Artemis: A Kydd Novel

Julian Stockwin continues the saga of Thomas Paine Kydd, a wigmaker pressed into naval duty. As befits a second novel, the author tries for something a little more grand and epic, and here lies the downfall. I still recommend it, but I cannot say that I felt the same powerful impact as the first story. I simply enjoyed hearing more about my favorite characters and meeting new ones. Stockwin's first novel was written with very short chapters, each one a kind of short story with intense conflicts and climaxes. This novel has much longer chapters, so there are several plotlines and themes throughout each one. Some, like the deserting soldiers who become sailors under Kydd's tutalege, are brought up but never given closure. We never know what happens to these soldiers once they are accepted on board. This is just one of many instances where I had questions that were never answered.I won't give away the ending, but I must say it was unsatisfying to the extreme. I'm afraid I'd give away too much of the plot if I were to critique it further, so I'll end here. If you enjoyed the characters of Kydd and Renzi, then by all means keep up with them, but don't expect the power of the first book. I hope by the third book the author will have learned his craft and can handle this new storytelling style, if he keeps at it, or goes back to his first style, which was remarkably well done. I almost gave this only 3 stars, but compared to most books, the details and drama still just barely warrant a 4.

I've read them all (Kent, Pope, Lambdin, O'Brian, Nelson, etc.) and this new series rates right up there with the best. Can't wait for the next installment.

For those who admire O'Brian, Stockwin's books may not appeal. For those who find O'Brian unnecessarily long-winded and overwhelmingly pretentious, give Stockwin's books a try (start with 'Kydd,' the first in the series). Stockwin has taken the unusual tack of starting his series with a non-sailor, a pressed man, and has introduced both him and the reader to late 18th century shipboard life. This isn't Hornblower or --thank God! -- Aubrey, Kydd is an altogether original character. We learn as he learns, we see storms, battles, maneuvers, all of it through his eyes and from his position on board a frigate. This is very different from seeing things only through the eyes of the captain, which is what is presented in most nautical fiction. Kydd will most likely rise in rank as the series progresses, but the reader gets to make that most enjoyable journey with him.I note that other critics have taken issue with Stockwin's actual writing skill. I have no problem with the man's craft or talent. In fact I have yet to read a fictional account of rounding the Horn that was as descriptive, passionate, frightening and inspiring as Stockwin's account in 'Artemis.' I enjoyed this book a great deal, and regret only that I have to wait another year for book 3 in the series.

Julian Stockwin has taken a keen sense of naval history and combined it with the skills of a gifted storyteller to provide an engrossing story of pressed seaman Thomas Paine Kydd. Stockwin's ability to convey the life of the men who sailed before the mast on board a frigate is masterful, setting aside the caricatures often found in nautical fiction, filling out these sketches with thinking, feeling human beings. Tom and Kydd and his friend Nicholas Renzi, along with their shipmates, travel a perilous journey on board the frigate Artemis, from a chilling battle with a French frigate in the English Channel, through exotic India and China, to the Great South Sea. Once started, it was difficult to put the book down. The author's passion for the sea and the men who sailed between decks in Nelson's time is evident on every page, as is his understanding of seamanship and the skills of a sailor. Stockwin has created a character in Kydd, who will enchant nautical fiction readers for years to come. I look forward with great anticipation for Seaflower, the next tale in the Kydd saga.