Rather good. Nice touch of humor, suspense, losses and gains. Good series so far! ( )

This is the second in the Charles Hayden series. Hayden is now a master and commander but does not have command of his own ship yet. He's been promised a sloop, but is then given a frigate... the Themis, the ship on which he sailed in the previous book. It still doesn't have a captain and needs to be taken to Gibraltar, so Hayden is the delivery boy. This is just the beginning of an adventuresome winter of 1793...

The author's note at the end of the book states that actual historical events were used for this book, with some tweaking to accommodate Hayden. Specifically, much of what happens in Corsica is based on the historical record. That was interesting to learn about after the fact, and to see the beginnings of Nelson's and Napoleon's careers. I imagine someone who actually knows more about the period would have spotted the references immediately and maybe pointed out anachronisms or tweaks to the historical record, but for this reader it was merely an interesting story.

Overall I enjoyed the book, although I found it harder to focus on it than I did with the first one. The parts with Dr Worthing were hilarious -- he was probably a bit cartoonish in his general awful demeanour, but that did not make his comeuppance any less satisfying! It was also interesting to see the Army and Navy attempt to work together on a mission. And the developments in Hayden's personal life were surprising -- will have to read the third book to see what happens! ( )

Our hero Charles Hayden, is reunited with the crew of the Themis, the crew and ship no one will have. That is a good thing for we like these characters. We have spent time with them and in the first book we saw how heroic and adaptable they all were.

But here, in the second book we find that the author's craft is just not up to what he gave us in the first book. There it was action, action, action, with the interludes well placed for the pacing. Here, we have some sequences, his historical (as you can read in the notes) section about the guns taking so long to develop and then implement that it becomes more of a bore than a needed part of the tale.

And the twist at the end, which is left unresolved is a further disappointment. Were there no third book, then one would have that length of time until the third is released to have a completion. No way to write a series.

This book there was less of the angst the character suffered about his parentage, and the hint we have at the end, that his parentage is at the heart of opposing forces at the Admiralty is a theme that should be developed. But we also see that there is too much favoritism giving jobs to Hayden where other Captains and Commanders in the fleet need to either be employed, or have reasons that they aren't. Last is the fault I found with the first book, where the nautical terminology is thrown so fast at us that we have little idea what it means or what is happening to the ship. So much that it can not be followed.

Otherwise, I hope the series continues to develop. It may not rival as I had hoped Stockwin's Kydd, but it is still early days. ( )

Winter 1793 - the Reign of Terror rips through revolutionary France, as every able-bodied man is pressed into military service. The city of Toulon has turned itself over to the British - the red ensign of Lord Admiral Hood's flagship, Victory, offering a defiant symbol of protection to its people. In Plymouth, Master and Commander Charles Hayden is summoned to the port admiral - his orders are to return to the ill-fated frigate, HMS Themis. Placed in temporary command, he is to join the escort for the last convoy of the season - braving the wintry seas to supply Hood's fleet in the Mediterranean. Hayden's uncanny knack for attracting the attention of the French navy sees the Themis thrown back into action only hours out of port. Soon, Hayden's captaincy and military skill are stretched to their utmost as he finds himself at the vanguard of this brutal clash of empires.

A swashbuckling British naval commander, Hayden takes on the French in the early stages of what later became known as the Napoleonic Wars. He is considerate to his officers and men, brave and successful against the French, but has to fight his own battles with the Admiralty and in his personal life. Sound familiar? Well, it is fair to say that Hayden follows firmly in the tradition of Hornblower and Bolitho. Russell's penmanship isn't quite up to the standard of C.S. Forrester, but is a match for Alexander Kent (aka Douglas Reeman). And though it isn't either overly original or great literature, it's a rollicking read, pacy and full of action. ( )