AOS Pirate Fiction

1692. The Atlantis, captained by veteran seaman Benjamin Archer, flies the colours of an English merchantman on the high seas between the English Channel and the Caribbean.

But she also runs up the ‘jolie rouge’ – the Jolly Roger – whenever the prospect of plundering a Spanish treasure ship presents itself.

Nipping at Spain’s empire is common practice for state-sponsored privateers like the Atlantis at a time when lesser European powers dare not directly make war on Spain.

But when those governments abandon the practice of issuing letters of marque to privateers against the Spanish galleons, many of the crews turn pirate.

Such is the fate of Archer’s men.

The crew is forced to sign the ship’s articles consenting to their new piratical ways, thereby placing their heads in a noose.

Unless, that is, they can stage a mutiny and turn Archer over to the authorities in the Caribbean city of Port Royal, a popular homeport for privateers – and notorious for its gaudy displays of wealth and loose morals, the ‘wickedest city on earth’.

But superstition is rife among seamen and the presence on board the Atlantis of two women – one a high-born French stowaway Catherine and the other a Jamaican slave-born ‘cabin boy’ Serafine – will only be a bad omen if they are discovered.

Worse, the runaway is thought by her family to possess the powers of a witch while the ‘boy’ worships voodoo gods who rule life from beneath the waves.

Will the mutiny succeed?

What is the secret bond between Archer and Serafine?

And can Catherine escape the captain’s determination to make her his after she has fallen for another young officer?

Is some unstoppable divine force slowly gathering to punish the profane?

Johanna Craven’s impressive latest novel combines the island paradise world of Mutiny on the Bounty with the visual and visceral immediacy of Master and Commander, whilst also delving into the legacies of colonialism explored in Joseph Conrad’s sinister Heart of Darkness.

Hector Lynch, wanted by the authorities in London for piracy, has come to St Mary's Island, near Madagascar, on his search for the elusive Libertalia - a settlement where it is said that all are allowed to live freely.

Here, he meets Captain Henry Avery, captain of the freebooter Fancy, which is sailing north through the Indian Ocean in search of a huge haul of gold. Avery requires a navigator, and persuades Hector and his friends Jacques and Jezreel to join the voyage, with the promise that they should be free to leave if they come across the fabled Libertalia on their travels.

Although Hector is reluctant to return once more to a life of piracy, his desperation to find a place he can finally settle with his wife Maria draws him in. The Fancy joins forces with other notorious pirate ships, including Thomas Tew's Amity, and as they sail up through the Arabian Sea, they encounter a convoy of the Grand Mogul's ships, including the Ganj-i-Sawa'i, the 'Exceeding Treasure', laden with riches. Soon, Hector finds himself caught up in one of the most deadly plunders in history . . .

The first book in the Greatest Cape series, The Black Joke, was described as a cross between Treasure Island, The Railway Children and Deliverance, by turns exciting, amusing, charming, alarming, winsome, violent and strange - a rollicking read for adults with a childish love of adventure, and for children who aren't afraid of a few long words. Now the fifth and final volume of The Greatest Cape, Patience and the Pyrate, sees us back in the odd little town by the sea. The very decided Patience Potts and her friend Silmonella pursue pirates and fairies and get themselves into a very nasty situation, while Patience's mother Rosella has problems of her own. At the school, one tiny teacher is touched by her pupils' attentions, and another has a crisis of conscience. And on the railway, sinister events are in train (pun intended). ... there's a mysterious ship in the harbour. Oh no, not another one? ... what does Slingsby Sourdew get up to in the lavs at playtime? ... a schoolboy plans the Great Train Robbery for his classroom project ... ... two little girls find themselves in very deep water. With some sheep. ... and a couple of miles out of town, something very strange waits and watches ...

Who in their right mind would blackmail a pirate? A dangerous game to play but what if that pirate wanted something in return that would turn the tables on the blackmailer? Maybe he would play along with his little game of deceit that would turn nasty around every corner.
A dark secret has been kept for many a year but the truth has to be told warts and all and some might not like what they hear.

This is a tale of death and destruction of the pirate brethren and some of the King’s Navy. Old adversaries have to join forces to take on an even bigger threat but a falling out and repercussions after the battle threaten the whole existence of all those left standing.

Fierce battles ensue and in the process they capture a princess and steal her dowry and gold bullion from a ship in the dead of night. They also commandeer three Spanish treasure ships and, using the melted gold, they commit a major forgery by selling the gilded gold to greedy, corrupt government officials.

A tale of the high seas, Saladin’s Sword narrates a story of treachery, adventure, and betrayal.

Marked for death! Lady Mercedes Vasquez Claremont has been betrayed by a member of Nelson’s Tea. Now her life is in the hands of the man she couldn’t save, a beast forged by Spanish hatred. Lord Garrick Seaton, aka Captain Blade, is the only one who has a chance of pulling off a lifesaving mission. To do so, he must go to Spain and face memories of captivity and torture. But the fiery Spanish lady he seeks to rescue proves to be the greater threat. Can he protect his heart, or will she demand his complete surrender?