A review by silverstarswept
The Mauritius Command by Patrick O'Brian

adventurous challenging emotional informative reflective medium-paced

• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Jack and Stephen spend a lot of this book apart (Jack wrestling with his first time commanding not just one ship but a whole fleet of them, and Stephen really showing what he can do as a secret agent while also beginning to show slightly worrying symptoms of depression and addiction), while Sophie remains at home and Diana is absent completely, and I do feel that there's a bit of a lack of warmth at times in this one. However, I can't really bring myself to mind, because all the naval strategy and battles were literally <em>that enthralling.</em> Clonfert and McAdam just made me really, really sad (Clonfert is at times relatable and at times infuriating and McAdam is brash and rude but not <em>bad</em>) and their potential similarities to Jack and to Stephen in particular were dark.