Water Witch: The Deceiver's Grave

by Nene Adams

It is the eighteenth century in a world filled with magic and those born with the talent to use it... The waters of the Caribbean are a haven for pirates; the most feared of them all is Bess O'Bedlam, known as the Water Witch. With a cutthroat crew and a fleet of ships at her command, Bess' lust for riches knows no bounds. She is on the trail of the greatest prize ever taken - silver, gold and jewels beyond imagining, plundered from a Spanish galleon by the infamous freebooter Fancy Tom Carew. His ship, the Deceiver, and her crew have been thought lost for twenty-five years, but an encounter in an Antiguan alley leads Bess to Marguerite de Vries, a Dutch thief who does not know she is the key to a king's ransom. The Water Witch will use any means to find Deceiver's grave, including seduction, however she had not reckoned on a fiery-tempered opponent determined to protect her heart at any cost. A search for lost treasure becomes a race against time as the women are pitted against a deadly magical curse, and must overcome many enemies in their quest for Deceiver... and each other's love.

Genres: Fantasy, Pirates, LGBT, Lesbian, Historical Fiction, Science Fiction Fantasy, Adventure

Paperback

First published May 1, 2007

About the author

The author of the classics The Sunne in Golde and Black by Gaslight and the critically acclaimed Flowers of Edo: A Ghost Story, Nene Adams left behind eleven years working in the newspaper and marketing industries in the U.S., to live and work in a small village in the Netherlands with her partner, Dutch artist Corrie Kuipers. Through her fascination with the nineteenth century and earlier times, she found inspiration in the modern world as well.
Nene Adams is the author of many published and online novels and stories. Her novels Barking at the Moon and The Consequence of Murder are Golden Crown Literary Society Award Winners. She is the Royal Academy of Bards 2006 Hall of Fame Author and the winner of 2012 Hall of Fame Lifetime Achievement Award.
Nene Adams passed away from a heart attack on October 3, 2015, after a long illness. Her work brought, and will continue to bring, much pleasure to readers of lesbian fiction.

Remembering Nene Adams, 1966-2015 by KG MacGregor

Reviews

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s sad, but true. It’s not easy to find a lesbian “adventure fiction” book which successfully transcends the romance genre. Finding a well-constructed tale of plot-rich, twisty-turny, on-the-edge-of-your-seat action with a Sapphic bent is a rare thing. Singular gem that it is, Water Witch: The Deceiver’s Grave is just such a book. Set during the Golden Age of piracy in an alternative universe where the British and Spanish still rule the seas, and magic is a weapon wielded alongside sword and pistol, Water Witch is a love story, but first and foremost, it’s a rollicking tale of swashbuckling, scallywagging and sorcery.

For the full review, click here.

[Jess Faraday · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the first book I read by Nene Adams, and although I love everything she's written, it's still my favorite.

It's a wonderful swashbuckling pirate adventure, filled with action and romance. It's also, as all of her books are, very well researched, and steeped in historical detail that puts the reader right at the center of it all.

A real gem, from start to finish.