The man who wants everything gets nothing… captain, when the HMS Boudica is attacked by pirates off the coast of Nova Scotia. On a captured enemy vessel he discovers a King’s ransom in treasure and a woman chained in the hold from passenger ship that mysteriously disappeared at sea.
Beautiful, defiant, and hell bent on revenge, India makes a deal with Merrick to uncover the pirates’ scheme, promising him everything he desires: fortune, glory, and the chance to bring honor back to the McKesson name.
Now, they race against time to uncover a plot that links those in the highest ranks of the British aristocracy, to a failed rebellion that is once again trying to topple the monarchy and place an old pretender on the throne. But all that glitters is not gold as passions stir and an impossible love blooms, threatening to undermine all Merrick and India have done to protect their King and a country on the brink of war.
This book contains violence and graphic depictions of war
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Wow! What an amazing book. It is easy to give this book five stars, and I’d add a plus symbol, a thumbs-up, and a hive-five as well.
I love American fiction from this period, which is to say, the colonial, French and Indian War, and the Revolutionary War times, so I was really looking forward to reading this book. My compliments also on a fantastic book cover.
Man of War begins off the coast of Newfoundland in June of 1755. A man of war is a heavily armed ship. The title of the book does double-duty, referring to the main character of the book as well. The story begins with a violent battle between two ships. The HMS Boudica has been attacked. Its captain succumbs to fatal injuries in the opening pages. Our hero, Lieutenant Merrick McKesson becomes Captain in an instant, and his superior officer’s final words were, “Stop those French bastards. You’re ready, my friend. Since the day I brought you on this ship, I knew you lusted for my queen. Lead the men. Show them you are no traitor. Remember, for King and Country, always.”
Our main character is short, stocky, and has “a mop of red hair.” He is also smart, strong, and driven. His troublesome past meets a challenging present, and we’re off on our literary adventure.
Before starting the book, the author provides several diagrams that are enormously helpful, especially to those of us who aren’t completely familiar with the parts of a warship. These exhibits include a picture titled, “The Anatomy of a Mast.” That is followed by a diagram of the Boudica, sliced lengthwise, and after that, we are provided several floor plans showing the layout of the decks. This was very useful in helping picture where much of the action of the book took place. With apologies to Captain Merrick, perhaps the Boudica is our protagonist.
The damsel in distress is so much more than that. She is a tragic figure who has endured unspeakable atrocities. When the men of the Boudica emerge victorious in the opening battle, we meet Caroline, who is chained in the hold of a sinking ship. She is hard to love, and she is not what she seems, yet we are drawn to yearn for her success. I don’t want to spoil any surprises, but I promise you, this character will take you on a journey.
This is a monster novel; a beast of a book. It is full of adventure on the high seas, packed with complex, riveting drama, and an engaging, intricate plot. The pace is fast-moving. The characters are richly portrayed, full of angst, and their nuances are revealed to us, bit by bit as the pages unfold. It is a thriller, and there’s plenty of romance in the pages as well. As if that weren’t enough, the author has created a floating world at the dawn of the French and Indian War. This novel is everything you could want in a book.
I received an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. If I had paid top dollar for this book, I would have been impressed with the entertainment value it delivered. I feel like I read an action-thriller, a drama, a romance book, a war story, and a historical novel all within these pages. I’m going to add the rest of the series to my TBR list.
Final note, the author warns, “This book does contain graphic content and depictions of war.” It is called Man of War, after all. Also, I would mention that there is graphic, sexual content as well, so you must know that before you choose this book.
I don’t normally read anything out of my normal genre: Regency Romances. This book, though, has captivated me from the beginning. Who can put down a book with sea battles, tall (masted) ships, sexy Scottish captains, and intrigue to match? This reader couldn’t.
The background of the story starts in Scotland at the Battle of Culloden (not really mentioned in the book but implied). This endeared me to the H because my family may/may not have taken part (on the side of the Scots) at Culloden. It made the story personal to me. Though, I would have liked to read more into that part of the story. Back to the H. What also endeared me to the character was…you may have guessed it already…he’s a ginger! He is always trying to do the right thing…sometimes, ultimately failing.
The h, I have to admit, if she was a real person — she would be my hero. She is a strong, resilient woman. She has lived through the worst possible situation and survived through her own force of will. She is the back bone of the entire story.
I would recommend this book to those who like movies like: Master and Commander or books like: “The Fox and the Faith”, “The Fox and the Fury”, “The Fox and the Flag”, and “The Fox and the Fortune”.
I give this book a full 5-stars.
BLURB
July 1755
War is brewing between England and France. Impressed into the Royal Navy, Lieutenant Merrick, against all odds, advanced through the ranks to become an officer–but he is not a gentleman. A man with a tainted past from a traitorous family, cast down by King George–a stain no man can remove.
Merrick’s thrust into the role of captain, when the HMS Boudica is attacked by pirates off the coast of Nova Scotia. On a captured enemy vessel he discovers a King’s ransom in treasure and a woman chained in the hold from passenger ship that mysteriously disappeared at sea.
Beautiful, defiant, and hell bent on revenge, India makes a deal with Merrick to uncover the pirates’ scheme, promising him everything he desires: fortune, glory, and the chance to bring honor back to the McKesson name.
Now, they race against time to uncover a plot that links those in the highest ranks of the British aristocracy, to a failed rebellion that is once again trying to topple the monarchy and place an old pretender on the throne. But all that glitters is not gold as passions stir and an impossible love blooms, threatening to undermine all Merrick and India have done to protect their King and a country on the brink of war.
***This book contains violence and graphic depictions of war***
REVIEW
What we have here, my fellow readers, is a shining example of what a prequel should be. All the bits mentioned in the first three books of the series that hinted at the recent past, are brought forth with all guns firing, striking a mizzen mast hit on the reader’s heart. If I were to describe the book in one word – passion. The passion of a crew’s loyalty to their ship and captain…the passion of a man’s political leanings…the passion of brothers torn asunder by hatred…the passion of brothers torn asunder by war…the passion of lust and love. Yes, my peeps and fellow travelers, the author has created some very passionate people and events, none more so than the mysterious India/Caroline. Headstrong, and determined, she had me, on the one hand, rooting for her cunning, while on the other hand, yelling at her to listen to Merrick for once. Enjoyable, entertaining, and enlightening on all things McKesson/Carlisle….and the emergence of the future evils of DeLancie, and Celeste….step aboard Merrick’s Queen, The HMS Boudica; adventure awaits. 5