In the early 17th Century the Dutch East Indies Company (the VOC) established a trading post in Batavia (Indonesia). This meant that valuable spices could be imported to Europe at huge profit. However there were also huge risks involved as the voyages were long and navigation was not sophisticated. On one of the these trips the ship Batavia ran aground on an uncharted reef off the coast of the South Land (Australia). The ship sank taking many chests of silver with her and around 180 sailors, soldiers, company men and ordinary people managed to scramble to the shores of a group of small coral islands nearby. With few rations and little fresh water the chances were bleak so a group set off in the longboat to find water and then to try to reach Batavia and get a rescue mission. Left on the their own the remaining survivors tried to eke out an existence but once some of the treasure was recovered a small group decided to take matters into their own hands, murdering the weak, the infirm, the sound and many of the women.

The story of the wreck of the Batavia and the events that befell the survivors is one of horror at man's inhumanity to man in the face of hardship. Whilst this is a fictionalised account which suffers from some awkward prose at times and a little excessive melodrama, the plot is only a small embellishment on the actual accounts. Therefore much can be forgiven as this is a pacy and exciting read. ( )

To quote a line from the author’s note at the end of this book, this is “a fascinating, dreadful tale of heroism and depravity, survival, rape and death”.

I was not aware of events depicted in this dramatizing version of true events, when in 1629 a ship ran aground, resulting in the survivors not only battling to stay alive on an island, but facing death from each other.

This is as much a horror story as it is historical fiction. Yet the only demons are in the form of a group of men who aim to destroy their fellow survivors to suit their own ends.

They are led by the under merchant, who was in fact third-in-command of the ship. The captain, the upper merchant, and 46 others have set across the sea in a boat, promising to return in a ship for the other survivors.

In the meantime, women, children, and even babies are not exempt from murder.

The author has done a great job of researching the true events that feature in her novel and brings to life characters based on real people. Her writing style is also superb, featuring an upbeat third person narrative voice. ( )

The fully laden Batavia wrecks atop a reef. The crew abandons the ship, leaving most of her precious cargo aboard. The passengers, including women and children struggle to reach the small inhospitable islands close to the wreckage. Once there, it becomes painfully obvious that the survivors are facing starvation and dehydration. The ship's captain and commander leave the islands in search of supplies and rescue. In their absence, Jeronimus Cornelisz takes command of the islands. He abandons some survivors on the other islands and then begins to rule supremely. He kills all who challenge his rule. Not even women and children are safe. This is the story of those who lived and died on three small islands.
This book begins with the shipwreck and continually gets worse. The melancholy quickly transitions to fear and dread.
This book is sold as historical fiction, but I believe that this label limits the book. Greta van der Rol has the ability to get into the characters' minds and allow the reader to glimpse into their thoughts. This makes the book deeper and darker.
The writing at the beginning of the book is a little slow, but it is used to set up relationships that will soon become important. The action quickly picks up and the reader becomes lost in the story.
I recommend this book to anyone wanting a good read on when humans stop being human. ( )

This is a remarkable piece of Historical Fiction. The little known sinking of the merchant ship Batavia, which ought to have been a mere misfortune, turned into a tragedy. While a majority of the crew survived to find refuge on nearby islands, what transpired in the weeks that followed was nothing less than horrific. Greed and an insatiable lust for power and personal glory led one man to eek violence and mayhem among his fellow crew. This is a gripping story, fast paced and full of atmosphere and anxiety. A well written work by an author who truly knows how to weave a great tale, and more than that, how to make an almost forgotten piece of history come vividly and brilliantly to life. ( )