Review: The Sallee Rovers by Top 2 Bottom Reviews

"luminous in detail [...] For lovers of all things nautical in nature, this is exactly the right book to pick up."

Read the complete review at: http://top2bottomreviews.wordpress.com/2011/11/23/the-sallee-rovers-pirates-of-the-narrow-seas-book-1/

Amos Lassen reviews Men of Honor

"I feel very lucky to have been asked to review several books by M. Kei.

"In the first book I reviewed, “Pirates of the Narrow Seas: The Sallee Rovers”, I discovered what I have been missing. Kei is a terrific writer and a wonderful storyteller and he writes about something I know nothing about, naval historical fiction, so I must also classify him as a teacher. Now what is special about this naval historical fiction is that Kei writes with a gay twist and even though his novels are set in a different time period from where we live, everything is very realistic and that is one of the many attributes of the writer. Another is his ability to create characters that are very real."

Read the whole review at: http://reviewsbyamoslassen.com/?p=12838

Amos Lassen reviews The Sallee Rovers

"It has been a long time since I read a good pirate story so I was anxious to read this tale of mayhem and adventure. It kept me on the edge of my seat and M. Kei gives us a wonderful new character in Lieutenant Peter Thorton, a closeted member of the British Navy who struggles with coming out while he manipulates battles and storms, duels and a kidnapping as well as his own search for both honor and love. The best is that this is to be part of a series so there are more coming. I have a feeling that I will become a true follower of Peter Thorton."

Read the full review at: http://reviewsbyamoslassen.com/?p=11715

It is always a delight to pick up a new reviewer, and especially a reviewer who enjoys what one has written!

~K~

PoNS Second Edition complete

Over the summer I revamped covers, corrected typos (no matter how you proofread, you always find one of the devils after you go to print), and switched to a better printer that publishes the books on better quality paper with better binding. The resulting books are a definite upgrade from the former printer. The second editions are on an orangish background. There are a few first editions lingering at Amazon.com, which will probably confuse anyone who searches for Pirates of the Narrow Seas, but the second editions are the way to pay if you're buying paperbacks.

Also note, that although the books are available through Amazon.com, the author receives more money if you shop direct from the printer:

PoNS 1 : The Sallee Rovers https://www.createspace.com/3664325

PoNS 2 : Men of Honor https://www.createspace.com/3663702

PoNS 3 : Iron Men https://www.createspace.com/3663650

PoNS 4 : Heart of Oak https://www.createspace.com/3652763

Thank you for your support. I love hearing from my readers.

~K~

Win a Free Copy of PoNS 3 : Iron Men

http://www.reviewsbyjessewave.com/2011/10/01/bristlecone-pine-press-%E2%80%9Cfree%E2%80%9D-book-%E2%80%93-october-1/

Jessewave reviews is offering a free book giveaway of Pirates of the Narrow Seas 3 : Iron Men. See the webpage above for details.

Happy reading.

~K~

Vixenne's review of The Sallee Rovers

"I literally devoured this seafaring adventure epic in one sitting and am in the middle of the second novel of the series." -- Vixenne

Read the rest at: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/134196151

Vixenne on Goodreads has just posted a review of The Sallee Rovers. It's a wonderful review, not just because she likes the book, but because she gives enough information for the reader to know what the books about and why she likes it, instead of just giving her opinion. She also a fan of nautical fiction, and it's especially gratifying to win the approval of somebody that is also a fan of Hornblower, Master and Commander, and other classics of the genre.

As an independent author, I don't expect to get rich (although I'd love it if I did! then I could do nothing but sail and write), I just want people to read and enjoy my stories. Fan feedback makes it all worth while.

On related notes, PoNS 3 : Iron Men ebook has started showing up in retail markets, so hopefully will appear on Kindle very soon. I have no idea when PoNS 4 : Heart of Oak will appear in ebook.

I have also started writing the next book: Man in the Crescent Moon, which can be read independently of Pirates of the Narrow Seas. It is the story of the most notorious of rovers, Captain Tangle. It will take me a long time to write it because it's a complicated thing to write someone's backstory, but just to give you a tease, it starts off with a gawky, sexually inexperienced, nineteen year old Isam al-Tangueli. An orphan, he sails with his uncle, Halim Rais of the Many Daughters. Halim Rais has been blessed by Allah with nineteen daughters, but no sons. He intends to make young Isam his heir, only to find out that he's gay . . .

If you ever wondered how Captain Tangle wound up as the man he is, Man in the Crescent Moon will tell the story. Sadly, I expect it will take at least a year to write it. I have barely started.

~K~

PoNS 4 : Heart of Oak now available in trade paperback

PoNS 4 : Heart of Oak available in trade paperback

27 July 2011 — Perryville, Maryland

Keibooks is pleased to announce that Heart of Oak, the long awaited fourth book in the Pirates of the Narrow Seas series by M. Kei, is now available in trade paperback. Heart of Oak continues the adventures of Lt. Peter Thorton of the British navy as his divided loyalties are tested in the crucibles of love and war. A pawn in the war for Portuguese independence, he is marked for revenge by the Spanish, and comes perilously close to losing both his life and ship when HMS Amphitrite is the target of a Spanish cutting out raid. 

The redoubtable Duke Henrique, forced to marry a puritanical princess for political reasons, must once again call upon the courage of his British friends to aid him in a time of crisis. Captain Tangle, the famous Sallee rover, assists them all, but catches a Tartar when he attempts to seize the Spanish royal yacht, bringing down the wrath of a Spanish battle fleet upon them all. Meanwhile, Cmdr. Alan Abby, retired ashore at Gibraltar, has the opportunity to show that although blind, he is a still an active and gallant officer.

Through it all, Thorton is still longing for love, but is a victim of bad advice and his own naïveté. He succumbs to the charms of the dashing hussar, Colonel Karolyi, and is sorely tempted to throw away everything and follow the devil-may-care light horseman. Captain Horner, determined to keep Thorton on the straight and narrow, intercedes, and both of the British officers must face the far superior saber skills of the colonel in separate duels. 

Book Four brings Thorton to the nadir of his career, his health broken, and kept a virtual prisoner in a cellar, he discovers which man has the ‘heart of oak’ he can truly trust. Written by a tall ship sailor and internationally acclaimed poet, M. Kei, Pirates of the Narrow Seas combines swashbuckling adventure, gay romance, and gritty realism. 

Praise for previous novels in the series:

“A true literary first: a gay seafaring novel that’s every bit as good with the ‘gay’ stuff as the ‘seafaring’ stuff [...] Pirates of the Narrow Seas has thrilling action sequences, complex, conflicted characters, and a healthy dose of contemporary realism.”—Steve Donoghue, Open Letter A Monthly Arts and Literature Review

“A swashbuckling tale full of colour, adventure and romance – a good read!”—Gerry Burnie, Gerry B’s Book Reviews

“an action-packed swashbuckler of the Captain Blood tradition”—Nan Hawthorne, That’s All She Read


“well rounded individual personalities which it is a joy to follow” and “Recommended Reading”—Astrodene’s Historic Naval Fiction

“Please, Mr. Kei, write us another.”—Candice E. Frook, Amazon.com

The Sallee Rovers, the first book in the series, won a Sweet Revolution Award in the category of “best full cast” and “Judge’s pick”, and also won a 4th/Honorable Mention from the Rainbow Awards in the category of “Best gay historical fiction.”

Available in trade paperback from:

Keibooks
P O Box 516
Perryville, Maryland, USA

Or CreateSpace: https://www.createspace.com/3652763, or your favorite online retailer.

E-book forthcoming from Bristlecone Pine Press.

Men of Honor reviewed by Gerry B's Book Review -- 5 stars

Men of Honor, book two in the series Pirates of the Narrow Seas, has been reviewed by Gerry B's Book Reviews and given a five star rating. "[P]ulse-raising" and "a core of steel draped in velvet" are just a few of the comments.

Read the complete review at:
http://gerrycan.wordpress.com/2011/07/24/men-of-honor-pirates-of-the-narrow-seas-2-by-m-kei/

M. Kei Interviewed at Astrodene's Historic Naval Fiction

M. Kei, author of Pirates of the Narrow Seas, was interviewed by Astrodene's Historic Naval Fiction, one of the largest and most comprehensive sites on the Internet that covers nautical fiction.

"My goal was write a swashbuckler of the sort I loved when I was young, but for an adult audience. Strict historicity is not required in a swashbuckler--adventure and romance and gorgeous period dress are the hallmarks. All the same, I wanted to be stricter about it than the rather fanciful treatments the genre has received of late."

Read the rest of the interview at: http://www.historicnavalfiction.com/index.php/general-hnf-info/astrodenes-blog/2295-an-interview-with-m-kei

The Loyal Judith, a true tale of pirates and politics

A colleague of mine, Nan Hawthorne, asked a question on Facebook about "What doublecrosser from history makes you the maddest? Include both the villain and the person s/he turned on." (www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=question&id=10150225019040784&qa_ref=ns) My answer is personal, and too long to fit in the space provided by Facebook, so I thought I'd share the true story here.

Some of my European ancestors were French, probably Huguenots who fled France at the end of the 17th century. They are first found with a Germanic spelling to their name in Austria at the beginning of the 18th century. (It's a distinctive name.) They and their neighbors decided to immigrate to America and sold everything they own to raise passage money. While enroute, they were captured by Spanish pirates and held for ransom.

A British philanthropist heard of their plight and paid all their ransoms. He transported them to England, where the local populace, sympathetic to their trouble, supported them on the public dole. After a few months, they began to grow irate at the 'freeloaders', as a result of which, they were given a choice. Be sold into servitude in England to recoup the cost of supporting them, or be sold into servitude in America. That's the doublecross that makes me angry: We'll help you until it costs us money, then we're selling you out.

My family and some others chose to accept servitude in to America. They arrived in Savannah, Georgia, January 1, 1746, aboard the Loyal Judith. A copy of the ship's manifest survives in a historical society; a cousin of mine sent me an electronic version of it.

The manifest shows the names of adults in a column on the left, and the names of the children with their ages in a column on the right. The five children in my family ranged in age from 5-14. At the top of the list are the words, "Children to be sold separate."

These children are the 'lost generation' for whom no records exist. We know their parents eventually got their freedom, but they were never able to retrieve their children. They were gone, sucked into the black hole that is involuntary servitude. When my next ancestor shows up in the records, it is impossible to know who his parents were. He is a young married man with an Indian wife and a baby and behind on his taxes.

The family name is unique; there were no other people in Georgia with the same name. He has to be the child of one of the sold children, but when people are property, even 'temporary' property as in the case of indentured servitude, they are not treated as human beings. Records are not kept of them except as objects in an inventory, if even then.

Of the five children bound into servitude, only one of them survived long enough to beget a child, and only one child. Who was his father? Was it one of the boys, able to grow up and get married and pass on his family name? Or was it one of the girls, a servant wronged by her master, bearing a baby out of wedlock?

Indentured servitude was bad for all children; misbehave, and time was added to their indenture in punishment. Break a plate? A month added to your servitude. If you were female and got pregnant, you owed your master an additional year to compensate him loss. HIS loss! Further, if you had no money (if you were a servant, you definitely didn't), then you had no way to support your baby--unless you sold him to your master in exchange for food and clothes for the child. Since it would be at least five years before the child was any use to the master, they demanded long indentures: 21 years, 30 years... Not surprising, children were easily cheated and became de facto slaves, living their entire lives in servitude.

Benjamin Franklin and the other Founding Fathers had a name for it; they called it "The German slave trade." People from the Austro-Hungarian Empire were particularly desirable as indentured servants because they could be easily controlled. If they ran away, who would help them? They didn't speak the language. By contrast, the Scotch-Irish (my other European ancestors), did speak the language, and had the contrary notion that they should resist abuse and run away. Take a Scotch-Irish indenture and there was no guarantee you could keep him; take a German one, and he was yours. (There's a reason why so many Scotch-Irish violated the Proclamation Line and moved into Appalachia.)

Staring at the ship's manifest and those cold black and white words, "Children to be sold separate," I suddenly understood why black people can't just 'get over' the Civil War. My family was bought and sold 265 years ago, and I carry the sense of loss--an entire generation! Five children! Gone. The Civil War is much, much closer, and much, much larger. African Americans didn't just lose a generation, they lost centuries. They didn't just lose a family, they lost millions.

No, we shouldn't just 'get over' it. Having a black president means great progress has been made, but it doesn't mean that the work is done and we can start worrying about white people being the victims of 'reverse racism.' No, they're not. What white people are worrying about is playing on a level field. To them, the loss of privilege (privilege so entrenched they didn't even know they had it) feels like 'bias.' They're right. We are biased against letting a group of people continue to profit by the historic injustice done to another group of people.

White folks, if you can show me where your family was bought and sold, then you can talk to me about racism.

Open Letters Review The Sallee Rovers

Open Letters a Monthly Arts and Literature review has posted a review of The Sallee Rovers.

"a true literary first: a gay seafaring novel that’s every bit as good with the ‘gay’ stuff as the ‘seafaring’ stuff [...] Pirates of the Narrow Seas has thrilling action sequences, complex, conflicted characters, and a healthy dose of contemporary realism."

Read the complete review at: http://www.openlettersmonthly.com/book-review-pirates-of-the-narrow-seas/

PoNS 4 : Heart of Oak update

I don't mean to tease you, I really don't. PoNS 4 : Heart of Oak is coming sort of soon in paperback. I continue to be plagued by ill health, so progress is slow, but it is happening. I am currently working on the third (polishing) draft, after which it will need one more draft of fine tuning / proofreading, then book layout, proofs ordered, corrections, made, second proof ordered, and assuming all is well, go to print.

I expect PoNS 4 to appear in print this summer. The sooner the better as far as I'm concerned. Unfortunately, being too ill to sail also means being too ill to do much of anything. My insurance runs out in September and I don't have a diagnosis, so I must concentrating on pushing for as much testing and consultation as I can get before this barky is wrecked on the reefs of the American healthcare system. Obamacare cannot arrive fast enough as far as I'm concerned.

The cover of PoNS 4 will continue the tradition of using classic works of art. This time the cover will be 'Le Chasseur' by one of Frances' most famous artists, Théodore Géricault (26 September 1791 – 26 January 1824). You can see an image here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:GericaultHorseman.jpg. Géricault may be most famous for 'The Raft of the Medusa,' in which he depicts the horrors after the Medusa was wrecked and her passengers abandoned by the crew and officers, but he began his early career as a painter of cavalry officers. 'Le Chasseur' is the portrait that brought him fame.

Pirates of the Narrow Seas takes place in the middle of the 18th century, so the uniform is anachronistic, but when you're a small press with a budget only slightly larger than zero, custom art is out of the question. Hussars (light horsemen) with spectacular uniforms date back to the 1500s in Hungary and were in use throughout central Europe and were being adopted sporadically in western Europe during the 18th century; England was one of the last countries to adopt them (early 1800s). The hussar uniform with its ladders of gold braid on the chest was inspired by the Turkish uniform and became de rigeur for armies throughout the 19th century. The last hussars / light horsemen saw service during WWII.

Turkish military band music was spreading through Europe at the same time; the clarinet, cymbal, and kettledrum were all Turkish inventions, as was the very concept of a military band. Not surprisingly, the pomp of the military band accompanied the spread of the spectacularly uniformed light horsemen, and all military bands today are their direct descendants. If your high school still uses the old-fashioned band uniforms with a long-sleeved, short-waisted wool tunic, matching trousers, decorated with (fake) gold braid, topped off with an imitation bearskin, you too are the heir this Turkish/European tradition.

The light horseman cover is in honor of one of the supporting characters in the novel, Colonel Jan Karolyi, commander of the bodyguard for Count Orsini, the ambassador from the Kingdom of Hungary to Portugal. Although he is only one of several supporting characters in the story, he is the only one for whom I could find a suitable classic work of art in colors that went handsomely with the established color scheme for the novels. The fact that he has a leopard skin saddle cover is bonus.

No spoilers, so I won't tell you what Colonel Karolyi gets up to, but I will tell you a story about French chasseurs. It is said that when they arrived in town, the populace started running: the men away from them, and the women toward them. Colonel Karolyi lives up to the light horsemen's reputation.

Pirates of the Narrow Seas, Pornography, and Gay Rights

Recently I discovered a critic who decried me as a 'porn author', and cited Pirates of the Narrow Seas as an example of pornography I had written. This illustrates the point I was addressing in writing Pirates of the Narrow Seas in the first place: there are people out there who automatically assume that gay=porn. When writing PoNS I made the deliberate decision not to include explicit sex in PoNS precisely because I was tired of the assumption that everything gay is pornographic, and that by implication, gay men are hypersexual monsters with uncontrollable appetites who can't be trusted and therefore must be suppressed for the good of society.

While the definition of pornography varies depending on who is defining it, everyone agrees that pornography is sexually explicit. No sex, no porn. Pornography is sexual. Period. Whether there's a difference between erotica and pornography is debatable; but I am not even going to address that argument because it doesn't apply to PoNS. Simply put, there is no explicit sex in PoNS. Ergo, it cannot be porn by anyone's definition, unless that person is a lunatic prude or a homophobe.

Pirates of the Narrow Seas does contain explicit kissing and fondling, but when the main characters have sex, it is alluded to in the most discreet manner; the actual coitus is not depicted. For example, when Lt. Thorton finally succumbs to Capt. Tangle’s charms, they kiss passionately, start removing their clothes, and disappear behind a curtain. The implication is clear: they are getting it on. But it happens ‘off screen.’ When we see them again, they are waking up in bed together the next morning. Comedy ensues as Thorton panics.

Likewise, there is male nudity, but the nudity is not sexual -- abused slaves covered in filth and naked, chained to their oars in a galley, for example. They are victims inhumane violence, and anybody who finds them sexually arousing does not ascribe to the same moral code I do. There is another scene in which Capt. Tangle has his ears and scrotum pierced, but this is a culturally accurate scene: North African Muslims of this time period believed scrotal piercing was a proof of courage. It was a rite of passage for warriors. There are readers today who will be titillated by such a scene, but that doesn’t make it porn—there are people who are titillated by automobiles, but that doesn’t mean Ferraris are porn. On the other hand, it is male nudity, and that is part of the reason why the work would be rated ‘R’ if it were a movie, but R-rated movies aren’t porn, either.

Pirates of the Narrow Seas is popular with readers of male/male romance novels, so it is not surprisingly that readers unfamiliar with the series might assume it features the standard formula of such novels, but it doesn’t. It has been widely read by romance reviewers who focus on the romance aspect, but they also point out that it isn’t a ‘traditional’ romance. It is almost an afterthought that they mention it is an adventure novel set during the Age of Sail. Calling it a m/m romance is like calling Pirates of the Caribbean a heterosexual romance. Yes, the love story is an important part of the tale, but that’s not the point!

Pirates of the Narrow Seas is an adventure series. It features storms at sea, ship to ship battles, duels, kidnapping, fire, earthquake, political intrigue, courtroom drama, rescues, escapes, disguises, and more. It’s a swashbuckler, and it belongs to the same genre as Captain Blood, The Princess Bride, Robin Hood, Master and Commander, The Prisoner of Zenda, Hornblower, and yes, Pirates of the Caribbean. It contains the standard elements of classic swashbucklers: adventure, excitement, and romance.

That being the case, how could anyone in their right mind call it pornography? Assuming that such a person is in fact sane (a dubious proposition in some cases) we must examine the underlying bias of the reviewer, and to that, we must delve into the series a bit. Our hero, Peter Thorton, begins the story as a lieutenant in the Royal Navy during the middle of the 18th century. At this time, the navy prescribes the death penalty for a man convicted of the “abominable crime of sodomy or buggery with man or beast.” There is no excuse, no mercy, and no redemption. It doesn’t matter who the man is, what his character is, or what his accomplishments are. The “abominable crime” cancels out everything. He is worthless, fit only for destruction. Law, religion, and culture unite to destroy LGBT people.

Fast forward to the modern day. Law, religion, and social custom continue to stigmatize LGBT as worthless--they do not deserve protection under the law. They do not deserve to be judged based on their work by an employer, they are judged by their sexuality. They do not deserve to have their unions recognized, they do not deserve to serve in the armed forces, they do not deserve to be safe when they attend school or walks the street, they do not deserve health care or anything else. A dog has more rights than an LGBT person does. If a dog is beaten and left to die, the public will cry out--nobody will post hateful blogs about how the dog’s ‘lifestyle’ caused his death, and therefore it's his own fault he’s dead.

If LGBT people are worthless, then by extension, literature by and about LGBT people is also worthless. There is no redemption for the “abominable crime”--it carries an LGBT taint and therefore the only possible appeal it could have is to prurience. In other words, it’s pornography. In this line of thinking, it doesn’t matter if the work contains sex or not. It doesn’t matter if it’s well written. The mere fact that is has some connection to LGBT people is sufficient to convict it and impose the death penalty. It should not be read; people should not make up their own minds about it; it should be destroyed. Anyone who does read it is tainting themselves and are guilty by association. LGBT-ness is contagious--you can catch by merely reading a book. No wonder homophobes want to stamp it out!

Pirates of the Narrow Seas is more than an adventure tale. It is also a coming out story as Lt. Peter Thorton--raised in a minister’s household, serving in a navy that will kill him if it catches him loving another man--must find a way to resolve the conflicts between what he was taught to believe and who he is. This is Everyman’s story, really. Everyone of us must come to know who we are and to stand proud in spite of all the ‘shoulds’ and ‘isms’ that we were taught growing up. Not one of us embodies the ideal we were taught, and part of becoming mature and competent adults is to realize it and make our peace with ourselves.

Pirates of the Narrow Seas is not a gay adventure series: it’s a human adventure series. The precise details of Thorton’s life differ from the details of someone else’s life, but that’s because each of us is a unique individual. Yet although the details differ, we are all human beings struggling for survival, dignity, and acceptance. Like Peter Thorton, we are on a quest for true love and self respect in this adventure called ‘life.’

The Ghost Ship Returns April 6 on National Geographic Channel

I'm pleased to report that the documentary, "The Ghost Ship Returns," about an intact 17th century wreck on the bottom of the Baltic Sea, will be aired on the National Geographic Channel on April 6 as part of their Expedition Week.

I mention it because I am a member of the crew of the Kalmar Nyckel, the ship that was cast to stand in for the doomed ship. The Kalmar Nyckel has an extremely authentic 17th century rig that is identical to the 'ghost ship.' I am not in the film--I was catching dock lines while they sailed away with the film crew.

I have seen two lectures, one by the producer of the documentary, Mr. Dixelius, and one by their technical advisor, Dr. Hocker, the Director of Research at the Vasa Museum, both of which were excellent, and had some footage and clips. The crew gets to see a sneak preview this afternoon, so I'll try to post a review. (No promises.)

Dr. Hocker let us know that our rig is so authentic they want to study wear marks on the Kalmar Nyckel as an aid to interpreting wear marks on the Vasa and other 17th century ship artifacts.

~K~

M. Kei

Pirates of the Narrow Seas on Epics of Historical M/M Romance

http://www.amazon.com/Epics-Historical-M-Romance/lm/RZZ7I95XQBGI1

I just discovered that Pirates the Narrow Seas is #10 on the list of Epic Historical M/M Romances at Amazon.com. The list was created by X. Allen Smith in honor of "the great Epics of Historical Gay Romance novels, meaning those that are more than 200 pages and/or come in a series. Because I actually enjoy character development and depth".

PoNS 4: Heart of Oak coming this spring

Heart of Oak, the fourth book in the Pirates of the Narrow Seas series by M. Kei, will be coming out in paperback later this spring/early summer. It will be followed by an ebook from Bristlecone Pine Press, available through all the same outlets as the previous books in the series.

Here are the blurbs:

Short blurb:

Heart of Oak, the fourth book in the Pirates of the Narrow Seas series by M. Kei, continues the adventures of Lt. Peter Thorton of the British navy as his divided loyalties are tested in the crucibles of love and war. A pawn in the war for Portuguese independence, he is marked for revenge by the Spanish, and comes perilously close to losing both his life and ship. Discarded by friends and lovers, his health wrecked, and dependent upon the charity of others, at the nadir of his career he discovers what really matters and must make a choice that will seal his fate.


Long blurb: 

Heart of Oak, the fourth book in the Pirates of the Narrow Seas series by M. Kei, continues the adventures of Lt. Peter Thorton of the British navy as his divided loyalties are tested in the crucibles of love and war. A pawn in the war for Portuguese independence, he is marked for revenge by the Spanish, and comes perilously close to losing both his life and ship when the Amphitrite is the target of a Spanish cutting out raid. 

Meanwhile, Cmdr. Alan Abby, retired ashore at Gibraltar, has the opportunity to show that although blind, he is a still an active and gallant officer. The redoubtable Duke Henrique, forced to marry a puritanical princess for political reasons, must once again call upon the courage of his British friends to aid him in a time of crisis. Captain Tangle, the famous Sallee rover, befriends them all, but catches a Tartar when he attempts to seize the Spanish royal yacht, bringing down the wrath of a Spanish battle fleet upon them all.

Through it all, Thorton is still longing for love, but is a victim of bad advice and his own naivété. He succumbs to the charms of the dashing hussar, Colonel Karolyi, sorely tempted to throw away everything and follow the devil-may-care light horseman. Captain Horner, determined to keep Thorton on the strait and narrow, intercedes, and both of the British officers are obliged to face the far superior saber skills of the colonel in separate duels. 

Book Four brings Thorton to the nadir of his career, his health broken, abandoned by his friends, and forced to discover which man he used to love and admire has the Heart of Oak he can truly trust. Written by a tall ship sailor and internationally acclaimed poet, M. Kei, Pirates of the Narrow Seas combines swashbuckling adventure, gay romance, and gritty realism. 

PoNS 3 : Iron Men 'Recommended Reading' by Astrodene

Astrodene's Historic Naval Fiction has just posted a short review of Pirates of the Narrow Seas 3 : Iron Men.

"I enjoy following the exploits of these characters in what is another good swashbuckling naval novel and I look forward to the next book in the series. Recommended reading."~Astrodene

Read the complete review at: http://www.historicnavalfiction.com/index.php/general-hnf-info/book-reviews/1683-astrodene-review-iron-men-by-m-kei