Pirates and Privateers
The History of Maritime
Piracy
Cindy Vallar, Editor
& Reviewer
P.O. Box 425,
Keller, TX 76244-0425
   
Books for Adults ~ Fiction
Kydd
Artemis
Seaflower
Mutiny
Quarterdeck
Tenacious
Command
The
Admiral's Daughter
Treachery

Kydd
by Julian Stockwin
McBooks Press, 2022, ISBN 978-1-4930-6880-7, US $19.95
    
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.
Review Copyright ©2022
Cindy Vallar


Artemis
by Julian Stockwin
McBooks Press, 2022, ISBN 978-1-4930-6881-4,
US $19.95
    
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.
Review Copyright
©2022 Cindy Vallar

Seaflower
by Julian Stockwin
McBooks Press, 2022, ISBN 978-1-4930-6881-4,
US $19.95
   
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.
Review Copyright
©2022 Cindy Vallar


Mutiny
by Julian
Stockwin
McBooks Press, 2022, ISBN
978-1-4930-6883-8, US $19.95
Also available in e-book format
    
Thomas
Kydd, now a master’s mate, returns in
this fourth book that takes place in
1797. His promotion means he and his
friend have separated. While Nicholas
Renzi is aboard a 74-gun
ship-of-the-line, Thomas serves on Achilles
(64) where he makes a new friend, who
doesn’t always approve of what Thomas
does. He finds his mood turning morose
from being separated from Nicholas.
This changes somewhat after two
encounters. One involves a married
woman, and the other a drunken, but
veteran, sailor with a low opinion of
the Royal Navy.
The
fortuitous arrival of Nicholas’s
vessel reunites the two friends and,
when the opportunity presents itself
to forego the mindless routine of
being anchored at Gibraltar, they
volunteer for a special mission to
Venice. Being circumspect is a
necessary part of their assignment,
which proves both a blessing and a
hindrance. It is carnivale,
a time when everyone wears masks,
which makes it difficult to tell
friend from foe. Renzi is acquainted
with the city and speaks Italian,
but the visit stirs up memories that
drive a wedge between him and
Thomas, as well as the others
accompanying them. An additional
complication is a clandestine pact
between Austria and France that
impacts Venice and endangers their
lives and their freedom.
When
Kydd finally returns to Achilles,
he finds an unhappy ship. Some crew
replacements are men given little
choice in joining the navy. With
orders to return to England, the
ship sails for home. Thomas senses
the brewing tempest, and news of the
fleet’s mutiny at Spithead merely
adds to his growing unease. The
captain’s attempt to forestall the
men from joining that ill-fated
revolt backfires when the ships
anchored at Nore also rise up
against the Admiralty. Conflicted,
Thomas wavers between being an
officer now and a seaman before,
until a new love interest, a
dishonest gentleman, and a
charismatic mutineer push him closer
and closer to a fateful decision.
This
volume in the Thomas Kydd novels
focuses more on the mental and
behavioral aspects of sea life,
particularly as they affect Thomas
and Nicholas. Each portrayal differs
based on each man’s character traits
and past experiences, with striking
differences and similarities that
strain their friendship almost to
the breaking point. Rather than
concentrate on the better-known
mutiny at Spithead, Stockwin
portrays the subsequent insurrection
at Nore. The seamen’s discontent is
justified, but the Admiralty’s
response differs between the two
anchorages. This is convincingly
shown via scene shifts between
London and Nore, as well as the
almost palpable tug-of-war waging
within Kydd. Equally well-rendered
are the confusion and precariousness
of carnivale, and the tragic
death that leads to Thomas’s first
true encounter with love. Commodore
Horatio Nelson and Kydd’s first
fleet action are artfully entwined
with the major story threads. Mutiny
provides readers with the feel
of being swept into a maelstrom
where the only way to endure is to
hold on tight and hope to survive.
Review Copyright ©2023
Cindy Vallar


Quarterdeck
by Julian Stockwin
McBooks Press, 2022, ISBN
978-1-4930-6884-5, US $19.95
Also available in e-book format
    
Following the Battle
of Camperdown (October 1797),
Thomas Kydd is promoted to
lieutenant and assigned to HMS
Tenacious, a 64-gun
ship-of-the-line. He and his
friend, Nicholas Renzi (who
now holds the same rank), head
to Kydd’s home while the ship
undergoes repairs. During this
leave, Thomas realizes that if
he’s to succeed as a king’s
officer, he needs to acquire
the traits of a gentleman. An
assignment that falls to
Nicholas, who believes the
request reasonable but nigh
unto impossible. Still, with
dogged determination, Thomas
perseveres and benefits when
his sister helps add further
polish to his social graces.
When
Kydd finally meets his new
commander, all his hard work
and practice cannot erase the
fact that he is a tarpaulin
officer (one who begins his
career as a seaman who lives
on the lower deck). Captain
Houghton wants only gentleman
officers, men he can rely on
to represent the ship and the
country appropriately.
Therefore, Thomas is being
reassigned . . . until urgent
orders arrive that prevent
that. Consequently, he becomes
Tenacious’s fifth
lieutenant, the most junior
and the one responsible for
the signal flags.
Assigned
to the North American station,
Tenacious leads a
convoy of merchant ships west
to Halifax. Not even out of
sight of England, French
privateers cut out slower
vessels and it is Kydd who
alerts the captain to this
intrusion. As the voyage
progresses, Thomas feels more
and more like an outsider,
someone who doesn’t belong
among the other officers in
the wardroom. It doesn’t help
that Nicholas easily fits in
and has found someone new with
whom to have philosophical
discussions. Before long,
Thomas feels as if he’s caught
between a world in which he
doesn’t belong and one to
which he can never return.
A
misstep in reading the signal
flags doesn’t help the
situation; it merely serves to
intensify the isolation and
loneliness that he feels. Yet,
what he doesn’t understand is
that while he may lack all the
social graces that the other
officers have, he has
knowledge and experience they
lack because he has “come aft
by the hawse.” This expertise
comes in handy when he
commands a ship’s boat amidst
an ice field blanketed by fog
from which the French emerge
and fierce hand-to-hand combat
ensues.
Thomas’s
attitude begins to change
during a dinner conversation
on the admiral’s ship. Instead
of worrying about his social
station, he concentrates on
becoming as informed as
possible about global affairs
and how events in one place
affect events elsewhere in the
world. Then someone from his
past emerges who threatens his
ability to lead men. Only his
knowledge of life on the lower
deck allows Thomas to
effectively deal with the
situation. An encounter with a
French frigate with unexpected
armament requires his
knowledge of navigation and
working in a shipyard to
protect Achilles and those who
serve on her.
Quarterdeck
is an excellent account of
what it is like to be a fish
out of water in a world
totally foreign to all that
you know. It also shows the
intricacies of what is
required to be a lieutenant.
Along the way, Kydd encounters
three people who will
influence his life in
unexpected ways. One is a
relative he has never met. The
second is an American who
wants the new United States
Navy to be as successful as
the Royal Navy. The third is a
woman whose presence at a
royal ball is “either inspired
deviltry or the purest
ignorance!” (312)
While
readers may be unaware of the
fact that one aspect of
writing is to show how a
character matures and changes
between the beginning and end
of a story, Stockwin does a
superb job demonstrating this
character arc in Quarterdeck.
This allows us to experience
the full gamut of emotions
that Kydd does, while at the
same time, we readily identify
with each because in one way
or another we've felt the same
way.
Review Copyright ©2023
Cindy Vallar


Tenacious
by Julian Stockwin
McBooks Press, 2022, ISBN
978-1-4930-6885-2, US $19.95
Also available in e-book format
    
In the year since the
mutiny at the Nore, Thomas Kydd
has gone from seaman to lieutenant
and is now accepted as an equal
among his fellow officers. His
ship, the 64-gun Tenacious,
is recalled from Halifax to
support Admiral the Earl St.
Vincent off the coast of Spain. As
they sail across the Atlantic,
Thomas sets his sights on a new
goal of commanding his own ship,
but the problem is how to achieve
it. His friend Nicholas Renzi
wrestles with a different dilemma,
whether to continue in the navy or
return to the life from which he
exiled himself five years earlier.
General
Buonaparte has his own plans of
action. Barges large enough to
land troops are being built in
northern French ports and soldiers
are massing on the coast. It seems
he intends to put to sea, but for
where? Whispers of Constantinople,
of Egypt, of England are all
possibilities, but where exactly
is Napoleon once he successfully
evades the British blockade?
This
sixth entry in the Kydd Sea
Adventure series incorporates a
sequence of key incidents during
the waning years of the French
Revolution: the royals’ flight
from Naples with the aid of the
Royal Navy; the devastating fleet
action at Aboukir Bay; a secret
mission to capture Minorca; and
the siege of Acre. Kydd emulates
Nelson in hopes of getting noticed
with a daring suggestion that
evens the odds during the Minorcan
expedition, and leading a
contingent of seamen in a
desperate bid to prevent Napoleon
from reaching Constantinople.
Along the way, he discovers what
type of leader he wants to be and
comes to terms with the
consequences of betrayal.
Steadfast,
stubborn, and resolute are
synonyms of “tenacious,” a word
that applies both to a warship and
the men who serve on her. Stockwin
allows his readers to stand side
by side with the characters as
they endure this riveting and
harrowing account of a world at
war.
Review Copyright ©2023
Cindy Vallar


Command
by Julian Stockwin
McBooks Press, 2023, ISBN
978-1-4930-7127-2, US $19.95
Also available in e-book format
    
It is early in the
first decade of the 19th century.
England still fights the French.
William Pitt is no longer prime
minister. King George once again
suffers madness. And no matter what
Thomas Kydd does, Captain Rowley
finds fault with it. They share a
past, one as treacherous as a rogue
wave on a storm-swept sea. This
latest incident sees Kydd relieved
of duty and awaiting the admiral’s
decision on charges of dereliction.
He expects to be tossed out of the
Royal Navy; instead, he receives
orders to hie to Malta and take
command of a new brig-sloop.
Although this is the backwater of
the Mediterranean, with little
chance of engaging the enemy and
advancing his career, nothing
dampens his spirit. He has achieved
a dream: being the indisputable
commander of his own ship, and what
a fine vessel is HM Sloop Teazer.
His orders are many-fold, especially
for a single vessel, but he is
determined to carry them out to the
best of his ability. He conveys
dispatches and important passengers,
escorts small convoys, protects
trade, renders service to the civil
government of Malta, and harries the
enemy. Three familiar faces join him
in these endeavors: his servant
Tysoe, Midshipman Bowden, and Toby
Stirk (a former mate and gun captain
of Seaflower). Gone,
however, is Nicholas Renzi, and it’s
possible the two friends may not
encounter one another again.
As always, nothing is as simple as
it appears. Time and again, Kydd
must rely on his astuteness and
lessons learned from past mistakes
to deal with sticky situations, such
as one vessel to protect a convoy of
twenty-seven, Barbary corsairs, and
a cunning but brutal French
privateer. All while taking
individual seamen and melding them
into a cohesive unit that works and
fights together as one.
Stockwin excels at showing readers
the isolation and loneliness of
command, as well as the profound
responsibility that rests on
Commander Kydd’s shoulders. This is
also a tale of what it takes to fit
out a new ship and what happens when
peace comes, ships are
decommissioned, and officers find
themselves out of work. This leaves
Kydd in a quandary because the navy
is his life, but it also offers
opportunity that sees him in command
of a ship transporting convicts and
settlers halfway round the world.
Instead of glossing over
less-than-glamourous aspects of
life, Stockwin seamlessly
incorporates them into Kydd’s life
in ways that serve to mentor Kydd as
a leader of men who must make life
and death decisions that affect
those who serve under him. Neither
does Stockwin neglect Renzi, but his
path in life profoundly shifts after
a near-death experience. Command,
the seventh offering in the Kydd Sea
Adventures, provides a startling
contrast between life in the Royal
Navy and merchant marine, as well as
providing glimpses of what awaits
those who find themselves forging
new lives in Australia.
Review Copyright
©2023 Cindy Vallar


The Admiral’s
Daughter
by Julian Stockwin
McBooks Press, 2023, ISBN
978-1-4930-7152-4, US $19.95
Also available in e-book format
    
Peace
does not bode
well for
Thomas Kydd in
1803, because
he stands
adrift on
English soil
since his
return from
Australia.
Although
pressed into
the Royal
Navy, it has
become his
life and he
desperately
wants to
return to its
fold. The
peace,
however, is
tenuous and
the powers
that be in
London have
decided it is
better to
declare war
anew first
rather than
allow Napoleon
Bonaparte to
proceed with
his plan to
dominate the
world. Kydd
receives a
summons to
appear in
Plymouth, but
by the time he
arrives there,
the admiral
has few ships
to offer him.
He opts for
one that he
knows well, HM
Sloop Teazer,
his last
command. He
also secures
permission for
Nicholas
Renzi, now a
civilian, to
accompany him
aboard Teazer
as his
secretary. (A
position that
allows Renzi
time to work
on his study
of natural
philosophy
with an aim to
write a book
that will shed
new light on
this topic.)
As
the ship is
readied for
duty, Kydd
must hurriedly
set sail with
less-than-a-full
complement for
France. It is
vital that
British
citizens leave
before
Napoleon
learns of the
imminent
declaration of
war. But it is
a race against
time because
Napoleon has
already issued
arrest orders
for any
English found
in France.
Through luck
and ingenuity,
Kydd and most
of his crew
escape aboard
Teazer with
their rescued
passengers.
After
returning to
his new home
base at
Plymouth, Kydd
meets with his
commander,
Admiral Sir
Reginald
Lockwood. He
is in charge
of protecting
the coast of
England, and
Kydd is
assigned to
patrol from
Weymouth to
the Isles of
Scilly. His
primary task
is to stop
enemy
privateers and
warships from
attacking
coastal
vessels.
Secondary
duties include
delivering
dispatches,
important
passengers,
and unusual
cargo to
wherever they
may be needed,
as well as to
work with the
Revenue to
stop
smugglers.
This is Kydd’s
first time to
sail in home
waters, so
there is a
learning curve
to master, and
the chance for
fame and glory
is minimal.
But this
assignment
allows him to
be in total
command, away
from the
watchful eye
of superiors.
Privileges
and
responsibilities
come with his
new command,
some of which
find him not
at sea but on
land. As an
officer in
command of his
own vessel, he
is expected to
have a real
home and to
entertain . .
. at least
this is what
his sister
Cecila tells
him. He also
needs to look
to his attire;
he must have
suitable
civilian
fashion to mix
and mingle at
social
affairs. At
one of these
parties, he
meets
Persephone
Lockwood, the
admiral’s
daughter. They
are attracted
to each other,
even though
her family has
ties to the
royal court.
Two problems
arise as their
relationship
grows serious:
her mother is
determined to
separate the
lovers, and a
sojourn with
Renzi brings
someone new,
who quickly
becomes an
obsession,
into Kydd’s
life.
This
eighth volume
in the Kydd
Sea Adventures
offers readers
a wealth of
experiences
rarely
encountered in
other naval
adventures (a
tour of
Plymouth
Dockyard, what
occurs when a
ship is caught
in a ground
sea, and a
church service
at sea). His
nemeses this
time around
are himself, a
brutal French
privateer
whose
knowledge of
England’s
coast is
beyond
remarkable,
and a mystery
man who has
organized the
smugglers over
a wide region
in ways that
allow them to
evade capture.
There is a
nail-biting
chase that
results in a
difficult
choice. There
are several
confrontations
with Renzi,
one that
threatens to
dissolve their
friendship
once and for
all. A
dangerous
mission
results in
friendly fire
from a frigate
off a
treacherous
section of the
French coast.
Someone from
Kydd’s past
provides
surreptitious
clues about
how smugglers
work and
ventures
undercover
into their
perilous
enterprise.
Readers
experience the
frustrating
futility that
Kydd and his
men do as they
watch a
merchant ship
wreck and are
unable to
rescue her
crew. There is
the promise of
retribution to
come, as well
as devastating
grief. The
Admiral’s
Daughter
is a blend of
highs and lows
that will
affect each
reader in
different
ways. It is
consummate
storytelling
that is not to
be missed.
Review Copyright
©2023 Cindy Vallar


Treachery
by Julian Stockwin
McBooks Press, 2023, ISBN
978-1-4930-7154-8, US $19.95
Also available in e-book
format
    
Neither
Kydd nor Renzi are in good
places when this latest
Kydd Sea Adventure begins.
Renzi suffers from guilt
for abandoning his friend
when he needed him most.
Kydd wallows in grief at
the sudden loss of his
beloved. Renzi makes a new
vow to help Kydd, but it
takes an encounter with
footpads and the press
gang to draw Kydd
sufficiently out of his
anguish to at least do his
duty as captain of Teazer.
This Thomas Kydd
is not the one that his
men admire and willingly
follow. This is a harsh,
unyielding commander who
demands immediate
obedience. As a result,
unease and possible mutiny
ripple through the crew,
though Kydd is too blinded
to see or listen to
Renzi’s warnings. It takes
another to turn the tide
before it’s too late.
Teazer and
her crew have been
relegated to the isolated
station of the Channel
Islands, where Admiral
Saumarez is in charge. For
Renzi, this provides him
with new opportunities to
continue his research. For
Kydd, he is given a chance
to show his mettle;
Saumerez judges by deeds
and courage instead of
hearsay and innuendo. Kydd
accepts the chance to
prove himself worth; in
doing so, he draws the ire
of those who have been on
station longer than he
has. Then Kydd receives
secret orders, which he
successfully carries out.
Upon returning to home
port, his ship is boarded
and he is accused of
smuggling, which is
against Admiralty rules.
And the admiral denies
ever giving him secret
orders.
Treachery* is
the tale of what happens
when an officer loses his
command and must seek
employment on land. It is
also about backstabbing
and vowing to clear one’s
name, as well as following
paths that go against
one’s beliefs.
Privateering and espionage
play key roles in these
struggles. The
machinations behind a plot
to kidnap Napoleon
Bonaparte show the tenuous
scheming between the
English government, French
émigrés, and French
royalists. The action is
riveting and the emotions
are profound. Internal
struggles play out
alongside external ones.
This ninth title in the
series is one that fans
will enjoy not only for
these reasons but also
because it delves further
into multi-dimensions of
character.
Meet
the author
*This
book was previously
published under the title
of The Privateer's
Revenge.
Review
Copyright ©2023 Cindy
Vallar


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