1627. Mercenary captain Hollie Babbitt is at winter quarters in Amsterdam. To the patrons of the Blue Cat, he is the landlady’s young husband, but for all his youth he is already a veteran of the Empire’s vicious wars—restless, underemployed, and counting the days until the campaigning season begins again.
More of a short story than a novel, the ninety-six pages are packed with action and intrigue. For those familiar with Eleanor Swift-Hook's excellent ‘Lord’s Legacy’ series, An Orphan Spirit fits within the ‘prequel’ Lord’s Learning series.
Set in an authentic 1620’s Amsterdam, the authors write with a confident sense of place. The canals and crowded streets feel lived-in rather than described, grounding the story in a city poised between prosperity and poverty.
I particularly liked the world of the local tavern, the ‘Blue Cat’ at the heart of the story, and the unlikely hero of this tale, Captain Hollie Babbitt.
An Orphan Spirit works well as a stand-alone story, and offers more insight into the complex backstory of the heroic Philip Lord. Despite his youth he still has a presence which marks him out as a threat – and a target.
The pace is measured but compelling, rewarding readers with moments of quiet revelation alongside sharper turns of plot. This is an assured and absorbing collaboration that lingers well beyond the final page.
Tony Riches
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About the Author
Eleanor Swift-Hook enjoys the mysteries of history and fell in love with the early Stuart era at university when she re-enacted battles and living history events with the English Civil War Society. Since then, she has had an ongoing fascination with the social, military and political events that unfolded during the Thirty Years' War and the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. She lives in County Durham and loves writing stories woven into the historical backdrop of those dramatic times. You can find out more about the background of Lord's Legacy on her website www.eleanorswifthook.com and find her on Twitter @emswifthook
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