of emotions from despair to hope as this story progresses through the first half of the Great Depression. By setting the story in Washington, instead of California, she demonstrates the devastating reach of the economic downturn. While there is no answer to why God permits these experiences, each character grows and changes in different ways, sometimes for better, sometimes for worse. The predicaments they face – hunger, disease, harassment, greed, intolerance, mental illness, brutal cold, tragic accidents – are realistic and haunting. Despite these adversities, this historical novel is more than a struggle to survive. It is a story of love, redemption, and resilience and readers will readily identify with the experiences the characters face.


This review originally appeared in Historical Novels Review (issue 103, February 2023) at
https://historicalnovelsociety.org/re...



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John Aubin's A Time To Fight (review)

A Time to Fight: A Novel of the Battle of Goudhurst, 1747 by John Aubin

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Once a Grenadier in the Royal Army, Will Sturt returns home to Goudhurst, England, after four years of fighting. Much has changed, but so has he. His ailing mother resides in the poor house. Smugglers terrorize the town. The law is either afraid or in the pay of the smugglers; the army is stretched too thin and dealing with a threat of invasion to the north. Will knows the troublemakers; the Kingsmill brothers, who lead the Hawkhurst Gang, tormented him as a child. After the murder of his friend’s father-in-law, he is no longer willing to back away from a fight. Not everyone supports his plan to end the rape, pillaging, and maiming and they urge him to stop riling the smugglers. Only a handful of brave, but untrained, men and women step forward. One is taken, tortured, and returned with a message: cease and desist or face the consequences in three days: 21 April 1747.

This fictional account of the Battle of Goudhurst encapsulates a mere ten days, yet what these courageous people achieve has real lasting effects. The story begins with an overabundance of description, but once the murder occurs, the pace picks up and the tale becomes a race against time. Story threads are neatly tied up, but the narrative contains numerous formatting errors, duplicate words, unnecessary repetition, and missing punctuation. The novel’s strengths are the arresting account of the preparations, training, fighting, and aftermath of what happened, and the way Aubin breathes life into the real people who defend their town. Perhaps most interesting is the afterword, which reveals the history behind the novel.

(This review originally appeared Historical Novels Review (Issue 103, February 2023) at https://historicalnovelsociety.org/re...)




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Seaflower by Julian Stockwin -- A Review

Seaflower by Julian Stockwin

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


With the demise of the Artemis, Thomas Kydd finds himself the key witness in the upcoming court martial of her only surviving officer. His last visit to England involved a hero’s welcome and grand celebrations. Now, he and his surviving mates are virtual prisoners, instead of being given leave to visit family. Then, on an April night in 1794, they are whisked aboard a lumbering, decaying warship bound for the Caribbean. There will be no trial, no testimony, no one to blame for the shipwreck. The underhandedness leaves a bitter taste in the survivors’ mouths, but what recourse do they have against the Admiralty?

Their destination is Guadeloupe, currently under the occupation of British troops working with French royalists. Kydd and his friend, Nicholas Renzi, quarter in the town with a family still loyal to the monarchy, but fear of retribution permeates their lives. Rebels and insurgents inhabit other parts of the island and, when fighting resumes, the British and royalists are unable to stop the enemy’s advance. A mass evacuation ensues with much chaos, during which Kydd and Renzi become separated. Renzi accompanies the exiles on a different ship for Jamaica; Kydd helps his countrymen evade their pursuers, knowing that death awaits him if they are caught.

Kydd and his comrades are rescued just in time, but not without casualties. No sooner is he safe aboard Trajan once again than a hurricane strikes. Afterward, he is tasked with sailing the damaged vessel to the dockyard in Antigua for repairs; instead, the shipwright condemns the warship and Kydd finds himself ashore with a new assignment, Master of the King’s Negroes. Although he enjoys learning the construction side of shipping, he feels out of his depth in managing slaves who accomplish tasks he has little knowledge of. He longs to return to the sea, where his true talents will be most useful. The master shipwright is a religious man with strict rules. When Kydd violates one of them, he commits an unforgivable sin and is once again adrift.

A chance encounter with an admiral leads to Renzi working as a writer in Spanish Town, Jamaica. Most days he duplicates orders and tends to mundane matters. On rare occasions he translates French newspapers and papers that might contain nuggets of intelligence for the admiral. Renzi dislikes his assignment, but it suits his despondency over the loss of Kydd whom he believes died as the insurgents overran Guadaloupe.

Reunion is a constant theme throughout this story, not just with shipmates, but also with family. Fire at sea, ship engagements, a cutting out episode, and good leaders versus bad ones are some of Kydd’s many adventures this time around. His education continues in ways that provide readers with an understanding of life in the navy. He also has the opportunity to see impressment from the flip side; instead of being a victim, he is charged with acquiring a crew from amongst very reluctant men.

The mark of a great storyteller is one who consistently captures the mood of the story in ways that allow readers to experience firsthand the highs and lows the characters face whether these involve the pain of flogging, the misery of yellow fever, the bleakness of being landbound, the drudgery of paperwork, or nerve-wracking reconnaissance. Julian Stockwin is such an author. At the same time, he spins his tale with succinct writing and tantalizing action. Seaflower catches the reader in its web from the first page and doesn’t let go until the last. Even then the reader is left wanting more, which in this case is possible because this is but the third title in the Kydd Sea Adventures series.

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




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Artemis by Julian Stockwin -- A Review

Artemis by Julian Stockwin

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Six months have passed since Thomas Kydd was pressed into the Royal Navy. He has risen through skill and courage to become an able seaman. His mess mates have helped him through thick and thin: Renzi (his educated and logical friend), Stirk (a tough gun captain), Doud (an easygoing topman), Doggo (a wild but ugly able seaman), Pinto (a well-groomed yet deadly Iberian), and Wong (an enigmatic circus strongman). Together, they embark on Artemis, a frigate captained by Black Jack Powlett, in this second in the Thomas Kydd Sea Adventures.

After a harrowing sea battle – replete with broadsides and hand-to-hand combat – with the French Citoyenne, Artemis returns victorious, but wounded, to England where Kydd meets the king and reunites with his sister. Cecila’s news of home is not good; their father’s eyesight is failing and Kydd must take over the wig shop to support the family. He thought he had finally found his path in life; now, he must give up his love for the sea. It seems a harsh sentence, one that will be akin to life in prison, but Renzi is certain they will find a solution. The question is whether they will do so before Artemis sails after repairs are made.

Between Renzi and Cecila, a remedy is found in the nick of time. When their frigate weighs anchor in August 1793, Kydd and his mates find themselves bound for India. Speed is essential, but only the captain knows why. During the voyage, they endure storms at sea, lightning strikes, a crossing-the-line ceremony, monsoons, and encounter Army deserters, a pirate execution, and a woman who drives a wedge between Kydd and Renzi.

India turns out to be only their first destination. From there they sail to China and the Philippines. Their stop in the latter is fraught with peril, since no one knows whether Spain has joined the war as a French ally yet. Kydd and Renzi are both promoted to petty officers, which means new quarters and different mess mates. A stranded scientist with Admiralty orders sends the Artemis on an expedition 2,000 miles away farther into the Pacific and they must reach the island by a specific date. Treachery and turbulence earmark this stopover where they encounter cannibals and an American marooned on the island for four years.

From a journey to the far side of the world to navigating the Roaring 40s, the Furious 50s, and the Screaming 60s, Stockwin once again delivers a masterful and galvanizing adventure that provides us with numerous you-are-there experiences alongside Kydd. Some scenes are nightmarish. Others allow us to feel as bereft as he does. We readily identify with how changes impact existing ways of life and some professions become antiquated. The final episode in this circumnavigation of the world is riveting and disquieting, compelling us to read the next installment of Kydd’s exploits in the Royal Navy.




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Kydd by Julian Stockwin -- A Review

Kydd by Julian Stockwin

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


After a long day at work in his family’s wig shop, Thomas Kydd sits in a pub, minding his own business. A press gang waltzes in. forever altering his path in life. He’s whisked aboard the Duke William, an old ship-of-the-line bound for Spithead where the Royal Navy fleet gathers before setting sail to wage war against France in 1793. Rated a landman, Thomas finds his life is no longer his own. It belongs to King George, and no one in this new domain cares whether he lives or dies. He is alone. He has no friends. He is totally out of his element. It is up to him alone to fit in, to find his way in an alien world, until one man, Joe Bowyer, takes him under his wing with a warning: stay a landman and remain mired in the anger and despondency overwhelming him, or pull himself out of the dregs to become a seaman.

Kydd takes Joe’s advice to heart and discovers he has a knack for sailing . . . if he survives. There are rumors that the captain is a Jonah. The ship leaks. Each day brings new trials: suicide, murder, piracy, treachery, battles on land fighting alongside French Royalists or at sea against Revolutionists, imprisonment, betrayal, desertion, menacing French privateers, and fire.

With the mastery of a virtuoso, Stockwin delivers a seamless tale that ensnares the reader in whatever Kydd sees, hears, feels, and experiences, be it a ferocious flogging, the depths of despair, men fomenting mutiny, or the brutality of war. Readers quickly find themselves transported back to the late eighteenth century. No punches are pulled. No incidents betray the readers’ sense of believability. Kydd is a deftly woven and riveting sea story that refuses to let go once the grappling hooks are thrown. When the last page is turned, readers yearn for the next book in the Kydd Sea Adventures.

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




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A Turn of the Tide by Kelley Armstrong -- A Review

A Turn of the Tide by Kelley Armstrong

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Adventure is Miranda Hastings’s middle name. Unfortunately, she lives in a time when nineteenth-century women are supposed to be prim and proper, not crave dangerous undertakings, which is why her novels are published under a man’s name. She has long desired one particular experience – to pass through the secret time stitch in Thorne Manor, an estate near the Yorkshire fishing village of Hood’s Bay. Her intent is to travel into the future; instead, she finds herself in 1790, where she confronts a man whose ghost has long haunted her visions.

Nicholas “Nico” Dupuis never intended to become a legend. Circumstances just aligned to make him one. He left his Caribbean home to study medicine in France, but the British Royal Navy stopped his ship and pressed him into service. He escaped and joined a band of privateers/smugglers. He was ashore tending sick villagers during an epidemic when his captain and crew were seized, charged with piracy, found guilty, and hanged. With a warrant out for Nico’s arrest, the townspeople keep him safe despite the danger to themselves. In return, Nico abets the smuggling that helps them survive from the nefarious local lord. Nico’s efforts become legendary, earning him the alias Robin Hood of the Bay.

Ever since Nico first appeared to her, Miranda has witnessed his death over and over. Clues tell her that she has arrived on the exact day of his imminent demise, but he neither believes her nor wants her assistance. Tricked into thinking otherwise, she changes into male attire only to discover that he has locked her in the room and gone to his secret rendezvous. It seems the only way to prove that he is walking into an ambush is to escape and prevent it herself. She just never considers what that good deed might cost – her life and her heart.

This treasure trove of betrayal, corruption, secrets, prejudice, malice, and murder is the third entry in Armstrong’s A Stitch in Time series. It is rife with double entendres and unexpected twists. Ghosts add a bit of spice to the mix. Several tense and poignant scenes take place aboard a ship that soon becomes a dangerous shipwreck. Readers will delight in this romantic adventure that is reminiscent of swashbuckling tales of yore.

(This review was originally posted at Pirates and Privateers: http://www.cindyvallar.com/Armstrong....)



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The Ballycotton Job by Tom Mahon -- A Review

The Ballycotton Job by Thomas G Mahon

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Before 1922, Royal Navy ships frequently docked at Queenstown, Ireland (known as Cobh today) for repairs and to take on supplies. This began to change in January of that year when the Anglo-Irish Treaty was ratified. Instead of overseeing naval operations, Admiral Sir Ernest Gaunt started shutting down British naval bases and arranging for soldiers to be evacuated. Normally unshakable, disciplined, and logical, he was now unduly tense and thoroughly despised Ireland. He believed those who supported Irish independence, particularly the Irish Republican Army (IRA), were simpleminded killers who lacked the ability to plan and execute military operations.

About eight miles to the northwest lay Cork, a major port for merchant and passenger ships. The city was the home of Seán O’Hegarty, commander of the Cork No. 1 Brigade, a large and highly efficient unit within the IRA. Contrary to Gaunt’s belief, O’Hegarty was quite adept at arranging ambushes and skirmishes with great success and minimal losses. He showed no fear, cared little for his own well-being, and led from the front. Ruthless, clever, and resolute, he had a single goal: Irish independence. If that meant provoking war, so be it.

With the dismantling of the naval bases, there were untried opportunities for O’Hegarty to launch a pivotal attack. He settled on a bold plan that involved kidnapping and piracy, even though the key participants possessed little, if any, knowledge of ships and the sea. “Any reasonable and rational commander would have dismissed the undertaking as foolhardy in the extreme. Not only was the underlying premise overly optimistic, but the project entailed an elaborate sequence of actions, each dependent on the other and should one component fail then the whole operation would fail.” (129-130) Not one to back down, O’Hegarty refused to be dissuaded and the isolated village of Ballycotton became the “X” on the treasure map.

This is the astounding story of how O’Hegarty seized a navy transport, laden with ammunition, explosives, and weapons, on 30 March 1922. Mahon skillfully answers questions of who, what, when, where, why, and how in a manner that reads more like an adventure novel than a recitation of facts. To enhance the reading experience, he delves into a variety of interrelated subtopics (such as violence, prejudice, and colonialism) and discusses the aftermath of the incident and what became of the people involved in or affected by it. Also included are maps, a glossary, notes and references, and a bibliography. The Ballycotton Job is a must-read for anyone wishing to know about the turbulent struggle for Ireland and the Irish to be free of British rule in the early twentieth century.

(This review was originally posted at Pirates and Privateers: http://www.cindyvallar.com/Mahon.html)




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In the Wake of the Gods

In the Wake of the Gods: A cruising companion to the world of the Greek myths by Sam Jefferson

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Who hasn’t heard of Zeus, Poseidon, Aphrodite, Apollo, Athena, Demeter, Dionysus, or any of the other gods and goddesses who dwell on Mount Olympus? What of such heroes as Herakles, Perseus, Thesus, Jason, Achilles, and Odysseus? We study these and other figures of Greek mythology in school, but what if we could visit the places where their tales take place? This is one goal behind Sam Jefferson’s In the Wake of the Gods, which shows how and where sailors can voyage to various islands in the Ionian Sea and Saronic Gulf to visit the world of Ancient Greece, as well as modern Greece, and learn about the Titans and Olympians.

He begins his journey with a brief introduction to the original gods, the twelve Titans, and how they were superseded by the fourteen gods and goddesses known collectively as Olympians. What readers quickly learn is that humans often crossed paths with these mythological creatures, finding themselves tormented or defiled. Jefferson includes short biographies of all these and then explains how the heroes mentioned above evolved. His tour begins on Ithaca and progresses from there to Othoni, Corfu, Paxos and Antipaxos, Ammoudia, Lefkas, Cephalonia, Zakynthos, Strofades, Pylos, Kardamyli, Cape Tainaron, Kythira, Cranae, Cape Maleas, Learna (now Myloi), Argos, Nafplio, Tiryns, Cape Skili, Troezen, Poros, Aegina, Agistri, Corinth, Megara, Eleusis, and ending at Athens and Cape Sounion. The author also provides information about sailing in these waters and suggests tips on mooring when you stop to visit the islands. In addition to an index, there is a section on the ruins of Greek temples that can be visited throughout the region.

The narrative is laced with humor (sometimes dry wit and other times tongue-in-cheek, usually always geared toward adults), which sometimes makes learning about the gods and goddesses far more interesting than they were in school. The book is beautifully illustrated with paintings and photographs. Passages from early retellings of the myths are woven into the text to allow readers the chance to learn the stories from other perspectives. Where actual landmarks pertaining to the myths exist, he provides information on where they can be found and where to moor while visiting them. The myths that are recounted are sometimes gruesome, but definitely show that the gods weren’t perfect and liked to act in mischievous ways. Heroes were equally flawed. Jefferson’s storytelling captivates, entertains, and enlightens without getting bogged down in detail.

This is an intriguing guidebook for those seeking to create their own itinerary for a voyage around the Greek isles. One cautionary note is that the book does not include any information about crime and dangers, other than those involved in the actual sailing and mooring of vessels. Readers are left to their own devices to find that type of information. The only drawback is that on a few pages the small black print against the blue sky may be difficult to read. Aside from that, this book is reminiscent of coffee-table books of old, but at a more reasonable price.


(This review was originally published at Pirates & Privateers: http://www.cindyvallar.com/adultpirat...)



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Colonial Virginia's War Against Piracy

Colonial Virginia's War Against Piracy: The Governor the Buccaneer by Jeremy R. Moss

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Mention Virginia and fighting pirates and most readers think of Governor Alexander Spotswood and his determination to bring down Blackbeard. But two decades earlier, another Virginian wages war against pirates and even takes part in the final battle that results in the capture of a notorious buccaneer.

In December 1698, Colonel Francis Nicholson set foot in Jamestown as Virginia’s new governor. It wasn’t his first stint as a colonial administrator. He had served as the colony’s lieutenant governor until stepping down in 1692. He spent the next six years governing Maryland. No matter where he served, he tended to make both friends and enemies. The former saw his as a protector, a devout defender of the colony and the church. The latter abhorred his temper and thought him arbitrary and overbearing. Moderation was a word that was absent from his vocabulary; its absence showed in his hatred of piracy and his determination to enforce the law, even though turning a blind eye to illicit trade was the norm among Britain’s American colonies.

In 1699, Louis Guittar came to piracy as a victim. He was one of the original buccaneers, a hunter who had skills that the pirates needed. For this reason, they forced him to become not just a fellow pirate but also their captain. His successes eventually garnered him a crew of 125. In the battle that brought about his downfall, the government expended a massive amount of gunpowder and shot.

Moss also discusses other pirates who preyed in Virginian waters. One of these accounts concerns a pirate who claimed to be William Kidd (he was not) and whose treasure amounted to £3,000,000. More importantly, he captured vital intelligence from a navy ship that helped further his piratical adventures.

Whenever possible, Moss relies on original source material to recount the story of Nicholson and Guittar, and he incorporates snippets from these primary documents throughout the narrative. Also included are maps, illustrations, end notes, and an index (although the last isn’t as detailed as some researchers might prefer). He contrasts Nicholson’s handling of pirates with two governors who colluded with them. Moss also explains how three buccaneers ended up funding the College of William and Mary in greater detail than is often found in pirate histories.

What sets this short volume of pirate history apart from others is its coverage of two men rarely mentioned in piratical accounts. Moss presents the information in a compelling way and incorporates details that expand on episodes that usually receive scant coverage. The fact that Nicholson actually participated to bring down Guittar, rather than sitting on the sidelines and having others do the hunting for him, is both fascinating and a rarity in piratical history. Colonial Virginia’s War Against Piracy is a welcome and enlightening addition to collections that focus on the buccaneering era of piracy.


(This review was originally published at Pirates & Privateers: http://www.cindyvallar.com/JMoss.html...)



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Pirates Don't Dance!

Pirates Don't Dance by Shawna J.C. Tenney

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Captain Squinty Eye seeks new apprentices. Jack has always dreamed of being a pirate, so right away he signs aboard. There’s just one problem. No matter what he does, he always ends up dancing – a clear violation of the captain’s number one rule: PIRATES DON’T DANCE!

Learning to fight with swords causes all sorts of challenges for the trainees. Even hunting for treasure goes by the wayside . . . except for Jack. But how in the world can he be a tough, fiercesome pirate if he keeps breaking that rule?

All appears lost when Jack spies another pirate ship. This one belongs to Captain Crooked Beard, and he and his crew are spoiling for a fight. No way can inexperienced newbies win against veteran pirates adept at doing battle! Or is there?

The colorful, expressive illustrations combine with the engaging words to quickly capture the attention of young pirates, who will want to imitate Jack’s moves. This is a fun story that combines brawn with brains and shows that even tough guys can learn a thing or two from pirates who love to dance.


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



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