Pirates & Privateers: Ozgur K. Sahin's Books

When merchant captain Roy Toppings returns to Plymouth after a successful voyage, he learns of the death of his sister, Constance. She had married a Spaniard and sailed with him to the Caribbean, but on the way, pirates attacked their ship. Her husband survives, and Roy vows vengeance. That mission takes him to Port Royal, where he obtains a letter of marque to attack Spanish ships and towns, always searching for his brother-in-law.

Coya, an Incan who has made her way to Port Royal following the loss of her family and tribe, is a thief highly skilled in the use of knives. She steals to survive, but lives a lonely life, an outsider with no real home. After she saves Roy’s life, he invites her to join his crew. While on the Dutch island of Curaçao, she steals a chest of money, intended to pay the ransom of a Spanish colonel captured by Henry Morgan. Her success and bravery win the crew’s respect and acceptance. Before long, they become her new family – one that accepts her for who she is.

Once a slave, Ajuban serves as Roy’s first mate where he is an equal. He keeps a wary eye out for anyone who would dare harm his captain or Coya, while at the same time using the knowledge he has acquired to provide insightful advice that aids them in their quests. He’s also a marksman with the crossbow, which proves fortuitous more than once in getting them out of sticky situations.

While in search of additional men, Roy meets Jan Huisman, a Dutch surgeon, who wishes to join the crew. His reasons for doing so are kept secret, but he soon becomes a valuable addition when they encounter cimaroons on the way to raid Caracas. If they can convince them to help, the privateers might triumph in their quest for treasure.

Papers found within the chest Coya steals, combined with the plunder taken from the raid, lend credence to rumors of Spanish troops massing for an invasion. The target is assumed to be Port Royal, which the English “stole” from Spain; Roy soon discovers the target is really the Dutch island. With the assistance of Morgan and another successful and daring leader of the Brethren of the Coast, as well as a French spy, the three captains and their crews devise a bold plan for halting the invasion. To be successful, a volunteer must risk his life on a suicide mission.

The only weaknesses in the story line involve Roy’s vow to avenge his sister’s death and the one crew member with nefarious designs on Coya. While the former element is brought back into the story in a most satisfying way at the end of the book, the latter is more like a red herring that never leads to anything. In spite of these minor items, this first book in the Brethren of the Spanish Main series is a true historical novel depicting the buccaneering era. From first page to last, Sahin's deftly woven tale transports readers back to the Caribbean of the 17th century. High adventure, breathtaking escapades, and wonderfully drawn characters, each with his or her own unique personality, make this a swashbuckling tale reminiscent of Captain Blood or The Deadly Lady of Madagascar. It is an awesome and grand pirate tale that will have readers anxiously awaiting the next book in the series.

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True Colors
By Ozgur K. Sahin
Ozgur K. Sahin, 2019, e-book ISBN 978-1-7334829-1-2, US $4.99

The buccaneers have saved Curaçao from invasion, but not without costs. Some have died, and Captain Morgan has lost his ship. Damage to Roy Toppings’s is minimal, plus he has acquired a second vessel, a Spanish warship that Ajuban now captains. The Constance and La Mongosta sail in consort for Rio de la Hacha and Santa Marta, two Spanish towns in New Granada. In spite of this victory, all is not well.

When La Mongosta was captured, prisoners were taken, including Lieutenant Pablo Francisco. Revenge brought Roy to the Caribbean, but now that he has captured his brother-in-law and the man he holds responsible for the death of his sister, he doesn’t know what to do with him. Just thinking of Francisco drives Roy into an unpredictable rage, and when he finally exacts his revenge, the crew and Ajuban question his state of mind. And Francisco’s death haunts Roy, rather than giving him peace.

Also captured with Francisco is Major Manuel Benito, who has kept a diary that falls into the buccaneers’ hands. It provides valuable information about their pending targets, and also reveals that the pirates who slew Roy’s sister flew the French flag. Nowhere, however, does Benito actually call them French pirates, which seems curious. He also reveals that his friend Francisco was devastated by Constance’s death and was hunting for the pirates when the buccaneers captured La Mongosta.

With the use of subterfuge to disguise their true intent, the ships sail into the Spanish ports. Coya, a scout with keen eyesight at night, participates in the daring invasion and, after slipping inside the Spanish fort, nearly loses her life. Among the treasure garnered from the expedition is a Golden Staff, which Coya claims as her share of the plunder because it is a relic of her people, the Incas. Her choice proves fortuitous as it saves her life when one of her fellow brethren breaks into her cabin while she’s recovering from her wounds.

Also taken during the raids are a host of documents, which provide information on a secret syndicate in league with the Inquisition, merchants, and government officials. The buccaneers also free prisoners in the jail; two are Dutchmen seized illegally and tortured by the tribunal for information about Curaçao rather than to answer charges of heresy.

Upon their return to the Dutch island, Roy decides to part company with the brethren and go in search of the pirates who killed his sister. To do this he must pay Henry Morgan the ransom for Colonel Baron Javier Valdez Endoso, who has been a captive for three months. They form a tenuous alliance, since Valdez also seeks these pirates, as well as the ringleaders of the syndicate and the whereabouts of his men still searching for information on the syndicate on Hispaniola.

Ajuban decides that he likes being captain and, when Roy shares his news of retirement, Ajuban purchases La Mongosta from Roy and goes a-pirating. He and those who follow him will receive a letter of marque if they succeed in rescuing a kidnapped artist and snare a Spanish treasure ship, whose captain expects the warship to escort him to his next destination. Ajuban and his crew, with the assistance of a French spy, disguise themselves as Spaniards and keep La Mongosta’s appointment with destiny.

True Colors is the second installment in Sahin’s Brethren of the Spanish Main series and takes place in 1660, following the restoration of Charles II as King of England. Be forewarned, this gripping novel is significantly longer than the first, but is equally steeped in historical detail. New characters join the crews, while familiar old ones (like Coya, Jan, and William) return. All are vividly drawn and unique. Ajuban is the only one whose portrayal of speech differs from other characters; some readers may find the dialect a bit tiresome after a while. There are also a significant number of points of view, which may challenge readers in remembering who’s who and what their roles are.

For readers unfamiliar with the regions visited, Sahin includes several maps for orientation. He has a commendable grasp of the history and politics of the Caribbean, which he then spins into a complex web of interconnected threads. Although half of the book divides into two separate tales – Roy’s and Ajuban’s voyages – the characters eventually reunite in a rousing sea battle. Readers will find a treasure trove of conspiracies, manipulation, intrigue, and betrayal, as well as gritty, realistic, and, at times, brutal portrayals of life among the buccaneers. Those seeking a tale neatly wrapped in a bow with all the answers in a single story, however, should look elsewhere. The high adventure found in True Colors will continue in the next book in the series.