Despite his heroic actions at Trafalgar, the opening of The Force of Fate finds Nathan Peake cooling his heels in Gibraltar, discussing philosophy with an amiable monkey and awaiting his return to England, where he will answer to charges, or at least stern questions, about his recent conduct. However, his return voyage on the frigate HMS Panther stumbles upon a small French fleet in the English channel, a force led by Jerome Bonaparte, younger brother of the self-proclaimed emperor.

Meanwhile, in London, Peake's French lover Louise is some six months pregnant with what he presumes to be his child, although he is not entirely sure of the current nature of their relationship.

On the plus side of things, Peake is in London in time (and still holds enough prestige that he is invited) to attend Admiral Lord Nelson's state funeral, full of all the requisite pomp and frippery. He also visits with Nelson's grieving paramour, Lady Edith Hamilton, who was not invited to the proceedings.

Quickly cleared of any wrongdoing at Trafalgar after an abrupt change in government, Peake is given command as a commodore over a tiny squadron bound for Washington, D.C., where he is ordered to lend assistance to President Thomas Jefferson as a spiteful Aaron Burr strives to split the young nation apart. Also, the two nations must come to terms over the question of slavery, and whether or not they should ban its trade in international waters.

The United States, of course, is still not too certain of its friendship with England, so Peake can expect some resistance to his aid. Slavery, too, is a sticking point for many English and American statesmen; Jefferson himself owned quite a few, after all. And diplomacy, it turns out, is not high among Peake's strengths.

Although, based on the summary on the back cover of the book, the Aaron Burr mission is the primary plot point, Peake doesn't learn the nature of his assignment until the book is some two-thirds or more complete, and he does not arrive in Washington until even later in the narrative. Once there, he must deal with American politics, intrigue and, surprisingly, French warships just outside of the Chesapeake.

Peake as usual interacts with a host of fictional and nonfictional characters on both sides of the Atlantic. As is often the case, he finds himself allied (and, at times, at odds) with Gilbert Imlay, a real American businessman and diplomat who, though inarguably shrewd, often has questionable motives.

Seth Hunter, the pen name of writer Paul Bryers, gives readers a likable protagonist in Nathan Peake. Not as heroic or decisive as some of his peers in the nautical fiction genre, he often finds himself in situations not of his making, and he usually rises to the occasion. His adventures are certainly entertaining, and Hunter has an excellent grasp of the ins and outs of naval customs and international politics in a tumultuous era. I have always enjoyed the books in this series, and if anything Hunter is getting better as he goes. I can't wait for the next one!