1677, on a late summer’s evening, two ships lurk off the coast of southwest Ireland. They are Barbary corsairs from North Africa—slave catchers. As soon as it is dark, their landing parties row ashore to raid a small fishing village—on the hunt for fresh prey. In the village, 17-year-old Hector Lynch wakes to the sound of a pistol shot. Moments later, he and his sister Elizabeth are taken prisoner. From then on, Hector’s life plunges into a turbulent and lawless world that is full of surprises.