Dark Waters: The Voyage of the Bar Jack

by Mark Murphy Harms

It's 1819 and Sir LeRoque aims to find out what happened to a scientific expedition that vanished in the dangerous region known as El Radio. But a manpower shortage in Britain forces him to crew his second-hand ship with women and hire a condemned pirate as sailing master.

It's a changed world and LeRoque must navigate its perils — pirates, monsters, storms, strange powers, and his own shortcomings — in this gripping adventure from the author of Delivered to the Ground.

267 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 23, 2023

Reviews

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

DNF at 35%

[Drew Ames · Rating 3 out of 5]

I rather enjoyed this book. I like the alternate history setting with supernatural elements, and the inclusion of historical characters from the time period. I think the author did a good job of describing the Bar Jack, her rig, and how she sails. While not providing the level of detail that one gets from a Patrick O'Brien novel, the parts about sailing seem authentic.

I won't spoil the story, but just state that I liked the characters, the story was interesting, the plot was straightforward, and the setting very intriguing. There's a little bit of a love triangle in the book that was a little confusing, but did not detract from the story.

The author states that he wrote the book to set the stage for a forthcoming role playing game called "Dark Trails." This novel certainly sets up a lot of plot points for future stories. However, I'd love to see Mr. Harms write one or more sequels following these characters. There's a lot of story left to be told and, just like all the spin off novels in the D&D world, novels can complement the game pretty nicely.