The Legend of the Gypsy Hawk (Choc Lit)

The Legend of the Gypsy Hawk (Choc Lit) by Sally Malcolm is the kind of story that first caused me to fall in love with romance books many years ago. It has a Daphne Du Maurier feel to it. No, not Rebecca but more Frenchmen’s Creek or Jamaica Inn; a bit of dark with the sweet. So while I do not read as much historical romance now this is one story I could totally get lost in.

There is a to-die-for swashbuckling hero, a spunky passionate heroine, attraction that builds slowly into love, betrayal, danger with thrills and spills adventure. The entire story is written in flowing graceful style providing insight and realism to the events and characters. I especially like the beginning starting with the chest, then going over a hundred years back in time to tell the story of what really happened before it became the legend.

The Legend of the Gypsy Hawk took me back to my roots with all the things I love about a wonderful romantic adventure. I loved it. It not a novel to read about but one to steal away to read for yourself. I’m looking for more by Sally Malcolm.

This is a lovely story and has all the elements that I've come to expect from Choc Lit, particularly with their historical novels.
The story is one of great escapism and reminds me in some ways of Daphne du Maurier, although the book is not as dark as her writing. The style is inobtrusive and flows well and the hero is as seriously attractive as the heroine is ahead of her time and easy to identify with.
I wasn't keen on the beginning where the old seadog starts to tell the legend of the Gypsy Hawk from a hundred years or so after the events or the story but it fits in with the title and its a minor thing.
Enjoyable and feisty romance on the high seas. Haven't read any of Sally Malcolm's books before but will certainly watch out for more of her writing in future.

The Legend of the Gypsy Hawk By Sally Malcolm Choc Lit, 2016, e-book ISBN 978-1-78189-217-6, $3.99 print ISBN 978-1-78189-265-7, $11.50

A chest thumps against a ship in 1848. Its treasure is a book with the words “The Articles of Agreement” etched on its cover. Thus begins the legend of the Gypsy Hawk and her captain, a sly pirate who escaped death more than once.

Ill tidings bring Zachary Hazard back to Ile Sainte Anne, a place he vowed never to return to when he left six years ago. The English, French, and Dutch have joined forces to destroy the pirate haven where all are free. Neither Captain Dauphin, the self-proclaimed leader of the west African island, nor his daughter Amelia see the need to flee. In spite of her sheltered upbringing, she understands the principles of freedom and equality that the Articles espouse threaten those who rule. She is happy to see Zach, but her duty lies in protecting the men, women, and children who call Ile Sainte Anne home. Even if she must die doing so.

Amelia was but a child when he left the island, but the beautiful woman she’s become stirs something within Zach. He’s too much a gentleman to take advantage of her, and he knows she will never leave even though he cannot stay. Still they are drawn to each other, but neither understands the other’s definition of freedom. Nor will their stubbornness permit them to forge an alliance between love and duty. Not even when a French privateer sails into the harbor to offer a compromise, a way to keep the island safe from destruction.

Once she and her father accept that compromise, Zach leaves aboard the Gypsy Hawk. He prowls the seas for four months, but like a sailor drawn to the siren who lures him closer to the rocks, Zach finds himself on the island once again. Just in time to rescue Amelia during a storm. But she is no longer free. She’s engaged to the French privateer. The arrival of a British warship traps the Gypsy Hawk in the harbor. Zach knows the ship has come for him, but he’s powerless to refuse Amelia’s request to meet her on the cliffs. She betrays him with a kiss, just as Judas betrayed Jesus, but this sacrifice proves more devastating and deadly than either Zach or she expects. As time passes, she also realizes that no matter the price she pays, freedom and equality are ideas that influential men will do whatever they must to snuff out.

The Legend of the Gypsy Hawk is a hair-raising, spine-tingling, swashbuckling tale of love and treachery. Nothing is ever as it seems or as simple as some characters believe. From the utopia of Ile Sainte Anne to the fetid squalor of London, Malcolm weaves a complicated tale that whisks the reader back in time to the last vestiges of the Golden Age of Piracy. She subtly weaves history into this first adventure in the Pirates of Ile Sainte Anne series, and it is hoped that subsequent books prove equally compelling.

Review Copyrighted ©2016 Cindy Vallar

I don’t know how to even begin with this review. This is one of those books that I literally devoured and then sat back afterwards in awe thinking, “What do I do with myself now?” I was just so engrossed in their story. My heart was broken and patched together again throughout this novel, and I still can’t get over how much it meant to me!

Amelia and Zach’s story takes you on an exhilarating adventure that spans years, from the pirate safehold ‘Ile Sainte Anne’ across the treacherous seas, to the city of London, accompanied with a lot of pain, heartache, and a lot of love.

I’m basically in love with Zach, and no I shall not apologise for that. Sally Malcolm doesn’t shy away from the harsh realities of history, and in turn doesn’t make Zach an unrecognisable pirate. No he was in turns stubborn, gruff and dangerous, whilst also possessing that charming swagger that had women fall for his bad-boy ways. And then you get Captain Amelia Dauphin, who is not as easily impressed. Their back and forth banter throughout the novel had me in stitches one minute and then wanting to bang their stubborn heads together in the next. Their chemistry was electric and I loved seeing how the change in setting affected their relationship and how comfortable they were with each other.

I don’t want to say anything more about the story, because it ripped me apart, had me frantically turning the page and desperate to know what was going to happen next, to see who would survive and whether forgiveness is ever really possible after betrayal….and really I want to put you through this too! (evil laugh)

This is a must-read for historical romance fans, and will put your emotions through the ringer. Enjoy!

5 Stars!

In 1716, Zach Hazard, captain of a pirate ship, returns to the idyllic West African island of Ile Sainte Anne. A safe haven for pirates, the island is operated by a pirate king, Captain Dauphin, under a strict code of conduct, the Articles of Agreement, which works somewhat similarly to Robin Hood’s philosophy. Zach meets up with Dauphin’s daughter, Amelia, now a pretty 21-year-old, and a pirate ship’s captain herself. Having heard murmurs in mainland taverns and brothels, Zach wants to warn the islanders of an impending invasion by an armada from some European nations. Amelia and others ridicule Zach’s talk of a truce between the Dutch, French and British, and wonder if their opulent monarchs are more afraid of Ile Sainte Anne than of each other. Yet Zach implores them to flee rather than stay and face death. However, the arrival of a French privateer, the amorous and devious Captain Luc Géroux, provides them with a third option.

First of a series, this novel explores the theme of whether pilfering from the rich to share with the deprived is justifiable. Also, to what lengths will these pirates go to preserve their way of life? The plot continues to hold readers’ attention with the thread of a romance between Amelia and Zach and the presence of an adversary. The descriptions of life on a tropical island, on sailing ships, and in London are eloquently narrated, and the period scenes are effectively drawn. The steamy sexual encounters and frequent banter between the characters about whether or not to stay on the island seem overdone, but swashbuckling tales set during the Golden Age of Piracy are generally good for leisurely reading, and this novel is no exception. It promises an entertaining series.

This review first appears in the HNR Issue 76 (May 2016)