Part of an “excellent series,” this prequel reveals a British military man’s first battles in support of the Crown Jewels in seventeenth-century England (Publishers Weekly). Matthew Quinton, eighteen years old and an ensign in the Royalist Army in Exile, is sent by his older brother the Earl of Ravensden into the heart of Oliver Cromwell’s England. Surrounded by enemies, he soon becomes tangled in a dark web of conspiracy . . . Before long Quinton will have his first bloody taste of war, in the Battle of the Dunes, June 1658. In the battle Roundheads and royalists will fight one another one final time . . . Ensign Royal is a thrilling prequel to the Matthew Quinton Journals series of nautical sagas. Praise for the writing of J. D. Davies: “Hornblower, Aubrey and Quinton—a pantheon of the best adventures at sea!” —Conn Iggulden, #1 New York Times–bestselling author of The Conqueror and War of the Roses series “A hero worth rooting for.” —Publishers Weekly “Utterly impossible to put down . . . Finely-shaded characters, excellent plotting, gut-clenching action and immaculate attention to period detail . . . Superb.” —Angus Donald, author of The Outlaw Chronicles series “Destined to be a classic of nautical adventure series.” —Eric Jay Dolin, author of Leviathan and Fur, Fortune, and Empire “A naval adventure that goes well beyond the usual outlines of the genre to paint a lively portrait of England in the 1600s.” —Kirkus Reviews
