The flight from Toulon was an ignominious end to the British military's brief hold on the vital French port, but Lt. John Pearce -- an unwilling but surprisingly competent officer in His Majesty's Navy -- makes the most of the retreat.

Not only does he acquit himself well in his efforts to destroy the remaining French ships in the harbor, but he interacts honorably in a battlefield meeting with an up-and-coming Corsican artillery commander (and future emperor) during an orderly defense and withdrawal from an embattled gun emplacement. Then, his duty finally done, he heads for England in the company of his loyal Pelicans, the men with whom he was illegally pressed a year or so (and five novels) earlier. He has with him documents from Admiral Hood guaranteeing their protection from further service.

But he loses them -- he believes forever -- in a fire at sea, which sets him and the surviving crew adrift in small boats in a region where encountering French or British ships -- if any at all -- is equally likely. His eventual rescue puts him and his men in another unlikely and untenable position.

I like the John Pearce books, in part because he's an unusual protagonist. Unlike most literary heroes of the British naval tradition, Pearce doesn't want to be in the navy in the first place, and he doesn't care much for the war they are in. His adventures continue, in part, because of his unflagging concern for the men he befriended at the journey's start, as well as his undying desire for revenge against the man who pressed him into the service.

I'm beginning to wonder how long David Donachie can continue this plot without some resolution to its many threads. For now, at least, I'm content to keep reading the series because his writing is strong and Pearce is a fascinating character to follow.