Cindy Vallar's Blog, page 31

HMS SeaWolf

HMS Seawolf by Michael Aye

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Set early in the Revolutionary War, HMS SeaWolf is the second installment in The Fighting Anthonys saga. It recounts a fictional version of the very real threat that American privateers posed, attacking merchant shipping to acquire much needed gunpowder and armament for General Washington’s Continental Army, but seen from the perspective of the men and officers of the Royal Navy.

Stationed in the north Atlantic, Admiral Lord Gil Anthony’s squadron must cruise from Nantucket to Sable Island, east of Nova Scotia. His orders are to protect merchant shipping convoys from privateers who consider these waters their personal raiding grounds. Although he misses his half brother, who is in the Caribbean, he also realizes that keeping him close hinders Gabe’s career.

Lieutenant Gabriel Anthony doesn’t necessarily agree with the war between the American colonies and the British, but that doesn’t keep him from doing his duty. His current assignment has taken him to Barbados to deliver dispatches, which is why the commander in the Caribbean slightly alters those orders. His Majesty’s troops stationed in Halifax have dire need of the convoy slated to deliver gunpowder and troops there. Under no circumstances can the Royal Navy afford to lose another cargo to the rebels, which is why Gabe finds himself inching his way northward playing nursemaid to the ships. HMS SeaWolf and her men prefer to run free, but can only go as fast as the slowest vessel under their protection.

One master, however, disregards Gabe’s commands and sets out ahead of the convoy. As all the vessels head toward Charleston, South Carolina, they encounter a storm that separates the ships where the enemy privateers are known to hunt. When all but Turtle are accounted for, Gabe suspects that her master may be in league with strange sails sighted by the lookout. As SeaWolf pursues, his suspicions are confirmed. During the offloading of this precious cargo by the enemy, Gabe attempts a daring plan to retake Turtle. An unexpected consequence results in an explosion that sends Gabe, the men who accompany him aboard the wayward vessel, and Turtle’s master to kingdom come.

Aboard SeaWolf everyone mourns Gabe’s loss, except for his uncle. Although chances of surviving the conflagration are slim, Dagan Dupree is certain his nephew yet lives, but he is unable to do anything about it. And it would be wrong for Lord Anthony to hear the news from anyone else’s lips. Reluctantly, Dagan sails north with the rest of the convoy, while at the same time vowing to return to find Gabe and bring him home.

A few early scenes are a bit disjointed; their purpose for inclusion is uncertain and they aren’t connected to the main plot. Nor are pronouns always clear as to who is who, as in the scene with a commodore before the convoy leaves Barbados. In the EPUB format that I read, there were several explanatory notes, but the numbers aren’t linked to the endnotes, requiring readers to manually go to the end of the book and then return to the story where they left off reading.

Aside from these minor issues, Aye weaves together the intriguing topics of gunpowder thefts, white slavery, sexual abuse, romance, and a planned invasion of Nova Scotia to craft a fast-paced novel that holds the reader’s attention from first page to last. Original poetry introduces each part of the story, and Aye also includes a glossary for those unfamiliar with nautical terminology. He further spices the tale with a strange alliance between enemies with Dagan on one side and Francis Marion, the Swamp Fox, on the other. Equally satisfying are resolutions to several questions that Gil and Gabe were left to ponder when the first book in the series ended. Whether old fans or new, HMS SeaWolf is a delightful addition to the stories about the Anthony brothers and the men of the Royal Navy who served with them.




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Black Flag of the North by Victor Suthren

Black Flag of the North: Bartholomew Roberts, King of the Atlantic Pirates by Victor Suthren

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


On 17 May 1682, a son is born to a Welsh family. His name is John Robert(s) and he has a fifty percent possibility of reaching his third birthday. If he survives until then, his chances of attaining adulthood are even less; against all odds, John lives into his late thirties. Between the recording of his birth and 1718, no record has been found to explain his formative years and how he goes from working on land to being Second or Third Mate of a slave ship. Somehow, he gains navigational skills, fighting tactics, and nautical expertise – all of which prove instrumental in launching him on a path his parents never foresee the day he comes into this world.

Two fateful days mark the beginning and end of John’s final years. In 1718, off the West African coast, the slaver on which he works is taken by pirates. Their captain, Howell Davis, is a fellow Welshman; this common bond connects the two men in spite of John’s initial rebuffs to join in the sweet trade. Yet the day eventually comes when John decides “a merry and short life” is better than his current one. Taking the name “Bartholomew,” he embarks on a career in piracy. Six weeks after meeting the pirates, they elect him captain after Davis’s demise. Although atypical of many of his mates – he abstains from drink and wenching – he possesses traits and skills necessary to lead and succeed. Pillaging more than 450 ships also brings him notoriety, which garners the attention of authorities and forces the pirates to look elsewhere for plunder several times. His career ends where it begins: off the coast of Africa at the hands of the British Royal Navy.

Suthren opens his account with what is and isn’t known about this legendary pirate. He also explores what may have influenced Roberts’ upbringing, as well as possibilities of how he came to be an accomplished mariner. Before delving into particulars about his piratical career, the author devotes three chapters to necessary background information on piracy (especially between 1680 and the 1720s), the slave trade and slave ships, and pirates in Canada – the place where Roberts went from ordinary to unparalleled. Along the way readers meet a variety of other pirates, including Walter Kennedy, Peter Easton, Sheila NaGeira, Edward Low, and Eric Cobham and Maria Lindsey. Also mentioned is pirate hunter Sir Henry Mainwaring, although without any hint of his piratical past. While the majority of passages quoted within the narrative come from other historians, Suthren does include one extant letter from Roberts to the highest ranking soldier on St. Christopher (St. Kitts today), who dared to fire on the pirates. Contrary to what the book says, Roberts is not the first captain to implement a code of conduct to govern his men. These articles derive from a legal document used by buccaneers, a sample of which appears in Alexandre Exquemelin’s The Buccaneers of America (1678).

In addition to several period maps and two illustrations, the book has a bibliography and index. Endnotes provide source citations, although none is provided for one curious reference in the text to pirates blackening their faces so they appear more threatening. At times, Suthren shares how twists of fate lead men on differing paths. James Cook possessed similar traits and skills with Roberts and both were shaped by the time they spent in Canadian waters. Black Flag of the North provides a good overview of the period, while succinctly entertaining readers with the meteoric rise and fall of the man often referred to as “King of the Pirates.”




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Pirates & Privateers

Pirates & Privateers by Jane Glatt

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


After a decade of training, Dagrun Lund returns from her first assignment only to learn from spymaster Joosep Sepp that her twin sister has gone missing. Dag’s value as an Intelligencer is her Unseen Trait, and she quickly figures out that her boss is involved in Inger’s disappearance in some way. Dag has always looked out for her sister, whose trait of always being noticed makes her accepting of all others without comprehending their motives. For her to run away means that someone upset her and, from what Dag uncovers, that person is none other than Tarmo Holt, the Grand Freeholder of the Fair Seas Treaty Alliance who only has three months left before he must relinquish that title and its authority to another. He wishes to mate with Inger so she might bear children with other Traits – ones he might use for his own purposes even though it’s against the law to have personal spies. When Inger refuses, he threatens Dag with future assignments of great danger, but Inger’s Trait prevents her from understanding that these are idle threats. To save both herself and Dag, she runs away and now Dag must find her.

Joosep Sepp regrets discussing his Intelligencers with Tarmo Holt, but never before has a Grand Freeholder attempted to usurp his authority as spymaster. Dag’s return provides no useful information about the next man who will become his boss, other than to confirm his identity. Past transitions of the office have gone smoothly, but Holt’s questions and Inger’s disappearance arouse Joosep’s suspicions. Then another of his Intelligencers learns that Holt may have dealings with pirates. Somehow all these separate issues are connected, but how? He requires Dag’s Trait to discover the truth, but she’s off looking for her sister and he has no idea where. What he needs is a trusted agent with luck to find her and Inger and bring them back.

Calder Rahmson’s Lucky Trait has kept him alive for many years, first during his childhood, then as a privateer, and for the past decade as an Intelligencer. His return from his last mission coincides with Sepp’s need to find Dag, but there’s no telling how long his search will take. He learned long ago not to force his Luck; it leads him to places where he will learn something he needs to know when he needs to know it. His first success comes when he overhears a conversation that tells him that someone is looking for children with Traits, especially twins, whose Traits are stronger than those in individual children. Although this doesn’t seem relevant to his mission of finding Dag and Inger, it must have importance else his Trait would not have revealed it. Next, he comes across a woman on the docks who has knowledge of two women boarding a privateer ship heading for Strongrock Island at two different times. He dons a disguise, signs aboard an outbound ship, and follows. But not everyone aboard the vessel is pleased with his presence and the captain seems more concerned with speed than the safety of his ship and her crew. Aside from those dangers, there’s also the risk of pirates, for a number of ships – some with crew members whom Calder considers friends – have gone missing.

Pirates & Privateers is the fast-paced, gripping first entry in Glatt’s Intelligencers fantasy series. Dag and Calder are intriguing characters and their back stories are intricately interwoven into a maze of twisted, but seemingly unconnected, threads. Reminders of who has what Trait and how these work, as well as frequent repetition of questions needing answers may annoy some readers, yet these elements also keep the complicated plot and main characters front and center throughout the story. While a resolution is reached and Dag, Inger, and Calder evolve by story’s end, remaining questions and a budding romance keep readers hooked for the sequel, Traits and Traitors, slated for release in 2019.




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Review of On the Lee Shore

On The Lee Shore by Philip K. Allan

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


A summons from the Admiralty signals the end of Captain Alexander Clay’s convalescence after being wounded in a sea battle in the Caribbean. Upon his arrival in London, he learns of the discontent rippling through the Royal Navy. The ranks are dissatisfied with their pay – which hasn’t been raised in over a century – poor rations, and no leave when ships are in port. Such disgruntlement can’t be swept under the rug either, for the crew of HM Frigate Titan took matters into their own hands. They locked up the officers and refused to obey any orders from their captain, accusing him of murder and misuse. The First Lord has decided that he needs an intelligent officer with dash to assume command of this warship and Clay is just the man.

When Clay first steps aboard the 36-gun vessel, he sees only hostile faces. Many are angry. Some are contemptuous, others indifferent. His orders are to restore order and discipline aboard Titan, but he prefers menial labor and constant drilling to achieve this, rather than the lash as his predecessor favored. Clay also permits music and other lively entertainment among the men when they’re off duty. Regardless of these easements, there are those who remain discontent. One is an officer who favors the stricter enforcement of Titan’s former commander. Among the ranks, there is a cadre of men led by Richard Sexton, an Irishman and an avid adherent of the United Irishmen. He’s not above using trickery and violence to achieve his goals, which includes once again taking control of the ship.

A few officers and a handful of men, however, know Clay and transferred with him to the Titan. Those of the lower decks discover how the United Irishmen communicate with each other when posted to different ships. They also are determined to prevent Sexton and his group from succeeding in their endeavor, especially when a message is intercepted that informs those on board the Titan that the ranks have staged a mutiny, based in Spithead, that has essentially brought the navy to a standstill at a time when they can least afford one.

Titan is one of a squadron a warships, under the command of Commodore Sir Edward Pellew, that is blockading the French navy port of Brest. Clay is tasked with making daily sails close to port to check on the comings and goings of the fishing fleet, the French navy, and any other intelligence that might be of interest. The more havoc he can cause, the better, but his daring, unconventional sorties require officers and crew to work in unity. Complicating each plan are the dangerous waters in which they patrol and the dirty weather that frequently hampers and endangers them. When a particularly violent storm scatters the fleet, Clay and his men must make the French continue to think the whole squadron remains on blockade. But the danger aboard remains and it only requires a single match to ignite.

On the Lee Shore is the third entry in the Alexander Clay series and is filled with action and peril that keeps readers on the edge of their seats. Allan provides a unique perspective of the Spithead Mutiny, splitting his depiction between the points of view of the officers and the men. He deftly intertwines avarice, corruption, and mutiny, while spicing these with glimpses into the everyday lives of sailors and their personal lives both at sea and at home. There’s even a bit of romance, as Clay and Lydia Browning are finally reunited.




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Review of Black Flags, Blue Waters

Black Flags, Blue Waters: The Epic History of America's Most Notorious Pirates by Eric Jay Dolin

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


For five decades encompassing the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries, pirates played an integral role in colonial history and life. Initially, they were welcomed, but as the years passed, what was once profitable coexistence became a dogged determination to eradicate these sea marauders.

Black Flags, Blue Waters presents the “celebrities” of this “golden age” of piracy with a narrowly focused lens. Most comparable volumes look at this historical period in a broad manner that encompasses the whole breadth of who, where, what, why, when, and how. Dolin examines one facet – those pirates with intimate connections to the American colonies – to showcase how world events and shifting attitudes led to them being seen as the “enemies of all mankind.” In doing so, he demonstrates how these criminals also became more legendary with the passage of time. This approach also permits him to showcase rarely mentioned pirates, as well as names familiar to many people today.

The narrative unfolds in chronological order. The first chapter, Small Beginnings, sets the stage, providing necessary background information to orient readers. The next two chapters – Welcomed with Open Arms and “Where the Money Was as Plenty as Stones and Sands” – explores the financial connection between pirates and the colonists, as well as the danger this interaction posed to England, and the transitions that shifted piracy from the Caribbean and Atlantic seaboard to the Indian Ocean and Madagascar and back again. Crackdown, the fourth chapter, concerns the mysterious Henry Avery. While he has no tangible connection to America, his capture and plundering of a single ship made the pirates wealthy and severely impacted how governments, the media, and people viewed pirates.

Like intermission at a theater, chapters five and six provide key information readers need to know to fully understand this historical time period. War’s Reprieve discusses the War of the Spanish Succession, when pirates all but disappeared from the world stage. In the war’s aftermath came the greatest upsurge in sea marauders that history has ever witnessed. It also gave rise to a different class of pirates than those who came before. Interlude, or a Pirate Classification covers the reasons for this and investigates who these people were and how they operated.

The subsequent chapters – Treasure and the Tempest, The Gentleman Pirate and Blackbeard, and Fading Away – introduce pirates, such as Samuel Bellamy, Stede Bonnet, Edward Thatch, and Edward Low – whose personalities and exploits commanded the attention of the public and the authorities alike during their lifetimes. Also discussed are the pirate hunters and the laws and punishments enacted to end the marauding.

Dolin concludes his narrative with his epilogue, “Yo-ho-ho, and a Bottle of Rum!” Here he explores the public’s fascination, both then and now, with pirates, including the discoveries of actual pirate shipwrecks.

Maps and illustrations pepper the pages throughout Black Flags, Blue Waters. The majority appear in black and white, but a vibrant collection of color plates is also present. (One curious note concerning one caption is the identification of Low’s Jolly Roger. The contemporary accounts I’ve read describe his flag as a red skeleton on a black background, rather than a white skeleton with an hourglass and three drops of blood.) Unfamiliar words and brief historical tidbits are noted at the bottom of the pages where they occur, while source citations and longer explanations can be found in the end notes. Dolin also provides readers with a select bibliography and an index.

The predominant personages readers meet are pirates, men such William Kidd, Henry Morgan, Dixie Bull, Thomas Tew, Francis Drake, John Quelch, and John Rose Archer. (Technically, Drake falls outside the time parameters of this history, but he did raid the American coast. Morgan, however, is a questionable inclusion. He may have been the greatest of the buccaneers, but his raids always centered in the Caribbean and Spanish Main.) But history and people never occur within a void. There are always others involved, and Dolan introduces these too. Among those who aided and abetted the pirates are Adam Baldridge and Governor Benjamin Fletcher. Victims who suffered at the hands of pirates include Philip Ashton and John Fillmore. Then there are those who helped to bring about their demise, such as Governor Alexander Spotswood, Lieutenant Robert Maynard, and Captain Peter Solgard.

Entertaining and compelling, Black Flags, Blue Waters is a swift-flowing, all-inclusive account of the history and evolution of piracy from 1680 through 1730. Dolin transports readers back in time so they better understand the time and places where intimidation, pillaging, cruelty, political intrigue, collusion, and punishment eventually led to the downfall of these “enemies of all mankind.” A worthy and must-read addition to any reputable pirate collection.




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Review of The Pirates of Scurvy Sands

The Pirates of Scurvy Sands by Jonny Duddle

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Mad Jack McMuddle was a pirate who was always lost. A long time ago, he buried his treasure on the island of Scurvy Sands. The place is a resort now, specifically for pirates. There are oodles of arcades, swimming, pirate fun, and treasure hunting, but no one has ever located Mad Jack’s treasure.

Dull-on-Sea is a bleak place in winter, but when summer arrives, it’s quite lively. While fishing off a pier one day, Matilda hooks a bottle with a message from her friend, Jim Lad Jolley-Rogers. His family is off to Scurvy Sands for fun and relaxation. Would she like to come too?

Most parents would say no, since pirates are n’er-do-wells, but the Jolley-Rogers are good pirates, so off Matilda goes on a grand adventure. Capt’n Ollie Day welcomes them with open arms, but it isn’t long before the other vacationers begin questioning whether Matilda should be allowed to stay. After all, she’s not a pirate. She’ll never pass the Pirate Test. But Matilda and Jim Lad pay no heed to such whispers. They’re too busy studying Mad Jack’s portrait and map, because they are determined to find his lost treasure!

This sequel to The Pirates Next Door is grand fun. The illustrations are colorful and each pirate has his/her own personality and expressive face. The story is a wonderful take on “Never judge a book by its cover.” Whether read aloud or silently, by oneself or with someone else, the adventure immediately draws young pirates into the tale. It can easily be transformed into a play so everyone can participate, or words that are capitalized can be shouted to add a dramatic flair to the telling. There’s even a bit a treasure included, for the artist has included a four-page foldout spread. There are also two diagrams depicting the Scurvy Sands resort and they are not the same. Are you savvy enough to spot the difference?




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Review of The Devil's Wind

The Devil's Wind by Steve Goble

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


With John Rush wanted for piracy, Spider John assumes the moniker of John Coombs and signs aboard Redemption, a ship bound for America. He hasn’t seen his wife and son in eight years, and this is his only chance to escape the hangman’s noose . . . if no one recognizes him while still in Port Royal. Odin – a scarred pirate who once sailed with Blackbeard – and Hob – a fifteen year old who’d rather be a pirate than a carpenter’s mate – are his companions. It should be a peaceful journey as long as they keep a fair distance from the navy frigate escorting their small convoy of ships through the Caribbean.

As the ship’s carpenter, John gets to know the Redemption, a captured pirate ship, and her captain, Josiah Brentwood. He’s a decent, trusting man, who assumes each person is good until proven wrong. Sailing with him is his pretty daughter, Abigail, who often dresses as a man. Accompanying them on this voyage is a handful of diverse passengers. Rufus Fox, a Quaker, loves to tinker with machines and is a friend of the captain’s. Reverend Down is the dour-faced minister who is often at odds with Fox. Hadley, a freed slave who works as a crew member, keeps perhaps a too-close watch on Abigail. Anne McCormac keeps to herself, but has some particular skills for a woman and a passing acquaintance with one of the two remaining passengers – Sam Smoke and Wicked Pete Reese – both of him cause Odin’s knees to quake.

On their first Sunday at sea, the passengers and crew gather on the deck for services. A loud gunshot disturbs the peace, and Spider John is one of the first to bust through the locked door into Captain Brentwood’s cabin. He’s dead, a fired pistol in one hand. A navy lieutenant comes aboard to investigate, but his time on board is short since it looks like a suicide to him. Spider John has his doubts. Something was missing when he entered the cabin, but what? And how could anyone kill the captain in a room with the door and windows locked?

As Spider John investigates, Odin and Hob help him uncover secrets held by those on board. It’s dangerous enough having a potential murderer aboard, but the first mate, now acting captain, endangers their lives further during the night. Enamored of Abigail, he wants to please her by laying her father to rest according to his last wishes. Doing so brings them in close proximity to one of the islands frequented by Ned Low and his bloodthirsty men. It also stymies Spider John’s best-laid plan to return to his loved ones.

A locked-room murder has long been a standard in mystery stories, and Goble has created a wonderful version in both a unique setting and detective. All the needed clues are present, but are so deftly interwoven into the tale that they are not easily discernible from the red herrings. Those familiar with golden age piracy may figure out Anne McCormac’s true identity, but unearthing the murderer may stump readers as much as it does Spider John. Solving a puzzle while getting out of sticky situations with the sands of time quickly sifting through the hourglass are the hallmarks of this series, and The Devil’s Wind is perfect for pirates who wish to tax their brains, rather than test their brawn.




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Review of Black & Mist

Black and Mist by Thomas J. Radford

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


While the Tantamount is in Port Border for repairs and to recruit new crew members, Kitsune Violet explores the city that lies between the High Lanes and lawless Free Lanes. Many merchant ships seem more like those of the Alliance, which is only supposed to have a minimal presence here, and they’re offloading more Draugrs than she can count. What’s more perplexing is that the robot-like creatures are loaded into wagons and carted off, but where? Curiosity drives Violet to discover the answer, but when she does, she can’t believe what she finds and fears for her life, as well as all those aboard Tantamount. She must warn the skipper and the captain, but who’s going to believe her?

Much to her dismay, she finds Navigator Loveland Quill in charge. She’s certain the Kelpie’s one goal in life is to make her life miserable. It doesn’t help that’s he’s already in a huff because the skipper is off searching for another navigator. They’ve done well with one so far, why does Tantamount require another?

Aside from replacing lost crew, Skipper Nel Vaughn has her own demons to face. Rather than do so, she drowns them with drink. Further complicating her life is news that someone has been asking for her. Then she recognizes someone from her past – a past she wishes to forget and someone she hopes never to meet again. It’s time to leave Port Border, but Tantamount still needs supplies and a paying cargo to haul.

Captain Horatio Phelps’s mind may be foggy at times, but he’s still capable of commanding the ship and he’s not as oblivious as some think. He implements steps to help Nel straighten up. He’s ecstatic when Violet finds a job that allows him to pay their many refit bills. The new replacements seem okay, but it’s always dicey having strangers aboard, and their assignment necessitates that they all work together to successfully deliver the cargoes to their different delivery points.

But trouble erupts even before they leave Port Border, and then several accidents befall Violet and it looks like they may have happened on purpose. A flash of light where one shouldn’t be suggests someone is following them, and then a signal light with Alliance colorings is found on board. Who is the turncoat? And why is another ship hunting them if the cargo they carry isn’t that valuable?

Black & Mist is the second title in the Free Lane series and continues the travels and adventures of the Tantamount and her misfit crew. It’s not quite as seamlessly woven as the first book, but Radford definitely keeps us guessing as more is learned about the past lives of some characters and glimpses of the enemy reveal more about the Alliance. The worlds he creates are wonderfully transcribed into stunning word images that bring the Free Lanes to life. The jaw-dropping climax is edge-of-your-seat adventure that leaves us gasping for breath and wondering who survives and what happens next. Secrets abound in this spine-tingling speculative fiction and, as one character says, “It’s secrets that are what kills us.” (206)




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Review of The Terran Privateer

The Terran Privateer by Glynn Stewart

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


The consensus among the captains and admirals of the United Earth Space Force (UESF) is that their weaponry is fine, money need not be spent on advanced systems. Admiral Jean Villeneuve, the Chief of Operations, disagrees. It’s 2185 and piracy is rising at an alarming pace, which is one reason he agrees to meet with the chief executive officer of Nova Industries, who has arranged demonstrations of their newest interface drive and other inventions that will make them contenders should aliens invade Earth.

Annette Bond captains the Tornado, Nova’s latest vessel with a hyperdrive system, interface missiles, special armor, and the newest generation of heavy lasers. After taking the ship through her paces, she arrives at the research facility to come face to face with Villeneuve, the judge at the trial that ousted her from UESF. She’s now in command of the single ship that could destroy UESF, and her demonstration just proved that to him. But the Dark Eye Interstellar Surveillance System has been picking up disturbing signals and he needs her to rejoin UESF as Tornado’s commander. She accepts on one condition: this time he must back her up no matter whose toes get stepped on in the process.

With a crew that is half UESF and half scientists, Annette no sooner takes command of the new UESF vessel than Dark Eye’s emergency alert system sounds and twenty ships from the A!Tol (! pronounced like “tuck”) Imperium emerge from hyperdrive. These squid-like aliens announce they have annexed Earth’s solar system and a new administration will soon be put in place. Any and all resistance will be quashed. UESF has seventy minutes to comply. Tornado is UESF’s only hyperdrive warship and the alien armament will crush the others like bugs, but the admiral must try. Annette joins Alpha Squadron to attack the enemy, but Villeneuve also gives her special orders. Should the worst occur, she is to take Tornado to the other solar systems and wage war against the enemy as privateers. She and her crew are Earth’s last hope.

Thus begins Book One in the new Duchy of Terra science fiction series. While this adventure takes place in outer space, Stewart craftily blends science with the ways in which privateers of yore waged war at sea. Even one port of call is reminiscent of the buccaneers’ Tortuga, although not quite as safe as one might expect and where it’s best to remember the adage to trust no one. Stewart’s use of description and emotion punctuates just how alone they are in a world where the rules don’t always apply, nothing is known, and danger lurks everywhere. Imagination and cunning abound and Annette has just the right qualifications to deal with the complications arising from their encounters with slavers, kidnappers, pirates, and raiders. This is science fiction at its best in a realm where greed and corruption are rife, and every entity out for itself confronts those sworn to aid and protect. And the twist at the end is one few will expect.




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Review of Once a Scoundrel

Once a Scoundrel by Mary Jo Putney

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Being dishonorably discharged from the Royal Navy is a stain on the family’s honor, but Gabriel Hawkins Vance doesn’t regret his actions. In the intervening years since his banishment, he’s done well for himself and is able to pick and choose what he does, but he’s uncertain what future path to select until the British spymaster visits his ship. A delicate situation has arisen and Gabriel has the necessary expertise to carry out the mission if anyone can. He’s spent time in Algiers, is fluent in the Arabic dialect, has had prior dealings with a particular Barbary pirate, and is willing to do whatever may be necessary to successfully conclude his assignment.

Lady Aurora Octavia Lawrence may be the delight of her father’s life, but her penchant for independence and globe-trotting adventure has landed her in a predicament from which he cannot and will not extricate her. The outrageous ransom demanded by the Barbary pirates who kidnapped her is beyond his means – a fact Rory suspects, but still she hopes. In the meantime, she and her cousin must endure captivity in their comfortable “cage,” and she must humiliate herself time and again in front of prospective buyers seeking a beautiful, virginal westerner to grace their harems. If she and her cousin cannot escape and no one rescues them, she will be forced to give up her dreams of being an author and forever resign herself to a life of sexual slavery.

Malek had thought his days of piracy over until his greedy and nasty cousin gives him no other choice. When Gabriel offers him the use of his ship as part payment for the ransom, he accepts the offer that will transport him and his exotic menagerie, including the two English ladies, to Constantinople. Despite their past association, Malek makes it clear that he’s willing to sell them into a harem and see Gabriel and his crew dead to regain what his cousin has stolen from him.

Once a Scoundrel takes place in England, Algiers, and Constantinople between 1814 and 1815. Putney deftly transports readers to the Ottoman Empire and her melding of historical facts with fiction is flawless. In her author’s note she writes, “I do not find pirates romantic. They were greedy and sometimes murderous criminals who preyed on the vulnerable. Barbary pirates were the scourge of the Mediterranean from the sixteenth to the nineteenth centuries . . . .” (230) This historical romance ably demonstrates this, while spinning a dramatic tale of intrigue, corruption, greed, determination, and love. Perfect reading for a cold winter’s day or as an escape from the stress of everyday life, Once a Scoundrel offers an exotic portrayal of undying hope and love everlasting no matter the odds one must face.




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