In Search of Spice by Rex Sumner

by Rex Sumner

In Search of Spice is an epic historical fantasy romance, set in a world similar to 12th century Europe. The Queen Rose is the first deep sea ship built in Harrhein, a country cut off from the rest of the world by snow and ice to the north and pirates to the east. In every other direction is endless ocean. Captain Larroche is the veteran master of the carrack, charged with finding a new trade route. He wants to find the fabled land of Hind and proposes to sail over the edge of the world. No wonder he has trouble finding crew. The young people he assembles, strengthened by a squad of frontier veteran Royal Pathfinders, are more than a match for known enemies. How will they handle people of another colour, with strange habits, peculiar food, treacherous officials, different languages and customs that defy belief? Will they escape the pirates? Will they find trading opportunities? Will they ever return? What will happen to Harrhein during their absence? This book takes place in a violent time, with violent scenes from battle and ordinary life, including murder, torture and rape

Mass Market Paperback

First published June 18, 2015

About the author

Rex is English, but was born in Java, Indonesia and has spent many years in the Far East. He speaks Indonesian and Malay, with a smattering of other languages.
He has had an interesting life - as a youngster worked his passage on a container ship to Australia where he worked as a cowboy, gold-miner, door-to-door salesman and fruit-picker, before switching from Zoology to the Army to study at Sandhurst.
He saw active service in Northern Ireland and was Logistics Officer for Operation Drake in Indonesia. A country manager for an international tobacco trader at 25, he spent two years during the Cold War with MI6 before returning to the UK where he and his wife raised his two sons while working in marketing and publishing, with forays into NLP and personal development. Now they are adult, he and his wife have moved back to the Far East where he lives in Bali, travels, writes and researches.
He has always had a passion for writing and this was rekindled by telling stories he made up on the spot to his sons.
His hobbies are angling, orchids, reading and reptiles; he represents Bali Reptile Rescue in Ubud, removing snakes from houses free of charge.
His wide experience and knowledge are interwoven into the tapestry of his writing.

Reviews

[R · Rating 3 out of 5]

Part Captain Cook's adventures, part Treasure Island, part Benny Hill, this book is slightly overly long in parts, but placing the best female characters I've read to the fore makes up for it. I wasn't entirely comfortable with the portrayal of Pacific Islanders especially the sexual spell that never ends. Very bloody and a fairly confronting assault scene, forewarned is forearmed. Looking forward to Rex's third book coming out soon.

[Liz Vinc · Rating 5 out of 5]

“In Search of Spice,” by Rex Sumner, is a book that brings together historical fiction, romance, and fantasy to create a story filled with action, adventure, relationships, and endearing characters. The story follows the voyage of a carrack searching for the storied land of Hind, rumored to be rich with spices. The journey takes crewmembers to a variety of beautiful lands, meeting a variety of very different people along the way, from friendly to hostile to mysterious. Sumner does an excellent job capturing the essence of “culture.” Although the book is fiction, the descriptions have a historical feel to them, bringing a layer of realism to the book. The maps are also a nice touch, making it easier to follow the voyage as you read. My favorite aspect of the book, however, is the eclectic cast of characters, especially the strong female characters. Sumner develops all of his characters, even minor ones, my favorite being the intelligent, determine Hinatea. I'd recommend“In Search of Spice" to anyone who likes books that transcend genre and have strong characters.

[Elizabeth Jane · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not for me. I felt like I had ADD while reading this book. I had high hopes originally. It sounded awesome in pretext! Based on reviews, I assumed there would be intricate world building, bold and interesting characters, adventure and intrigue, but most of all, a tale that would suck you in completely. I made it to 12%. The characters aren't fleshed out well (the majority of them seem to act the same), the writing is haphazard with its dizzying change of pace and direction, there are typos galore, the characters info dump on the reader constantly, and, all in all, felt very juvenile. Sorry!

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a slow, hard read for me but was a decent read

[Robbie Kingston · Rating 4 out of 5]

Throughly enjoyed it. Moved along drew you in and was easy reading. It's has left me in suspense for the next book.