Overview
Deemed "one of the world's most popular and prolific adventure writers" by The Washington Post, bestselling author Wilbur Smith is at the height of his storytelling powers in Birds of Prey, a swashbuckling epic of adventure, intrigue and passion on the dangerous high seas of 1667—a thrilling installment in the Courtney Family Adventures.
As the choppy sea lanes of the African coast are rife with bloody battles over trade booty, Sir Francis Courteney and his 17-year-old son Hal embark on a seafaring quest for the treasure-laden galleons of the Dutch East India Company. But soon the horrific torture and execution of the elder Courteney catapults Hal into the role of captain. And the heavy burden of avenging his father's death— along with the lusty pleasures he shares with three beautiful women— will swiftly, irrevocably transform Hal from boy to man...
Richly detailed, breathlessly plotted, and rich with the color of the time and place, Birds of Prey is an unforgettable saga that will transport you to one of the most fascinating, action-packed eras in world history.
Synopsis
The author of The River God and The Seventh Scroll turns his hand to swashbucking adventure on the high seas.
Publishers Weekly
Swashbuckling adventures at sea and on land highlight Smith's latest (after The Seventh Scroll), a number-one bestseller in England that's likely to climb the charts here. Set along the African coast during the mid-1600s, this fierce and bloody yarn features Hal Courteney, a classic seafaring hero in the making. The young sailor has been raised under the stern tutelage of his father, Sir Francis Courteney, and the somewhat gentler guidance of his African-born mentor, Aboli. Word of a truce between England and Holland doesn't reach Sir Francis in time to prevent him from capturing a treasure-laden Dutch galleon. Falsely accused of piracy, the Corteneys soon have more enemies than they can handle, including the insatiable libertine Katinka van de Velde, who sets her sights on the Courteney charge. Hal's coming-of-age is predictably spiced with romance, sea battles, imprisonments, daring escapes and an exotic voyage from Southern Africa to the Red Sea; even buried treasure and the Holy Grail figure into the plot, as befits a tale of uncompromising good guys and their irredeemably evil enemies. Smith's depiction of the African coast, and of life aboard ship, is vivid and believable. He handles the action sequences well, opting for short, trenchant paragraphs to sustain momentum. After 27 novels, Smith knows what his readers want, and once again he delivers the goods.
Editorials
From the Publisher
Praise for Birds of Prey "Constant excitement...[A] fast-moving tale. What could be better for the beach or backyard?"—The Washington Post Book World"Birds of Prey is a wonderful novel filled with excitement, pirates and vivid sea battles. The heroes are handsome and memorable and overcome tremendous odds to defeat unscrupulous enemies, to remain honorable and wise and always win the fair maiden in the end...In short, it is vintage Wilbur Smith."—Times Record News (Wichita Falls, TX)
"Smith's novel is far more than your typical pirate script ... A fascinating account ... Smith deftly evokes not only the horrific but also the beautiful, particularly the lush landscape of Africa." — The Washington Post Book World
‘A rousing adventure story ... Smith is a captivating storyteller. His writing is fast-paces yet richly textured. His characters are unique and intriguing ... As with Smith's previous two bestsellers, River God and The Seventh Scroll, this latest epic transcends the average action-adventure yarn.’ — The Orlando Sentinel
"Smith knows what his readers want, and once again he delivers the goods." – Publishers Weekly
'Wilbur Smith carries all the powerful drama and rich emotions of a bygone time into his action packed tale of the sea. BiIrds Of Prey is magnificent story of adventure, he enthralled the world of readers once again.' – The Daily Mail
'The scope is magnificent and the epic scale breathtaking ... Wilbur Smith is one of those benchmarks against whom others are compared' – The Times
'A gripping tale, relentless in its flow, that evokes a more colourful age - one of passion and a majesty of spirit that is seldom illustrated with such nerve' – Express
'Meticulous research support constant excitement in a fast-moving tale' – Washington Post
"Smith knows what his readers want, and once again he delivers the goods." – Publishers Weekly
“Colorful historical snippets amid the swash and buckle of 17th century buccaneers.”—People
“Swashbuckling adventures at sea and on land highlight Smith’s latest. Smith knows what his readers want, and once again he delivers the goods.”—Publishers Weekly
“Will be relished by those who enjoy swashbuckling tales with nonstop action.”—Booklist
“Swashbuckling and sensuous. Wilbur Smith’s gallant, highly sexed heroes and gorgeous, highly sexed heroines are once again rampaging across Africa.”—Ft. Worth Star Telegram
“A breathlessly plotted…swashbuckler of English pirates harrying Dutch traders off the Cape of Good Hope in 1667. Well-researched, fast paced.”—Kirkus
‘A wonderful novel filled with excitement, pirates, and vivid sea battles...vintage Wilbur Smith.”—Times Record News (Wichita Falls, TX)
Praise for Wilbur Smith
“Smith is a master.” —Publishers Weekly
“One of the world’s most popular adventure writers.” —The Washington Post Book World
“A rare author who wields a razor-sharp sword of craftsmanship.” —Tulsa World
“Wilbur Smith is one of those benchmarks against whom others are compared.” —The Times (UK) "Best Historical Novelist—I say Wilbur Smith, with his swashbuckling novels of Africa. The bodices of rip and the blood flows. You can get lost in Wilbur Smith and misplace all of August."—Stephen King
"Action is Wilur Smith's game, and he is a master."—The Washington Post Book World
“The world’s leading adventure writer.” —Daily Express (UK)
"Wilbur Smith rarely misses a trick."—Sunday Times
“Smith is a captivating storyteller.” —The Orlando Sentinel
“No one does adventure quite like Smith.” —Daily Mirror (UK)
"A thundering good’ read is virtually the only way of describing Wilbur Smith’s books.” —The Irish Times
Publishers Weekly -
Swashbuckling adventures at sea and on land highlight Smith's latest (after The Seventh Scroll), a number-one bestseller in England that's likely to climb the charts here. Set along the African coast during the mid-1600s, this fierce and bloody yarn features Hal Courteney, a classic seafaring hero in the making. The young sailor has been raised under the stern tutelage of his father, Sir Francis Courteney, and the somewhat gentler guidance of his African-born mentor, Aboli. Word of a truce between England and Holland doesn't reach Sir Francis in time to prevent him from capturing a treasure-laden Dutch galleon. Falsely accused of piracy, the Corteneys soon have more enemies than they can handle, including the insatiable libertine Katinka van de Velde, who sets her sights on the Courteney charge. Hal's coming-of-age is predictably spiced with romance, sea battles, imprisonments, daring escapes and an exotic voyage from Southern Africa to the Red Sea; even buried treasure and the Holy Grail figure into the plot, as befits a tale of uncompromising good guys and their irredeemably evil enemies. Smith's depiction of the African coast, and of life aboard ship, is vivid and believable. He handles the action sequences well, opting for short, trenchant paragraphs to sustain momentum. After 27 novels, Smith knows what his readers want, and once again he delivers the goods.Kirkus Reviews
South African writer Smith leaves the Egyptian sands of River God (1994) and The Seventh Scroll (1995) to deliver a breathlessly plotted, cliché-clogged swashbuckler of English pirates harrying Dutch traders off the Cape of Good Hope in 1667.After helping Sir Francis Drake defeat the Spanish Armada, Sir Francis Courteney, his teenage son Hal, and their trusty African sidekick Aboli are roaming the seas aboard the Lady Edwinna as privateers—seamen licensed by King Charles II to prey on ships of the Dutch East India Company as part of England's war against the Dutch. After slipping past their scurrilous rival, Angus, Lord Cumbrae (a.k.a. the Buzzard), the Courteneys seize a Dutch trader and ransom its aristocratic passengers: the loathsomely fat Dutch colony governor Petrus Jacobus van de Velde; his sexy, sadistic wife Katrinka; and the mad, mustachioed musketeer Colonel Cornelius Schreuder, with whom Katrinka is having an affair. The governor whimpers, Katrinka seduces Hal, and Schreuder vows revenge. Meanwhile, Sam Bowles, a cowardly member of the crew, betrays the Courteneys to the Buzzard, who betrays everyone to Colonel Schreuder, who throws the Courteneys and their crew into prison. Sir Francis is tortured and executed, and Hal, Aboli, and the rest of the not-so-merry men are sold into slavery but manage to stage a dashing escape with Colonel Schreuder in hot pursuit. Everybody seeks revenge on everybody else; Hal discovers true love and loss and, in a stirring shipboard climax, faces down bad Colonel Schreuder in a sword-slashing duel to the death.
Though Smith's 27th novel brims with his characteristic love of African flora and fauna, the clunky prose, tawdry sex scenes, and trite plotting make this well-researched, fast-paced epic nearly unreadable.