With the mastery of a virtuoso, Stockwin delivers a seamless tale that ensnares the reader in whatever Kydd sees, hears, feels, and experiences, be it a ferocious flogging, the depths of despair, men fomenting mutiny, or the brutality of war. . . Kydd is a deftly woven and riveting sea story that refuses to let go once the grappling hooks are thrown. When the last page is turned, readers will yearn for the next book in the Kydd Sea Adventures.

– Pirates and Privateers

Stockwin's debut focuses on the common seamen . . . Kydd's first storm at sea is rendered with great drama . . . warfare is depicted with gruesome, at times breath-stopping, detail.

– Kirkus Reviews

A rousing debut . . . a brilliantly imagined account of a man overcoming fear.

– The Boston Globe

Adventure and historical fans will delight in this well-crafted yarn.

– Booklist

A rousingly exciting and delicious full-immersion in the perils of seafaring and society during the great Age of Sail!

– Dewey Lambdin, author of the Alan Lewrie series

[Stockwin] writes evocatively of shipboard routine, the panic and confusion of combat, and the terrifying approach of a storm at sea, and he knows how to stage enthralling action scenes.

– Publishers Weekly

Comparable to C.C. Humphreys’s Jack Absolute series and the naval tales of the great Patrick O’Brian.

– Library Journal

A rip-roaring yarn that confirms . . . [Stockwin’s] ability to turn his vivid knowledge of eighteenth-century seafaring into first-rate global adventure.

– The Guardian

Stockwin's writing is enriched by his own experiences in the Royal Navy, which gives scenes of fighting and tempest an authenticity to delight anyone who shares his passion for the sea.

– Daily Telegraph

Elegantly plotted . . . the writing has the power of a broadside at close range.

– Oxford Times

Stockwin's descriptions of the bloody reality of naval combat 200 years ago are memorably vivid, and reveal a profound respect for the seamen who were willing to sacrifice their lives to help save their country.

– Yorkshire Evening Post