The Fever of Conquest
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It was supposed to be a simple job. Escort Doctor Franklin’s Congressional Committee to Boston. There they will meet with General Washington and together, organize the Continental Army. There was nothing in the commission about being loaned out, but ... stuff happens.
With a pass naming him a special envoy of the Commander in Chief, Wolfe finds himself leading his little troop into the wilds of Canada. His task is to discover why the American Northern Army has been stalled short of Montreal for almost two months. The mission is complicated when an American General sees Wolfe as the answer to a problem,
by making it Wolfe’s problem.
The new problem elevates Washington’s orders, to observe and report, into taking action that may prove to be of key importance to the American invasion of Canada.
Or it will get Wolfe killed.
Captain Sedition Book 2
The Wages of Glory
The battle on the Boston Road has changed the trajectory of Wolfe’s life. What comes next is unknown.
Pap and Dushay mean to go a-privateering and expect Wolfe to come with.
The Doctor returns from London anxious to join the rebellion.
He too expects Wolfe to join him.
Pru has found herself a man. She expects Wolfe to understand.
Meanwhile Joseph Warren tries to hold the rebel army together long enough to bring the Redcoats to battle on a hill in Charlestown.
The time has come for Wolfe to make a stand.
For honor. For freedom. For glory.
Available as an ebook and in print on Amazon.
Read for free with Amazon Prime.
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The Wages of Glory is the second installment in the colorful and unpredictable life of Captain Sedition aka courier Joethan Wolfe, set against the backdrop of the first American Civil War in the late-eighteenth century. All the excellent hallmarks of The Death of the Age of Reason (Book 1)* are present and correct in this subsequent expedition. Not only is the novel tremendously entertaining and full of suspense, but the lively historical insight, geographical detail, and military knowledge are, once again, richly impressive. They fully complement Wolfe and his exploits without overshadowing them. Nonetheless, there are subtle yet profound developments, especially for Wolfe who finds himself at something of a metaphorical and literal crossroads, following the battles at Lexington and Concorde. Indeed, several possibilities are lined up for him; privateering with his Pap, returning to work with Dr. Franklin, or fighting with Joseph Warren alongside the rebels, and what of Pru Forester, the childhood friend he swore he would return to?
The Wages of Glory is more measured and systematic than the first novel and, for a sequel, all the better for its thoughtfulness. Fusaro has placed Wolfe on a convincing character arc. He is still the witty, beguiling cat with nine lives, approaching and escaping conundrums with a sense of wry amusement that disguises a razor-sharp intellect and focus. But, in The Wages of Glory, there is an air of matured introspection to his actions, a reflective concern for their consequences, and a sharper awareness of others’ feelings.
In The Death of the Age of Reason, Wolfe directed from front and center, always in control of his narrative (as much as history would grant) even if he allowed those around him to think otherwise. However, in The Wages of Glory, he openly relaxes a little, losing the egotistical bent that, in parts, previously threatened to overwhelm him. He is not quite so central, and content on occasion (or so it appears) to be guided by others and their emotions. This objectivity is especially obvious in his relationship with Pru, and their interactions are weighted with her unspoken desires and drive. Notwithstanding, never underestimate Wolfe as his ruthlessly vindictive action toward Reginald Reddy at the end of the novel demonstrates.
There is a large cast in The Wages of Glory, the characters drawn from actuality and imagination. All integrate seamlessly and there are some lovely characterful portrayals. Fusaro takes absolute care with even the most minor of players to bring them fully to life with nuanced individuality and often, comically authentic physical detailing and habits. Billy Chalke was an especially good addition, cleverly utilized to provide humor, context, and backstory during the opening chapters, before the dynamic between him and Wolfe strengthened to become one of quiet value. As was Mingo aka Abel Francois, and his passage echoed through the centuries with contemporary relevance.
As Wolfe journeys through both landscape and events, Fusaro capably weaves an engrossing, knowledgeable, and intelligently constructed plot around both him and the quirky ensemble he seems to attract; part chronicle, pilgrimage, and fiction - it works incredibly well.
Captain Sedition (Book 2): The Wages of Glory is a worthy successor to the first book; the superbly considered blending of history and fiction and accomplished prose make this novel a compelling and engaging read. Highly recommended.
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Rose Auburn Reviews - UK
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​BEST HISTORICAL FICTION 2022 - Reader's Favorite Book Awards
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Reviewed by Lex Allen for Readers' Favorite
In Captain Sedition by K.C. Fusaro, expatriate Joethan Wolfe, raised in England and now a courier for the power brokers of England, returns to America, the land of his birth, to find and secure the release of his father who has been charged with sedition. He has a pardon signed by the King. It's 1774 and the American Revolution is right around the corner. Wolfe negotiates a dangerous path between the Crown's military, loyalists, and American rebels. His friendship with Benjamin Franklin helps, but it's his own wits, dueling skills, and keen sense of timing that must see him through a variety of situations, from danger to intrigue to love.
From page one, author K.C. Fusaro establishes a sense of presence and pace for the reader that is at once undeniable and inescapable. Across the board, from character to location to dress, language, personal mannerisms of individual characters, and customs of pre- revolutionary America, verisimilitude--a sense of reality--abounds. A sense of historical urgency and fact keeps the reader enthralled by this rousing story of early America. Fusaro writes with authority, attention to detail, and the all-important spellbinding momentum that carries the lead character Wolfe through a myriad of disparate characters and situations. This includes a rendezvous with Prudence, a childhood friend and playmate now grown into a beautiful and unpredictable woman.
Thoroughly captivating is an understatement for this magnificent story that doesn't end with Captain Sedition: The Death of the Age of Reason, but continues with book two, The Wages of Glory. Mr. Fusaro has a new fan here and I'm confident many, many more will follow.
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Captain Sedition
Book 1
The Death of the Age of Reason
A politically ambivalent London courier gets embroiled in the
American Revolution against his will.
Joethan Wolfe is a bravo and a rake, according to his particular friend, Benjamin Franklin, yet Wolfe also possesses an unshakeable sense of honor. He's a master horseman, fond of the ladies, but often too damned clever for his own good.
In 1774, On the cusp of the American Rebellion, expatriate Wolfe is called home to America. After fourteen years away, nothing is as remembered. Redcoats and colonists, countrymen in name only, drink vast amounts of cheap rum and aspire to kill each other. Yet it’s the ironically named Prudence, a childhood playmate grown into a beautiful and fiery insurrectionist, that may prove most problematic.
From New York, through the slave fields of Connecticut, to the seat of British power in Boston, Wolfe negotiates a dangerous tightrope between rebels and the Crown; until the tightrope becomes a noose dragging him to Lexington and Concord, and the start of a bloody revolution that will change the world. It's a conflict Wolfe has no stake in and wants no part of, but fate has a different plan.
Available as an ebook or in print on amazon.
Read for free with amazon prime
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