The Intended
The seas around the West Indies in the 18th century have long held the reputation of risk and violence, riches and slavery. This is the tale surrounding a young Swedish officer and his new bride and what happens when he falls into the hands of pirates. From starting out as a mere victim, who sees horror, he survives by becoming as brutal as his captors. When his crew captures another young woman, he is irresistibly drawn to her and her plight.
Swapping about within the three years since his capture, the story starts in some confusion. However, the overall pattern becomes clear, and the reader soon gets taken up with the characters: the pirate captain who discovers his innocence may be gone but not forgotten, and the young captive who battles to preserve her dignity while being partly fascinated by her captors, especially their chief.
Romance this may be, but one in a realistic setting; no Disney movie here! The writing is imaginative and with great feeling for the whole period, country and subject. The conclusion may leave the avid reader wanting more, but there is closure of a sort.
