Ronald Morton; Or, the Fire Ships: A Story of the Last Naval War
1872
Ronald Morton; Or, the Fire Ships: A Story of the Last Naval War
1872
The young pilot Rolf Morton has spent his life navigating the treacherous waters around Shetland, never suspecting the extraordinary truth of his birth. When a Spanish man-of-war, the Saint Cecilia, appears off these northernmost British isles under Captain Don Hernan de Escalante, a man with ancient ties to the islands, the stage is set for revelations that will unravel everything Rolf believed about his identity. Kingston weaves maritime adventure with the mysteries of inheritance, as centuries-old connections between Spain and Shetland resurface amid the drums of war. The fire ships of the title speak to the naval conflicts that will test not only Rolf's courage but his claim to a legacy spanning continents. Written in 1872, this is adventure fiction in the Victorian mold: sea battles, secret genealogies, and a young man forced to prove his worth against extraordinary odds. The prose may be of its time, but the story moves with purpose toward its collisions of war and revelation.
