Big changes are coming for Peter Wake.

Wake, the protagonist of Robert N. Macomber's ongoing Honor series, fills an interesting niche in U.S. naval fiction. Although Wake's story begins during the American Civil War, it continues on into the latter half of the 19th century and, eventually, into the early 20th. It delves into areas often left untouched by other authors in the genre. Consequently, rather than dealing mostly with sails, ropes and cannons, Wake must contend with steam-powered vessels and very different types of guns. And, given the era involved, he comes into contact with a great many innovations that, while taken for granted -- or even considered outmoded -- today, were new and a little intimidating in Wake's world. So expect to see him deal with new technology such as the telephone, global telegraph, typewriters and elevators, as well as modern improvements to the submarine. (His trial run on the Peruvian submarine Toro aptly describes the claustrophobia involved in the experience.)

Wake spends much of the book in Latin America, observing the war between Chile, Bolivia and Peru as an official neutral party. (The war, somewhat comically despite the many casualties, centers on the rights to guano, which is valuable bird poop.) Serving as a backdrop to that war, interests from France are trying to build a canal through Panama despite many hindrances in their way.

He also spends a significant amount of time with his wife and children, performing desk duties in Washington, D.C., that are dull but safe.

But the situation in South America turns grimmer, and Wake is sent back to the heart of the action as Chilean forces push deeper into Peruvian territory. Wake finds himself in a desperate situation, with the lives of more than a hundred orphaned children in his hands as danger draws near. The tension through this portion of the book is almost unbearable as his efforts to save them run into innumerable complications.

Although focused on the navy, Wake's role is more about diplomacy, intelligence and intrigue than overt warfare. Nowhere in this novel does he order a cannon fired in anger, and battles are most often seen from an observer's point of view, rather than in the heat of the action.

The U.S. Navy, although the focus of this book, is a far cry from a global power at this point in its history.

There is also drama at home, where his wife Linda, raising two children often alone in the nation's capital, is battling an unknown but desperately serious ailment. A Different Kind of Honor also has a moment of unbearable heartbreak. Although readers might see it coming, I'll say no more about it here.

Suffice it to say, this continues to be an excellent series, and Peter Wake is a likable, admirable protagonist who will keep readers coming back for more.

[ visit Robert N. Macomber's website ]