Set at the dawn of the eighteenth century and reviving Tom Courtney, hero of Wilbur Smith's bestsellers Monsoon (1999) and Blue Horizon (2003), this new novel packs action, romance, and exotic settings into a rousing historical adventure. It was not birth that made a man. It was what he made of himself. Indian Ocean, 1700. The Malabar coast is full of dangers: greedy tradesmen, fearless pirates, and men full of vengeance. But for a Courtney, the greatest danger might just be his own family... Francis Courtney flees the comfort of his Devonshire estate when his stepfather's gambling debts leave him penniless and in grave danger. He voyages to South Africa with revenge and fortune on his mind: his uncle Tom Courtney killed his father, and he plans on repaying the debt and making his fortune in the process. However, upon his arrival in Cape Town, he uncovers a truth that leaves him overwhelmed and disoriented.