The Reliance

Christian piracy sails on. Tyndall's second installment to her LEGACY OF THE KING'S PIRATES trilogy, The Reliance, is another swashbuckling page turner. Chapter one of this "historical romance" opens with our hero and heroine lounging on a beach in Porto Bello, Panama--where we'd all love to lounge. Three paragraphs later, still on page one, musket and cannon fire shatter all romance. Our sunbathing lovers are interrupted by pirates sacking the town. That's how fast Tyndall moves. Not fast enough? Captain Morgan sacks San Lorenzo. Merrick and Charlisse fight their way out of town on Don Deigo's stallion, pistol and musket fire snap close behind. On the road out of town, they find a church full of abandoned orphans. How to save them from advancing pirates? Merrick leaves Charlisse to hide the children in the church, and goes in search of a wagon. As Merrick rides away from the church, the building, where he's just left his wife, explodes. As does his soul. That's page twenty-three, the end of chapter two. Not fast enough? By page twenty-six we discover that Charlisse is alive, but kidnapped by Captain Kent Carlton, leftover bad-guy from book one, The Redemption. Merrick searches the rubble, then sinks into despair's depths. If you're wanting a romance novel about dating and what to wear, this ain't it. Well, Charlisse does cross-dress a couple of times, in order to visit a pirate port, and captain her husband's vessel. Yes, chick-lit readers, Charlisse captains the Redemption. She even gives the order to fire a broadside at her rum-swilling soon-to-be-ex-husband's new flagship, the Satisfaction. In the course of middle chapter soul-wringing, we're tortured by main characters' ships that pass in the night, their honest motivations and terrible pain. The Reliance has many plot subtleties, but peel these onion layers for yourself, and enjoy. This Tyndall woman can write. If you're able, start with The Redemption, in order to meet living characters in living color.

Lady Charlisse Merrick Hyde's life is shattered when she is captured by the vindictive pirate Captain Kent Carlton who stages her death deceiving her devoted husband and reformed pirate, Captain Edmund Merrick in this sequel to The Redemption. In his grief, Merrick spirals back to his old ways, aligning himself with the evil and twisted French pirate Collier, convincing himself he is avenging Charlisse's death and turning his back on God. Imprisoned on Kent's ship, Charlisse is confined with Lady Isabel, who has also been captured by Kent and so begins her own struggle to hold to the truth that God has not deserted her. I can't help but revert to wonderful cliches and claim Mary Lu Tyndall's new release another swashbuckling tale of adventure, villainy and romance on the high seas! Merrick and Charlisse's separate journeys through grief, rage and desperation are fascinating as their different choices impact their faith and destinies. Kent and Collier are well drawn evil pirates bent on revenge and selfish gain yet MaryLu is able to draw a distinction between them as Collier's madness drives him to barbaric behaviour while Kent struggles to ignore his niggling conscience that refuses to die. The Reliance is an energetic, exciting and romantic read, full of interesting details of pirate culture (if one could call it that!), the ships that defined them and the changes that God can make to the hearts of even ones so hardened by their hostile and brutal life. The only downside is waiting until August for the release of The Restitution by Barbour.

Author MaryLu Tyndall broadsides the reader with a rip-roaring adventure on the stormy Caribbean. It's all here, from walking-the-plank to rat-infested ship holds, while interspersed throughout with love, devotion and duplicity. It's a given that handsome and brave Captain Merrick is my favorite male character, but a close second goes to his first-mate Sloane. A crusty curmudgeon, he's got a heart as big as the sea. His care and protection of Charlisse in Merrick's absence is admirable, and his conversion toward the end could make a grown pirate cry. Many new characters are introduced, but the heart of the story is the faith journey of Charlisse and Merrick. Charlisse's new faith catches wind and sails in the midst of tragic events. Merrick's trust in God plunges to murky depths so gloomy, the reader wonders whether he'll drown in his doubts. I must admit to being nervous when embarking on The Reliance since my heart had already been kidnapped by Tyndall's first book, The Redemption. But before the end of chapter one, I'd been reeled in. Tyndall is a master of character development and rope-dangling scene endings. Once you begin reading, your everyday life will be thrown in the hold until the last page. Five stars, ten yo-ho-ho's and a bottle of rum for Tyndall's masterpiece, The Reliance. My only concern is how she'll be able to top this with the third and last book in the series due out later this year. Don't get stranded ashore and miss the adventure. Set sail for the nearest bookstore and capture this treasure!

Captain Edmund Merrick and his wife, Charlisse, are struggling to reach their ship, the Redemption. They had gone ashore, thinking they would be safe, when their old enemy Captain Kent Carlton, and his unsavory crew attacked. Edmund returns to the church where he left Charlisse, only to find it in flames, and he believes she is dead. In reality, she has been taken captive by Kent. Filled with bitterness, Edmund searches for the pirates he believes killed his wife, unaware that she is still alive. The Reliance is the sequel to The Redemption, and is just as riveting. M.L.Tyndale's historical details puts the reader in the thick of the action. Her characters are strong and courageous, and there is a clear message of grace and redemption. For the reader of exciting historical romance, The Reliance is a must.

MaryLu Tyndall has done it - written a sequel which is, if possible, even better than the original (The Redemption)! We follow Merrick and Charlisse, now married, as they encounter the depths of sorrow. And then, when their lives hit bottom, we watch them grow and change as their faith and personal strength begins to win out over circumstances and those who would harm them. I love these characters and, like me, I know you won't be able to put this book down. It's a must-read!