Saltblood: An epic historical fiction debut inspired by real life female pirates

**WINNER OF THE WILBUR SMITH ADVENTURE WRITING PRIZE **<BR>**A GOOD HOUSEKEEPING GOOD BOOKS READER FAVOURITE**<BR><BR>'A gripping tale of one woman's extraordinary adventures ... Saltblood is a triumph of the imagination'<BR>ELODIE HARPER, author of 'The Wolf Den' trilogy<BR><BR>'A ravishing picaresque told with fireworks, finesse and gusto' <BR>PAUL LYNCH, author of Prophet Song<BR><BR>'A well crafted, salty, old-fashioned adventure about identity and freedom' The Times<BR><BR>In a rented room outside Plymouth in 1685, a daught er is born as her half-brother is dying. Her mother makes a decision: Mary will become Mark, and Ma will continue to collect his inheritance money.<BR><BR>Mary's dual existence as Mark will lead to a role as a footman in a grand house, serving a French mistress; to the navy, learning who to trust and how to navigate by the stars; and to the army and the battlegrounds of Flanders, finding love among the bloodshed and the mud. But none of this will stop Mary yearning for the sea.<BR><BR>Drawn back to the water, Mary must reinvent herself yet again, for a woman aboard a ship is a dangerous thing. This time Mary will become something more dangerous than a woman.<BR><BR>She will become a pirate.<BR><BR>Breathing life into the Golden Age of Piracy, Saltblood is a wild adventure, a treasure trove, weaving an intoxicating tale of gender and survival, passion and loss, journeys and transformation, through the story of Mary Read, one of history's most remarkable figures.<BR><BR>'Saltblood is exquisite. The writing is sumptuous and lyrical, the story fascinating'<BR>LOUISE O'NEILL, author of Asking for It and Idol<BR><BR>'Startling, fresh and brilliant' <BR>ANNA MAZZOLA, author of The Clockwork Girl <BR><BR>'A wonderful tale and so exquisitely told ... Master and Commander meets Thelma & Louise'<BR>JAMES OSWALD, author of the 'Inspector McLean' series<BR><BR>'A thrilling, gender-shaking roar of a tale every reader will enjoy'<BR>NEIL BLACKMORE, author of Radical Love <BR><BR>'Saltblood is a complete triumph. A glittering jewel of a novel; a treasure chest of delight. I cannot bring myself to put it down' E.S. THOMSON, author of Beloved Poison