The Guardship: Book One of the Brethren of the Coast

by James L. Nelson

Book Overview

Shortly after Thomas Marlowe's arrival in Williamsburg, Virginia, all in that newfound capital city are speaking his name. With the bounty from his years as a pirate--a life he intends to renounce and keep forever secret--he purchases a fine plantation from a striking young widow, and soon after kills the favorite son of one of Virginia's most powerful clans while defending her honor. But it is a daring feat of remarkable cunning that truly sets local...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0380804522
• ISBN13: 9780380804528
• Release Date: January 2000
• Publisher: William Morrow & Company
• Length: 384 Pages
• Weight: 0.76 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.2" x 7.9"

Customer Reviews

A great read of realistic pirates and the coast.

This is one of those books that you find yourself reading so quickly that you wonder where the time went. There is enough true terminology to keep the tale realistic, but not so much as to need a dictionary by your side.What really makes me recommend this book is the realistic depiction of pirates and the coast of the Carolinas - which happens to be where I make my home. You could almost smell the salt water and pluff mud through the descriptions. And your get real nasty, dirty, vulgar, non-romanticized pirates. These are the pirates that you fear instead of dreaming to joining.If pirates and/or nautical adventure are your thing, I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

A gripping story in a different setting!

I stumbled across this book in my local library, having never heard of the author before. I was soon entranced by the terrific story in the unusual (for me) setting. I'm afraid, much as many writing experts feel that a great novel needs well rounded characters who develop with the story, give me some slightly more cardboard characters any day! Villianous villians, strong heroes, fiesty females ... all set in an exciting cliff-hanger story - these will hold my attention!To my way of thinking, the style of this book was akin to a sea-going version of my favourite Bernard Cornwall "Sharpe" series of books.I only wish that, down here far away from the Virginia Tidewater, our library stocked the many other titles that Nelson seems to have written! They already carry all the well-known British naval authors, so maybe a bit of arm-twisting will get them to add this American series!

A Terrific Read!

The Guardship is a great book! Fast paced and with a real feel for the time period, full of detail that gives it a tone of authenticity. The characters are recognizable humans, but are well clear of cliches. Some people have critized Nelson for not being Patrick O'Brian. Well, he's not. His books are much faster paced, more "page turners". To fault Nelson for not being O'Brian is like saying O'Brian is no good because he is not Melville. The Guardships stands well on its own and I look forward to the rest of the series. If you like a good sea story, you will love this book!

Destined to be #1 in Nautical Fiction

The only problem with this book is not enough pages between the covers. This man, this Thomas Marlow, is very human, very believable and, showing falibility is a character with which the reader can easily identify. James L. Nelson has all of the expertise of Patrick O'Brien or Alexander Kent. His characters, however, can be enjoyed without having to refer to a botany or biology text book. Once the battle scene is set, it is almost impossible to set the book down. I eagerly await the next in the series.

I loved every page

There are so many great things about this book, I don't know where to start. There's a brilliant plot, great period details, a fascinating historic background, and a whole bunch of complex and believable characters. If you love Patrick O'Brian like I do, you should check out James Nelson.