Captain Edmund Merrick loves his life.  His beautiful wife of three years, Charlisse, carries their first child, he runs a tight ship and crew which could take on anyone daring enough to try, and his faith in God grows stronger by the day.  Now that he is able to stay with his wife in the Caribbean again and not have to help his father flee to France, nothing could be better. 

Charlisse Merrick cannot believe how boundless her happiness seems. From the gentle swell of her husband’s child she knows their future can be nothing but wonderful.  Her fears of abandonment melt further and further into the past as the days with Merrick roll forward.  God truly answers prayers. 

When pirates attack the city with murder and mayhem on their minds, Merrick is desperate to get Charlisse away.  Outside the gates he finds a church in which to take refuge, as well as a group of orphans already cowering in fear.  Trying to rescue them all leads Merrick from the building leaving Charlisse to comfort the children as best she can.Separated now, the two find themselves swept even further apart by circumstances neither can control.  The struggle to find each other is nothing compared to their struggle to hold onto their faith when things look beyond bleak.  Merrick fights his old pirate nature and Charlisse wages a battle of the mind while an old enemy tries to make the separation permanent. 

The faithfulness of God in even the worst of times shines through to each of them and even splashes on a few others as the saga unfolds.  Life may try to tear them apart, but what God has joined together nothing can tear asunder.

“The Reliance” is the second book in the Legacy of the King’s Pirates series. Elements of the first book are present, but not necessary to the second which stands alone.  Several of the characters from the first book make another appearance giving continuity and some troubles in the form of an old enemy seeking revenge. 

The story of Merrick and Charlisse, shows the struggle of our pasts with our faith walk.  Both have baggage they are trying to get over.  Neither is able to do it on their own and find their needs met only in their relationship with God.  Merrick’s character flaws are believable and understandable considering his past as a pirate.  His faith takes a beating, gets knocked out from under him for a time, and comes back stronger than before for the trials.  He shows realistic reactions to the situations in which he finds himself and believable emotion. 

Charlisse battles her own feelings of abandonment from childhood. When she and Merrick are separated those feelings come rushing back to crowd out the peace she found in her relationship with God.  She struggles to grasp that lifeline during all of the ordeals sent her way. Her reactions are true to her character and well written. 

While there were a few predictable moments, this is a romance after all, the plot had a few twists and turns to keep the pages turning.  I like how the author developed the characters, even the enemy, throughout the story.  I would not recommend this book for younger teens, but it would be appropriate for older teen girls in the sixteen and up range.  There is nothing questionable in the content, but older teens would be able to handle the more realistic situations better than those who are younger. 

I recommend this book as a good read for a lazy afternoon’s escape into a world of swords, sails and pirates.  Happy reading!

January 1, 2008