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Lady Charlisse leaves London and the only life she’s ever known in search of the father’s love she has never possessed. Raised and abused by a licentious uncle, Charlisse bears deep physical and emotional scars that leave her wary of trusting men and the God her uncle claimed to serve. En route to Port Royal, the ship she bartered passage on sinks in a violent storm and Charlisse is left shipwrecked and struggling for survival on a deserted island. Near death, she is discovered by a band of pirates led by the infuriating and enigmatic Captain Edmund Merrick.

Edmund Merrick is a man with a mission. Once a pirate, Edmund has become a Christian and a privateer in the service of King Charles. He seeks to serve his new Lord by ridding the Caribbean of pirates and is on a quest to stop the reign of terror led by his one-time captain, Edward the Terror. When he rescues Charlisse from near-starvation, Edmund finds himself inexplicably attracted to her and admires her strength and tenacity. However, Charlisse brings new dilemmas to his life – not only must he protect her from his lecherous crew, but his resolve to capture Edward is shaken when he discovers his nemesis is none other than Charlisse’s long sought-for father. Charlisse struggles to trust Edmund and his God -- never having known the love of a father, with only an abusive uncle as a male role model, her adventures in the Caribbean become an extreme exercise in faith. When treachery threatens to separate Charlisse and Edmund forever, and Charlisse's life is subsequently threatened by her father and his pirates, will their fledgling faith be enough to see them through seemingly overwhelming obstacles?

With a release timed to coincide with the “pirates craze” surrounding POTC: Dead Man’s Chest, Tyndall’s novel perfectly fills a gap in the CBA historical fiction market. On one level, simply put the novel is a great deal of sheer fun to read. The Redemption reminded me of Linda Chaikin’s great pirate novels released about ten years ago, and delivers action, romance, and exotic locales in spades. Tyndall draws her characters with a great deal of style and panache and the fact that this is her debut novel, is, quite frankly, astounding. Her prose sparkles, the action is tightly plotted, and she incorporates faith without ever resorting to trite clichés or heavy-handed treatment. Highly recommended. Tyndall is an author that I look forward to seeing more from.

Thankfully, one will not have to wait long for a sequel. Book #2 in the Legacy of the King’s Pirates series, The Reliance, releases in January 2007 followed by book #3, The Restitution, in June (well-timed to coincide with the release of the final Pirates of the Caribbean film, I might add!).

Related Authors

• Marylu Tyndall

Related Books

• Redemption, The (Trade Paper)