It really does not seem like fourteen years since Stockwin wrote Kydd, the first book in his series of Kydd and Renzi tales. Then, Kydd was a young Guilford wigmaker who was taken by the press gang to serve as a sailor in the Royal Navy. The basic idea behind the stories was unique, featuring two young men from very different backgrounds who came together as tie mates. Previously, all of the great fictional stories set in the naval world of the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars featured a hero who began as a Midshipman and rose through the Commissioned ranks to Post Captain or Admiral.
Forrester, Kent, Pope, O’Brian all wrote outstanding tales around their Commissioned heroes and entertained generations, prompting films based on their writing. From an unique starting point, Stockwin has become another member of the band of naval fiction writers who have achieved the highest standards of story telling. This latest story in the series is yet another compulsive page turner that will sell very well, attract new readers, and reward loyal fans.
