CINNAMON AND
GUNPOWDER by Eli Brown
Food and pirates works surprisingly well in this sometimes
funny, sometimes scary, sometimes poignant tale of a kidnapped chef and the female
pirate who keeps him ala Scherazade until
he can no longer make a meal that
tantalizes her taste buds. Of course the
problem of missing ingredients (what pirate ship carries fresh herbs and
truffles?) and a cramped and skimpy kitchen make his dilemma interesting. Chef Owen and Pirate Hannah are clearly drawn
characters you will like. The supporting
pirate crew is equally well drawn. Life aboard ship is made plain.
The plot also concerns the opium trade with China and the
scoundrel British captains who control it. The enemy pirate – The Fox – turns out
to be related to Hannah in more ways than one.
The final battles are tense with the final ‘winner” difficult to guess.
A good outing for a debut author. I look forward to his next book.
4 of 5 stars
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