Mists of Menorca

A Maritime Adventure Story

In addition to publishing a non-fiction book about Shakespeare and mental health this year, I am also in the middle of writing a 5-book historical fiction adventure series called the Merchant Tides series. These books follow the adventures of a fictional Greek teenager, Sebastian Krizomatis, as he navigates the 18th century world of the Ottoman Empire, pirates of the Mediterranean Sea, bustling Silk Road port towns, and the colonial and maritime power dynamics of England, France, and Spain.

Book One, Tears of Chios, begins on the Ottoman-ruled Greek island of Chios, where Sebastian’s ancestors have cultivated the famed mastic resin (aka “tears of Chios”) for centuries, only to turn them over to Sultan Mustafa III, who is seeking to compete with western Europe for dominance in the eastern Mediterranean. Sebastian dreams of traveling the open seas, far away from the oppressive life of a mastic slave.

Book Two, Scions of Smyrna, finds Sebastian escaping to the thriving cultural mecca of Smyrna, one of the most significant port cities of the time, where French, Dutch, German, and English merchants seek Silk Road treasures for their eager brothers and sisters back home in Europe. Here Sebastian learns a new kind of subjugation inside the walls of a silk textile workshop under the dictates of the shop’s domineering owner, Stavros Alkeidis. It is in Smyrna that Sebastian has a fateful encounter with Scottish physician-turned-entrepreneur, Dr. Andrew Turnbull, which alters the course of his life forever.

Book Three, Mists of Menorca, follows Dr. Turnbull, Sebastian, and his entire family a thousand miles across the Mediterranean Sea to the Balearic port of Mahón, Menorca, recently acquired by Britain from France through the 1763 Treaty of Paris. Sebastian believes that escaping the Ottoman Empire will finally break his chains of oppression. Until he meets Port Captain Elias Brumbaugh, the power-hungry and tyrannical commander of the Royal Navy in Menorca. Sebastian is forced to confront demons internal and external to disperse the mists of Menorca and discover the true meaning of freedom.

I traveled to Menorca in 2023 to research the book, and was mesmerized by the island’s wind-swept landscape, green pastures, gorgeous blue-water coves, wood-sparred windmills, noble Menorcan horses, and delectable dishes (Mahón cheese, Menorcan salt, sweet formatjades, and potatoes with la mahonesa - need I say more?). The best part about the island, however, is its gracious and welcoming inhabitants.

Below are some photos I snapped during my own adventures in Menorca.

Although Sebastian Krizomatis is a fictional character, the people he meets along his travels are based on real historical figures, such as Dr. Andrew Turnbull, Captain Alexander Alexiano, and Maria Gracia du Robin. If you’re looking for a late-summer beach read with themes of coming-of-age, pirates, setting as character, heartwarming family dynamics, and political overtones that correlate to current times, you can check out my Merchant Tides series here. All books in the series are available in lots of places so you can support your preferred bookseller.

For more about me, my writing journey, and my books, connect with me at www.kpearsonbradley.com or www.kim-bradley.com.

Do you like adventure stories? What historical fiction authors/series do you enjoy? I love most genres, including fantasy, book club fiction, magical realism, biography, and science fiction, and I look forward to adding some new favorites to my TBR.

Happy Reading!