A lot happens in the pages of True Colours, the third volume in Alaric Bond's Fighting Sail series of naval adventures, set in 1797 during the height of the French Revolutionary War. It begins with the gallant rescue of a merchant ship from a French prize crew, weathers the mutinies at Spithead and Nore, sees a bit of action with the North Sea fleet and climaxes with the decisive Battle of Camperdown, a major naval action between British and Dutch (Batavian) forces off the coast of Holland.

There's even a bit of romance -- two budding romances, actually -- although that never dominates the storyline.

The novel follows the officers and crew of HMS Pandora, a light but speedy frigate under the leadership of Sir Richard Banks, who is fretting for command of a bigger, mightier ship. He's accompanied by a competent and fairly happy crew, many of whom will be familiar to readers from the previous two books in the series. As before, Bond splits his attention between officers and men, giving readers varying points of view from all sides -- including, occasionally, the Dutch.

There's plenty of action here, but even with so much happening Bond never lets the reader get bogged down in minutiae. The story flows smoothly through complex events, giving a human side to dramatic historical events and explaining -- without ever becoming too academic in tone -- the enduring importance of the mutinies and the British win at Camperdown.

He even introduces us to the major historical players: British Admiral Adam Duncan, commanding the aging, 74-gun ship of the line Venerable, and Batavian Vice-Admiral Jan de Winter, commanding the sleeker 74-gun flagship Vryheid.

The battle was closely matched at the start -- 16 ships of the line, two frigates, a sloop and four cutters on the British side, 15 ships of the line, six frigates and four brigs on the Dutch -- but the British victory was overwhelming. (Although Bond doesn't delve too deeply into battle statistics, a little research shows that the British lost 203 men killed and 622 wounded, while the Dutch lost 540 men killed, 620 wounded and 3,775 captured, plus nine ships of the line and two frigates taken.)

Pandora's role in the battle (the frigate being, after all, fictional) is minor, but Bond provides a clear view of the action. His descriptions as the wooden ships trade blasts of smoke and iron are vivid, leaving the reader breathless by the time the shooting stops.

He also digs into the circumstances leading to the widespread mutinies, outlining the sailors' requests and the efforts to satisfy the need for reform without yielding too much and breaking the chain of command. (Bond, like history itself, is much more forgiving of the Spithead mutineers than he is of the excessive demands at the Nore.)

The romantic elements are, as I said, unobtrusive but satisfying all the same, as a surgeon's mate finds love among the rescued crew of the merchant ship and a young lieutenant sparks the interest of a Dutch foe's (and friend's) sister-in-law. (The latter storyline neatly explores the bond that could form among erstwhile enemies, when circumstances allowed.)

True Colours is a truly good novel, and the author has firmly established a cast of characters I hope to follow for some time to come. Bond is a creative and knowledgeable writer who pens exciting stories, full of thrilling action rooted in a period of riveting history.

(Oh, and the glossary -- which I praised in the first book and missed in the second -- is back, although the helpful cast of characters is not.)

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