It's 1811, and tensions between the United States and Great Britain are increasing. For Captain Tom King, commanding officer of HMS Tenacious, that means extra vigilance as he patrols along the east coast of America. Based in Halifax, he sails with a consort, the brig-sloop HMS Sparrow, commanded by his former first lieutenant William Leyton. They are tasked with enforcing trade embargoes and, as necessary, pressing British sailors found on American ships. Leyton is rather more enthusiastic about the job than King, who is growing weary of the sea and does not want another war to contend with.

Leyton, who made an incredible amount of character growth in the previous book, is something of a surprise here. In fact, his character seems worse than ever, and his aggressive approach to American shipping is matched only by his lack of common sense when gauging the relative strength of potential foes.

Meanwhile, on Tenacious, King's ever reliable second-in-command Lt. James Croft is showing signs of his age and is not operating to his usual standard. His failing capabilities might even pose a threat to the ship.

And of course, there is plenty of ship-to-ship action, starting with a cutting-out mission to take a slaver off the Georgia coast and, later, a desperate battle to protect a merchant convoy from a much larger fleet of French privateers. Through it all, King develops an unusual friendship with an American frigate captain, with whom he crosses paths frequently -- even to the point of exchanging favors, as well as wine and rabbits, even as the fragile peace between their governments seems likely to break. It seems like a conflict between nations -- and between friends -- is inevitable.

There's much more, including a big storm, a surprising suicide and a mini-mutiny among some trusted officers and seamen in King's crew. Their reasons might be noble, but....

The Seeds of War ends just as the War of 1812 is beginning. I am eager to pick up the next book in the series -- which is, I believe, the last currently published in Alaric Bond's ongoing series. Bond continues to produce books at a rapid pace, with an amazing collection of characters and unparalleled adventure at sea. Still, would it be too much to ask that he write just a wee bit faster...?

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