Thomas F. (hardtack) - , reviewed on 12/28/2011 + 2701 more book reviews

This is the third book in the adventures of 'United Colonies' sea Captain Issac Biddlecomb and the first one in which he is not captured by the British and then escapes.

Most of this volume centers around an evil sailor whose purpose in life seems dedicated to destroying the hopes and dreams of others, creating despair and hatred, and undoing all the good that people try to do. I had a bit of a problem accepting such a character as real, until I remembered a long-time dean we had at the university where I work.

If you love naval fiction, you will enjoy this series. Just don't expect it to be of the quality of Douglas Reeman or Patrick O'Brian.

One problem I have in this series is the time it takes for the characters to do something. I may be displaying my lack of knowledge of 18th century sailing ships, but it sometimes seems that something (repairing a rudder or fixing sail) must be done in seconds and then events happen that take place over 20-30 minutes or longer, with time still left over for Biddlecomb to still accomplish whatever it is he is attempting.

But this happens in the movies all the time, so ignore it and enjoy the book.

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