His Majesty's Ship

Interesting article in the Mid Sussex Times indicates another book in the series 'His Majesty's Ship' will be out in 2009

I recently had the great privilege of reading an advanced copy of His Majesty's Ship, Alaric Bond's new novel. I wont be giving any secrets away (so don't ask), but will say it was an excellent read and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Alaric is however making the first three chapters available for members. If you would like to read them they are available here. (Please note it may not be available indefinitely)

He would welcome any comments you may have and will therefore be made aware of any replies to this thread.

EDIT:As the novel is now with the publisher link removed.

His Majesty's Ship is now available for purchase from Fireship Press, Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk

I have just finished reading this novel for the second time, having read an advanced copy some 3 months ago, and enjoyed it just as much. It's always good when a second reading is just as enjoyable.

Alaric Bond once again grips readers with his detailed knowledge of the Georgian navy. In this prequel to The Jackass Frigate the earlier careers of crew members we have become familiar with are developed. From gundeck to quarterdeck, from powder monkey to Captain, we follow all divisions of the crew of HMS Vigilant, a 64 gun ship-of-the-line, as she is got ready for sea and then escorts a convoy. Ending in a climactic battle, the book, first in the 'Fighting Sail' series, fulfils the authors promise to “give an insight into the world of the seamen and naval officers who fought during the Revolutionary war” and will delight all readers of historic naval fiction.

I really enjoy the gripping action and I appreciate the detailed descriptions of the ship's workings, but, as in the Jackass Frigate, Alaric Bond gets my highest marks for bringing to life the crew and officers of Vigilant. By mastering the tricky technique of shifting Point-of-View, Bond successfully makes readers privy to the thoughts and opinions of a thorough cross-section of the crew. Before Vigilant is at sea, we meet no fewer than twenty-three named characters. (I counted the second time I read the book.) The number climbs above forty by the novel's climax. It is a tribute to Bond's craft that by the time Vigilant joins battle we feel a personal connection to some 10% of the ship's company. I am grateful to Bond for creating this new paradigm for Historic Naval Fiction.

Very nice to see you back pipester. Bond has gone onto my list of must-reads ... but he will have to wait until my library gets a copy.

Thank you, reb. It's good to be back.

Thanks to the generosity of a fellow shipmate, I have been given the opportunity to read this book, and my first reaction is: what a great read!!

• characters that evolve and whom I can care about
  
• gripping action sequences that are very well-described so I never have the sense that I don't know what is happening
  
• strong grasp of naval tactics along with the ability to describe them clearly
  
• prose that pulls me along and makes me dread reaching the last sentence, rather than forcing me to make the effort to slog through it
  
• shocking twists and turns in the plot to make me forget any thought of attempting to predict what's going to happen next

That's not to say it's without minor flaws: it could certainly have used a list of characters. Several times I found myself skimming through the first few chapters to remind myself who Jeremy was, or what rank Flint held. But in retrospect, that did allow me to enjoy the opening scenes several times ...

In conclusion, I have to say that this could very well be the next great HNF series that would certainly rival the Bolithos, Ramages et alia. My appetite is well and truly whetted for The Jackass Frigate. It's a shame it hasn't been picked up by a major publisher. It's a bit more expensive than what I would typically consider spending on a book, especially a softcover, but it's going onto my birthday wishlist.

Ooh, I've really goofed here - I was under the impression that the price shown in the ebay auction for the Jackass Frigate (28 pounds) was the list price. I now find that the price listed on Amazon is much more reasonable. I hope no one has been deterred brom buying that book because of my mistake here.