Cindy Vallar's Blog, page 7

Review of Katie Daysh's The Devil to Pay

The Devil to Pay by Katie Daysh

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


A French frigate leads HMS Scylla and HMS Meridian on a merry chase into dangerous waters in the Caribbean. A fight ensues, Meridian runs aground, and Scylla’s captain is slain, leaving Lieutenant Arthur Courtney in a quandary. The French ship catches fire and explodes while the Meridian’s captain has called for assistance. The French may be the enemy, but there are survivors and Arthur chooses to rescue them first – a decision the other captain will not forget.

With the signing of the Treaty of Amiens the following June, the 1802 peace means it’s no longer necessary for Britain to maintain a large naval presence. The services of Scylla>, her crew, and Arthur are no longer required, so she is broken up, the men dispersed, and he goes on half-pay with nothing to do. The only bright spots in his predicament are his visits to his beloved sister, who will soon wed, and the love of his life, Hiram Nightingale, who is already married. Theirs is an affair that must be kept secret; society and the navy are not accepting of intimate relations between two men. Still, they have much to discuss, but broaching these subjects may open quagmires Arthur’s not yet willing to confront.

One evening, an agitated Mrs. Nightingale arrives at the tavern where he and Hiram dine. They are all summoned to the Admiralty in London, which does not bode well for any of them. It turns out a ship carrying two diplomats – France’s Hugo Baptiste and England’s Sir William Haywood (Hiram’s father-in-law) – has gone missing. They were to discuss a key component of the treaty that hasn’t been implemented, and news of their disappearance could topple the tenuous peace between their two nations.

Initially, Arthur hopes to lead the expedition to find the missing ship. Those hopes are dashed when Sir Rodney Bryant reveals that the commander will be his brother, Jerome Bryant – the same captain Arthur had the audacity to abandon in favor of saving the enemy when their ship caught fire and then accuse of poor seamanship. Nor does Captain Bryant want Arthur as his first lieutenant, but Arthur knows Sir William and is a friend of Hiram. Equally surprising is the discovery that Arthur will reunite with the French captain he saved. Captain Bonfils commands Fantôme, the French ship also sent to search for the missing diplomats.

As Arthur comes to terms with his present situation, which feels almost as fragile as the peace, he finds himself thinking back on the early days of his naval career and his first love. The trigger for these memories is the theft of a surgeon’s scalpel and the accusations of the ship’s master, who used to be the Lysander’s captain when she was a merchant ship. As a result, two of the ship’s crew are arrested on multiple charges, and the penalty should they be found guilty is death. The situation strikes too close to home for Arthur, and he investigates the original crime in hopes of preventing the execution. At the same time, he strives to determine what happened to the missing Loyal>, especially after Captain Bryant is severely injured and Fantôme fails to arrive at the appointed rendezvous. The critical piece of the puzzle comes from an American captain, and Sir Bryant entrusts Arthur, with his outside-the-norm thinking and experience as a tarpaulin officer, to rescue the missing before it’s too late.

Amidst some chilling and mind-boggling action, including two ships colliding during a storm and a sea fight between foes as a volcano erupts, this is a novel of introspection. Arthur has more in common with the sailors than the officers, with the have-nots than the haves like Hiram. He must find his place in the world, but time and again the past and the present collide to prevent him from achieving his goals and his dreams. The Devil to Pay is the second in the Nightingale and Courtney series. Not everyone will find the story appealing, but if you’re willing to take a chance, Daysh does not disappoint. She vividly recreates the Georgian navy and neatly melds fiction and fact to create a compelling tale that is as heart-wrenching as it is rewarding. Her characters are three-dimensional, complete with foibles and strengths we’ve all faced at some point in our lives. You may think the past has little to do with the present, but time and again, she shows that the opposite is true. And sometimes confronting that past is the only way for us to move forward.


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



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Review of Julian Stockwin's Inferno

Inferno by Julian Stockwin

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


After his most recent trials and tribulations, Captain Thomas Kydd is in sore need of rest and renewal. The one man who may provide such a place is an old friend and mentor, Tobias Stirk. He, too, is injured, although his are more physical in nature than Kydd’s. To be on a more equal footing – friends instead of commander and commanded – Kydd travels incognito to Dunlochry, Scotland, on the island of Mull. There, the two become involved in a search for treasure aboard the remains of an Armada shipwreck. Just one problem: the hoard is far enough underwater that to retrieve requires diving equipment. The device closest to their location has only been used once before and that was a long time ago.

While away from the navy on their own adventure, Napoleon’s new policy threatens the very existence of Britain. No other European country is permitted to trade with the English, and with only Denmark, Sweden, and Russia not under the emperor’s control, he may well achieve what his failed invasions could not. When word reaches London of secret talks between France and Russia, those in command feel there is little recourse left to them. They must demand that Denmark surrender its navy to the British for the duration of the war. That is the sole way to keep the French from achieving total domination of Europe and to maintain open avenues to trade in the Baltic, where vital naval resources are purchased.

There’s just one problem, and it’s a doozy. Denmark is a neutral country. To violate that neutrality will be injurious to British honor, yet no one has an alternative to stopping their archnemesis. Still, before taking such a step, King George wishes to appeal to his Danish counterpart for a peaceful accord without going through regular diplomatic channels. Only one person may achieve this goal, Nicholas Renzi, the Earl of Farndon, and this time, his wife Cecilia, Kydd’s sister, must participate in the subterfuge.

In the meantime, Kydd resumes command of Tyger and joins the fleet that is amassing to carry out the Admiralty’s directive. This will be a joint operation between the navy and the army. Major General Sir Arthur Wesley will command the land forces, and their action is seen through the eyes of a young ensign whose brother serves aboard Tyger. With each passing day, the clock ticks closer to all-out hostilities and no way out for those within the walls of Copenhagen, including the Farndons. Danger also stalks Kydd, who is approached by a stranger seeking assistance and leaves his ship in hopes of securing additional help from rebel Swedes. Instead, he finds himself kidnapped and awaiting transport to France to stand trial before his most public execution.

Inferno is the seventeenth entry in the Kydd Sea Adventures series, but it is one in which Thomas Kydd plays only a minor role. In some regards, the same is true for Nicholas. Instead, much of the story takes place in government offices in London and on the ground outside Copenhagen. This is a fictional recounting of the Second Battle of Copenhagen, a complicated affair that Stockwin does a superb job of simplifying just enough for most readers to follow without getting bogged down in details and to comprehend the nuances that made this episode in Anglo-French-Danish relations so important to Great Britain.

There are two minor technical shortcomings with this book. First, there are a few formatting issues, such as the “Dramatis Personae” (list of characters) being placed in backwards and split in half by the placement of the maps. Also, it helps to think of the title not as a conflagration, as suggested by the cover art, but as “a place or state that resembles or suggests hell.”

Die-hard Kydd fans will find this a rendering of good historical fiction, but some readers may be disappointed that Kydd does not play as central a figure as he has in earlier novels. (There are forty-three chapters between one of his appearances and the next.) Perhaps Stockwin’s intent is to provide readers with the same respite Kydd needs while providing an engaging and different interlude before his next adventure.


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



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Review of Spanish Warships in the Age of Sail

Spanish Warships in the Age of Sail, 1700-1860: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates by Rif Winfield

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


As history passes, change is inevitable. Sometimes, it’s hard to see how those changes influence fundamental elements within an organization and its equipment. Spanish Warships in the Age of Sail, the latest volume in the Warships in the Age of Sail series, seeks to alter this by showcasing how Spain’s naval fleet evolved during a specific span of time. In this case, the book focuses on the period in which the Bourbon monarchy came to power in November 1700 until steam began to replace sail. Whenever possible, the authors also discuss each ship’s career, where she sailed and fought, and what became of her.

The book opens with an explanation of the Spanish Navy’s structure and organization, which is followed by information concerning Spain’s weights and measurements, names, dates, naval ranks, monetary units, flags and royal arms, and conversions. Two chronologies are included; that of the Trastamara and Habsburg Eras covers 1492 through 1697, and the Bourbon Era begins with the death of Carlos II in 1700 and extends through the monarchy’s restoration in 1874. The next seventy-six pages provide a historical overview (before the Habsburgs into the mid-19th century), the leaders of the Bourbon Navy, Spain’s regional navies that were precursors to its national navy, auxiliary groups (such as the guardacostas or coastguard), the Manila Galleons, fleet lists, naval construction, departmental organization and dockyards, naval ordnance and architecture, copper sheathing, management of material resources, and acquiring, training, maintaining, and retaining naval personnel.

It is at this juncture that the authors discuss the sources and archives that were consulted, as well as the difficulties they encountered in identifying and providing information on individual vessels. There is also a bibliography, a glossary, and a list of the abbreviations used in the main portion of the book.

The heart of the book appears in twenty-four chapters where Spanish naval vessels are discussed, beginning with ships of the line with three decks and ending with lesser fore-and-aft rig boats. The major warships cover six chapters and each is arranged chronologically. Among the other vessels found in subsequent chapters are brigs, bomb vessels, storeships, fireships, packets, galleys, xebecs, barks, and cutters. There is also an addendum about paddle and screw warships that were powered by a combination of sail and steam; these are not reviewed in detail. Seven appendices pertain to vessels that participated in the 1588 Felicísima Armada and the 1639 Battle of the Downs; rules governing the building of ships during the 1600s; the types and numbers of ships in various years between 1782 and 1860; expenses for the Spanish Navy in different locales (1714-1800) as well as government expenditures (1801-1860); ordnance regulations; and official officer and crew numbers aboard different types of vessels.

Although there is an index, it lists only the names of specific vessels. Black-and-white illustrations (portraits, drafts, and maps) and tables are found throughout. Technical details for the different classes of vessels and single designs are provided, as is information on the ship architects, shipwrights, and building dates if known. Significant details about individual ships are provided, as is the order of battle for major sea battles. That being said, the authors make it clear that there are gaps in the provided information. Some of this stems from a fire that swept through naval archives in 1734.

Spanish Warships is not meant to be read from cover to cover. Written by eminently qualified authors, it is a reference book that provides researchers with invaluable information that is as accurate and comprehensive as it can be. Much of the source material comes from archival primary documents. It is highly recommended and is a great companion to previous titles in the series.


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




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Review of Toni Runkle & Steve Webb's The Pirate's Curse

The Pirate's Curse: Brigands of the Compass Rose by Toni Runkle

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


On the day Port Royal hangs the infamous Calico Jack Rackham in 1720, two women and a babe sail for the Carolina coast to begin life anew. Although the child is innocent, he bears the mark of evil. Having been betrayed, Rackham makes a pact with a mysterious African. Being raised from the dead may give immortality but always at a price. This pact involves a curse that transcends generations and those impacted bear a peculiar birthmark.

Fast forward to present day Arizona and a high school swim class. Bonnie Hartwright’s reluctance to change into her bathing suit draws the attention of girls more fortunate than herself – girls with money and family and friends. All of which Bonnie has given up hoping for after fifteen years of being passed from foster family to foster family. She is deathly afraid of water, and with good reason, but her classmates tease and taunt her. When one girl spies Bonnie’s unusual birthmark, she snaps a picture and posts it on social media. Seething, Bonnie is out for revenge; she just doesn’t foresee the consequences.

Those in authority deem her incorrigible and send her to an infamous juvenile detention center. After a few weeks in hell, she is selected to participate in a North Carolina summer reform program. There’s just one problem. This boot camp requires her to learn to sail on water. Surely, there’s a mistake, but she’ll grin and bear it until she can make her escape. She has no intention of ever going back to lockup.

Bonnie isn’t the only misfit brought to the camp. Many others are already there. As different as they seem, they have similarities. They pilfer rather than purchase. Defiance is second nature to them, especially when dealing with those in authority. Each has suffered misfortune in their young lives.

There is another commonality: they are all descendants of Mary Read, who dressed as a man and went pirating with Calico Jack and Anne Bonny. Murder eventually forces Mary to safeguard those she loves and those who will come after she dies. This passion gives rise to the Brigands of the Compass Rose, and each of the teens present will have the chance to earn their place among the other brigands who have come before – if they can survive the summer and each other.

Of course, there are those in the nearby town who are also descendants of early North Carolinians. Some are not happy with having a boot camp of juvenile delinquents nearby. One desires to use that land for his own purposes. He’s just waiting for the perfect excuse, which happens to arrive shortly after Bonnie begins training to become a brigand. Thieves are stealing treasure off luxurious yachts on the waterfront. And the only crooks in town are the teens at the sailing camp. Like sand sifting through an hourglass, the sword of Damocles threatens Bonnie and her fellow brigands-in-training. Unless they can learn to trust each other and act as a team, evil will triumph.

Runkle and Webb spin a delightful tale that grips readers from the get-go and doesn’t release them until the tale ends. Even then, there’s a promise of more adventure to come. The authors do a fabulous job of weaving pirate history and lore into the story that is seen through the eyes of a fifteen-year-old outsider who has no one in her life whom she can trust, befriend, or love. They bring the past to life and meld it with the present, spicing it with mystery, danger, and magic. An array of emotions – good and bad, happy and sad – and incidents that any reader will readily identify with make this the perfect piratical tale for old and young alike who seek a vicarious way of escaping the humdrum routine of everyday life.


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



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Review of Rachel Rueckert's If the Tide Turns

If the Tide Turns by Rachel Rueckert

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


The girl just dove off the pier right before his eyes. She doesn’t sink right away; she ventures farther afield until her strength gives out. That’s when he jumps in and rescues her.

Maria Brown (also known as Goody or Mehitable) just wants to learn to swim. She’s been teaching herself, but those lessons can only go so far. Swimming allows a sense a freedom, something which is nearing an end. At seventeen, she should be married, but she’s learned that resisting is futile. Sooner or later, she will have to marry John Hallett and her life will no longer be her own.

Samuel Bellamy should be looking for a job now that the war has ended and the Royal Navy has released him from service. But jobs on Cape Cod are few and there’s something about the beautiful girl he saves that speaks to him. It’s as if they are kindred souls. To see her again, he offers to give her swimming lessons.

Despite the risk to her reputation, Maria takes him up on his offer. The time they spend together is precious, and Sam’s unique way of looking at life stirs long-buried ideas within her. Still, the clock ticks closer to the inevitable period when their paths will diverge. She already knows her future, or at least she thinks she does. For Sam, he’s offered a chance to acquire riches enough to convince Maria’s father that he deserves to wed Maria instead of the prosperous and influential Hallett. Waiting in the wings, however, is Maria’s mother. She’s determined that her daughter will follow a straight and righteous path, one where Maria will not have to endure what she has. Before long, choices are made – ones that cannot be undone – and their paths are forever altered in ways neither expects.

Rueckert masterfully whisks together historical facts with legend and lore to create a spellbinding and realistic tale that breathes new life into Maria Hallett and Sam Bellamy. Along the way, we experience the cruelties and hardships of social life on Cape Cod, as well as the desperateness that drives people toward alternatives they might never have pursued otherwise. If the Tide Turns takes place between 1715 and 1717, and readers meet real life pirates such as Paulsgrave Williams, Henry Jennings, Benjamin Hornigold, Edward Teach, John Julian, and John King (the youngest known pirate). Time and again, the story transports readers with its you-are-there sensation. Even if you know the story of Sam and Maria, Rueckert will make you think again. Unexpected twists and harsh realities are deftly entwined with hope and aspirations to create a story of enduring love.


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




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Review of Richard Snow's Sailing the Graveyard Sea

Sailing the Graveyard Sea: The Deathly Voyage of the Somers, the U.S. Navy's Only Mutiny, and the Trial That Gripped the Nation by Richard Snow

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


In 1804, Richard Somers was one of eleven men who volunteered to navigate a fire ship to its target during the First Barbary War. Unfortunately, he and his men died when the vessel exploded. Decades later, the United States Navy named a new brig-of-war in his honor and intended it to be a school-ship, one where novices would learn to become capable sailors. When she set sail on 13 September 1842, the majority aboard the USS Somers were between thirteen and nineteen years of age. Only thirty of the 120 men aboard were older.

One man, who was eighteen at the time, was Acting Midshipman Philip Spencer, whose father served as secretary of war for President Tyler. John Spencer, a lawyer and politician, was successful, uncompromising, ill-tempered, and determined. Philip strove to please him but never succeeded. His favorite book, published in 1837, was The Pirates Own Book, and perhaps it fueled his desire to head West and try his hand at unlawful adventures on the Mississippi. Trouble at college convinced his father that a better option would be for Philip to join the US Navy, which is how he eventually landed aboard the Somers.

Alexander Slidell Mackenzie entered the navy at age eleven and rose from midshipman to command the USS Somers. He came from wealth and he had connections, one of whom was his brother-in-law, Oliver Hazard Perry. Commander Mackenzie was pious and followed the rules and he expected his men to do likewise. When they did not, he was known to have them flogged.

Philip didn’t fit in easily with his fellow officers, so he gravitated to those who worked the ship. He bribed them with forbidden brandy, tobacco, and tales of misadventure at sea. Two favorites were Boatswain’s Mate Samuel Cromwell and Seaman Elisha Small. Together, they hatched nefarious plans.

Commander Mackenzie initially laughed at the improbability of their scheme. But all was not right aboard Somers, and before she returned to New York, three would hang from the yardarm. The resulting scandal would captivate the nation as cries for justice were heard far and wide.

Snow raises interesting questions as he recounts events, such was why Spencer chose to confide in the purser’s steward, a man beholden to Mackenzie. Details about life at sea and in the navy are interwoven with the principal story, helping readers to gain a better understanding of how and why events unfolded as they did. He provides key information about those involved to allow readers to see the individuals as actual people complete with their foibles and virtues. Combining the views of well-known contemporaries with the historical elements of what transpired permits readers to form their own opinions as to where the truth lies. Snow also ably demonstrates how resolutions don’t always satisfy everyone, even in the past.

Sailing the Graveyard Sea has all the attributes of a sea thriller: mutiny, piracy, intrigue, murder, opposing forces, and newsworthy vilification. The book includes a map that shows the voyage of the Somers during the last quarter of 1842, illustrations of ship life and those involved in the mutiny, a bibliography, and index. What became of the participants, how the events impacted their lives, and a summary of later accounts on this period in naval history round out this absorbing, well-researched story of an incident few readers have ever heard of.


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




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Review of The Trafalgar Chronicle New Series 8

The Trafalgar Chronicle: Dedicated to Naval History in the Nelson Era: New Series 8 by Judy Pearson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


The 1805 Club annually publishes The Trafalgar Chronicle, a collection of articles about the age of sail between 1714 and 1835. Each issue focuses on a particular subject; this time around the “The Navies of the Georgian Era – An International Perspective” is the theme. Thirteen contributors from six countries showcase different navies prominent during this time period. What they share allows readers to see how fighting at sea was only one aspect of gaining the upper hand in each nation’s desire for naval superiority.

Anthony Bruce writes about “The Battles of Cape Finisterre, 1747.” The Western Squadron had a three-pronged mission during its cruises: protect commercial ships, defend against invasion, and keep watch over the French. In this particular year, the Royal Navy engaged the enemy twice at Cape Finisterre. Vice Admiral George Anson was in command during the first encounter while Rear Admiral Edward Hawke, the second.

Nicholas James Kaizer examines sea engagements involving individual vessels, particularly sloops, in “Hornet versus Peacock,/i>: The Lost Historical Significance of the Single-Ship Actions of the War of 1812.” These engagements may have lacked critical impact during the conflict, but the losses point out key weaknesses in competency and command. Change became inevitable because of these defeats and the resultant inquiries.

The East India Company couldn’t fully control the regions in which its ships sailed. To compensate for this, a fleet of ghurabs and galivats was formed to assist the Royal Navy in protecting English commerce in the Indian Ocean. Saikat Mondal explores the “Bombay Marine, the Vanguard and Precursor of the Royal Indian Navy.” He also talks about Kanhoji Angre, a man of great importance in the Indian Navy’s history but whom the English saw as a pirate. Also discussed is the Bombay Marine’s fight against piracy during the 19th century.

When Peter the Great decided to bring Russia into the 18th century, one of his reforms resulted in the formation of the Russian Navy. As time passed, the fleet deteriorated. Catherine the Great provided the necessities to make the Russian navy a force to be reckoned with. Kenneth Flemming examines this history and the roles Russia’s Navy played during various conflicts of the period in “Russian Naval Power during the Eighteenth Century.”

Although Vice Admiral James Saumarez fought when necessary, armed engagements weren’t necessarily the best way to handle volatile situations. Andrew Venn demonstrates this in “Diplomacy, Restraint and Protection: The Actions of Saumarez’s Baltic Fleet 1808-1812.”

While the above essays pertain specifically to the book’s theme, the second set of chapters are from The Baltic Cauldron: Two Navies and the Fight for Freedom. This book was published in celebration of the Royal Swedish Navy’s 500th anniversary. Peter Hore, a previous editor of The Trafalgar Chronicle and a retired officer of the British Royal Navy (RN), talks about “The Baltic Fleet 1715-1727 and Sir John Norris” and “Swedes at Trafalgar.” Christopher Hägg, a retired officer of the Royal Swedish Navy (RSN) and marine artist who did the cover art for this annual, discusses “Vice Admiral Lord Nelson Threatens the Swedish Fleet in Karlskrona 1801.” These chapters not only look at the history of the RSN but also its interactions with the RN in different capacities. Among topics covered are the Battle of Copenhagen, Swedes who served on RN ships during the Battle of Trafalgar, and the privateers commissioned by Swedish monarchs.

The third section of this Trafalgar Chronicle concerns biographical portraits. Andrew Field writes about Captain Charles Cunningham and how he extricated his ship and his men from the Nore Mutiny in “‘An Officer of Great Merit’.” Hilary L. Rubenstein examines two admirals who served during the reign of George III in “Rodney and Kempenfelt: How They Were Related.” Judith Pearson, one of the book’s editors, shares a discovery of remains found during the renovation of a church in Bermuda and her search to learn more in “A Dead Captain and a Sunken Ship: The Fates of Sir Jacob Wheate and HMS Cerberus in Bermuda.”

The last section of this annual concerns articles of general interest to readers. First up is Mark Barton’s “Duke of Clarence Swords,” the presentation swords awarded to RN officers and how the duke (and future King William IV) decided who was worthy of such honors. George R. Bandurek traces what happened to the first British vessel captured during the War of 1812 in “HM Schooner Whiting After Her Capture in 1812: The Cartagena Privateer San Francisco de Paula.”

One quote often associated with Horatio Nelson is ““The conduct of all privateers is, as far as I have seen, so near Piracy, that I only wonder any civilized nation can allow them.” Ryan C. Walker analyzes what Nelson truly thought of pirates and privateers and where the quote originated in the last essay of the collection, “‘I only wonder any civilised nation can allow them’: Nelson’s Actual Opinion of Privateer.”

In addition to the notes that accompany the various articles, the reprinted chapters from The Baltic Cauldron include titles of books for further reading. There are illustrations, both black and white and color, found throughout the book, as well as a section of color plates. These include portraits, paintings, maps, and informational charts.

I usually prefer to read the print book of this annual, but review copies were only available in electronic format this time. For readers unfamiliar with reading the ebook format, I do caution where you press to turn pages. There are links to the endnotes and if your finger lands on one of these numbers, the book automatically pages to the specific endnote. This can be disconcerting initially, but there is usually a way to easily return to where you left off reading. The ebook is remarkably well done in layout, formatting, and editing. The only exception to the editing came when I noticed that words beginning with “d,” such as Danes or Dr (abbreviation for doctor in front of a name), were uniformly not capitalized.

Always informative, this edition of the Trafalgar Chronicle will be of interest to readers who enjoy naval history as well as piratical or privateering history. All are captivating reads, while a few particularly held my attention. Many English histories present Kanhoji Angre in the negative light of piracy. Saikat Mondal skillfully shows the flipside of that coin, that Angre was a great Indian admiral. The inclusion of how the Bombay Marine helped suppress piracy in later years is equally compelling. Having read several fictional portrayals of the Nore Mutiny, I was wonderfully surprised to learn about how one captain kept his crew and ship safe despite the overwhelming odds for his men to join the mutineers. Walker’s analysis of Nelson’s quote is also very revealing and makes an interesting case for not taking things at face value. The Trafalgar Chronicle New Series 8 is highly recommended, entertaining, and enlightening.


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




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Louella Bryan'ts Sheltering Angel

Sheltering Angel: A Novel Based on a True Story of the Titanic by Louella Bryant

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Andrew Cunningham, a Scotsman, seeks a life at sea and becomes a steward of the White Star Line’s RMS Oceanic in 1889. The possibility of disaster is always in the back of his mind, but he enjoys his work and is good at doing the bidding of first-class passengers under his care. He marries, has a family, and meets Florence and Bradley Cumings, an American couple, on his last voyage aboard Oceanic before transferring to the newest vessel of the company, Titanic.

In 1888, Florence Thayer, a minister’s daughter, falls quickly for the stockbroker, Bradley Cumings, who joins them for Sunday dinner. She’s intelligent, well spoken, and likes to help the less fortunate. She juggles service with marriage and family while her husband becomes successful in business. Although reticent to leave her sons, the couple enjoy their European vacation until just before they are to come home; a coal strike means only one ship is setting sail for the States: RMS Titanic. The maiden voyage proves to be the icing on their romantic getaway … until the collision. Florence and Andrew find themselves in the freezing Atlantic waiting for someone to rescue them.

One may ask, why read another Titanic novel? Sheltering Angel goes far beyond the usual sinking and dying story. This story is personal for the author; Florence Cumings was her mother-in-law’s grandmother, and this novel recounts how a friendship between two disparate people sprang from tragedy on that fateful night in 1912. Poignant, spellbinding, and gut-wrenching, this tale vividly depicts who these two people were and how the sinking affected them. Readers are transported to the White Star Line’s heyday and get a feel for what it was like to work for the company. It’s also a revealing portrait of what the survivors faced upon arriving in New York.


(This review originally appeared at Historical Novels Review: https://historicalnovelsociety.org/re...)



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C. V. Lee's Token of Betrayal

Token of Betrayal by C.V. Lee

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Jersey seems like a haven from the turmoil of war until an insider permits the French to seize the island fortress one night in 1461. Sir Philippe de Carteret sends word to the newly crowned English king, but he is too busy dealing with internal and external disputes to lend assistance, and Warwick, Lord of the Channel Islands, ignores all missives. To protect family and tenants, de Carteret pays homage to his new overlord while biding his time. Not everyone is willing to wait. While the French terrorize the islanders, another seigneur and a minister plot to drive away the French. It takes only the claims of a stranger to light their fuse.

Neither child nor adult, de Carteret’s nine-year-old son, also Philippe, finds life exceedingly frustrating. He forms an attachment to his new tutor, who came to Jersey after the House of York dethroned the House of Lancaster. When pirates attack one night, Philippe saves his tutor’s life but doesn’t fully comprehend her sufferings. Nor does he understand a fortuneteller’s prediction or his surreptitious visit to the French dungeons; both become haunting memories.

This first book in the Roses & Rebels series is a fictional rendering of France’s medieval invasion of the Channel Island and the resultant events, as well as a coming-of-age tale seen from the perspectives of father and son over nine years. Occasional word choices pull readers from the story, and one incident in an inn seems a bit contrived. Overall, Token of Betrayal is an interesting read depicting the Wars of the Roses from an unusual angle. The themes of growing up, loyalty, and the effects of war on regular people have relevance to readers today.


(This review originally appeared in Historical Novels Review: https://historicalnovelsociety.org/re...)



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Samantha Thomas's Emma's Marshall

Emma's Marshal by Samantha Thomas

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Strangers are rarities in Autumn Springs, so naturally a handsome one catches Emma Hart’s attention. Of course, her five overprotective brothers are likely to scare him off the same as they have all the other prospects in the Montana Territory. When the man shows up at their ranch, Emma’s curiosity gets the better of her, and she sets about trying to figure out why he’s come. He signs on as a ranch hand, but she doubts that’s why he’s there. Solving that mystery inevitably leads to trouble – the kind from which she may not escape.

Long ago, Weston Hayes learned a hard truth: being a U.S. Marshal and getting married just don’t mix. He’s come to arrest the McCarty boys, not fall in love with Emma Hart. There are just two problems. The one man who may lead him to the outlaws works at her family’s ranch, so he hires on to get close to the man, but being so close to Emma means Weston’s heart isn’t listening to his head. As a result, he’s not focused on the right hunt, which leads to the dangerous situation he’s always feared.

Emma’s Marshal is a good, old-fashioned western romance and the first book in the Harts of the West series. The predicaments faced elicit a wide range of emotions, some serious, some humorous. The well-drawn characters capture your attention, and you want to know what happens next. Occasional phrasing may seem off, but if you reread the sentence, it makes sense. Emma’s Marshal is a delightful, fast read that leaves you satisfied and eager to meet the rest of the Hart family.


(This review originally published in Historical Novels Review: https://historicalnovelsociety.org/re...)



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