Scourge

by Keith McArdle, Amanda Spedding (Editor)

1779 - Pirates are marauding the east coast of England, and the gentlemanly tactics of the Royal Navy are not enough to combat the raiders and the devastating scourge they visit upon the land. The Navy must now resort to using their most reviled captain to combat the ever-present threat of pirate attack. Captain Ash, an officer many think should have been court-martialled and hanged long ago, is reluctantly sent in. Villain some call him, devil do others, but he may be England's last hope.

23 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 24, 2025

About the author

Keith was born in a hospital, somewhere in Australia, when he was very little. He owns every David Gemmell book ever written (and two versions of some books), including the graphic novels. To maintain some semblance of sanity, Keith likes writing fast-paced stories ranging from Fantasy and sci-fi, to modern military thrillers. He now lives somewhere else in Australia.

Reviews

[Sandra Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scourge delivers a gritty historical adventure set against the dangerous backdrop of pirate raids along the English coast in 1779.

Keith McArdle introduces a morally complex antihero in Captain Ash, a feared and controversial naval officer forced into service when conventional tactics fail.

The premise promises tension, danger, and a darker take on naval warfare and piracy during a turbulent era.