November 24, 2009
Genre: Historical Fiction/Adventure
Length: 312 pages
Series: Standalone book
Book description courtesy of Goodreads
Jamaica in 1665 is a rough outpost of the English crown, a minor colony holding out against the vast supremacy of the Spanish empire. Port Royal, Jamaica′s capital, a cut-throat town of taverns, grog shops, and bawdy houses, is devoid of London′s luxuries; life here can end swiftly with dysentery or a dagger in your back. But for Captain Charles Hunter it is a life that can also lead to riches, if he abides by the island′s code. In the name of His Majesty King Charles II of England, gold in Spanish hands is gold for the taking. And law in the New World is made by those who take it into their hands.
Word in port is that the Spanish treasure galleon El Trinidad, fresh from New Spain, is stalled in nearby Matanceros harbor awaiting repairs. Heavily fortified, the impregnable Spanish outpost is guarded by the blood-swiller Cazalla, a favorite commander of King Philip IV himself. With the governor′s backing, Hunter assembles a roughneck crew to infiltrate the enemy island and commandeer the galleon, along with its fortune in Spanish gold. The raid is as perilous as the bloody legends of Matanceros suggest, and Hunter will lose more than one man before he finds himself on the island′s shores, where dense jungle and the firepower of Spanish infantry are all that stand between him and the treasure.With the help of his cunning crew, Hunter hijacks El Trinidad and escapes the deadly clutches of Cazalla, leaving plenty of carnage in his wake. But his troubles have just begun.
My Thoughts
When I end the school year in May my mind automatically turns to all things beach! I want to go on a cruise, sit in the sand and sun and I also love reading about all things beach and pirates. Another blogger reviewed this book and I remembered how I'd started it years ago and never finished it. So when my mind shifted to "summer mode" I knew I wanted to go back and read it and review it. I had NO idea it was based on a real story and real person. When I found out I was shocked and pleased because I love books even more when they are about real historical people.
I loved the way the author switched between Jamaica and the things going on with the Governor and the aristocracy and the pirates. The crew assembled to retrieve the Spanish treasure was an assortment of interesting characters, some real and some fictional. I thought the pacing of the story was done well in that it moved along quickly but also had enough time to elaborate on suspense and the voyage itself. Yes, I agree there was every imaginable "trope" you'd find as in a movie or show like Black Sails but I really thought it all fit together well. You had the female pirate whom everyone fears, the female captive who needs rescuing, the threat of hurricanes and Krakens, etc. But somehow it made the story fun! No I don't believe this all happened and it is fiction after all, but it was well written and I learned a lot about just how they would have attacked a ship twice their size with a much larger crew, not to mention how they pulled off the actual seizing of the treasure from Matanceros.
Having read some of Crichton's other works a long time ago, I get how those who love him thought this was an extreme departure of his writing style. Maybe so, but this was a great adventure and I loved it. If you like pirates, treasure hunting, suspenseful battle scenes, and a main character who is flawed but you also find yourself rooting for, you will enjoy this book. I honestly wish he'd written another one in this setting with another pirate adventure. The author's note at the end telling what happened to the real characters is fascinating and made me want to delve into the real life of Captain Charles Hunter. Great summer read here!
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