After reading the first few books in Alaric Bond's Fighting Sail series, set in the time of the French Revolution, I shifted time periods for Hellfire Corner, Bond's first novel in The Coastal Forces series, taking place during World War II.

Set first aboard MGB 95 and later the newer model MGB 194 -- "MGB" stands for "motor gun boat" -- the story follows a captain and crew based in Dover, where they help protect England from German forces, guard British convoys, hunt German ships and endure German shells and bombs as best they can.

Personally, I find the more modern setting lacks the romance of stories set on sail-driven wooden ships, but that's a personal preference that in no way reflects on the strength of the story. That's just me, and shouldn't discourage anyone from checking this out.

Even so, I was quickly absorbed into the action, which is fast-paced and at times even a bit stressful.

Bond directs his efforts here to a gripping period in history -- Autumn 1941 -- when Britain was holding out against the might of Germany before the United States had entered the war. Lt. Robert Harris skippers MGB 95 which, when compared to the sailing ships of old, fights with a tiny crew: just a handful of gunners, engineers and the like to keep the boat seaworthy and battle-ready.

Rather than sailing on frigates and ships of the line, they fight from small wooden boats -- MGB 95 is just 63 feet long, MGB 194 only slightly longer -- powered by highly volatile gasoline and therefore highly dangerous in combat situations, lightly armored but packing a punch with a variety of deck guns or, in some cases, torpedoes. During the course of the book, innovations such as two-way radios, radar and hydraulic-powered gun emplacements make their appearance, and the seamen must adapt to the quickly changing technology in combat situations.

The novel focuses on the commander and crew, their interactions on shore and, of course, several missions in the strait that are harrowing to say the least. The tough little boats are, in their way, quite fragile, facing against tough, sometimes technologically superior German vessels. The book climaxes with a concentrated assault on a German convoy escorting a heavy cruiser to the north.

It's tense stuff, and readers will come away feeling like they know what it's like to serve on a gunboat, from the claustrophobic engine room to its powerful but extremely exposed and vulnerable guns, from the exhilaration of a hit on an enemy vessel to the frustration of cobbling together a single working engine from the remains of two shattered engines in the midst of combat.

There's a bit of romance here as well, as various crew members interact with WRENS -- members of the Women's Royal Navy Service, providing a variety of auxiliary services to the military -- as circumstances allow. There's also an American journalist poking around, doing his best to build enthusiasm for the war effort back home, and maybe just feather his nest with a WREN or two while he's there.

Hellfire Corner, like Bond's other novels, is an ensemble piece that tells the story through multiple viewpoints. Don't let that fool you, though; none of these characters are guaranteed to make it to the final pages.

This is the first book in a new series, and I am looking forward to reading the second when it comes out. Bond -- like fellow British author Douglas Reeman -- has sucked me into his World War II narrative, and I am happy to go along for the ride.

[ visit Alaric Bond's website ]