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Member Reviews

An enjoyable, easy read set at the time of the Spanish Armada.

I liked many of the characters, but wish I'd read the previous books in the series first as I felt that I was missing a lot of background information on the main protagonists. However I appreciate the fact that writers don't always want to repeat information from earlier books - in fact I find it quite annoying that some writers do so in every single book in a series!

Anyway, will now try to find the earlier books to complete the picture.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this in return for my honest review.

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At fifteen, Nathan Fox has led a most interesting and diverse life. Not only is he an actor in the same theatre company as William Shakespeare, but he’s also an agent in Sir Francis Walsingham’s Secret Service. Nor has he lived in a more fearful time. It’s 1588 and King Philip of Spain has vowed to send his great Armada against England. All of England is abuzz with rumors of the approaching invasion fleet, and everyone must defend queen and country to the bitter end. There is one chance to thwart Spain, but Walsingham has been unable to unlock the secret code that will reveal the identities of the Spanish agents who have infiltrated Queen Elizabeth’s court. Only one man, the astrologer who devised the code, can identify these infiltrators, but he has lost his mind after dabbling in alchemy and sorcery. It’s up to Nathan, his sister Marie, his partner John Pearce, an ex-soldier and expert swordsman, and Walsingham’s best cryptographer to unravel the code before it’s too late. To that end Nathan and the others sail to western Ireland where the pirate O’Malley may protect them from prying eyes and add the final touches in Nathan’s training before he and John embark on a dangerous assignment that could brand them as either traitors to the queen or English spies facing a Spanish executioner.

Aside from Grace O’Malley, readers meet several other people from history as Brittney skillfully brings to life the likes of Sir Francis Drake, Francis Walsingham, and Richard Bingham. Her fictional characters are equally well drawn and the humor and drama she weaves into her story’s tapestry compel readers to emotionally respond to what’s happening. She also provides vivid glimpses into the fear permeating England, the dangers of war and seafaring in the sixteenth century, and the deplorable conditions aboard the Spanish ships. While portions of the second part of Nathan’s mission seem slightly less plausible, she contrives these scenes with the same aplomb as the others, which lends them an air of credibility that a less-gifted writer would have difficulty achieving.

Seas of Blood is the third entry in the Nathan Fox series. Previous titles are Dangerous Times and Traitor’s Gold, but readers need not have read those stories to enjoy and understand this one. For those who want to know more about the history behind this tale, Iris Books also offers a companion book, Elizabethan World of Nathan Fox: Fact Book Three, which includes articles on Irish pirates, Grace O’Malley, English Sea Dogs, and much more.

The intended audience of this series is pirate apprentices – teens and young adults in landlubber speak – but this thrilling adventure rich in historical details will also appeal to older pirates. As Nathan himself thinks, “A mad magician; a secret code book; Ireland and pirates – who could want for more?” (33)

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Being an historian, I don't think I'm the target audience for this book. The history wasn't really alternative enough to suspend disbelief and there was a lot of telling rather than showing, especially in the sea battle scenes.

Maybe it'll appeal to a younger reader who enjoys a bit of swash with their buckle.

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What an adventure! It was great to live out the invasion of the Spanish Armada through the eyes of Nathan Fox. Sailing on rough waters with Sir Francis Drake and all the ships crew. Actually felt seasick at one point. Great read. Well written. Thoroughly enjoyable history lesson.

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This is a somewhat revised and edited review of one published one day previously since I have realised that I must have originally misread the description of the novel as I had expected something along the lines of works by the established authors of historical nautical fiction such as C S Forester' s Hornblower series, Dudley Pope's Ramage books or - for a reader ready for more challenge but eager for authenticity - Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey/Maturin novels. Against such stiff competition this work would struggle. However I now recognise that the book is aimed at younger readers and has a broader scope than the authors mentioned above, whilst the action takes place more than two centuries earlier.

Whilst the author provides background detail to assist the younger reader to appreciate the historical context the overall impression is of a somewhat strained levering in of the contemporary background and the not entirely plausible inclusion of some key figures from history. Overall, the writing felt dense and rather forced rather than fluent. I'm less sure than some reviewers elsewhere that teenage readers of historical fiction need too many concessions to their relatively tender years. Forester and Pope, in particular, have been popular with this age group for many years. Although my review is less than enthusiastic I have to acknowledge that the nautical historical fiction genre has been something of a favourite, having been introduced to the Hornblower novels at the age of twelve or so. I fully recognise that other readers, less familiar with the established authors in this field and looking for a broader canvas than life around a warship in the days of sail, may see more promise.

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Did not finish.
I was having a hard time keeping my attention on the story. I blame that on myself because I did not read the first two books in the series. Also, this is a genre I normally don't read.
I will recommend this to people who like historical fiction. I liked the setting and could tell the author was a good writer from what I did read.

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