It was the real events of the fate of the Spanish Armada that first drew me to the first in the series - The Sheriff's Catch. I was familiar enough with the basic history of Ireland in the 16th Century to be aware of the links between the "native" Irish and the Spanish, particularly those post-Armada. So my curiosity was piqued and lead to my own discovery of the events which form the backdrop of Vella-Barden's series. What better backdrop of an epic series with all the essential elements: an quest for vengeance; a priceless treasure; an emotional journey; a desperate escape; a daring and exciting adventure.

a great read. very well researched with a gripping story and great characters.my only complaint is it is obviously set up for a sequel from the beginning

Abel Santiago is a famous sniper in the Spanish army, stationed in Denmark. He meets and falls in love with a Danish woman and has conflicting loyalties. His loyalties are tested when tragedy strikes and a series of unfortunate events bring Santiago towards a path of vengeance and destruction.
This is an interesting story set all over Europe in the 16th Century. For that reason, I was compelled to read the story to the end. However, it was a depressing read, filled with bad luck and misadventure after misadventure for the protagonist.
How much bad stuff can happen to one person? I felt like Santiago's journey was adventurous but he just can't catch a break. It seemed a bit of a stretch really. I also felt the dialogue was a bit stilted at time and the word "whoreson" seemed to be used excessively.
Anyway, fans of the genre will still enjoy this book as it is well-written.

I received this book from Netgalley and Publisher/author for free in exchange for an honest review.

This book is book 1 of 5 (at this time). I enjoyed this book. This is a very well told story. There is some violence but it fit the story. I don't normally enjoy this type of story only because I grew up watching a lot of movies along this line, but I went out of my normal and read it. I found it enjoyable.

I look forward to book 2.