'I've never read Colin Falconer before so I had no idea what to expect! Wow!' - Booknerd

Amsterdam, 1628

The Utrecht leaves Holland on an eight-month voyage to the other side of the world. The ship is tiny and overcrowded and navigation around the Horn to the East Indies is down to the skipper's dead reckoning - guesswork.

Below decks, Michiel van Texel is a sergeant on the company's coin, on his way to Batavia to fight the Mataram. It's a hard life but the only one he knows. He sees a fine lady standing on the high deck with the captain, but does not give her a second glance. A fine lady like Cornelia Noorstrandt is far above the likes of him.

Their destinies intertwine near the Great Southland, just as a mutiny is fomenting below decks. When the ship founders on the jagged reefs of the Houtman Rocks surviving the wreck is the least of their worries.

As the noble gentlemen around them reveal themselves for what they really are, Michiel proves to be the only man with the honour and courage to save Cornelia and the rest of the Utrecht's passengers from the nightmare that follows.

He makes her one promise: 'Even if God forsakes you, I will find you.'

'This is a consuming read, utterly unforgettable.' - Unshelfish

This 2020 edition corrects previous transcription issues in the Kindle version

More Colin Falconer Epic History:

Book 1: Silk Road
Book 2: Harem
Book 3: Colossus
Book 4: Cleopatra: When We Were Gods
Book 5: Aztec
Book 6: Stigmata
Book 7: East India