Pirata
5 total works
The enthralling first ebook novella in the brand new Roman pirate series by Sunday Times bestselling authors Simon Scarrow and T. J. Andrews.
It is AD 25. The Roman Empire stretches from Hispania in the west to Armenia in the east, Merchantmen roam the seas, transporting people, livestock and all manner of goods. And where there are merchant ships, there will be pirates ...
On a blustery night in the rough port of Piraeus, Captain Clemestes staggers drunkenly through the dark streets as he heads for his ship, Selene. When he becomes aware of the sinister figures following him, he fears the worst, for life is cheap in this den of thieves and cutthroats. Then a man bursts from the shadows and by brute force drives the attackers away. Clemestes is astounded to find that he has been saved not by a powerful soldier, or a fellow sailor, but by a half-starved youth, compelled to come to the aid of a stranger, in the face of impossible odds.
The youth is Telemachus, an orphan with a story that is both commonplace and tragic. When the kind-hearted Clemestes suggests he joins Selene's crew, Telemachus sees no reason to refuse. But little does he know of the dangers of his new world. There's no running away once a ship is at sea - and when a pirate fleet appears on the horizon, Telemachus's troubles have just begun ...
Episode one in the PIRATA ebook novella series.
AD 25. As Roman naval squadrons patrol the Adriaticum, a young pirate captain hunts for prey. But his most dangerous enemy may be on his own side ...
The young pirate Telemachus has impressed Captain Bulla with his courage and skill, and has been made captain of a small ship, Galatea, with his loyal friend Geras as first mate. Their target: the trade routes of the northern Adriaticum, with the promise of rich and easy pickings. But the exhilaration of command quickly fades as Telemachus and his men struggle to find any ships worth looting. Supplies are running low, and mutiny is brewing. Suspecting treachery by his arch enemy Hector, whose own ship was dispatched to other waters, Telemachus fears not only for his crew, but for his dream of rescuing his brother Nereus from slavery.
When Telemachus learns of a rich cargo ship at anchor, he senses his chance for glory. A fortune in ivory and spices is in sight. There's a catch, though: the port is host to an auxiliary garrison of the Roman army. Only the most reckless captain would dare target this prey. Telemachus will need to call on all his cunning and survival skills if he is to win the day, avert mutiny, and exact his revenge on his tormentor ...
The full novel of PIRATA is available now.
(P)2019 Headline Publishing Group Ltd
AD 25. Across the treacherous waters of the Adriaticum, rival pirate ships and Roman squadrons battle for control. Only the strongest can survive ...
In the dangerous waters along the Illyrian coast, a feared pirate crew is on the hunt. Prey is elusive, for Prefect Canis of the Roman navy has forbidden merchant ships from sailing without an escort. Captain Bulla and his first mate, the young pirate Telemachus, are relieved when a rare target is sighted. But the presence of armed soldiers on board takes them by surprise, as a gang of pirates prepares to take on a highly trained enemy. Victory, if it comes, will be at a terrible price.
There's shocking news to follow. Aware of Telemachus's growing prowess on the seas, the Romans have imprisoned his enslaved brother Nereus. As the men of Poseidon's Trident set sail for Italia, pursued by aggressive Roman warships, a plan is taking shape in Telemachus's mind. A plan only he would dare even to think of ...
The full novel of PIRATA is available now.
(P)2019 Headline Publishing Group Ltd
AD 25. Mighty Rome is reclaiming control of the pirate-haunted seas, endangering the livelihoods of the pirate crews. Despite their hard-won fighting skills, the pirates are losing. Until one man, a black flag captain like no others, steps in to challenge the Roman enemy ...
A vast fleet of pirate ships has gathered, black pennants fluttering in the breeze. On board are men who would slit each other's throats rather than work together. They have sailed from all directions, reluctant and suspicious, at the request of the notorious pirate Telemachus, the new captain of the Poseidon's Trident. They come in honour of the fallen Bulla, Telemachus's predecessor, not for the young upstart. But Telemachus has a message they can't ignore. The Ravenna fleet, under the command of the ruthless Prefect Canis, has destroyed their trade and devastated many of their hideouts. Once the prevailing sea power, the brotherhood of pirates now live in fear.
Telemachus has a bold plan: rather than flee or hide, attack. Fighting is in the pirates' blood. If they can entice the warships out of Ravenna, the pirate force will outnumber the remaining Romans. Then, anything is possible. For every pirate present, there's a glimpse of a future ruling the waves again. And for Telemachus, the chance to save his brother Nereus, languishing in a Roman cell. Do or die, with nothing to lose ...
The full novel of PIRATA is available now.
(P)2019 Headline Publishing Group Ltd
AD 25, the Adriaticum. Pirate ships hunt merchantmen across the stormy waters of the vast seas. But their control of these waters is threatened by the actions of a callous Roman commander...
Ship's boy Telemachus has left behind grinding poverty in the Piraeus to join the crew of the merchant ship Selene. Only recently a scrawny youth, he has become a strong and skilled seafarer after weeks of hardship at sea. Now he has fallen into the hands of pirates: brutal men, who take pleasure in vicious acts against their victims and, sometimes, each other.
As a pirate recruit under Captain Bulla, Telemachus faces cruel initiation rites and the dangerous enmity of the ship's ambitious first mate. He takes heart from the goal that drives him: of amassing the fortune he needs to rescue his older brother from slavery. But the men of Bulla's Poseidon's Trident face many dangers: Prefect Canis, commander of the Ravenna fleet, has them in his sights, while rival pirate gangs hunt the same seas. Telemachus quickly learns that fate, as much as courage or cunning, will decide his future . . .
The full novel of PIRATA is available now.
(P)2019 Headline Publishing Group Ltd