For whatever we lose, it is our self we find in the sea.
‘An extraordinary work, absolutely breathtaking … it beggars belief’ Conn Iggulden
‘Profound, intricate, artful. I urge you to sail into this storm’ A. J. West, Sunday Times bestseller
1800. HMS Ulysses mutinies off Trinidad and vanishes into the Caribbean. No one knows how many of the crew are left alive or what the mutineers plan to do with the vessel.
Captain Hiram Nightingale is a veteran of the wars which have raged throughout Europe and the Americas for the last decades. But a grand victory at the Battle of the Nile comes at a devastating cost. Plagued by wounds both physical and mental, he attempts to recover by accepting command of HMS Scylla. His task is to hunt down the mutineers and bring the ship and crew to justice.
However, it soon becomes clear that the Ulysses is just one danger in an immense web. Nightingale finds himself in the middle of a network of secrets that will affect everyone onboard the Scylla. He has to battle against the perils of the war-torn seas, a crew who he fears does not accept him, and meddling, powerful figures from the past.
And in the centre of all this, his new lieutenant, the popular Arthur Courtney, stirs up long repressed feelings. On his journey, Nightingale must confront his own demons. For it seems, during his dangerous adventure, Nightingale’s greatest enemy might be himself.
A deeply poignant tale of naval warfare, political intrigue and a love that stands tall in an unaccepting world. Perfect for fans of Hornblower, Sharpe and Outlander.
Praise for Leeward
‘An utterly unique and intriguing addition to the genre of Age of Fighting Sail fiction. Her protagonist, Captain Hiram Nightingale, is at once heroic and vulnerable, a man who is wounded in multiple ways, all perfectly believable. This is a fresh and welcome new entrant to the world of maritime fiction’ James L. Nelson, author of the Isaac Biddlecomb series
‘A grand naval adventure of the days of sail, with mutiny, political machinations, and a scarred captain who has internal foes. In an utterly authentic voice, Katie Daysh brings to life the terrifying power of the sea, and the bonds of both love and duty that tie a captain to his ship, and his men’ Damion Hunter, author of Shadow of the Eagle