The Pirate Round: Book Three of the Brethren of the Coast

by James L. Nelson

Book Overview

In the wake of The Guardship and The Blackbirder comes The Pirate Round, the exciting conclusion to the Brethren of the Coast trilogy and the swashbuckling adventures of former pirate Thomas Marlowe. In 1706, war still rages in Europe, and the tobacco planters of the Virginia colony's Tidewater struggle against shrinking markets and pirates lurking off the coast. But American seafarers have found a new source of wealth: the Indian Ocean and ships...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0380804549
• ISBN13: 9780380804542
• Release Date: July 2002
• Publisher: William Morrow & Company
• Length: 384 Pages
• Weight: 1.49 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Nail biter

This was a book that couldn't be put down once you opened it. Marlow and Elizabeth made a very strong pair. Nelson should have found some way to continue the story. Three books in the series were to short.

A Great Swashbuckling Adventure!

I bought this book when I was in the book store not realizing it was the third in the series. It is the climatic end of the trilogy, Marlowe (a former pirate) sets out to England to sell his crop of tobacco, but is thwarted when he meets his enemy Roger Press. This sets him and his wife Elizabeth on an exciting journey and adventure across the seas to madagascar. This book is packed with lots of action and fights scenes as these two pirates battle it out. This story was captivating and thrilling to read. And I loved every moment of it. Though I recommend reading the first two books prior to this one so you can enjoy the whole saga. But either way you'll love this piratical adventure. This is certainly one of my favorite books and fans of Nelson will also enjoy The North Kingdom.

The Best Was Saved for Last!!!

We have now advanced to 1706 in the final book of the trilogy, Bretheren of the Coast involving Thomas Marlowe. Marlowe having left his former life as a pirate, changed his name and found respectability as a tobacco plantation owner is about to be visited by his past again. War in Europe has made shipping tobacco there far less profitable than in the past and due to piracy the tobacco owners liked to send their crops in one large convoy which resulted in a glut on the market when it landed and raised havoc with their profits. It is Elizabeth who comes up with the idea of refitting their former private man-of war and shipping their tobacco ahead of the convoy, thereby fetching a fair price to and helping them avoid financil ruin. Marlowe, who has been too long without having a quarterdeck under his feet, jumps at the idea and also has another thought in the back of his mind, as he is aware of the stories coming back across the water of new opportunities for those who are willing to sail to the Indian Ocean to prey upon the treasure ships of the great Mogul of India. Once again, Marlowe's past returns to haunt him when they get their crop to England and Marlowe is required to come ashore in London to sign for the crops of neighbors which he had carried and is confronted by Roger Press, a former pirate whom Marlowe had thought was dead. Marlowe had marooned him and left him to die in the Caribeean several years before. Press has been hired by the East India Company, been given a man-of-war and a Queen's Commission to hunt pirates and stop the plundering of the company's shipping. Upon discovering Marlowe, Press attempts to abduct him and plans to kill him. Marlowe escapes with his ship and his life, but without funds from the cargo of tobacco they cannot return home and a decision is arrived at to head for the Indian Ocean and the riches that can be found there in the "sweet life." From that point on the story gets into the life of The Pirate Round in full measure. The intrigues, villians, battles and the like keep building to an epic finish and from it all, Thomas Marlowe finds an answer to one of life's questions that we all can learn from. James Nelson has told a wonderful, entertaining and often bittersweet tale of the times and life among The Bretheren of the Coast, and this last book is the best of the three.

Good swashbuckling adventure

This book concludes the author's trilogy about his pirate or as he puts it his Brethren of the Coast series. It is a good sea adventure story. This was a good time for the author to end, or at least it seems he is ending, the adventures of Thomas Marlow the protagonist in this series of books. Unlike fictional sea adventure heroes Hornblower and Bolitho whose series of books were continued on the basis of their promotions in the ranks of British officers to face new challenges, Marlow the former pirate had no such future. His story was due to end soon. This book has Marlow, facing a bad market for tobacco from his plantation taking a chance to make some money for himself and his neighbors with a cargo of tobacco to beat other shipments to England. But he loses that cargo because of an old pirate enemy and decides to try his luck as a privateer in the Indian ocean preying on richly laden cargo ships. Again his bad luck holds when he runs into another one of his old pirate enemies who rules an island in that area. And the book concludes with a fight to the finish between Marlow and his two enemies. It is a close thing for Marlow and he loses his trusted friend and advisor in the battle. But Marlow and his wife survive and now is a good time for the author to allow them to live every happily after. I now look forward to a new sea going adventurer by the author in a new series.

Best of a Great Series!

I have read all of the Brethren of the Coast books (and most of Nelson's Biddlecomb books) and enjoyed then all a great deal, but this one is the best so far. Nelson is terrific at creating dangerous madmen, and the characters in Pirate Round are beleivable and terrifying. This is real edge of the seat writing, with the usual atention to historical detail and the kind of sea writing that can onlycome from a former blue water sailor. A great book, you will love it!