In early October 1813, following a shocking mutiny and the pirating of HMS Expedition at sea, Captain Fly Austen of HMS Invincible is determined to go after the person responsible, the English traitor Thomas Trevelyan, but is waylaid by a calamitous storm.
Arriving in Halifax, Nova Scotia, to refit and recover, he soon hears rumours of Trevelyan's whereabouts and is fortuitously ordered to Boston to negotiate the release of British prisoners of war. After insisting his reluctant friend, Dr. Leander Braden, accompany him, they set off on an American sloop, taking Magpie and Prosper with them, unaware that Princess Emeline "Emily" Louisa and an old adversary are also on board. In Boston, Emily falls into the wrong hands, and Leander and Magpie must find a way to board the ship on which she is being held. An attempt to recapture Trevelyan and retake the Expedition ends in a final battle and tragedy. Meanwhile, those left behind in Halifax, including Gus Walby, Biscuit, Eliza Braden, and Fleda Lindsay, endure the grim realities and lessons of life while appreciating unexpected opportunities for new beginnings.
Reviews for Beyond the Pale Horizon
"And now, almost seven years since the last installment, RUN RED WITH BLOOD, we get to fall back in with Cooper's large cast of characters.
The story for this one is deceptively simple...everyone's on their way to Halifax. The first half of the novel is the voyage to Halifax, and the second half is the shenanigans once they get there. Simple, right?
No...
The thing about any novel written by the estimable Ms. Cooper is the intricate plotting. Honestly, I don't know how she manages to juggle such a massive cast of characters, from the lowest crewmembers to royalty, and keeps them all moving and interacting and disappearing and getting injured and...
Damn.
The first half does move a touch slower, as it's much more about getting the characters into the right situations and mindframes for the second, much faster moving half. But, what the first half may hold back in speedy forward momentum, it absolutely makes up with Cooper's obviously encyclopediac knowledge of the times. The reader will absolutely feel they are two hundred years in the past, on a ship with few amenities. And when it comes to the characters, Cooper is also the master of delaying satisfaction for any of these poor souls... bad for them, but fun for the reader.
Go on. Grab the other three books in this series, then dive into this one. You'll be glad you did."
- Tobin Elliott
In the latest addition to Cheryl Cooper’s Season’s of War series, Beyond the Pale Horizon, Cooper has once again skillfully developed her cast of beloved characters adding lots of twists and turns into their story.
After more than twenty years of providing great reading Cooper has made characters like Emily, Leander, Fly, Magpie, Gus and Biscuit feel as familiar as old friends to the reader.
Beyond the Pale Horizon also provides the reader with rich pictures of harbour and ship life in the early 1800s in both Boston and Halifax.
I found her description of Gus Walby’s death particularly touching, comforting and very unique.
As always, her action-packed conclusion neatly ties up many storylines while leaving other loose ends dangling.
Hoping we can look forward to more in this series full of adventure, suspense, humour and romance.
- Reader
This novel was a excellent read with an engaging storyline carrying on from the previous three related books. Great original characters with the addition of new adventurous personalities. The latest book features a love story with plenty of action depicting the hardships and tragedies of naval war during the early 1800’s. The preceding novels have been birthday gifts to my sister over the years. I look forward to presenting her with this most recent addition to the series.
- Becky Clemens
Beyond the Pale Horizon continued Cheryl Cooper's amazing series that follows a rich cast of characters through tragedy, adventure, and relationships, set in the context of War of 1812 naval life. I found there was no lull in the action amidst the intertwining side plots, and I always wanted to read on to find what was coming next. Her descriptions reveal very impressive research on the culture and the tall ships of the day. She doesn't flinch from painting the honest truths about deprivations, filth, and brutality experienced by the less privileged, and lets us look at this from different perspectives. This is vivid historical fiction that doesn't stray into historical fantasy. The story is fun, educational, and continuously engaging.
- Brian Houlgate