The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea is historical fiction, one of my favourite genres and I enjoyed the story very much. Set, in the late Seventeenth Century, we are introduced to the beautiful French noblewoman, Catherine, who branded a witch by her mother, for her foresight runs from her home and stows away aboard a British Merchantman, The Atlantis. Unfortunately, Britain and France are currently at war and to make matters worse for Catherine, the Atlantis, is actually a pirate ship in disguise.
The characters in this story are well drawn by the author and an odd bunch they are too. The Captain, Benjamin Archer is a drunk, who still revels in the days when he was a hero privateer for the English King. Those days are long gone now and he is wanted for murder, meaning he and his ship can never return to their home port of Port Royal in Jamaica. Throw in a crew that were press-ganged into service as pirates and are seeking to mutiny and you have all the makings of a swashbuckling tale.
The story rollicks along at a great pace as we are taken from France to England and finally across the Atlantic to the Caribbean. The action and tension between the characters is well described, as are the horrors of early shipboard life for the majority of the crew. The author had clearly done her historical research well and this showed in the narrative.
This is a straightforward, adventure and a great read. I would definitely recommend this book to lovers of historical fiction and or early sailing ship life at sea. A good, solid four stars from this reviewer.
The characters in this story are well drawn by the author and an odd bunch they are too. The Captain, Benjamin Archer is a drunk, who still revels in the days when he was a hero privateer for the English King. Those days are long gone now and he is wanted for murder, meaning he and his ship can never return to their home port of Port Royal in Jamaica. Throw in a crew that were press-ganged into service as pirates and are seeking to mutiny and you have all the makings of a swashbuckling tale.
The story rollicks along at a great pace as we are taken from France to England and finally across the Atlantic to the Caribbean. The action and tension between the characters is well described, as are the horrors of early shipboard life for the majority of the crew. The author had clearly done her historical research well and this showed in the narrative.
This is a straightforward, adventure and a great read. I would definitely recommend this book to lovers of historical fiction and or early sailing ship life at sea. A good, solid four stars from this reviewer.
By all means, pop on over to Amazon and see what other options Johanna Craven is offering.
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