The Shipyard of FATE: Captain de Grammont
In 2007, I penned the script for the French storyline in the game Sea Dogs: A Pirate's Story, choosing the real historical figure Michel de Grammont as my protagonist.
The life of this remarkable man captivated me so deeply that I felt compelled to write a historical fiction novel about him. Everything I uncovered while digging through historical documents truly resonated with me. My goal was to clear the name of a man who has been unjustly labeled a mere pirate.
The book was initially meant to open in Paris and unfold in the Caribbean, essentially following the game's plot. However, a single book proved insufficient to truly capture the depth of his character. In my novel, he is just thirteen years old—a young nobleman standing at the very threshold of his adult life. This volume chronicles his formative years and the precise life events that built his personality, serving as the very place where his character was forged. Hence the title, The Shipyard of FATE.
We know for a fact that he was a superb swordsman, the first to charge in boarding actions, won his famous frigate Le Hardi in a card game, had enigmatic ties to the Knights of Malta, and left his mark on a multitude of other events that shaped the very history of that era. Gathering these scattered fragments piece by piece, I allowed myself to logically flesh out the foundation behind it all.
Following several print editions, I managed to break into the Amazon market this year with both English and Ukrainian versions across various formats. The narrative is delivered in the first person—straight from Michel de Grammont himself—which I hope successfully conveys the hero's emotions and evokes the true atmosphere of the era. That said, I deliberately avoided archaic prose, opting instead for a brisk, energetic style that feels natural to the modern reader.
The life of this remarkable man captivated me so deeply that I felt compelled to write a historical fiction novel about him. Everything I uncovered while digging through historical documents truly resonated with me. My goal was to clear the name of a man who has been unjustly labeled a mere pirate.
The book was initially meant to open in Paris and unfold in the Caribbean, essentially following the game's plot. However, a single book proved insufficient to truly capture the depth of his character. In my novel, he is just thirteen years old—a young nobleman standing at the very threshold of his adult life. This volume chronicles his formative years and the precise life events that built his personality, serving as the very place where his character was forged. Hence the title, The Shipyard of FATE.
We know for a fact that he was a superb swordsman, the first to charge in boarding actions, won his famous frigate Le Hardi in a card game, had enigmatic ties to the Knights of Malta, and left his mark on a multitude of other events that shaped the very history of that era. Gathering these scattered fragments piece by piece, I allowed myself to logically flesh out the foundation behind it all.
Following several print editions, I managed to break into the Amazon market this year with both English and Ukrainian versions across various formats. The narrative is delivered in the first person—straight from Michel de Grammont himself—which I hope successfully conveys the hero's emotions and evokes the true atmosphere of the era. That said, I deliberately avoided archaic prose, opting instead for a brisk, energetic style that feels natural to the modern reader.