Publishers Weekly
The sails are mostly slack in Stockwin's latest Thomas Kydd sea adventure. It's 1805, and as the British prepare for Napoleon's expected invasion of England, Kydd, a rising star in the Royal Navy, is given command of a frigate and ordered to join admiral Lord Horatio Nelson's forces in the Mediterranean. Much of the story is taken up with historical naval activity such as the British blockade of French ports and Nelson's pursuit of the French fleet across the Atlantic and back, with all of the sailing leading up to the Battle of Trafalgar, where the British defeat the combined French and Spanish fleets. Unfortunately, Kydd plays no part in the epic sea battle. In fact, Kydd and his ship spend most of this tale patrolling and carrying messages between fleets. Stockwin is a master of vivid, accurate narratives of seamanship and Napoleonic era naval warfare, but the lack of suspense and uneven bouts of action leave this series installment feeling limp. (Oct.)
Dewey Lambdin
A rousingly exciting and delicious full-immersion in the perils of seafaring and society during the great Age of Sail!
Western Morning News
Written with authoritative detail by a gifted storyteller who is passionate about the Great Age of Sail.
Historical Novels Review Online
Stockwin continues to display his talents in transporting his audience from the 21st century to the chaotic worlds of Kydd, Renzi, and their imperiled homeland.. .. [He] goes into action with swords drawn and cannons and carronades blasting.
Booklist
Well-written mixture of high-seas adventure and character-based drama. .. impossible not to enjoy.
The Guardian
The vantage point of the common sailor gives the nautical novel a fresh twist. In Stockwin’s hands the sea story will continue to entrance readers across the world.
Pirates and Privateers
In this eleventh book in the series, Stockwin snares the reader’s attention from the start.. .. This novel depicts victory on many levels, in different ways, and with profound passion. It also demonstrates the price that victory, or [HMS] Victory, must pay in order to triumph over evil. This is a voyage not to be missed, one that will haunt the reader long after the last page is turned.
Nautical Magazine
This heady adventure blends fact and fiction in rich, authoritative detail. The author closely follows historical record, taking readers into the world-defining events of 1805.
Oxford Times
Elegantly plotted. .. the writing has the power of a broadside at close range.
Yorkshire Evening Post
Stockwin's descriptions of the bloody reality of naval combat 200 years ago are memorably vivid, and reveal a profound respect for the seamen who were willing to sacrifice their lives to help save their country.
Peterborough Evening Telegraph
The full-blooded seagoing adventures of Commander Thomas Kydd reach another thrilling chapter.
From the Publisher
This latest book is as fresh as the first to be published. .. takes forward the careers of his two heroes in such a natural way that they feel to be a genuine part of history, interacting with the real story of Nelson, Trafalgar and Victory. ―Firetrench
Historical Novels Review
Stockwin continues to display his talents in transporting his audience from the 21st century to the chaotic worlds of Kydd, Renzi, and their imperiled homeland . . . He captures Georgian society and the closed world of a Royal Navy warship . . . [and] goes into action with swords drawn and cannons and carronades blasting.
