1665: The land is at war, but conspiracies against King Charles II are rife.
Captain Matthew Quinton finds himself thrust unexpectedly into the midst of the deadliest of them when he is given command of a vast and ancient man-of-war. Despite contending with scheming ministers of state, a raw, recalcitrant crew and an alleged curse on the ship, Quinton sails against the might of the Dutch fleet.
Meanwhile plague devastates London, Matthew's family and friends battle an enemy in their midst and a mysterious figure from the past returns to oppose the foes of both the king and the Quintons. The shattering climax of The Blast That Tears the Skies sees Matthew and his crew fight for their lives at the heart of the Battle of Lowestoft, one of the greatest sea-fights in the entire age of sail, before he faces the astonishing truth about his own and his family's history.