by Eli Brown
Eli Brown's captivating novel, "Cinnamon and Gunpowder," is an absolute feast for the senses, guaranteed to be a delectable delight of page-devouring reading. With swashbuckling characters that jump to life from the page, sizzlingly mouthwatering recipes that tantalize the taste buds, and historical context that turns even the softest pacifist into an anarchical pirate-including you, dear reader!
It's 1819, and Owen Wedgwood's whole world revolves around culinary delights; spices and herbs, brining and steaming, baking and basting. It is a simple world, but he understands it, and has a master whose gratitude supplies him with all the tools and gardens he could ever need to succeed.
That is, until his master, Ramsey, is shot by the famed captain of The Flying Rose...
In an unexpected twist of fate, Owen is thrust into a completely different sphere, where the stakes are significantly higher. His task is to cook for his new master, Hannah Mabbot, a savory meal every Sunday lest he himself become a feast for the lurking sharks.
"These are the desolate contents of the hold; by far the most arresting are the rats, so bold and so many...Certainly there are staples here to feed the horde, but proper ingredients for cuisine? Butter, cream, mushrooms, fruit, ice, spices, fresh meats, eggs, preserves...neither a scrap nor a drop of these. No herbs. Not even a carrot. Lord help me. Concerning the cured meat, I've tasted it and I'm confident it is not pork."
Despite the ship's meager provisions, Owen proves that necessity is the mother of his delightful inventions such as tea-smoked eel ravioli, herring pate, rosemary walnut bread, and rum-poached figs stuffed with a mysterious cheese he whimsically names Pilfered Blue.
There's a slow but steady unraveling of Owen Wedgwood. His passion for food does not wane along this palatable journey, but his sense of self, truth, and his own moral compass sink like secrets to the ocean floor.
Beyond the swashbuckling escapades of plundering the Pendleton Trading Company, theater painting, and buccaneering marauders, a secondary narrative emerges—one that delves into themes of justice and fairness.
History is a pageant of war machines plowing the earth to a powder, and the cruelest yet is the Pendleton Trading Company...There is a reason why the colonists in the New World sank their tea in the harbor rather than drink a single cup of Pendleton's brew...I need not tell you how she mills slaves into poppy and poppy into sable-lined gloves for the mistresses of fat men."
To be completely honest, I found it difficult to read anything for quite awhile after finishing Cinnamon and Gunpowder. Wholeheartedly recommend this book to any avid reader, foodie, and pirate-at heart.
Oh, and in case you're wondering why this review is in the Fairy Tale retellings, don't forget Scheherazade's task of telling a tale every night for her survival...
Discover more about the author: Eli Brown
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