Bøger i Captain Bloody Mary, the Queen serien

In an age ruled by iron men, in a world of new discovery and Spanish gold, a young Irishwoman named Mary rises from the ashes of her broken childhood with ships and men-at-arms under her command. She and her loyal crew prowl the Caribbean and prosper in the New World for a time until the ugly past Mary has fled from in the old one finds her. Across the great ocean to the east, war is coming. The King of Spain is assembling the most powerful armada the world has ever seen - an enormous beast - to invade England and depose the Protestant "heretic queen." To have any chance against the wealth and might of Spain, England will need every warship, she will need every able captain. To this purpose, Queen Elizabeth spares Mary from the headman's axe for past sins in exchange for her loyalty, her ships and men. Based on true historical events, this is a tale about war, adventure, love and betrayal. This is a story about vengeance, this is a tale of heartbreak... "... a pleasurable and action-packed read ... a delicious spin to the otherwise tired clichés of male captains ... the joy of the open seas - as well as the danger churning below - pulses throughout this rip-roaring, hearty tale of the high seas." - Kirkus Reviews

In an age ruled by iron men, in a world of new discovery and Spanish gold, a young Irishwoman named Mary rises from the horrors of a broken childhood with ships and men-at-arms under her command. She and her loyal crew prowl the Caribbean and prosper in the New World as smugglers for a time, until the ugly past Mary has fled from in the old one finds her. Our story begins where The Butcher's Daughter ends. A ruthless Irish clan, the powerful Síol Faolcháin, has trapped Mary inside a burning mill. Wounded and with child, Mary slips into the freezing waters of the Carrowbeg unseen and barely escapes the flames. But the clan has killed Hunter, her heart's true joy. They've seized her ships, taken her gold and scattered all her men. Mary has lost everything. She hides in the shadows. She bides her time. Vengeance is in her heart. The Queen of England also has debts to settle. Spain's attempt to invade her kingdom and burn her at the stake for heresy ends in a bloody, costly disaster. But Spain is rich and powerful and King Phillip will try to conquer England again, this time with a larger fleet and with the help of Irish allies. Queen Elizabeth strikes first. And when she sends Mary south as her eyes and ears with the English "Counter Armada" to destroy the Spanish fleet, Mary reluctantly must put aside her secret plans for revenge against the Síol Faolcháin. Two mighty titans clash. The stakes are high. The prize is the New World. Based on true historical events, this is an epic story about war, adventure, love and betrayal.

With the wretched Síol Faolcháin destroyed, with war between England and Spain drawing to a close, Mary resumes smuggling contraband between the Old World and the new one and life is better than fair - until grim misfortune finds her. A freakish wave during a monstrous storm off the coast of Florida sweeps her overboard and she is lost. Mary's plucky protégé Elizabeth - headstrong, full of Spanish fire and raw ambition, but also very young - takes command. With prospects dwindling in the Americas, Elizabeth pledges Mary's ships to the newly formed Dutch East India Company and sails to the Spice Islands for nutmeg, mace, cloves and pepper - cargo more valuable than gold. Then, on a childish whim, Elizabeth ventures even farther east to Portuguese-held Macau where she is introduced to a powerful Chinese merchant named Féng Wú - and to the plentiful opium served liberally at the House of a Thousand Pleasures. She strikes a good bargain with Wú purchasing exotic Oriental goods - foolishly using a portion of the Company's spices as payment - but as she leads her little fleet west for home pirates sent by Wú attack. A ship is lost, a crew is slaughtered. Elizabeth withdraws in shame to her cabin and turns to opium for comfort. Upon reaching Amsterdam, the Dutch promptly arrest Elizabeth for her betrayal. They confiscate her ships. Elizabeth plummets into a dark and bottomless pit of despair. As Elizabeth falters Mary, having survived her misfortune a world away, is slowly making her way back to Ireland. She travels on to Amsterdam where she is joyfully reunited with her men, though her rebuke of Elizabeth is harsh, and she makes amends with the Company. The cost is steep. Mary and her lads must sail into war alongside the Dutch against the Portuguese in the Far East. Still, such a voyage offers an opportunity. After fulfilling her obligations to the Dutch, Mary will introduce herself to the Chinaman named Féng Wú... Based on true historical events, this is a tale about war and adventure, about love, betrayal and revenge.