by Tim Powers
First published 1988
John Chandagnac expects nothing more dangerous than ledgers when his ship sails into Caribbean waters in 1718. Instead, pirates capture him and thrust him into Blackbeard's world of cutlass and cannon. The bookkeeper and puppeteer seems poorly suited for this violent life, but when a drunken captain renames him Jack Shandy, his fate takes an unexpected turn. The Caribbean holds more than ordinary pirates and treasure. Voodoo magic flows through these waters, and ancient powers stir beneath the waves. Shandy must navigate zombie crews manning sunken vessels and join expeditions through Florida swamps seeking the Fountain of Youth. He faces the Royal Navy in pitched sea battles while learning to wield both sword and sorcery. A mummified two-headed dog becomes his unlikely ally in hunting supernatural spirits. As Shandy transforms from mild clerk to formidable pirate, he discovers that survival requires mastering both the practical arts of piracy and the dark mysteries of Caribbean magic. His journey from reluctant captive to legendary buccaneer tests every assumption about his own capabilities.
Genres: historical-fiction, adventure, fantasy, supernatural, magic, pirates
Vibes: atmospheric, dark, emotional, fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family, transformation
Setting: Caribbean, Florida
Period: 1718
352 pages · Paperback · Grafton
Content warnings: violence