Chanticleer Book Reviews

Category: Reviews

DARK WATER by Chynna Laird – Young Adult, Mystery/Thriller, Supernatural

Sixteen-year-old Freesia Worth should be enjoying her summer break, not looking for her missing mother. Almost a year ago, Tamara went missing. Unwilling to admit the likely truth that her mother is deceased, Freesia takes on the mission of finding her.

Having lost her father in a peace-keeping mission in Afghanistan, Freesia is desperate to find her mother, who was last seen at Hawk Lake, the location of the family’s yearly summer retreat and Tamara’s favorite place in the whole world. As a psychologist, Tamara counseled many soldiers who served with James and suffered from PTSD. And with the police getting ready to close their investigation, Freesia understands that if she wants to find any last clues to her mother’s disappearance, the lake is the best place to look.

It isn’t long before her hopes turn to resignation as she uncovers clues that something horrible happened to her mother and that one of the men her father called a friend is likely involved. As Freesia wades deeper into the mystery, she becomes intertwined with a supernatural being and a deadly killer.

The supernatural elements within this novel greatly enhance the mystery. Readers not only get a great “whodunit” but also a paranormal twist in the legend of “The Watcher,” a First Nation man who is the guardian of Hawk Lake and of all those who love it. The Watcher also helps souls seeking retribution, vengeance for the misdeeds of evildoers.

The Watcher leads a mysterious gothic girl to reveal the fragmented clues Freesia needs to unravel the disappearance of her mother. As this girl plants the “seeds” of justice, the more difficult the book is to put down!

Dark Water brings awareness to two important disorders, PTSD and SPD. Several characters within the novel have post-traumatic stress disorder, and the author sympathetically showcases the suffering of these men, haunted by images no one should see. Freesia develops compassion for the often-frightening behavior of the men in her father’s former unit, and here Laird’s strength leads the reader carefully through the torture these men and their families endure.

At the same time, Sage, Freesia’s eight-year-old sister, has been diagnosed with SPD, sensory processing disorder. Sage hasn’t spoken since her mother’s disappearance and only truly connects with Freesia, who must patiently help Sage communicate what she’s seen and heard. Just as Tamara fought for the PTSD soldiers that she counseled, Freesia fights to bring her sister back in order to unlock the secrets buried within her.

A blue sweatshirt, a pair of broken sunglasses, a strange girl, and a mystery worthy of a television drama, Dark Water will captivate and intrigue mystery-lovers and paranormal fans alike.

Dark Water won First Place in the 2017 Paranormal Awards.

February 4, 2019
KEELIC and the SPACE PIRATES, The Keelic Travers Chronicles Book One by Alexander Edlund – Sci-fi, Space Opera, Y/A

Alexander Edlund’s Keelic and the Space Pirates is a classic coming-of-age in an anything-but-classic environment. Eleven-year-old Keelic Travers wants what most young boys want, adventure and friendship, and he hopes to find both in his new home in Ermol, an “unspoiled oasis.”

Having left his best friend and the overpopulated world-city on Pesfor, Keelic initially finds excitement in the mostly rural world where his family has been sent to work. His award-winning exobiologist father shows Keelic how to properly explore and even allows him to explore on his own, but Keelic’s joy evaporates when he begins attending his new school, where he is constantly bullied. His only refuge is his advanced mathematics classroom, where he is the only student with an instructor who actually listens to him.

He believes he’ll never find a friend until he meets an alien left at his school by military officers. Thotti, a sentient creature who communicates non-verbally with colors and images, becomes Keelic’s constant companion when Keelic’s mother brings the creature home with them. He and Thotti discover a secret hidden deep in the Ermolian forest, a secret which could end up saving the lives of the entire planet.

Keelic is far from perfect. Though extremely smart, his adventurous, impish nature proves his strength and his downfall. Whether collecting specimens for his father or battling imaginary spaceships with Thotti, Keelic loves anything that forces him to use his wits, but at the same time, he’s still the fragile new kid who just wants to be accepted, or better yet, left alone.

This spunky fighter has a heart of gold and begins to question very grown-up concepts like self-awareness and free-will before the novel’s end. Dreaming of a war that occurred over two hundred years ago, Keelic sees only the glory of being a war hero until he must face real death at the arrival of the space pirates. This dynamic protagonist learns that life isn’t a game, and defending yourself often means less than defending others. His emotional growth isn’t linear; he often spins in moral circles, much like the real world.

Hardcore space opera fans of all ages will appreciate how seamlessly the author integrates the technical jargon of the novel. Readers will be fully immersed in a world three-hundred-years in the future, where humans are only one species of many, and small details create a believable environment that is such an intricate part of excellent science fiction.

Please click here to enjoy Keelic and the Space Pirates book trailer.

February 1, 2019
The TRAITOR’S NOOSE, Lions and Lilies, Book 4 by Catherine A. Wilson – Historical Fiction, Medieval, Romance

Fans of this widely admired and masterfully written series, Lions and Lilies, will not be disappointed with its concluding, volume, The Traitor’s Noose. The impressive scholarship, riveting dramatic scenes, and sweet romances that characterized the previous books are on full display here as well. The co-authors note, “…this is not a historic account but a ‘medieval adventure with a dash of romance, using history as its background. We have tried at all times to remain faithful and accurate to that history, but it is a fictional story.” Nonetheless, the reader need only review the lengthy bibliography included to gain a sense of the breadth of work the authors undertook to put this magnificent story on the page.

Set mainly in England and France during the 14^th century, the main characters are Lady Cecile de Bellegarde, Catherine Marshall, and their husbands. Catherine and Cecile, twin sisters separated at birth, have forged a bond that no person or event can break. While they live in different nations, Catherine in England and Cecile in France, their lives have many parallels. They are both married to courageous but unjustly maligned knights. Simon Marshall and Gillet de Bellegarde love their wives deeply, seek to protect them at all costs, and avenge any harm or cruelty done to them. That does not mean that they will readily divulge their fears to their spouses or recount the horrifying episodes they have survived, however.

Catherine is aware that Simon is under suspicion for murder, she knows her husband’s melancholy and reserve are caused by deeper worries. While Gillet experiences traumas on and off the battlefields from his involvement in the campaign to reclaim Brignais and rid France of routiers (mercenary soldiers.)

The husbands have their secrets and the sisters will share their marital woes with one another via a correspondence that beautifully dovetails the major events taking place in England and France. When finally apprised of what their husbands have been facing – blackmail, extortion, incarceration, and torture – they not only stand by their spouses but play key roles in extricating them from the darkest of situations. Amongst royals and routiers, there is no end of conniving, jealousy, brutality, and treason. One must understand the game to outplay enemies, and the sisters will do whatever is necessary to have their husbands by their sides. But who is the true traitor and whose neck should be lassoed with the noose? The authors weave a rich and intricate plot, every strand shimmering with suspense and romance.

Along the way, readers will delight in the details provided of everyday medieval life. The authors’ attention to dress, food, architecture, and language bring the late Middle Ages alive as the main characters experience opulence during the heralded era of knighthood and chivalry. (Oh, to be attired in an exquisitely embroidered gown, hair held in place by a headdress and veil! Or to be lifting a goblet of wine at a sumptuous feast held in lavish quarters in Windsor Castle or Orthez Castle!)

The darker side of medieval life is also examined, however; details of incarceration and of torture via racks and pins in fingers will likely send shivers down readers’ spines. A fascinating section of the book deals with apothecary science, the wonders, and horrors that can be wrought with oils and herbs. Anyone with a love for all things medieval must read this book and, indeed, the entire series.

While the ending of the novel is most satisfying, it’s also bittersweet. It’s hard to say good-bye to these captivating characters and close the book on the 14^th century. How wonderful, then, to turn the page and discover that the authors have provided a sneak peek of the first volume in their second series! Stay tuned for Roar of the Lion. The adventure continues!

Traitor’s Noose, Book 4 of the Lions and Lilies series won Grand Prize in the 2017 Chaucer Awards.

January 30, 2019
The 19th BLADESMAN, Book 1 of the Shadow Sword Series by S. J. Hartland – Epic Fantasy, Sword and Sorcery, Action/Adventure

A dark, medieval fantasy with a hopeful message from debut author, S. J. Hartland will draw attention for its atmospheric settings, evil twists, and righteous triumphs.

Lord Vraymorg is a seemingly ageless warrior whose duty is to train young bladesmen for their heavy task. These specially selected assassins, called bonded warriors, have the onerous responsibility of killing ghouls – and only ghouls – and always running the risk of being attacked. Being attacked by ghouls means certain death. And dying by ghoul is something everyone naturally wants to avoid. But something is different with Kaell, Vraymorg’s latest charge. In fact, the 19th bladesman carries a special destiny, one directed by the gods. Kaell is bright, defiant, and, though Vraymorg cannot bear to think of it, lovable, like a son. This fatherly love is the crux of the warrior lord’s struggle. How can he put this young man into harm’s way? For it is a death sentence to be trained as a warrior and pick up arms against the ghouls. Vraymorg doesn’t have it easy, and we get it.

Told from multiple points of view, Hartland’s story offers strong, masculine heroes like Kaell and Vraymorg, and intriguing feminine heroes like Rozenn, whose passion is matched by her infinite knowledge of Vraymorg’s past, and Azenor, a seer bound to Kaell in death. Even Archanin, the eerie, bloodthirsty leader of the ghouls, has his say, as he urges his band to spare Kaell’s life so that he can become one of them, a fate, perhaps, worse than death. When word comes that Kaell has died, leaving only his sword, Rozenn tells Vraymorg that the sword is a mysterious instrument with magical powers, powers that may save the lost boy, if wielded by someone who cares more for him than anyone else.

This is Hartland’s debut novel. It is a prodigious undertaking, notable for its length (more than 600 pages), and is worth the time spent, as it becomes an experience, a journey into an ancient, fabled world that beckons with echoes of Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones. Journalist Hartland has fleshed out each of the many characters and given them their place in this complex saga – and, one imagines, in the broadening tale to come, since we are told she has a sequel in the works. She has a gift for prose, proven on nearly every page.

At its heart, The 19th Bladesman examines the love of a father for an adoptive student/son he refuses to allow himself to care about, suspecting that the young man’s fate will be tragic and that his demise will come at his teacher’s hand. The mystery of Vraymorg’s relationship with Kaell and of Kaell’s indomitable will to please his mentor are the twin forces that buoy Hartland’s grandly conceived work and keep the constantly burgeoning plot afloat.

January 28, 2019
SECRETS of INNOCENCE, Book Two of The Perils of a Reluctant Psychic by V. & D. Povall – Mystery/Suspense, Paranormal, Occult

Learning about girls, boys, and love is a part of growing up. It’s these lessons that shape a person’s future and mold the soul. Authors V. & D. Povall show that even when forgotten, the Secrets of Innocence have an astounding way of making themselves known. And, what do these secrets reveal? In this second book of the suspense-mystery series, The Perils of a Reluctant Psychic, Sarah’s psychic powers reveal clues that weave a gripping story of discovery.

Sarah Thompson, although still learning how to manage her powerful psychic abilities, emerged stronger after her adventures in The Gift of the Twin Houses. She opened her heart to her new family and left behind the fear of being different. It’s when she finds an unconscious man on the side of the road that the peaceful life she yearns for is sorely tested. This man has been severely beaten and cannot remember anything, not even his name. The victim finds a friend in Sarah, and in a volunteer nurse who names him Daniel after a character in the stories she reads to comfort him during his recovery.

Meanwhile, Sarah’s supernatural abilities conjure up a movie in her subconscious. It shows clues to an intriguing puzzle. Does this story tie in with the man she saved? Who is this movie spirit that is communicating with her, and why? Despite the impromptu scenes playing out sans warning, she is determined to help Daniel discover who he is and what has happened to him.

Sheriff Williams is investigating Daniel’s assault case, and refuses any help from Sarah. He is suspicious of her powers. Undeterred, Sarah and her husband Conrad pursue their own independent search for the truth. When Sarah discovers and confronts the Sheriff about his own disturbing secret, he is stunned that she could possibly know what he has successfully kept hidden for so many years. Even more surprising is that through her powers he sees a glimmer of hope in the truth to his Secrets of Innocence.

The authors are a husband and wife writing team that has also authored screenplays, science fiction and murder-mystery novels, in addition to this suspense mystery series. Their background in different cultures and experiences leap off the pages of this sophisticated, character study that is set within a spellbinding puzzle. The writing is imaginative, vibrant, and exciting. The anticipation of what may come binds you to the story, as it builds to final revelations which are breathtaking.

A compelling examination of the depths of deception, regret, and violence that can motivate a person’s actions, whether for noble or ignoble purposes. Secrets of Innocence reveals the profound impact people have on each other.

Secrets of Innocence won 1st Place in the 2018 CIBAs, Somerset Awards for Literary Fiction.

This book is also available at Barnes & Nobles and on iTunes.

January 19, 2019
Disowned – The Red-Heeled Rebels Series Novel One by Tikiri – Women’s Adventure, Thriller/Suspense, International Crime

Spanning three continents and taking on crucial issues of child marriage and human trafficking, Disowned features a brave teen heroine struggling against international criminality with nothing but her wits and grit.

Asha, born in Tanzania, is still a child when her parents are tragically killed while on a family safari in Kenya. Within a short period of time she is transported to Goa, India, to live with relatives she has never met. Her grandmother is an angry, culture-bound crone, her aunt and cousin living, as Asha now must, under the old woman’s seemingly heartless sway.

Not yet knowing the language or the social manners of her new homeland, Asha wears her best red shoes to school. She is beaten by the schoolmistress and taunted by classmates until she finds her saving grace—cooking. Beginning with lessons learned as a child and kitchen lore picked up from her new family, she starts her own business selling cupcakes, gaining grudging respect from classmates.

When her grandmother decides to sell her off to an old man who already has a wife and has no qualms about claiming his new child-bride by rape, Asha realizes she must escape — from grandmother, from Goa, and indeed from this horrible marriage.

The road is open to a new life in Canada, but there she will find she has been sold again, this time as the virtual slave of a demented old woman whose bizarre activities soon put Asha on the run again, this time with a new friend and fellow cook named Katy. The dangers are palpable, but the girls are determined to make a new life for themselves – anywhere and by any means.

Tikiri is an entrepreneurial, adventurous self-described “recovering nomad,” and is the author of a series of Non-Fiction books in support of ambitious young women. The Rebel Journal Workbooks touch on subjects of finding your passion and making plans to reach your goal. One senses she has either personally observed or studiously researched the settings she so vividly describes – from the African veldt to the hovels of backstreet Goa.

Tikiri’s central character, Asha, is naïve but definitely not lacking in good sense or in empathy for the suffering she sees around her. Knowing little about men, she nonetheless intuits that her prospective husband would be a brute and her life in Goa an endless grind. She knows she’s made for better things and desires to help her ailing aunt and culturally trapped cousin if she can. Tikiri’s writing is skillful and creative; her storyline never flags. As she leads from twist to turn in the well-constructed plot, her reader’s attention will stay riveted on Asha’s continually escalating challenges. Female readers (from older teens to adults) will find kinship with the girls in the story and look forward to the next installment of Asha’s adventures.

A tale that sounds too real for comfort at times, Disowned, is the first book in the Red-Heeled Rebels series and presents a disturbing view of powerless, exploited women and girls in third-world countries through the hopeful eyes of a determined young woman trying to beat the odds.

January 16, 2019
IMMUNITY: Entitlement of Wealthy Political Notables by Donna LeClair – Biography, White Collar Crime, Child Abuse

Immunity, the latest offering by award-winning author Donna LeClair, recounts one woman’s struggles to maintain her sanity during a long nightmarish sojourn among the wealthy and powerful.

Emma, a sixty-something Midwesterner, signs on as a personal assistant to the family of David and Pauline Gram and their four children, in a far off land that Emma comes to think of as “Hollow Wood.” She is told that anything the family does is okay and strictly confidential. On Day One Emma watches as Pauline consumes an illegal substance and tosses her a few hundred-dollar bills to purchase enough pasteurized goat’s milk for Pauline’s bathing pool. When she meets Luke, the only male heir to the Gram fortune (his twin having been forcibly aborted to guarantee he’d have no competition), she sees that he is cute, chipper and totally unaware of anyone’s needs but his own. Her first car ride with David is terrifying as he drives in the emergency lane at top speed and when stopped by the highway patrol, makes it clear that he can’t be given a ticket. In the Grams’ world, it’s not so much who you know but who you own.

Trying to control her reactions to this selfish splendor, Emma discovers aspects of life with the Grams that are even worse than she could have possibly imagined. Pauline’s vast wardrobe never includes any outfit worn more than twice. David makes connubial visits to his wife, whom he keeps looking like a teenager by paying for the magic of the surgeon’s knife, on a strict schedule. Both parents snort, smoke and sip the best addictive substances, and when Emma hears the precise nature of their drug-related activities, she fears for her own safety. A romance keeps her temporarily soothed, but Emma will soon have to choose between her caring for the family and her culpability as a witness to their many nefarious dealings.

LeClair is a prodigious wordsmith who uses the writing craft to good effect. Whether it is a drug-induced temper flare-up, the destruction of a motel room, or a brief erotic interlude, the author weaves a rich tapestry. She has made fiction, it seems, of a painfully recalled set of reminiscences, changing the names to protect the innocent and avoid the wrath of the guilty. She examines the word “immunity” in its many guises: protection from penalty, entitlement of the very wealthy and well-connected, exemption from “an old love,” denial of responsibility, and “declaration protecting honorably truth.”

Through Emma’s eyes, we see all of these definitions playing out. By stepping into daily life as the Gram family understands it, Emma must make sacrifices that she may later regret. Thankfully, LeClair has ensured an ending that will give Emma the new chance she deserves and take away some of the weapons of power wielded by the Grams and their ilk.

Immunity won First Place in the 2017 CIBAs, in the JOURNEY AWARDS for narrative nonfiction.

January 16, 2019
FEDERAL PRISON HANDBOOK – The Definitive Guide to Surviving the Federal Bureau of Prisons by Christopher Zoukis – Survival Guide, Non-Fiction, Federal Prison

In the Federal Prison Handbook-The Definitive Guide to Surviving the Federal Bureau of Prison, Christopher Zoukis has meticulously identified, collected, and organized a compendium of information regarding life in federal prison. Zoukis’ straightforward writing, free of personal bias or opinion, is neither mysterious nor titillating—reality is not sensationalized—it’s not fiction, it’s the facts.

However, if through some twist of fate, you or a loved one finds yourself in the unthinkable situation of going to prison, it may become the best book you’ve ever read.

Consider. You’ve been sentenced to serve time in one of the Federal Bureau of Prisons’ 125 stand-alone facilities, a private contract facility, or a satellite prison camp scattered throughout the United States. You, who need directions to find your way through Costco to the deli, must now enter an unfamiliar world with its own lexicon, rules, and consequences. How will you survive?

As a thirty-year-old federal prisoner, incarcerated since he was a high school senior, Zoukis speaks authoritatively to that question—and other issues you haven’t even considered—and, why would you, with no previous experience or points of reference.

Zoukis has created a comprehensive guide to seemingly all aspects of prison life—from entering the front doors to the time you leave. He provides annotated, specific information regarding life in this mandated setting, a community which exists within both real and figurative walls. Its written and unwritten rules allow little latitude for divergent behavior or personal desires. And, perhaps equally important, Zoukis delineates the unique customs and unwritten social mores of prison culture.

Each handbook section cites and explains rules and regulations in detail, as well as providing practical tips, based upon the author’s experiences, observations, and information garnered from extensive interviews of fellow prisoners. The Federal Prison Handbook disabuses some of the sensationalism created by fiction, tell-alls, and media in general, regarding sexual abuse, gang violence, power hierarchies, and such. The topics are objectively elucidated within the context of the prison rules, consequences, and the overall prison culture.

Unlike many popular “survival” books, the Federal Prison Handbook will probably not give the reader an emotional rush or provide an epiphany regarding the meaning of life. However, it could prove invaluable to counselors, lawyers, families, and individuals who find themselves facing incarceration in the federal prison system.

Federal Prison Handbook-The Definitive Guide to Surviving the Federal Bureau of Prison won First Place in the Instruction & Insight Awards in 2017.

January 14, 2019
TWO COINS: A Biographical Novel by Sandra Wagner-Wright – Biographies & Memoirs, Women in History, European History

Author Sandra Wagner-Wright brings to life a story rife with “politics, power struggles, and patriarchy” in her newest historical novel Two Coins.

Mary Pigot is Lady Superintendent of the Ladies’ Association Female Mission in Calcutta, India. Born and raised in Calcutta, Mary is well acquainted with the climate, culture, and customs of the locals. Her diligence to faithfully spread God’s Word to the peoples of India while showing respect to their traditions places her in high esteem among the Ladies’ Association in Scotland.

In walks William Hastie, the new principal of the Scottish College, ten years into Mary’s position. His mission is to “restore harmony” between the Scottish College and the Female Mission. The only problem is that his definition of “restoring harmony” has to reflect Scottish principles. William realizes from the get-go that he has significant work to do when he recognizes Mary’s relaxed and unorthodox ways. As a result, friction immediately builds between the two.

While Mary continually contends with William’s nitpickiness, things grow from bad to worse when querulous Georgiana Smail comes on board as Mary’s assistant. Unbeknownst to Mary, Georgiana makes a detailed account of Mary’s faults and sends her findings in a report to the Ladies’ Association in Scotland. Mary returns to Scotland to defend her good name. More issues brew, this time involving her worst enemy, William Hastie. In the process of finding a solution to her ever-rising problems, the last thing she expects is to take William to court for libel.

Award-winning author Sandra Wagner-Wright brings to life an unprecedented event of the latter half of the 19th century. Based on actual events, Two Coins grew to fruition when she got wind of the case of Pigot vs. Hastie amid her research on missionary work in India. Original sources proved Mary Pigot to be a woman ahead of her time as marked by her professional accomplishments and tenacity for upholding her rights.

Building a plot from first and secondary sources is nothing to sneeze at, especially when details need to be presented in a way that identifies a novel as historical fiction. To Wagner-Wright’s credit is her ability not only to collect details but also breathe life into them. One of the most notable aspects of Two Coins is that it is written in present tense, which allows readers to feel as though they are experiencing a past event in real time.

Wagner-Wright takes her story one step further by designing her narrative in the first person and then alternates it between viewpoints from Mary and William (mainly), and (periodically) James Wilson, a close associate, and friend of Mary’s. The constant shifting while following a steady timetable allows the narrative to flow freely from one chapter into the next.

Two Coins keeps to the vernacular of the era with all of its patriarchally-laced social norms. Here the author includes a well-developed cast of primary and secondary characters that are mostly, though not exclusively, composed of historical figures. Scenes are a lively mix of engaging dialogue delicately balanced with a backset of nuances befitting British India—extreme temperatures (heat to monsoons), food, living conditions, adaptations due to climate (i.e., mosquito netting, nutshell-filled mattresses to keep away rodents), and Hindi terminology.

Tension (sprinkled with sarcastically comedic moments) rises with the court proceedings that are intertwined with unexpected plot twists. Two Coins, with its overtones to women’s rights, is nothing less than a stellar and ageless novel.

January 11, 2019
PALADIN’S WAR, The Adventures of Jonathan Moore, Book 3 by Peter Greene – Historical Fiction, Y/A Action/Adventure, 19th Century

The magic of living in 19^thcentury England comes to life in the early chapters of Peter Greene’s delightful, but also exciting, story—with British Navy Midshipman Jonathan Moore and daughter of the Governor of the Bahamas, Delain Dowdeswell, enjoying the fashionable new treat of ice cream, then joining their friends and family members at the boat race in Dover on a beautiful day. Granted, that wasn’t how everyone lived, and even these special few lived daily lives far less comfortable than do most ordinary people today. But they didn’t know that.

Jonathan is the son of Admiral Nathaniel Moore, who had been imprisoned in France during the Napoleonic wars. This happenstance orphaned the boy, who lived a sorry few years on the streets of London until he was found by his father’s friend, Captain Walker. The admiral was eventually rescued, and he and Jonathan were reunited. Delain and her sisters, Penelope and Rebecca, had been sent by their parents to live with the Walkers, who, with the help of Barbara Thompson, were tasked with teaching the sisters to become ladies. That seems unlikely for the irrepressible, fourteen-year-old adventuress, Delain, who once stowed away on the HMS Poseidon, from which she fired more than one cannon shot in battle!

Shortly after the race at Dover, however, the young midshipman, also fourteen, boards the HMS Paladin, along with his former street friend Sean Flagon, soon to become a Marine captain, board the HMS Paladin, leaving their friend Delain behind as they head straight into an adventure way beyond their expectations. Not surprisingly, Delain soon finds herself in a spy adventure right in London. And perhaps not so strangely for these three musketeers, their adventures overlap.

Greene paints not only the scenes in London but those on the Mediterranean, the Adriatic, and even the Black Sea with vivid color and action. He allows us to experience life on the sailing ships of His Majesty’s Royal Navy, telling us what the officers and crew wear, what they eat, where they sleep, how they talk, and especially what they do. As Peter Greene writes in his Acknowledgments, he “hoped to create a series that would capture the excitement and thrill of being on one of His Majesty’s wind-powered warships in the [Lord] Nelson era.”

The action on the HMS Paladin, as well as her sister ship, the HMS Echo, mostly unbeknownst to each other, rise to a fever pitch as they find themselves engaged in an explosive battle not with the French, but with the Russians and even the Turks! As you might guess from the overall tone of Greene’s story, the British, at least most of them, live to return to England.

This book was such fun to read. I’m hoping Peter Greene will give us a Book Four. Meanwhile, those who haven’t read Books 1 and 2 of The Adventures of Jonathan Moore, Warship Poseidon, and Castle of Fire, as well as a number of earlier books, will have some good reading to tide them over.

January 4, 2019