I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.  All opinions are my own. 

A porter’s son in Italy makes the difficult decision to leave behind the life he knows after a devastating plague and encounters a world he never could have anticipated in author Armand Du Silence’s “From One Sea to Another,” the first book in the A Mari Usque Ad Mare series.

The Synopsis

From the salt of the Mediterranean to the frozen edge of the world.

1653: the docks of Livorno are a theatre of dreams and tar, where one man’s choice will echo across centuries. Carlo Martini, a porter’s son bound to the rhythm of the tides, sees his world collapse when a devastating plague turns his home into a city of ghosts. Driven by a dying promise, he flees the salt-stained ports of Marseille for the brutal winters of New France. Alongside a resilient band of settlers and the courageous Filles du Roi, Carlo expected to find a blank wilderness, only to encounter a world already written in blood and arrows. In this land that never forgets, where the drums of the Iroquois herald an uncertain dawn, they must learn that survival is a pact, not a guarantee.

From the warmth of Italy to the vastness of an untamed continent, a lineage is born to bridge two oceans.

When the map ends and the forest begins to breathe, will you have the courage to write the first line of a new world?

THE REVIEW

The rich, powerful imagery the author uses in their writing immediately stood out to me as a reader. The attention to detail the author provided the reader brought both the historical era and the journey endured by the cast of characters to life, from the turbulent seas to the challenging wilderness of Canada and beyond. The impact of European settlement in the Americas up to that point, and how it affected the indigenous peoples of these countries, was the driving force behind the tension between the characters and the Iroquois. 

Yet it was the community of settlers itself that the author focused on, and the level of character dynamics at work as he explored the impact of decisions made by relatives generations ago and the hardships faced by those who left behind all they knew to start in a harsh, wild environment. The author’s writing comes across in a very artistic tone, painting images in the reader’s mind of these settings and characters as if they could crawl right off the page and into our world, while the depth of detail and moderate pacing of the narrative allowed the reader to feel immersed in the dangerous yet beautiful world of New France.

THE VERDICT

Heartfelt, compelling, and engaging, author Armand Du Silence’s “From One Sea to Another” is a must-read historical fiction novel. The way the author brings powerful themes such as leadership, motherhood, survival, love, and family, and weaves them into a complex narrative that delves into history with ease, makes the little moments of wildlife interactions and the visceral changing of the seasons feel more pronounced and engaging as a whole. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!

Rating: 10/10

About the Author

Armand Du Silence is an Italian-born author and a traveller by vocation, standing as one of the most compelling voices in contemporary adventure fiction. His literary work is profoundly influenced by personal explorations, allowing him to imbue his books with a realism and depth rarely found in the genre.

He is the creator of the successful saga “A Mari Usque Ad Mare”, an epic work that explores the ancestral relationship between humanity and the great watery expanses, weaving together themes of courage and discovery. Armand’s writing is characterised by its fast-paced rhythm and meticulous geographical and historical reconstruction, the result of notes taken directly in the field.

Beyond his writing, Armand’s life revolves around two great passions: travel and dogs. Firmly believing that there is no better companion than a dog to understand the essence of freedom, Armand frequently weaves the theme of animal loyalty into his plots. Today, he continues to live and write, pursuing a narrative quest that blends classic action with a modern environmental sensibility.