Secrets. And surprises.
Those two words sum up everything I love about MaryLu Tyndall’s new release, The Ransom, the fourth in her Legacy of the King’s Pirates series. (Disclaimer: I was given a free e-copy of the book by the author in exchange for my review.)
Set in the Caribbean–Port Royal, Jamaica–in the late 17th Century, The Ransom is a story of identities and the roles we play to survive in whatever society we find ourselves in.
After the death of her mother, Juliana Dutton is left to run her family’s shipping business when her father becomes ill and her brother turns to gambling and drinking. With the help of the family’s butler, she’s got the town convinced all is well with the business. For now.
Alexander Hyde, on the other hand, has the town convinced he’s the dandy Lord Munthrope while he lives a pirate’s life by night. The son of the infamous Captain Merrick Hyde has turned his back on his parents’ faith as he seeks a release from others’ expectations for his life.
But when Lord Munthrope offers Juliana a pact that could help them both, their carefully constructed schemes begin to unravel as they discover who they truly are meant to be.
The Ransom is a fun tale laced with adventure and romance, bringing to mind the antics of Westley in The Princess Bride or any of the Johnny Depp Pirates of the Caribbean movies, all of which I now want to watch again.
When I first started reading Tyndall’s books just over a year ago, her seafaring adventures intrigued me because I hadn’t read anything like that in inspirational fiction. But I convinced myself that I wasn’t really all that into pirates. After much consideration, and plenty of reading, I can safely say that has all changed. I’m firmly rooted in the pirate camp, and what I love about Tyndall’s stories, including this one, are the elements of faith worked in. Everyone is struggling with their beliefs and has made mistakes they regret. But none are exempt from redemption.
Though technically book four in the series, The Ransom can be read as a standalone novel. But trust me when I say you’ll also want to read the other books in the series: The Redemption, The Reliance and The Restitution.