At the start of Kearney's rousing sequel to The Mark of Ran
(2005), Rol Cortishane, the youthful captain of the privateer Revenant
, captures a slaver and frees its chained slaves. Back in the harbor of Ganesh Ka in the land of Umer, Rol encounters an untrustworthy acquaintance he hasn't seen in years, Canker, a former king of thieves, who urges Rol to join in the fight to save Rowen, a darkly beautiful queen, whose throne is at risk in mountainous Bionar. That Rowen is Rol's half-sister for whom he has lusted in the past doesn't make Rol's decision to help an easy one. If as in The Mark of Ran
the action is more lively at sea than on land, Kearney's solid storytelling and nautical detail worthy of C.S. Forester or Patrick O'Brian will keep readers turning the pages. (Dec.)
