The Fortunate Islands (Medieval Sea Adventures of the Mediterranean - The Lovers of the Sea Book 3) by Michael Ponzio

 

The Fortunate Islands: 

A novel of the 14th century Canary Islands 

(Medieval Sea Adventures of the Mediterranean - The Lovers of the Sea Book 3)

By Michael Ponzio

Publication Date: 1st July 2026
Publisher:  Trinacria
Print Length: 366 Pages
Genre: Medieval Historical Fiction

The novel The Fortunate Islands is the third volume of the Lover of the Sea series; however, its story stands alone and the novel can be enjoyed without reading the first two novels of the series.

Aspasia: A Young Woman Forged by Life at Sea- Esmeray, Bastone, and their daughter Aspasia escape the dangers of the War of the Sicilian Vespers, abandoning their Mediterranean trade route. Sailing westward to the edge of the known world, past the Pillars of Hercules, they enter the Atlantic Ocean.

The family thrives on the challenges of life at sea, navigating the powerful ocean currents and fierce winds. After calling at ports down the west coast of Africa, they reach the Canary Islands, and find the lost Genoese colony of Captain Lanzarotto, where they encounter the indigenous Majo people and their fascinating culture.
Even isolated on these remote islands, away from centers of power, her family must deal with rival sea traders, cruel pirates, and the Church's long reach. Surviving these challenges as a family makes their bonds even stronger.

Aspasia matures into a young woman, and with her parents’ guidance, develops into a skilled sailor. Will she choose to keep sailing on the family’s trade ship or settle on the island with the man she loves? Or will Aspasia’s yearning to explore and her longing for discovery lead her to venture even beyond? Adding to the host of dangers, a new threat looms on the horizon—the Black Death.

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Michael A. Ponzio

Have you ever wanted to live in another time and place in history? Have you imagined what it would be like to take the place of an ancestor? Michael A. Ponzio’s lifelong experience reading books on history combined with his love for family has inspired him to bring these visions alive, by writing a series of “Ancestry Novels”.

Since childhood, Mike Ponzio has read books about ancient history. He traded books and stories with his father, Joseph E. Ponzio, and they discussed the origins of the family surname. Mike traveled around the Mediterranean to Europe, Asia, and Africa, visiting many of the locations he would later write about. He continues to travel and write Ancestry Novels which he imagines may have taken place during the lives of ancient ancestors.

Mike met his wife, Anne Davis, in 1975 at a University of Florida karate class. Since that time both have taught Cuong Nhu Martial Arts. With John Burns, they wrote and published six instructional books on martial arts weapons. Mike retired in 2015, after working as an environmental engineer for thirty-seven years. Anne and Mike have raised four sons. They are all engineer graduates, following in the footsteps of their Davis and Ponzio grandfathers.

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