Years after pillaging the Nossa Senhora Do Abismo, ex-pirate Jackson Teague continues to struggle with the costly fallout from the ill-fated galleon's bounty. Half a world away, a grownup Alger Moore finds equal difficulty in reconciling their shared past. But when a ruthless and diverse crew of bandits begin rampaging across the Caribbean, both will be inexplicably pulled back into a world they thought had been effectively ended by Europe's perceived social progress. Navigating around a burgeoning culture of independence within the New World's colonies, both will be afforded the rare opportunity to find closure with each other and themselves.
Theo Clarkson continues the story of murder, mayhem and piracy in his sequel Muddied Waters: Coda. Years later, when all is said and done the once renowned captain of the Liberty, Jackson Teague, is now old and grey. After he landed within the domain of Spain in Panama, the country kindly pardoned him. Spain’s pardon has left him alive thus far, but he no longer lives. The only thing keeping what little spirit he has left alive is his stolen treasure he has squirreled away for safety.
Alger has reunited with his father, and in their last years together, have made peace. Now, Alger runs his father’s shipping company in vain. Mutual hate between him and the other merchants is palpable, and a predictable outcome approaches as Alger starts settling his affairs and sails off to the New World.
Chelsea Redding is a well-off prostitute, gaining as much power as a woman from nothing can get in the 1790s. She and her lover, Jonathan, argue regularly about marriage. Mistral Jonathan does not make enough money to support a family, if he’s being honest with himself, Chelsea supports him. And Chelsea cannot give up her work if she wants to eat well and have a roof over her head.
Kingston’s shark-infested waters are home to a band of pirates looking to make a living from others’ wealth. Rafael is a convincing weasel who lures Chelsea and Jonathan away from their tragic life and into a boiling pot of trouble.
I found Clarkson’s sequel to be even more enticing than his last. I’m really happy to see that the author has toned down the pirate accents, the dialogue is far clearer and more understandable now. The transformation that Chelsea goes through in becoming a pirate is fascinating, her accent grows thicker, and her speech becomes more pirate-like, as well as a more confident and robust woman. It was like she became comfortable in her own skin after the transition.
While I enjoyed this thrilling book immensely, there were times when the story gets confusing. For example, at one point Teague is describing the cross’ centerpiece and then we jump to someone sobbing uncontrollably, and then Teague is holding the opal. Also, there was a point where Clarkson is leading up to the crescendo of the story and starts switching between character storylines as they become entwined. I feel that with so much action going on readers could get confused.
The author’s writing takes a slow burn approach to each chapter, leading the reader into the situations slowly before hitting them with all the action and excitement. Readers will find this style an emotional roller-coaster that keeps them engaged and on edge till the end.
Muddied Waters: Coda is a riveting action and adventure novel that will captivate readers who love historical fiction and pirate adventures.
We are back in the high seas with Captain Jackson Teague, however he is no longer a captain but a man on the run from his country. After angering the King and betraying his pardon, he was hiding out when he was forced to work on a Spanish ship hunting down pirates. All the while, there is a pair of pirate ships terrorizing the waters. Instead of taking the goods and treasures and sailing off, these pirates make sure to leave very little left of their victims and sinking what is left of the ship. There is also Chelsea and Jonathan, who are struggling in their current professions of prostitute and minstrel. They come across a unique opportunity to escape it all and join a group of sailors. Alger has also returned in this story. After his father dies, he begins having problems and becoming at odds with his and his father’s business partners. An unfortunate set of circumstances lands him back on a ship headed to the “New World” during the same time. With all of the intrigue and intertwining of tales, this story will keep you turning the page and not wanting to put it down.
I really enjoyed the first book of this series and have to say this sequel does not disappoint. It has as many twists and turns and comedy and filthy comments as the first. I was entertained by all of the characters and could picture each scene clearly. There is comedy and drama, reality with a dose of fantasy. Chelsea was my favorite character, strong and brazen, ready to do whatever it is she needs to do to survive. She stood up for herself in the brothel, she was courageous enough to find a way onto a ship being a woman, she was a great shot and had balls of steel. The only thing I wanna know is what happens next, because there has definitely got to be a third. This book is appropriate for adults only due to the language and content.
Muddied Waters Coda is the second book of the series that takes place in the Caribbean around the island of Hispanola during the early 1790's when France and Spain were colonizing the Americas. Gold and natural resources were being shipped from America to Europe with the help of slave labor. Merchant and Pirate ships would often clash in the Caribbean for those goods. After a Merchant ship called La Castilla is robbed and sunk by pirates, a lone survivor is able to describe the pirate ship to authorities before his death shortly after. Jackson Teague, an Englishman and former pirate, has been hiding out in Panama because he went AWOL from the British Royal Navy. He has been working for a Panamanian Commander Hernandez who orders Jackson to join the crew of a Spanish Warship in Puerto Bello. Jackson's pirate skills are needed to locate and capture the pirates who robbed La Castilla. Meanwhile in Tortuga, Haiti. Chelsea is working at a Bordello that services sailors. She is friends with Jonathan who is a musician and singer at the Bordello. One night some drunk sailors accidentally divulge that they are pirates. She soon meets the mysterious Pirate Captain named Rafael. Chelsea and Rafael have an attraction to each other and Rafael invites her to sail away with his crew the next day provided that she disguise herself as a man. After a deadly incident occurs where Chelsea uses self defense, she decides to take Rafael up on his offer instead of going to jail. With Jonathan's help, Chelsea disguises herself to board the pirate ship and start a new life. There are a lot of interesting characters in this pirate adventure. It is fun to see how the stories intersect in this exciting story.
Excellent old-world storytelling and seagoing intrigue
What I loved about this book was the way the author created a believable world of piracy, intrigue, romance, war, and everyday life as it might have been in the Caribbean during the late 1700s. Muddied Waters: Coda is a splendid little book that takes less than 200 pages to engulf readers in a world long passed. You don't need to have read part one to follow the story in Coda, but you'll be dying to get your hands on the prequel as soon as you finish this book.
Author Theo Clarkson's pirate tale is much more than an old-world soap opera. It's like a fun amalgamation of a Sherlock Holmes case, The Godfather trilogy, Star Wars, and every cool pirate film and book you enjoyed as a youngster. Alger, Jackson, and a host of other side and main characters travel in and around Caribbean waters, as well as on land, in a multi-layered plot.
My own attraction to this book is based on its universal themes of regret, redemption, and the power of real remorse of conscience. Clarkson's characters are not cardboard cut-outs but real, living, breathing human beings. At least a dozen times, I found myself stopping mid-page and thinking, "I know someone just like that," or "I've felt that way before."
If you can read this book without seeing a full-length movie of it in your head, complete with Hollywood sets and big-name actors, you're one in a million. Clarkson may not have intended Muddied Waters: Coda to be a film, but it sure reads like a gripping action drama worthy of a massive budget and an all-star cast. I give the book five pirate-sized stars for fun action, a compelling plot, and compelling characters.
This story, Muddied Waters: Coda, by Theo Clarkson, takes the classic pirate, historical fiction, action adventure, and fantasy genres, and turns them all completely on their heads. The author mixes multiple premises and genres masterfully creating a dizzying, multilayered, and multifaceted story that pushes the plot, characters and action forward in what I found to one of the most interesting and creative ways I have come across in a long time.
I am extremely impressed by the multiple story lines and background stories and motivations that each of the characters bring to this story. What I think the author did so well is that he allowed the characters, their motivations and qualities, to propel the plot and action of the storyline. It makes it feel so much more natural and believable, dimensional, and well rounded and not forced this way.
This book is also an edge of your seat, hold on tight, adventure from beginning to end. The story that is full action, adventure, and most notably unique and fascinating characters all set against backdrop of very robust and enthralling pirate background.
It is all quite interesting because you really feel like you are being transported and experiencing another time in history, another reality. Even though there are so many distinct characters, backgrounds, plot lines, historical references the author doesn’t skip a beat and beautifully and almost effortlessly creates stories with in a story.
I highly recommend. It’s a great book to add to your library. It’s engaging, hard to put down, and full of really great writing.
Theo Clarkson’s second installment “Muddied Waters: Coda” goes far beyond a story of swashbuckling pirates in the Caribbean during the 1700s. The story is intricately woven together and goes beyond just one genre and topic — you are able to string together so many stories, emotions and motives to truly devour the reading in a short sitting. You don’t expect the romance, the fantasy or the historical fiction in this action packed adventure following Captain Jackson Teague, but it certainly keeps you intrigued and wanting to continue on, even if it’s quite past your typical time to retire. Overall, the characters are always my favorite in a story, as I relate to them most— imagining them in my head and relating them to others I may know — and Clarkson’s creative crew certainly keeps your imagination reeling with their fascinating uniqueness. I thoroughly enjoyed the first installment in this series and can say that the sequel stands strong in the wind like the flag amongst the mass of a ship. Theo Clarkson uses extreme detail which I greatly appreciate as a reader and a writer. You can completely immerse your mind in the setting, the characters, and their dilemmas. I enjoyed the dialogue between the characters and the comedy filtered in between the action— I legit think I laughed out loud. I think this also really helps propel the story forward and this such an enjoyable read. If you are open to expanding your genre and mind, or just want a great story set upon the scene of a pirate in the Caribbean— this series is worth picking up !
New life is very complex and it seems everyone is living in their complicated world. Making the best of life and taking the opportunity to heal old wounds, reconnect with old friends, and come together as a strong, united front.
In "Muddied Waters: Coda," author Theo Clarkson continues the saga of Jackson Teague as the life of a former pirate piques one's interest. As a reader, you would be introduced and reintroduced to a few different characters that have their stories, which is a great way to add elements to the book. The character development for the other characters aside from Teague and Alger Moore only increases one's interest to continue reading. The storyline involves traveling across the Caribbean for the individual reasons that have sucked them back into the life they tried to leave in the past. The plot twists kept the story interesting, as many decisions were made based on either a character's valued talent and expertise, or for the chance at survival. The enjoyment of this reading experience is commendable by this talented author that kept the momentum going strong from beginning to end.
I enjoyed reading this book, although it was short, it was packed with various moments to invoke emotions. I have found myself laughing on occasion while remaining at the edge of my seat, wondering what was to come. It was great reading the sequel, as it offered more than I initially expected. I highly recommend that everyone read both books because you won't be disappointed.
Muddied Waters Coda ("Coda") is a riveting adventure story set in the 17th century as buccaneers seek their fortune plying the waters of the Caribbean and European merchant ships cross the high seas to exploit the resources of the New World.
In his most recent work, Clarkson presents us with a cast of characters each with their own distinct personalities, motivations and desires. The intersection of these divergent characters keeps the story moving forward apace.
Coda has something to appeal to all readers from its solid character development, philosophical reflections on life, romance, betrayal and intrigue all set in a credible rendering of the social, political and economic realities of the time.
In my view, a five star rating requires solid character development and masterful use of language and imagery wrapped in a thoroughly engaging storyline. Clarkson ticks all of the boxes.
As the title suggests, Coda concludes the narrative set out in the main work entitled Muddied Waters. Coda is a quick read coming in at 212 pages and can be read and enjoyed quite independent of the main work. If you start with Coda save yourself some time and add Muddied Waters to your TBR list now.
’As he raised it to his eye, another shout from the lookout came. ‘’Starboard vessel hoisting a black flag!’’ Diego’s heart sank into the pit of his stomach and his mouth went dry.’’ That is a direct extract from the book. The rhythm of the story, the language, the dynamics and the flow of the story is so wonderful that I could read and re-read the whole part. The vocabulary is so good and a lot of new words to learn. The concept of the story is so creative, the start showing on how there is a struggle of success and getting what we want in life, going far away in the search of wealth, money and life we want. Leaving our loved ones behind. But the story is great, piracy, action, bandits, all around the sea travelling, connecting pasts and trying to understand it all.
The story is about getting closure, sometimes people do things that are not right, they engage in activities that are not very productive and at the end of it all they struggle to understand. It is like when you really act bad towards something or someone and later on really feel bad and in a way, you want to do it all over again and maybe do it right.
Muddied Waters: Coda is a rich, nuanced story with a strong historical basis. While it took me a minute to understand who was who amongst the multiple characters in the story, I thoroughly enjoyed the interpersonal relationships of the characters and the multiple character arcs that are woven through them. The social and political tensions of slavery and the abolitionist movements add to the various ups and downs of the story.
Overall, I think this was very well written. The story did seem to have a slow start, but picked up quickly. The various conflicts between countries and peoples set the stage for the story and the dialogue and vernacular chosen helped breathe more depth into the story. I also appreciated Chelsea, the female protagonist of the book. She fit in really well with a very ‘boy’s club’ cast of characters but offered a perspective on female pirates that seems to be often glossed over or over embellished.
This was an enjoyable read and I look forward to reading more Muddied Waters, as well as the author’s other works.
Written with extreme attention to detail and a strong sense of setting,, "Muddied Waters: Coda" spins a fantastic tale of pirates and adventure. The author takes full advantage of the historical fiction genre to make you want to believe that something like this had actually happened in during the 18th century.
The descriptive text is captivating and the characters are lively. Though I wasn't too sure of the romance (honestly, I'm not very keen on romantic sub-plots in general) but it played out fairly well and it's always pleasant to read a relatively happy epilogue (relative considering what happens in the main story.)
That being said, this is part of a duology so do make sure to check out the first book too. Just as the word "coda" means "tail," this is indeed the ending. So, the beginning should be looked at before going into it.
Overall, good read. Definitely great for the adventure genre lovers and those who are more inclined to enjoy darker stories.
I did not read the first Muddied Waters book, so I needed a little more background for the characters. Still, this little adventure story was fairly well-written and felt true to the times it was placed in.
DNF @ 13% I received a copy of this ebook in a Goodreads giveaway. The story did not really grab me, I had trouble paying attention and just wasn’t very interested in where the story would go.
A whimsical tale of love and loss, excitement and terror, new beginnings and endings. There are 5 different characters to follow on their journeys. Set in a time if pirates and gentlemen, Jonathon and Chelsea are lovers, she works as a prostitute and he as a minstrel in a place called the Honey Pot. They are offered a place on a pirate ship as long as Chelsea can hid her being a female. They rob ships of their cargo and in the end go to war with the Navy, things don’t turn out to good for Jonathon, he perished trying to save Chelsea. Chelsea goes on trial but is released due to her being pregnant. Rafael is a pirate who offers Chelsea and Jonathan the chance to be on the ship. He is a bad man and will see a horrific death at the hands of Chelsea. Jackson Teague is an ex pirate who has double crossed a lot of people and can’t find a safe place to call home, he is told that he will be sailing with a Spaniard who in fact is Rafael’s father who is looking to bring his son down for his actions of robbing and killing. Alger is a man who was forced to leave his country and pushed out of his own business, but he will get his revenge on the senior partner who is responsible for all his unfortunate problems. Great fun story with lots of characters with different but intertwining.