Description
It is 1667 and the Dutch and the English are at war. Sir Francis Courtney and his son Henry "Hal" Courtney, in their fighting caravel Lady Edwina, are on patrol off the Cape of Agulhas at the southern tip of Africa, lying in wait for a galleon of the Dutch East India Company returning from the Orient, laden with treasure.
The quest sweeps them from the new settlement of Good Hope at the southern tip of Africa to the Great Horn of Ethiopia far to the north.
The bloody capture of the Dutch merchantman and three valuable hostages launches Hal into a perilous adventure that only the bravest will survive. Along the way Hal will encounter many enemies: a dangerous mutineer sworn to extract revenge; a fellow Knight Templar who has betrayed his father; and the most dangerous adversary on the African continent, the Dutch swordsman Schreuder.
His spirit will also be tested by love — for the rich and pampered Dutch heiress Katinka, for the beautiful slave girl Sukeena, and for a woman whose unstinting courage will outshine them all.
From the dungeons of Good Hope to the uncharted wilderness of the Dark Continent and then to the fatal narrows of the Red Sea, Hal's faith will lead him to his destiny: the defense of the final Christian stronghold in Africa, the kingdom of Prester John, historic guardian of the priceless Holy Grail.
Birds of Prey is a Courtney Family Adventure.