Summary
The year is 1585 during the reign of Elizabeth I. Robert Lawton, a young English shipmaster, has returned to London after a disastrous trading mission to Spain, where three of his men were captured by the Spanish Inquisition and burned alive for being Protestants.
Lawton is eager for revenge but short on cash, so he signs on as second mate aboard Elanor Rose, a powerful English galleon commanded by Richard Hawthorne, an old family friend. Hawthorne sails Elanor Rose and her talented crew to the Caribbean as part of a privateering fleet secretly commissioned by the queen to pillage a Spanish treasure convoy.
Hawthorne is a harsh disciplinarian with a hidden agenda who frequently clashes with the fleet’s leadership. Lawton is torn between loyalty to his friend and his own affinity for the common crew who chaff under Hawthorne’s heavy hand. Lawton also faces a nefarious first mate, a rival whose enmity he earned before the voyage even commenced.
Hawthorne and his crew face harsh weather, internal discord and pursuing war galleons sent from Spain to hunt them down. If they prevail, rewards and retribution await them in the wilds of the New World. If they fail, few (if any) of them will ever see home again.
Voyage of Reprisal draws on the author’s extensive research to present a careful reconstruction of life at sea aboard an Elizabethan galleon. Her crew forms a microcosm of renaissance society. Charismatic characters come alive; from crude sailors to arrogant lords. The pains, joys, sorrows, and hopes of the age are explored within the confines of an English privateer.
The author was motivated to write this sea story after reading historical nonfiction books about the age of exploration, such as Samuel Eliot Morison’s “The Great Explorers,” the Hakluyt Society book series and primary research documents from both English and Spanish sources. Besides the historicity and authenticity of the book (which provides a full immersion into the past), the author carefully crafted a plot designed to keep the reader engaged. Readers have attested they could not put the book down, due to the character development, conflict and a plot line containing surprising twists and turns.
This nautical fiction/historical fiction book fall under a series called Elizabethan Sea Dogs which takes place during the age of sail in the 16th Century Renaissance period. They are epic sea tales, filled with intrigue, action and adventure, personal conflicts, and war at sea. I trust you will enjoy them.
©copyright 2021 by Kevin J. Glynn. All rights reserved.
Chill-With-A-Book PREMIERE Reader Reviews
~ This is an action packed novel on an epic scale and should be read slowly to give the author’s meticulous research its due.
~ A good swashbuckling tale set in the Elizabethan era, which embodies all the ingredients of an absorbing sea story.
~ This book was meaty, but perfect history.
Amazon Reader Reviews
5 Stars – The Glory of England in Elizabeth’s Reign (reviewed January 22, 2002)
I’ve waited a long time for a book like this. Most books dealing with historical maritime fiction are set in the “Age of Sail” period. Since my primary maritime interest lies in 16th Century sailing, this book was exactly what I was looking for. Kevin Glynn’s book is a microcosm in the life of English sailors in the Elizabethan period as well as other Elizabethan commonplaces during the period. His descriptions of sailing life are very like a history lesson set in the context of a novel which is an excellent way to learn. All in all an excellent craft of fiction of which I highly recommend to those interested in the period and maritime history in general. IMO: A wonderful book full of great information and a story that keeps you wanting to read more. ~ Rakehill
__________________________________________________________________________________
5 Stars – A Must Read! (reviewed January 3, 2016)
Excellent read! I’m a big fan of historical fiction and this one is a page turner! If you like exciting stories about the high seas during the age of sail, this book is a must! You won’t be disappointed. Definitely worth the price! ~ Susan T.
__________________________________________________________________________________
5 Stars – Quite a Ride! (reviewed December 31, 2009)
What a great read! The story develops rather slowly but then spirals into a great adventure on the high seas that kept me engaged for hours on end. It is obvious Glynn spent quality time in his research efforts as every aspect of the era was described in detail resulting in the reader’s ability to visualize any scene. I love historical fiction, books that educate while entertaining and Glynn did not let me down! Definitely worth the purchase! ~ Anonymous reviewer
__________________________________________________________________________________
5 Stars – Great change of pace from rereading Patrick O’Brian (reviewed March 12, 2002)
Having read all 20 POB’s Aubrey/Maturin series three times it was about time for a break so I read Mr. Glynn’s Voyage. What a great book. To be sure it differs in many ways from POB; set over 100 years earlier and quite different writing style. But the book will please you if you like a good sea story. The novel does not have the deep character development that POB achieved over 20 volumes (plus GO and US), but then this is only a single book. This book skips the subtle humor that we died-in-the-wool POB fans love but Voyage of Reprisal has strengths going for it so that comparisons to POB are unnecessary. Mr. Glynn actually writes a much broader scoped (single) novel than POB, with a lot more insight into the daily life of the crew below decks. The thing that I liked best about the novel was that the story keeps moving quickly with lots of interesting and intriguing surprises. Now on land, then at sea, here an insubordination, there an incipient mutiny of officers, hand to hand combat on land with conniving cutting out missions in port — with lots of nautical detail that will please all lovers of nautical fiction. If you like a sea story, read this book. ~ Martin Stankard
__________________________________________________________________________________
5 Stars – Marvelous Elizabethan I Naval adventure read (reviewed July 30, 2021)
This is a well written and substantially researched book of historical fiction by Kevin Glynn describing English seamanship during the latter 16th century of the Tudor Reformation under the reign of Elizabeth I. The adventures of the crews on the high seas aboard ships of reprisal and their raids upon Spanish Galleons laden with treasure from the New World returning to Spain has been laid out in inviting and entertaining prose by the author. It is most difficult to stop reading this book as the strategy in engaging the Spanish ships on the high seas is described so vicariously. The thorough character development of the officers and sailors with their interactions was most rewarding for this previous naval reserve officer to experience. A very satisfying read and a book well worth purchasing. ~ H. Wendell Gray, Jr.
__________________________________________________________________________________
5 Stars – 16th Century Maritime Historical Fiction at its Best – A Summer Must Read! (reviewed May 8, 2022)
“Voyage of Reprisal” is a wonderfully written book set in the 16th century during Queen Elizabeth’s reign. Glynn obviously did his homework exploring this era of English sea captains, commissions of the English and Spanish crowns and life aboard these amazing sailing galleons. He gives us a glimpse of what really happened aboard these incredible vessels and I particularly liked the way he developed the characters. When the reader is able to visualize what the characters look like by the author’s descriptions, you know he has hit the mark. And what a cast of characters they are. The story flowed so easily that it was hard to put down and I was captivated throughout. I can’t wait for the sequel so I can continue this exciting voyage. ~ Jo-Ann Gaidosz
__________________________________________________________________________________
HOW TO ORDER – Go to AMAZON or AMAZON UK
VOYAGE OF REPRISAL - a nautical fiction novel by Kevin J. Glynn 