Alex Beecroft

Oh my god, what a beautiful book. Emotionally engaging and powerful, delivered with elegantly crafted prose and a wealth of rich detail. I loved every word of it. The narrative device of having the two men collaboratively write their history works wonderfully in the hands of a writer this skilled; Harry and Garnet have distinct voices and consistently different takes on what matters, and the moments where they react to the other's summations of an event are so charming. The disasters that show more befall them on the way to their happy ending are vivid and terrifying. Their voices manage to be emotional and poetic without the prose going purple. I even enjoyed the at-first-sight moment, which I'm generally not fond of at all; it was just that well written. I finished this book feeling so *satisfied* with it, I'm afraid to pick up anything else until the warm glow fades.

(I will note that if you read m/m for sex scenes, you will be disappointed here -- the sex is glossed quickly, never described in detail. It makes a tremendous amount of sense given the way the story is structured! But this is not the book to pick up when one is looking for a steamy read.) show less

I have high expectations for Alex Beecroft's work and By Honor Betrayed was no exception. I was surprised though by how much I truly enjoyed this story. I shouldn't be, but I was!

First of all, Alex really packs a punch for such a small word count (25,000 words). Conrad and Tom are two men on the edge. They've been master and servant but most importantly friends for over 10 years. Conrad wants Tom but fears that any overture he makes would be construed by Tom as a demand, and so Tom wouldn't show more be able to say no. Conrad also fears that any invitation he reads in Tom's eyes is something he wants so badly that he's imagining it. You could say Conrad has some angst. Which is increased when his commanding officer begins to suspect the relationship he has with Tom. And everything Tom and Conrad do to try and stem the suspicions, even amongst the crew, just feeds the flames.

Conrad has a hard decision to make when he realizes that Tom does indeed want him. Sacrifice it all for love or try to deny his feelings and stay safe? And what happens when that decision is torn out of his hands?

By Honor Betrayed was delicious. That's the only way to put it. The desire between Tom and Conrad can almost be felt. Everyday touches between master and servant take on a whole new meaning. This was heady stuff.

Without giving too much away, at one point I actually covered my mouth and gasped at something that happened. It was so surprising and heartbreaking and that's how caught up I was. That's how captivating Alex' writing is, it grabs hold of you and doesn't let you go. Even when I finished, I was still smiling over what I had just read.

The setting is also very richly portrayed in Alex' writing. I can see the ship and even the coastal towns very clearly. If you enjoy seafaring adventures, naval officers and pirates, I highly recommend By Honor Betrayed. show less

Seriously what can I say but...wow. I love a well researched book and this was that and more. I can only assume Ms. Beecroft is a traveler from another time transported here with not just knowledge but the experience of living in those conditions. I could practically feel the tang of the salt in the air and the spray against my cheek.
My only complaint would be that I wanted more. A sequel of their time as pirates would make my day.

What if Aubrey and Maturin weren’t just good friends?
Reading Alex Beecroft’s debut novel, Captain’s Surrender, one thing is for certain – Ms. Beecroft is a fan of Patrick O’Brien’s Master and Commander series. She lovingly pays tribute to O’Brien’s style, but thankfully not his linguistic authenticity that requires one to consult an 18th century naval manual for translation. Beecroft’s language is simpler and makes for an easy, enjoyable read.

Peter Kenyon comes on board the show more Nimrod to take the place of the recently executed-for-sodomy first officer. The assignment is temporary as he is to be given his own command once they reach Bermuda. The captain of the ship is a barbaric tyrant that makes Captain Bligh look like a swell guy. Peter is forced to share quarters with midshipman Joshua Andrews. Peter takes Joshua into his confidence about his mutinous contemplations, and Joshua confides his amorous attraction to Peter. Once they reach Bermuda, they begin a love relationship, but each understands that it is only a temporary arrangement. I won’t reveal any more of the plot so as not to spoil the outcome.

The author has chosen a unique method to convey the story. Using multiple points of view is a common writing style, but for the first half of the book, Beecroft relegates a different point of view for each chapter. It works quite well in that you can see the contrast of how Peter and Joshua are perceived by other characters to what is really going on inside their heads. Nevertheless, I found myself looking forward to the chapters that featured the point of view of one of the two lovers. The second half of the book was more traditional in its point of view shifts with the majority being assigned to Josh or Peter.

Where the novel really shines is in its historical texture. Beecroft has really done her homework here. The luscious descriptions of the decks and sails, the smells of battle, all give you just enough information to clearly picture it without overwhelming you with extraneous details. Dialogue is also very authentic. I particularly love the way she paints the goriest details of battle while having shipmates so desensitized that they even make humorous jokes about the carnage.

Another well written passage occurs near the end where Peter wanders the deserted village late at night while he struggles with his inner demons. I was reminded of Professor Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady or Gaston Lachaille in Gigi as they wandered the streets in soliloquy at the end of those movies. However Peter’s thought process is much baser as he has some truly ugly thoughts at this point.

It’s also refreshing that the erotic factor is kept in check. Of late it appears that the women m/m writers are much less bashful about explicit sex than we gay male writers are, so it’s nice that Beecroft chose not to go full erotica.

I hesitate to mention one minor inaccuracy – the biblical quotes spoken by the Reverend are taken from the New International Version rather than the King James Version (with all its “thee”s and “thou”s) which would be the only English-language translation of the bible that existed in 1779. The modern language of the newer translation felt really out of place.

All in all Alex Beecroft has written a wonderful age-of-sail novel that can be enjoyed by fans of sea stories or m/m romance. show less