Raptor’s Revenge

A thrilling, fast-paced, novel, about a heroic privateer who seeks vengeance following the brutal murder of his entire family, from author Jim Malloy

Raptor’s Revenge is a historical novel set in Elizabethan England. The book follows fourteen-year-old Jamey Fallon as he returns home to find his whole family murdered. The only clue left behind is a severed finger with a gold ring attached. Jamey pockets the ring and is determined to find and destroy the nine fingered murderer responsible.

Jamey sets out on a heroic journey across the high seas, as he seeks revenge on the culprit who murdered his entire family. In doing so, Jamey takes command of his own pirate ship, the ‘Raptor,’ and takes on the persona of a pirate ‘El Raptor.’ For over a decade, Jamey and his one-eyed friend sail the Caribbean Sea and hunt down Spanish ships in search of the murderer. When he arrives in Jamaica, Jamey falls in love with Maria, but they are soon captured and turned over to the inquisition. The lovers escape and intercept the killer’s ship. Jamey finally comes face to face his family’s killer, and faces a brutal and bloody duel to the death.

This is a thrilling, fast-paced, novel, jam packed full of action and swashbuckling sea adventures. With a blend of history, mystery, revenge and romance, this book will appeal to those who enjoy historical fiction and pirating adventures.

With well-developed characters, an elaborate plot with plenty of gruesome battles, and numerous twists and turns, the book will keep readers captivated and on the edge of their seats.

Star Rating: 5 Stars

Summary,

A captivating, swashbuckling pirate adventure on the high seas. A FINALIST and highly
recommended.

Title: Raptor’s Revenge
Author: Jim Malloy
Publisher: XlibrisUS
ISBN: 978-1664197596
Pages: 574
Genre: Literature & Fiction/Genre Fiction
Reviewed by: Anthony Avina

Pacific Book Review

When we think of strong emotions, the first things we often think about are feelings like love, happiness, sadness, loss. These emotions tend to come up in our lives far more often than not. Yet one emotion and one driving point in people’s lives that brings all of these emotions into the forefront is that of revenge. The feeling and the need to have revenge stems from some fundamental wrongdoing against us, whether it is the loss of a loved one or a public humiliation of some sort. The path of revenge is often dark and dangerous, yet humanity is naturally drawn to this feeling in times of great emotion. As William Shakespeare once said, “If you prick us do we not bleed? If you tickle us do we not laugh? If you poison us do we not die? And if you wrong us shall we not revenge?”
In author Jim Malloy’s Raptor’s Revenge, the author explores revenge through the eyes of a young boy turned man named Jamey. After returning home to find his family murdered, the boy vows to have his revenge and sets off on a quest to find his family’s killers, with only a ring left behind by one of the killers. A decade of adventure on the high seas as a privateer turns Jamey into “El Raptor,” who preys upon Spanish ships. Sailing to Jamaica to find his family’s killers once and for all, the young man find’s love, is captured by the inquisition, and soon comes face to face with the killer, leading to a duel a decade in the making.
The author did a marvelous job of layering this historical fiction and genre fiction narrative with intrigue and tension, paying close attention to details as the shifting time periods and the evolution of Jamey as a character showed the hardships and struggles one’s psyche goes through when facing such a grand loss as he had, especially at such a young age. Although much grander and more focused in this narrative, young children witnessing their families being slaughtered was nothing new to the era this narrative was written in, as violence was a constant struggle during that period of time. Yet the narrative the author told really did an amazing job of focusing in on the cycle of violence that revenge often perpetuates, as the “villains” of the narrative often leave behind their own innocents, while the “heroes” often become future villains in another’s own story.
This is the perfect read for those who enjoy a well-balanced narrative which features elements of historical fiction, genre fiction, and classic tales of revenge. With the story featuring heavily into the era of pirates and high-seas adventures and clashes with the Spanish crown, the balance of action with personal growth in the characters was very well developed. Jamey in particular, who expressed the shock and pain of the sudden loss of his entire family, evolved and grew from a shell-shocked child to a hardened privateer and eventually much more.
Shocking, engaging, and rich in culture and history, author Jim Malloy’s Raptor’s Revenge is a must-read genre fiction narrative that boarders on a swashbuckling adventure of vengeance. A blend of The Count of Monte Cristo meets the tales of legendary pirate Blackbeard, the narrative was such entertaining and kept the reader on the edge of their seat throughout its entirety, and with a cliffhanger ending that left room for more stories to be told, this is one novel readers won’t want to miss.

Raptor’s Revenge
Jim Malloy
XlibrisUS (Dec 8, 2008)
Hardcover $36.99 (516pp)
978-1-66419-759-6
Raptor’s Revenge is a thrilling tale of revenge and romance set on the high seas.

In Jim Malloy’s fantasy novel Raptor’s Revenge, a boy with vengeance on his mind sets out to become a legendary
pirate.
In England in the late Middle Ages, violence reigns supreme, especially for those on the edges of society. Jamey is
just a teenager when his family is murdered, with a ring left behind as a clue. Jamey pursues the owner of the ring for
a decade. In the process, he adopts a pirate’s persona, calling himself El Raptor. He hears that the man responsible
for his family’s murder is in Jamaica, but on his way there, he is waylaid by a distracting romance.
Jamey, driven to find and destroy those responsible for his trauma, is a focused lead whose singular interests result in
dangerous living. Though he begins the story as a naïve boy, he becomes a feared pirate through a fascinating
process of self-formation that highlights the cyclical nature of revenge. He, too, leaves damage in his wake. However,
flashbacks to his happy life with his parents make him sympathetic in his quest, during which tension is sustained
throughout.
The novel includes historical and cultural details in a seamless manner, incorporating information about the
differences between the lives of royalty and those in the working classes, for example, as well as about life on board a
ship. Further, as Jamey travels, he is made privy to new languages whose words are incorporated in the text. People
speak in a clipped manner, too—particularly the book’s pirates. Such references are immersive, so that by the time
the book arrives at action sequences in which Jamey’s life is at stake, investment is ensured.
When the novel’s focus is on Jamey’s quest, its pacing is methodical. However, uneventful periods in his long tale are
passed over without comment. Because information takes awhile to travel to him, he is left waiting for the next step in
his plan to unfold. Some such periods, though lengthy, are referenced in the span of a few sentences. But Jamey
persists despite such lags, determined to confront those responsible for his family’s murder. An explosive sequence
near the end results in some satisfaction—as well as some personal growth on the part of the book’s hero.
Followed by a tidy epilogue that ties up its secondary cast’s stories, Raptor’s Revenge is an often thrilling tale of
revenge and romance set on the high seas.
JOHN M. MURRAY (February 22, 2022)
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book and paid a small fee to
have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. Foreword Reviews and Clarion Reviews make no guarantee that the publisher will receive a
positive review. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Jim Malloy
Xlibris, 565 pages (paperback) $23.99, 9781664197596
(Reviewed: January, 2022)
Raptor’s Revenge is a thrilling historical novel set during Elizabethan times, when English privateers sunk Spanish ships and stole their treasure as part of the war between the two nations.
The story follows Jamey, a young Irish man who takes to the high seas to avenge his family, slaughtered by a scheming Spanish diplomat. Jamey becomes known as “El Raptor” to the Spanish, feared, along with his diverse crew, for his near-supernatural skills and tactics. Finding his quarry in Spanish-governed Jamaica, Jamey also falls in love with Maria, a formerly poor native who acquires wealth and mixes with the island’s elite. Through cunning, luck, and the help of his friends, Jamey faces off against his family’s killer.
The novel is filled with historical details that provide authenticity without overwhelming the story. Jamey’s crew, especially the one-eyed Patch and his sister Jade, have chapters of their own revealing their pasts. The main villains, vicious Damon DeSago and sadistic priest Father Tomas, have backstories that make them somewhat sympathetic. DeSago is driven by revenge, and Father Tomas has a surprising connection to Jamey.
The book has plenty of swordfights, sea battles, and other perilous actions to keep readers in suspense. Early on, Jamey is captured and made a galley slave on a ship, with the possibility of his quest for revenge ending early. Lots of twists and turns keep readers wondering what will happen next.
The first 63 pages detail Jamey’s parents, their history and courtship. While this section is replete with action and sets up the rest of the novel, switching to Jamey after spending so much time with his parents’ story feels somewhat jarring. Tenses also occasionally shift from past to present. And there are explicit sexual scenes that are treated lovingly (except for Father Tomas’s depraved fantasies) but might scare off some readers.
Overall, those looking for an exciting story with an adventurous hero and historical details will enjoy Raptor’s Revenge.
Also available in hardcover and ebook.

TITLE INFORMATION
RAPTOR’S REVENGE
Jim Malloy
Xlibris US (574 pp.)
$39.99 hardcover, $23.99 paperback, $2.99 e-book
ISBN: 978-1-66419-760-2
November 16, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
This blend of nautical fiction, swashbuckling adventure, and romance set in Elizabethan England follows a heroic young man on a quest to kill the culprit who murdered his family.
Jamey Fallon’s childhood growing up on a sprawling English farm with his siblings and Irish parents is idyllic. His mother and father are considered heroes after their exploits saving King Henry VIII’s and Queen Elizabeth I’s lives. But Jamey’s existence is turned upside down when he returns from goatherding to find his entire family dead, brutally butchered. The only clue the 14-year-old has to go on is a finger wearing a ring with a strange symbol on it found inside his father’s mouth. After burying his family, Jamey sets out to find the nine-fingered man who destroyed his life. His hunt begins inauspiciously when, after meeting the beautiful daughter of an English lord, he is kidnapped and thrown aboard a ship. Forced into service, Jamey spends many seasons aboard the ship, learning to be a competent sailor. When he eventually gets his own ship—the Raptor—he and his best friend, Patch (nicknamed because of the black leather piece covering one of his eyes), become legendary privateers. They sail the Caribbean and terrorize Spanish ships in search of the mysterious murderer. Relentless pacing, competent character development, and an impressively intricate storyline make Malloy’s tale a bracing, readable adventure. The one criticism concerns the unnecessarily graphic—and frankly bizarre—sex scenes throughout, which, considering the potential audience, feel strangely out of place. In one scene, for example, a love interest masturbates for Jamey with a banana. In another episode, a female character with pet panthers experiences orgasms as a big cat’s tail repeatedly touches her as she lies naked. Patrick O’Brian meets E.L. James.
An undeniably thrilling but uneven page-turner about a brave privateer seeking vengeance.