Geoffrey Frost, American sea captain and veteran of the Chine Trade, and Ming Tsun, his enigmatic mute friend, return in this latest installment of the highly literate and compelling saga of the American struggle for Independence at sea. After a clash against well-armed British warships, Frost's ship, the privateer Audacity, must be laid up for repairs. Frost, however, is not the kind of man to sit idle for long, and when a new secret weapon invented by David Bushnell comes to light, he recognizes a rare opportunity to strike hard at the complacent English. Commanding the prototype submarine Narwhal, Frost and the freed slave Darius set out to bring terror from below, all the while narrowly avoiding sinking and certain death in the cast iron tomb. Fender proves in this harrowing novel of power and suspense why he is quickly distinguishing himself as one of the eminent voices of American historical fiction.

The Lucifer Cypher

Literature & Fiction

Fender, J. E.

Contemporary

Pisgah Review

At twenty-six, Geoffrey Frost is already an experienced mariner and a veteran of the China trade, but he sets aside his lucrative commercial interests to assist the American colonies in their war with Great Britain. Unfortunately, his first mission for the colony of New Hampshire - to transport some badly needed cannons captured in the Bahamas - runs afoul of British naval vessels patrolling the American coast. Commanding a ship built for cargo rather than warfare, and a crew more accustomed to fending off pirates than engaging a well-trained British naval crew, Frost reveals a flair for tactics and a coolness under fire that bodes well for his wartime career. His own ship all but destroyed in the desperate battle off the Isles of Shoals, Frost nevertheless returns to Portsmouth with a valuable prize - the newly built, copper-bottomed, well-equipped sloop o' war Jaguar, which he call "the cat." Taking command of this vessel, Frost embarks on his new career as a licensed privateer, sailing out of Portsmouth to harass British merchant ships and help fund the American cause. But first, he launches a daring rescue mission into the heart of British Canada.

The Private Revolution of Geoffrey Frost: Being an Account of the Life and Times of Geoffrey Frost, Mariner, of Portsmouth, in New Hampshire, As ... from the Ming Tsun (Hardscrabble Books)

Literary

Univ Pr of New England

In the first volume of an exciting new series, J. E. Fender displays the confident command of historical and maritime detail that readers of the Aubrey/Maturin and Hornblower series demand in novels of 18th-century naval adventure. And in Geoffrey Frost--captain, trader, and reluctant warrior--Fender has created a larger-than-life hero worthy of his British predecessors. Just twenty-six, Geoffrey Frost is already an experienced mariner and a veteran of the China trade, but he sets aside his lucrative commercial interests to assist the American colonies in their war with Great Britain. Unfortunately, his first mission for the colony of New Hampshire--to transport some badly needed cannons captured in the Bahamas--runs afoul of British naval vessels patrolling the American coast. Commanding a ship built for cargo rather than warfare, and a crew more accustomed to fending off pirates than engaging a well-trained British naval crew, Frost reveals a flair for tactics and a coolness under fire that bodes well for his wartime career. His own ship all but destroyed in the desperate battle off the Isles of Shoals, Frost nevertheless returns to Portsmouth with a valuable prize--the newly built, copper-bottomed, well-equipped sloop o' war Jaguar, which he calls "the cat." Taking command of this vessel, Frost embarks on his new career as a licensed privateer, sailing out of Portsmouth to harass British merchant ships and help fund the American cause. But first, he launches a daring rescue mission into the heart of British Canada. With its mix of exciting maritime adventure, colorful characters, and period detail, this inaugural volume marks the arrival of a promising new series.

The Private Revolution of Geoffrey Frost: Being an Account of the Life and Times of Geoffrey Frost, Mariner, of Portsmouth, in New Hampshire, as ... Contemporary Histories (Hardscrabble Books)

University Press of New England

Book two of the Frost Saga continues the exciting nautical adventures launched in The Private Revolution of Geoffrey Frost, hailed as "an auspicious start" by Library Journal and now available in paperback. Mariner, merchant, and reluctant warrior, Geoffrey Frost has entered the American Revolution on behalf of the colony of New Hampshire, commanding a captured British sloop o' war and sailing out of Portsmouth to harass the British fleet. As Audacity opens, he is returning from Canada following a daring rescue of American prisoners held at Louisburg when he sails into a fog bank -- and straight into a British convoy shepherded by a thirty-two gun frigate. In serving the American cause, Frost will impersonate a British merchant, capture several supply ships, order the execution of some of his own countrymen who have turned pirate and renegade, and perform an extraordinary feat of navigation in order to restore two men to the ship of the great explorer Captain James Cook. He will also meet the beguiling and exasperating Lady Cygnet, an opera singer, who promises to enliven and complicate Frost's life in future volumes.

Audacity, Privateer Out of Portsmouth: Continuing the Account of the Life and Times of Geoffrey Frost, Mariner, of Portsmouth, in New Hampshire, As ... from the Ming Tsun (Hardscrabble Books)

After a daring attack on the British collier fleet in the mouth of the Tyne River, Geoffrey Frost, merchant mariner turned reluctant privateer, returns to Portsmouth, New Hampshire in November 1776. There he learns that the war for independence has not gone well for the colonies. George Washington has been dislodged from New York, and the remnants of the Continental Army are being pursued across New Jersey by the British.Knowing that the food and gunpowder he has captured from British supply ships are badly needed by the army, Frost resolves to carry the supplies to Washington. But the Royal Navy controls the coast from New York to the Chesapeake, so Frost must organize a complex and dangerous overland mission. Despite opposition from both loyalist militia and British patrols, the reluctance of his hastily conscripted army of teamsters, and the challenges of travel in the dead of winter, Frost wins through to the Continental Army in late December.With his soldiers fed and their ammunition replenished, Washington leads a daring and brilliant night-time crossing of the Delaware River, and Frost and his men join the Continental Army in their surprise attack on the British at Trenton. With the timely assistance of Geoffrey Frost, Washington wins a victory that breathes new life into the Americans' resolve to win their independence.

Our Lives, Our Fortunes: Continuing the Account of the Life and Times of Geoffrey Frost, Mariner, of Portsmouth, in New Hampshire, as Faithfully Translated ... Contemporary Histories (Hardscrabble Boo

Genre Fiction

In volume four of The Frost Saga, J.E. Fender masterfully weaves together two narratives that offer new perspectives on the American Revolution and on the character of Geoffrey Frost. At the conclusion of volume three, Frost set off in search of his younger brother Joseph, who had recently fought in the battle of Valcour Island on Lake Champlain. This volume tells the story of Joseph's adventures in New York and Vermont as he joins Benedict Arnold in one of the most important battles of the Revolution: despite their defeat at the hands of the superior British fleet, the Americans thwart the British plan to drive down Lake Champlain and the Hudson River to divide the fledgling United States. In alternating chapters, Fender tells the story of Geoffrey Frost's first voyage: when Frost was ten years old, his father placed him aboard a slave ship in order to learn the sea. As young Geoffrey matures from seasick invalid to accomplished sailor, he grows ever more dismayed at the nature of the trade in which the ship is engaged. His formative experiences aboard The Bride of Derry, especially his conflicts with the martinet Captain Wick Nichols, reveal the origins of the "great navigator, ingenious military commander, and fierce armed combatant" (Booklist) known to fans of the series.

On the Spur of Speed: Continuing the Account of the Life and Times of Geoffrey Frost, Mariner, of Portsmouth, in New Hampshire, as Faithfully ... Champlain, All Dilig (Hardscrabble Books)

After a daring attack on the British collier fleet in the mouth of the Tyne River, Geoffrey Frost, merchant mariner turned reluctant privateer, returns to Portsmouth, New Hampshire in November 1776. There he learns that the war for independence has not gone well for the colonies. George Washington has been dislodged from New York, and the remnants of the Continental Army are being pursued across New Jersey by the British. Knowing that the food and gunpowder he has captured from British supply ships are badly needed by the army, Frost resolves to carry the supplies to Washington. But the Royal Navy controls the coast from New York to the Chesapeake, so Frost must organize a complex and dangerous overland mission. Despite opposition from both loyalist militia and British patrols, the reluctance of his hastily conscripted army of teamsters, and the challenges of travel in the dead of winter, Frost wins through to the Continental Army in late December. With his soldiers fed and their ammunition replenished, Washington leads a daring and brilliant night-time crossing of the Delaware River, and Frost and his men join the Continental Army in their surprise attack on the British at Trenton. With the timely assistance of Geoffrey Frost, Washington wins a victory that breathes new life into the Americans' resolve to win their independence.

Our Lives, Our Fortunes: Continuing the Account of the Life and Times of Geoffrey Frost, Mariner, of Portsmouth, in New Hampshire, as Faithfully ... Contemporary Histories (Geoffrey Frost Saga)

Book two of the Frost Saga continues the exciting nautical adventures launched in The Private Revolution of Geoffrey Frost, hailed as “an auspicious start” by Library Journal and now available in paperback.Mariner, merchant, and reluctant warrior, Geoffrey Frost has entered the American Revolution on behalf of the colony of New Hampshire, commanding a captured British sloop o’ war and sailing out of Portsmouth to harass the British fleet. As Audacity opens, he is returning from Canada following a daring rescue of American prisoners held at Louisburg when he sails into a fog bank -- and straight into a British convoy shepherded by a thirty-two gun frigate.In serving the American cause, Frost will impersonate a British merchant, capture several supply ships, order the execution of some of his own countrymen who have turned pirate and renegade, and perform an extraordinary feat of navigation in order to restore two men to the ship of the great explorer Captain James Cook. He will also meet the beguiling and exasperating Lady Cygnet, an opera singer, who promises to enliven and complicate Frost’s life in future volumes.

Audacity, Privateer Out of Portsmouth: Continuing the Account of the Life and Times of Geoffrey Frost, Mariner, of Portsmouth, in New Hampshire, as ... Contemporary Histories (Geoffrey Frost Saga)

Geoffrey Frost, American sea captain and veteran of the China Trade, and Ming Tsun, his enigmatic mute friend, return in this latest installment of the highly literate and compelling saga of the American struggle for independence at sea. After a clash against well-armed British warships, Frost’s ship, the privateer Audacity, must be laid up for repairs. Frost, however, is not the kind of man to sit idle for long, and when a new secret weapon invented by David Bushnell comes to light, he recognizes a rare opportunity to strike hard at the complacent English. Commanding the prototype submarine Narwhal, Frost and the freed slave Darius set out to bring terror from below, all the while narrowly avoiding sinking and certain death in the cast iron tomb. J. E. Fender proves in this harrowing novel of power and suspense why he is quickly distinguishing himself as one of the eminent voices of American historical fiction.

The Lucifer Cypher (Hardscrabble Books-Fiction of New England)

United States

A young ship's captain finds himself thrust into high adventure during the American Revolution! 
At twenty-six, Geoffrey Frost is already an experienced mariner and a veteran of the China trade, but he sets aside his lucrative commercial interests to assist the American colonies in their war with Great Britain.\nUnfortunately, things go bad from the start. His first mission for the colony of New Hampshire - to transport some badly needed cannons captured in the Bahamas - runs afoul of British naval vessels patrolling the American coast.\nCommanding a ship built for cargo rather than warfare, and a crew more accustomed to fending off pirates than engaging a well-trained British naval crew, Frost reveals a flair for tactics and a coolness under fire that bodes well for his wartime career. If he can stay alive that long!\nFans of Patrick O'Brian and C.S. Forester rejoice! The Frost Saga brings their brand of high-seas adventure to American shores!\nThe characters are memorable...{There is} enough action for two books — from shipwrecks to battles to daring rescues... After several plot twists, Frost arrives at the end of this adventure but ready for the next... Fender has made an auspicious start with the first book in this projected series. — Library Journal\nWe early discoverers of Patrick O’Brian who anxiously awaited each new book in the series have felt bereft since his pen was stilled. J.E. Fender has come to the rescue...The Frost Saga shows a mastery of technical and historical detail... 
—J.F. Lehman, former Secretary of the Navy and author of On Seas of Glory

The Private Revolution of Geoffrey Frost (The Frost Saga)

Piscataqua Press

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