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Lost Voices: The Death of Blackbeard
History remembers how Blackbeard died. It forgot the man who could say how he lived.
"Compelling fiction of the man behind Blackbeard's legend." — BookLife by Publishers Weekly
Israel Hands was quartermaster aboard the Queen Anne's Revenge, close enough to Edward Teach to know the man beneath the smoke and the beard, and to understand what the fear was for. He was aboard for the eight days Blackbeard held Charleston hostage at the mouth of its own harbor, and still aboard when the king's pardon turned wanted men into free ones who fooled no one, least of all themselves.
He was not there at the end, when they took Teach's head for the reward and lashed it to the bowsprit for the sail home. By then Hands had already begun choosing which version of his captain he would keep.
To save his own neck, he later gave a Williamsburg court the story it wanted, and disappeared into it. What he never said aloud, he wrote down. No confession. An accounting of the distance between what was sworn under oath and what had actually happened.
Three hundred years later, a conservator draws a warped leather book from the wreck off the North Carolina coast, and a voice the record had erased begins to speak.
A note on what this is. Lost Voices is a line of standalone historical novellas, quieter and more literary than a thriller. There is no chase and no clock running down. About 15,000 words, a single sitting, told by a man looking back at what he saw and what he chose to say about it.
Some histories don't threaten. They simply wait to be heard.
For readers of Ian McGuire's The North Water and Claire Keegan's Foster
"Compelling fiction of the man behind Blackbeard's legend." — BookLife by Publishers Weekly
Israel Hands was quartermaster aboard the Queen Anne's Revenge, close enough to Edward Teach to know the man beneath the smoke and the beard, and to understand what the fear was for. He was aboard for the eight days Blackbeard held Charleston hostage at the mouth of its own harbor, and still aboard when the king's pardon turned wanted men into free ones who fooled no one, least of all themselves.
He was not there at the end, when they took Teach's head for the reward and lashed it to the bowsprit for the sail home. By then Hands had already begun choosing which version of his captain he would keep.
To save his own neck, he later gave a Williamsburg court the story it wanted, and disappeared into it. What he never said aloud, he wrote down. No confession. An accounting of the distance between what was sworn under oath and what had actually happened.
Three hundred years later, a conservator draws a warped leather book from the wreck off the North Carolina coast, and a voice the record had erased begins to speak.
A note on what this is. Lost Voices is a line of standalone historical novellas, quieter and more literary than a thriller. There is no chase and no clock running down. About 15,000 words, a single sitting, told by a man looking back at what he saw and what he chose to say about it.
Some histories don't threaten. They simply wait to be heard.
For readers of Ian McGuire's The North Water and Claire Keegan's Foster
81 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 13, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
Review of advance copy
This was an interesting short read. The story combines actual facts with the author's imagination to discuss the last days of Blackbeard's piracy career, and the life after privacy of one of his crew.
The author did a great job describing Blackbeard's physical appearance and how everyone feared him. The description of Blackbeard's last battle and the life of Isreal Hands afterwards was well done. The author gave lots of details while also being concise. Overall it was a good read.
If you like short historical fiction books, you will likely enjoy this one.
I received a free advance reader copy of Lost Voices: The Death of Blackbeard. The opinion that I express is my own.
The author did a great job describing Blackbeard's physical appearance and how everyone feared him. The description of Blackbeard's last battle and the life of Isreal Hands afterwards was well done. The author gave lots of details while also being concise. Overall it was a good read.
If you like short historical fiction books, you will likely enjoy this one.
I received a free advance reader copy of Lost Voices: The Death of Blackbeard. The opinion that I express is my own.
Review of advance copy
I really enjoyed getting to read this book, it had that historical element that I was looking for. It was a strong start to the Lost Voices series and enjoyed getting into this world and characters. The characters felt like they belonged in this world and time-period. I'm excited for more in this series and from David R Leng, as this was so well written.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Lost Voices: The Death of Blackbeard by David R. Leng
Like how this book starts out with the facts of Israel Hands and how he was pardoned. but that's not the end, only the beginning of the book.
Starts when Sarah in 2019 is handed some treasures form the nearby waters below. Sarah took the bag that held the book and had to do some magic to get the words to come out of the paper. She was familiar with Israel and the legend of Blackbeard and the local waters where he sailed.
Story then goes back to the days when Blackbeard sailed the seas in 1717. Israel was afraid of Edward because they had spent much time together and at times not even talking. They enjoyed the quiet moments but the expressions on his face told him what Blackbeard was really thinking.
I don't know much about Blackbeard so it was an interesting entraining read for me.
Throw in lots of sea travel and ports up and down the coast and very descriptive details of meetings and skirmishes. He had even held up harbors where he kept the ships hostage from coming or going til he was paid a ransom. He'd ask for medicine. Love the scenes where he also asked the ones who ran the area who was paying what and for which product they'd sell. He'd also learn where it was you coudl get more money from the product. They were so informative.
Finally the governor stated he'd give past pirates a pardon so the ships sailed to that port and they got pardoned. Problem was the enemies still wanted their revenge so they were not out of the woods yet.
Israel had to testify and the court had the ships log book to compare notes with. He'd learn his fate soon as others were asked questions. He had just wanted to disappear with the knowledge he held secrets to where the treasures were really buried. Still unsolved adventures but no trail.
Liked this story as lost voices and can't wait to read more from this series, as stand alone books.
References from others are listed at the end along with the authors literary changes and why.
Listing of other works the author is working on are also include at the end.
Like how this book starts out with the facts of Israel Hands and how he was pardoned. but that's not the end, only the beginning of the book.
Starts when Sarah in 2019 is handed some treasures form the nearby waters below. Sarah took the bag that held the book and had to do some magic to get the words to come out of the paper. She was familiar with Israel and the legend of Blackbeard and the local waters where he sailed.
Story then goes back to the days when Blackbeard sailed the seas in 1717. Israel was afraid of Edward because they had spent much time together and at times not even talking. They enjoyed the quiet moments but the expressions on his face told him what Blackbeard was really thinking.
I don't know much about Blackbeard so it was an interesting entraining read for me.
Throw in lots of sea travel and ports up and down the coast and very descriptive details of meetings and skirmishes. He had even held up harbors where he kept the ships hostage from coming or going til he was paid a ransom. He'd ask for medicine. Love the scenes where he also asked the ones who ran the area who was paying what and for which product they'd sell. He'd also learn where it was you coudl get more money from the product. They were so informative.
Finally the governor stated he'd give past pirates a pardon so the ships sailed to that port and they got pardoned. Problem was the enemies still wanted their revenge so they were not out of the woods yet.
Israel had to testify and the court had the ships log book to compare notes with. He'd learn his fate soon as others were asked questions. He had just wanted to disappear with the knowledge he held secrets to where the treasures were really buried. Still unsolved adventures but no trail.
Liked this story as lost voices and can't wait to read more from this series, as stand alone books.
References from others are listed at the end along with the authors literary changes and why.
Listing of other works the author is working on are also include at the end.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Received as an ARC with no expectation of a positive review.
Great piece of historical fiction, blending real-life characters, and fictional.
Anyone who loves pirates, especially Edward Teach, will enjoy this tale.
How much is truth, and how much is fiction? We may never know.
Great piece of historical fiction, blending real-life characters, and fictional.
Anyone who loves pirates, especially Edward Teach, will enjoy this tale.
How much is truth, and how much is fiction? We may never know.
October 13, 2026
What a fantastic angle to come at this historical tale! I am only disappointed that it finished so soon! Im not sure how much is factual or the authors interpretation but it certainly had me intrigued.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
October 14, 2026
An interesting look into Blackbeard’s last days. The age of piracy remains a fascinating topic which I thoroughly enjoy.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews