Sails On The Horizon: A Novel Of The Napoleonic Wars (2006) - Plot & Excerpts
This book sets off at a cracking pace, throwing the reader immediately into the heart of a major naval battle, of the sort that traditionally forms the climax of many books in this genre. That's fine, but the problem with loosing all your big guns in Chapter One is, can you sustain the momentum thereafter? Sadly not in this case for the early promise is not carried forward into the rest of the book.A particular problem with this novel is an almost fatal split personality; on the one hand you have a fairly traditional naval action story and on the other a land-based love story. Now I'm quite partial to both C S Forester and Jane Austen, but NOT in the same novel! That's not to say that a naval adventure story cannot accommodate any love interest, but it needs to fit in seamlessly and appropriately. Here, a rather uninspired romance constantly interupts the flow of the story (or, if you are more into chic-lit, the scenes at sea keep interupting the romance!) When on land (and far too much of the book is set on land) the storyline meanders along in an unconvincing, rather tiresome fashion and neither plot nor characters really engaged this reader. The book comes more to life when at sea, although even here characters and storyline are fragmented and under developed. I was particularly frustrated by a plot line involving dockyard corruption which had a lot of potential. Forester used a similar theme for a brilliant little cameo in one of his Hornblower books, but here it just sort of fizzles out with no real tension or resolution. The plot is also a trifle implausible at times; I'm not going to insert any spoilers but it's hard to imagine some of the main character's antics escaping severe censure from his naval superiors!In fairness, the writing is of a quite readable standard, and as a piece of undemanding holiday reading it passes time pleasantly enough. However, in a genre where there's plenty of top rate competition, this novel doesn't stand out as anything remarkable.
Small (and sometimes large) lapses in fact and detail stopped this being a great book, rather than an enjoyable read. I would also have liked a closer explanation of the Quaker view, which I found confusing and at times conflicting, although I felt the hero's actions at the end of the book should have been more firmly attributed to his wife's influence. A refreshing change, though, and I will certainly be ordering the next, and hoping for more.
What do You think about Sails On The Horizon: A Novel Of The Napoleonic Wars (2006)?
It is very good book for the short trips or waitning for the plane, the format is handy so it can be slipped in to the handbag without any damage. The hero is larger than life and whiter than snow. Captain Charles Edgemont is natural born hero who is so shy and modest as it pains. He was hero form battle of st. Vincent, where he managed to get promoted and got nice pile of prize money, which are always good and made him independent. The naval action was nicely depicted, but very naturalistic. Our captain suffered little war trauma, in his times nothing problematic,in our time he would be at shirk. Instead he did what was natural for man coffined for month among unwashed sailor, he found a girl and a top of quaker one. The novel is dripping with sugar and it is so rmantic and so shovinistic that it pains. I think author had some personal issues with women and wrote his hero and mastrubation fantasy. Author has also strange fetish to fill his book with Nelsons, Collingwoods and yes there is also guest appearance of Horatio Hornblower. Yay.
—Matimate
