It's been far too long since I've discovered a new, ongoing series from the Age of Sail that really captured my imagination and made me look forward to reading the next book in the series. There are, after all, only so many Hornblowers and Aubreys, Bolithos and Ramages to go around.

And then someone who reads these pages recommended I check out the works of Alaric Bond. I contacted Bond, who contacted Fireship Press, and soon I had His Majesty's Ship -- which launches his ongoing Fighting Sail series -- in hand.

It's good. It's really good.

Unlike some of the aforementioned series, which focus primarily on a single protagonist along with some strong supporting characters, Bond's novel is an ensemble piece. The focus is on the ship HMS Vigilant and her crew, and readers will find themselves spending equal portions of their time with officers and men, including Captain Shepherd, Lts. Dyson, Rogers and Timothy, Midshipmen King and Pite, the surgeon, the chaplain, and seamen Flint, Simpson, Jenkins and Crehan, among others, plus new ship's boy Matthew, age 14, who volunteered for the service and is learning much more than he expected on his first voyage.

Of course, with an ensemble cast, rather than a single main character, there's no guarantee who might live or die or otherwise see their fortunes change dramatically during the course of the book. In a tale about Hornblower, for instance, you're reasonably certain that Hornblower will survive to the end. You don't have that same assurance here, and Bond deftly uses that uncertainty to keep the novel tense, thrilling and, at times, surprisingly sad.

The novel, set in 1795, centers on a mission escorting and protecting a small fleet of merchant vessels ... which might seem at first blush like pretty dry stuff. Not so. When a squadron of French ships -- two ships-of-the-line and a pair of fast frigates -- heaves into view, the Vigilant crew will have a tough time saving their charges from capture.

The battle, when it comes, is fast, furious and heart-pounding. Bond knows how to write dramatic scenes that place the reader in the heat of the action; you might occasionally find yourself ducking as chain shot whooshes overhead or splinters fly from a solid blow amidships, wincing as the surgeon hacks at a shattered limb, or giving a hearty hoorah as a desperate broadside smashes into an enemy ship.

At the same time, he provides just enough technical detail that readers understand what's going on, whether or not they have much seagoing experience, but the narrative never bogs down in too much exposition. Bond knows just how much information to share to make the story flow without overdoing it. (A brief but useful glossary at the end of the book, as well as a list of characters in the front, helps to keep everything straight.)

This book had me hooked from the first page and it kept me absorbed in the story to the end. I cannot wait to start the next book in the series!

[ visit Alaric Bond's website ]