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Friendship confronts treachery upon the dangerous waterways of the mid-1700s in this adventure novel. While dominant militaries protect the seas for trade and travel, pirates test the world order with their cunning hijacks. Thomas, a British naval officer thrown overboard his ship in a storm, and Mauricio, an Iron Born Pirate who abandons his crew to rescue his sister from harlotry, find themselves fellow prisoners, wounded and wanted, in Trinidad. Two prostitutes help the unlikely pair of inmates escape and consequently must escape Trinidad themselves for their deed. In separate but related escapades around the Caribbean islands, the two men and two women encounter both villains who do them harm and strangers who turn out to be saviors.
Non-stop troubles—including barbaric hazing rituals, cutthroat revenge, and bloody combat—characterize the first several chapters of this book. Each one brings a set of characters to a thorough and satisfying climax before turning to another segment of the cast. The exchange back and forth between the storylines keeps the suspense running high. Details about dress, customs, shipping, and weapons, as well as dialogue, ground the action in a vivid setting fitting the time period. A gruesome beginning gives way to a more peaceful conclusion as the heroes defeat the bad guys. This is not just an average black-and-white fable, however. Pirates have hearts, high ranking men defame their offices, and ladies of the night become wives and mothers. Both men and women characters inspire with gallantry and strength, while forgiveness and mercy trump ruthlessness in the end. In visceral action and drama, Mean’s fourth historical novel displays the depths of depravity as well as the heights of virtue.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review