Product Description

In the first volume of an exciting new series, J. E. Fender displays the confident command of historical and maritime detail that readers of the Aubrey/Maturin and Hornblower series demand in novels of 18th-century naval adventure. And in Geoffrey Frost--captain, trader, and reluctant warrior--Fender has created a larger-than-life hero worthy of his British predecessors.

Just twenty-six, Geoffrey Frost is already an experienced mariner and a veteran of the China trade, but he sets aside his lucrative commercial interests to assist the American colonies in their war with Great Britain. Unfortunately, his first mission for the colony of New Hampshire--to transport some badly needed cannons captured in the Bahamas--runs afoul of British naval vessels patrolling the American coast. Commanding a ship built for cargo rather than warfare, and a crew more accustomed to fending off pirates than engaging a well-trained British naval crew, Frost reveals a flair for tactics and a coolness under fire that bodes well for his wartime career.

His own ship all but destroyed in the desperate battle off the Isles of Shoals, Frost nevertheless returns to Portsmouth with a valuable prize--the newly built, copper-bottomed, well-equipped sloop o' war Jaguar, which he calls "the cat." Taking command of this vessel, Frost embarks on his new career as a licensed privateer, sailing out of Portsmouth to harass British merchant ships and help fund the American cause. But first, he launches a daring rescue mission into the heart of British Canada.

With its mix of exciting maritime adventure, colorful characters, and period detail, this inaugural volume marks the arrival of a promising new series.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1758391 in Books
• Published on: 2003-03-01
• Original language: English
• Dimensions: .1 pounds
• Binding: Paperback
• 306 pages

From Library Journal
In an obvious parallel to Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey-Maturin series and C.S. Forester's Horatio Hornblower novels, this is a tale of the high seas, set during the American Revolutionary War. It introduces Geoffrey Frost as a young naval officer and Ming Tsun, his mute (but astute) aide and best friend. The characters are memorable, especially Ming Tsun, as we learn his exotic history, why he is mute, and how he and Frost saved each other's lives. While working for the colony of New Hampshire, Frost encounters some British ships patrolling the American coast. Although his ship is almost destroyed, he nevertheless captures a British sloop. Taking over as captain, Frost embarks upon the career of a licensed privateer funding the American cause. Frost is harassed by, and harasses, the British patrol ships, creating enough action for two books from shipwrecks to battles to daring rescues. After several plot twists, Frost arrives at the end of this adventure but ready for the next. And there will be nine more. Fender, legal counsel for the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth, NH, has made an auspicious start with the first book in his projected series. Recommended for public libraries. Fred Gervat, Concordia Coll. Lib., Bronxville, NY
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Fender introduces a new maritime series chronicling the astonishing adventures of Captain Geoffrey Frost. Frost, a skilled mariner who cut his teeth on the often-treacherous China trade, is enlisted by the colony of New Hampshire to transport heavy canons seized by the Continental Navy during an amphibious assault on a British fort in the Bahamas. Defying the odds by skillfully eluding superior forces and capturing a British man-of-war, Frost embarks upon an illustrious career as a Revolutionary War privateer and hero. When he learns that his brother-in-law has been imprisoned in a heavily armed and guarded British fort in Nova Scotia, he undertakes a daring rescue mission, successfully liberating scores of American prisoners in the process. Authentically detailed and populated with an appropriately salty cast of characters, this suspenseful, action-packed tale will appeal to fans of seafaring fiction. Margaret Flanagan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review
"Authentically detailed and populated with an appropriately salty cast of characters, this suspenseful, action-packed tale will appeal to fans of seafaring fiction." --Booklist