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Severed Knot: An Emotional Historical Thriller (Quest for the Three Kingdoms) by [Cryssa Bazos]

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Cryssa Bazos

Severed Knot: An Emotional Historical Thriller (Quest for the Three Kingdoms) Kindle Edition

by Cryssa Bazos (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

207 ratings

Part of: Quest for the Three Kingdoms (3 books)

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“Severed Knot is an exciting thriller that takes readers on a wild ride! So many emotional moments pull the reader in and refuse to let go until the last page . . . a truly unforgettable gem of a historic novel.” InD’tale Magazine (Crowned Heart).

Barbados 1652. In the aftermath of the English Civil War, the vanquished are uprooted and scattered to the ends of the earth.

When marauding English soldiers descend on Mairead O’Coneill’s family farm, she is sold into indentured servitude. After surviving a harrowing voyage, the young Irish woman is auctioned off to a Barbados sugar plantation where she is thrust into a hostile world of depravation and heartbreak. Though stripped of her freedom, Mairead refuses to surrender her dignity.

Scottish prisoner of war Iain Johnstone has descended into hell. Under a blazing sun thousands of miles from home, he endures forced indentured labour in the unforgiving cane fields. As Iain plots his escape to save his men, his loyalties are tested by his yearning for Mairead and his desire to protect her.

With their future stolen, Mairead and Iain discover passion and freedom in each other’s arms. Until one fateful night, a dramatic chain of events turns them into fugitives.

B.R.A.G Medallion Honoree; Shortlisted for the 2019 Chaucer Award; Longlisted for the 2018 HNS New Novel Award

Print length

442 pages
Language

English
Publication date

June 16, 2019
File size

2492 KB
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Bleakly impossible choices face the protagonists in the brutal aftermath of civil war. Stark but involving tale of early colonial exploitation strongly centres on an indomitable Scottish hero." - Historical Novel Society (long listed - 2018 New Novel Award)
"A great read that sweeps the reader straight back into the Barbados of the 17th century." - indieBRAG (B.R.A.G Medallion Honoree)
"Ms. Bazos writes of this heartbreaking period in history with empathy and passion and the result is a novel of depth, breadth and hauntingly beautiful moments." - Discovering Diamonds
"Severed Knot is incredibly ambitious, tautly gripping, and an absolute triumph." - Myths, Legends, Books and Coffee Pots - Coffee Pot Book Club Award (2019)

"Severed Knot is a superb work of historical fiction sure to please readers looking for an authentic period atmosphere, romance, strength and plenty of danger." - Readers' Favorite (5 stars)

About the Author

Cryssa Bazos is an award-winning historical fiction author and 17th-century enthusiast with a particular interest in the English Civil War. She is a member of the Historical Novel Society, the Romantic Novelist Association and is a co-editor and contributor of the English Historical Fiction Authors blog. Her debut novel, Traitor's Knot, is published by Endeavour Media. Traitor's Knot is the Medalist winner of the 2017 New Apple Award (historical fiction), a finalist for the 2018 EPIC eBook Awards (historical romance) and the RNA Joan Hessayon Award. Her second novel, Severed Knot, was longlisted for the Historical Novel Society 2018 New Novel Award. --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07T51WMJQ
Publisher ‏ : ‎ W. M. Jackson Publishing (June 16, 2019)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ June 16, 2019
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 2492 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Print length ‏ : ‎ 442 pages
Lending ‏ : ‎ Enabled

Best Sellers Rank: #578,958 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #205 in Historical Caribbean & Latin American Fiction
- #256 in Caribbean & Latin American Literature
- #1,133 in Medieval Historical Fiction (Kindle Store)

Customer Reviews:
207 ratings

About the author

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Cryssa Bazos

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I am a historical fiction writer and 17th Century enthusiast, with a particular interest in the English Civil War (ECW) and romantic fiction. I blog about English history and storytelling at my site, the 17th Century Enthusiast, and I'm involved with the English Historical Fiction Authors blog site and a member of the Romantic Novelist Association (RNA) and the Historical Novel Society (HNS).

My absolute favourite books are romantic adventures, steeped in history, that take me to another time and place. I hope you enjoy my stories.

Customer reviews

5 star		60%
4 star		24%
3 star		11%
2 star		4%
1 star		2%

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Anna B

Utterly gripping

Reviewed in the United States on June 8, 2019

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From the moment I made the acquaintance of Iain Johnstone as he languished in despairing squalor as a POW, I was hooked. I suppose that reflects my liking for men who have the courage to face up to whatever circumstances life throws in their way, even when they know deep inside that some experiences will likely scar them permanently or kill them. Iain is a Scotsman who happened to fight for the losing side at the Battle of Worcester in 1651 As a consequence, he ends up shipped out as indentured labour to Barbados. And let me tell you, Barbados in the 17th century was not exactly a place of rum-punch and oildrum music.
Ms Bazos does not shy away from describing the gruelling and humiliating reality of being bonded labour at a sugar plantation. And where Iain struggles to survive, to somehow maintain a scrap or two of pride, the other protagonist, Mairead, faces additional dangers. As an indentured female servant, Mairead and her female companions are fair game--at least according to the slime who owns the plantation on which both Mairead and Iain end up.
Despite the despair, despite the hopelessness of their situation, something beautiful grows between Iain and Mairead. Two people battered by life find renewed strength in a love that slowly unfurls from the shyest of buds to a glorious bloom. But is there a future for a man determined to somehow make it back to his beloved Scotland and a woman just as determined to make it back to her home in Ireland? Well, dear reader, you will just have to read the book to find out. Mind you, long before we get to that point, Ms Bazos has taken us on something of a roller-coaster ride, from abuse, nail-biting flight, through escape, recapture, near-death, hangings and one or two sea-battles. No wonder my nails are chewed to the quick!
Ms Bazos has written a fast-paced adventure--but she has ensured it is firmly anchored in historical facts, be it Prince Rupert's sudden appearance in the West Indies to the details of life in a sugar plantation. Beautiful prose, a well-constructed plot and two lovely, beautifully developed main protagonists combine with a perfectly executed historical setting to make this something of a WOW read. Very warmly recommended!

10 people found this helpful

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AMDaniele

Excellent!

Reviewed in the United States on January 4, 2020

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"Severed Knot" is not only a well-researched novel with interesting and complex characters, it brings out some important struggles from this often better-to-be-forgotten period of history of the Caribbean which are not generally discussed. One of particular interest is the portrayal of forced indenture of British Isle citizens on Barbados.

A striking characteristic among the indentured servants was that those who had been born free and independent in countries like Scotland and Ireland could not easily reconcile or release their freedom to slave mentality, "L'ouvrier travaille au goût du maître" (the laborer works at the master's pleasure). What would it have been like for men and women from the same background as the landowners, who, by a twist of fate, were made slaves to serve among their peers?

Freemen are free thinkers who freely express their opinions and make their own decisions. These were not options among the slaves; and the turmoil that resulted for the indentured ones in particular was distinct and deep. The landowners looked at their refusal as disloyalty and rebellion; yet, was it really? Or was it more the conflict of an inner person born free but subjected to a life that differed little from a tamed, broken animal to serve someone who looked and acted just like they? Worth a thought.

This was a well-written novel and strongly recommended for those desiring to delve into British Civil War and the early years of its Caribbean colonies.

4 people found this helpful

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NWReadingMaven

A riveting and romantic story

Reviewed in the United States on January 3, 2020

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From the very first page, Severed Knot captured my imagination and wouldn’t let go. Cryssa Bazos takes a story buried in history and blazes it to life in this sweeping, romantic, and dramatic tale of an Irish woman and a Scottish man sold into indentured servitude on the island of Barbados in the 17th century. Bazos combines careful attention to historical detail with lush descriptive writing and a knack for getting inside her characters’ heads. The relationship between central characters Iain Johnstone and Mairead O’Coneill is mesmerizing in its own right, and their struggles to survive add to the emotionally charged atmosphere throughout the novel.

Like all great historical fiction, Severed Knot inspired me to learn more about the truth behind the story. I was surprised to learn that the English did a brisk trade in shipping Scottish and Irish prisoners to the Caribbean and selling them into long-term servitude on sugarcane plantations. Bazos unearthed some wonderfully rich historical resources, all evident in her riveting details of daily life on the plantation and ocean crossings in the early modern era.

This is an all-around excellent novel. I highly recommend it to anyone who loves history, romance, and high-seas adventure stories.

2 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Kindle Customer

Fabulously told

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 28, 2019

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This novel has it all... it evokes every emotion possible. It is a story of love, loyalty, betrayal, endurance, brutality and survival. Brilliantly told, the pace is fast and flows beautifully . It transports the reader into the story itself and carries them on this heartfelt, unimaginable journey along with the characters.

Along with the main characters of Mairead and Iain, the secondary characters are equally important in drawing this picture of the life of an indentured servant on a Barbados plantation.

Mariead and Iain first meet on the ship the Jane Marie when they are forcibly removed from their respective lives in the years after the English Civil War. Misread is an Irish girl, staying with her uncle and cousins when English soldiers swoop down and remove the whole household after killing the uncle and transport them.

Iain was a casualty of the Battle of Worcester, a Scottish prisoner of the English Commonwealth. Transported and sold in auction in Barbados. Their tale of survival carries them to the sugar cane fields where the reader sees the barbarity of life there, to their dreams of escape and freedom.

One person found this helpful

fictionreader

Realistic, well-researched romantic thriller

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 12, 2019

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I really enjoyed this tense and romantic thriller and highly recommend it if you want a page-turning read that will leave you enthralled and breathless. Set in the 17th Century after the King has been exiled, it tells the story of Iain and Mairead, one Scottish, the other Irish, when they are captured, shipped to Barbados, and taken into forced servitude. A bleak and brutal life awaits them on a sugar plantation, where people are expendable and treated as beasts of burden.

The plot moves swiftly from one set piece to the next, as the newly-arrived exiles try to find their feet in a horrific new world of slavery and repression. Iain’s clan of supporters are all individuals, and Cryssa Bazos’s gritty dialogue adds to the building tension in this powder-keg of servants versus masters.

However, although the central lynchpin of the plot is the unfolding relationship between Mairead and Iain, this is not just a romance, the history is extremely well-researched, and the author gives us authentic detail about sugar manufacture, the war with the Dutch, the plight of the Irish under the Commonwealth, and much more besides. The writing is smooth, with plenty of historical references to keep the reader anchored in the past, and there are enough battles to make this a story to be savoured by those who like plenty of action. Mairead is a character you’ll love to root for – determined and stubborn, she never gives up on her quest for freedom and the man she loves.

A brilliant book, well worth your time and money.

Sunflower21

Historic romance

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 31, 2019

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It is a real page turner, I enjoyed reading this book. Set in the 17th century it tells the story of a Scottish soldier and an Irish girl who were both captured and taken to Barbados as indentured workers. It gives a good insight into the difficulties they faced, the horrible conditions on the ship taking them from England to Barbados and the hardships they faced once they've arrived. The historic background is well researched - the Anglo-Dutch war, the sugar trade and life under the Commonwealth.

Kellie

Brilliant but all the TWs

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 1, 2019

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Seriously, though, ALL the trigger warnings.

This was fantastic. It wasn't perfect - the way African slaves and indigenous people were sidelined in this kind of story wasn't great - but I was so anxious and genuinely worried about how the HEA would happen. I loved Iain and Mairead. And I really hope Nathaniel Lewis gets a book!

Amazon Customer

Severed Knot

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 13, 2020

Verified Purchase

I found this book enlightening in terms of historical content but also enjoyed the romance element. However there were also many traits and emotions which were quite gripping to me as a reader.

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