Artemis: A Kydd Novel

Rating:
Summary: Enjoyable story lines, average writing
Review: As many of the other reviewers here, I am an avid fan of the nautical fiction genre; and, have read CS Forrester, Patrick OBrian, and many others, cover-to-cover. As such, I was excited to find 'Kydd' and 'Artemis' and a new series by a promising new author.

I enjoyed 'Kydd' just a little more than 'Artemis,' but liked both. The story lines are fun and engaging. The characters are decently drawn (although I am starting to find Renzi just a bit too implausible and contrived). The attention to detail is very high. And certainly, the twist of reading these stories from the point of view of a pressed man before the mast (as opposed to the usual point of view of an officer's) is educational. Although Stockwin isn't really breaking totally new ground here (I'd say Bernard Cornwell provided an ample path here with his 'Sharpe' novels), it's mostly a new wrinkle for those of us addicted to Aubrey/Maturin.

So, where does Stockwin fit in to the panoply of napoleonic-era historical fiction authors? I'd say mid-pack. The quality of writing is average. The character development is average. I'd put him in there with James Nelson and Dudley Pope; and even with Bernard Cornwell for that matter. Fun quick reads. Good stories with rousing action and interesting subject matter. But it's really not great literature.

In my opinion, Stockwin has a long way to go before he jumps up to the next tier in terms of writing ability. There's none of the magic, flowing prose of Patrick OBrian, nor any of the incredible mix of character, wit, and eloquence. There is a good story line and mostly decend prose. Like James Nelson, he gets a bit melodramatic at times. There's just a bit too much of the '...heart beating in his manly chest...' nonsense.

He also falls into one little trap that I find particularly annoying. Every page or so, he slips in the use of some overtly 'big' words. It feels like he's trying to impress us with his vocabulary:

"... he drew out a peculiar short coil of a black flexible substance, chased in leather at one end, and the other terminating in a knobby excrescence."

I'm not sure what an 'excrescence' is, but I feel that a more gifted writer would have found a more economical and effective way of describing a knotted leather whip. To my ears, this kind of thing just falls flat. There are many little examples of this throughout the two books. Do they ruin the stories? No. Do they make you wince a little bit as you're reading? Probably.

If you are looking for the 'topmast' of nautical fiction, look to OBrian, Marryat, Conrad. If you're looking for engaging adventures on the high seas and a fast easy read, definitely grab these new Stockwin novels. I recommend them despite their few faults. I hope new ones will keep coming and that the author grows as a writer.

Rating:
Summary: Growing a hero
Review: Clearly Stockwin attempts to follow C. S. Forester and Patrick O'Brian with another naval hero series; eleven novels are projected which should be ample scope to cover the Napoleonic Wars. Stockwin's "Author's notes" about pressed seamen who became officer heroes hint that he will eventually make Kydd an admiral.

For that to happen, the callow wigmaker must grow mightily. And so may we expect his friend Renzi to do. And, perhaps, as the protagonists grow, so will the demonstration of literary skill by Stockwin. Let us hope so. Meantime I look forward to the next in the series.

Rating:
Summary: Cinema with a Binding
Review: Do fans of the sea saga really need another Patrick O'Brian? Perhaps not, but Julian Stockwin is much more than that. A better comparison would be to Bernard Cornwell. Enormously readable and with an unmatched wealth of detail, Artemis is a total escape to another age and place. The author knows tall ships, the sailor's life at sea, and also life ashore in the early 19th century. His mastery of the subject shows on almost every page. This book is a time machine that will transport you as effectively as the best cinema, it's that good. Highly recommended.

Rating:
Summary: Thank heavens this writer came along!
Review: For those who admire O'Brian, Stockwin's books may not appeal. For those who find O'Brian unnecessarily long-winded and overwhelmingly pretentious, give Stockwin's books a try (start with 'Kydd,' the first in the series). Stockwin has taken the unusual tack of starting his series with a non-sailor, a pressed man, and has introduced both him and the reader to late 18th century shipboard life. This isn't Hornblower or --thank God! -- Aubrey, Kydd is an altogether original character. We learn as he learns, we see storms, battles, maneuvers, all of it through his eyes and from his position on board a frigate. This is very different from seeing things only through the eyes of the captain, which is what is presented in most nautical fiction. Kydd will most likely rise in rank as the series progresses, but the reader gets to make that most enjoyable journey with him.

I note that other critics have taken issue with Stockwin's actual writing skill. I have no problem with the man's craft or talent. In fact I have yet to read a fictional account of rounding the Horn that was as descriptive, passionate, frightening and inspiring as Stockwin's account in 'Artemis.' I enjoyed this book a great deal, and regret only that I have to wait another year for book 3 in the series.

Rating:
Summary: Hoped for better
Review: Having enjoyed the first novel, Kydd, where a youngster learns square-rigged sailing from the bottom, I had hoped this might develop into a great new series. I feel this sequel is instead pitched at a young adult reader, for Kydd stays naive yet prescient. Stockwin writes of a voyage that covers a lot of territory and eventually goes around the world. What takes Patrick O'Brian 3 books to accomplish is done in one here, and only a few unexplained technical sailing terms show up. That will please readers looking more for action than ambiance or accuracy. The language is inconsistently hearty, antique, and salty. The story is necessarily episodic and superficial. It is also a tad pat and too easy for Kydd, who takes his first "step" (promotion) in the course of the voyage. While he is meant to be admirable it's a little hard to admire him because the psychology is simplistic, and he often runs out on people he is involved with. His friend Renzi, slumming among sailors as a penance, is far more principled. Stockwin includes an historical afterword, but it applies only to the very first episode in a long book, so perhaps we are to assume all the other incidents are fictional?

Rating:
Summary: One of the best sea series afloat
Review: I've read them all (Kent, Pope, Lambdin, O'Brian, Nelson, etc.) and this new series rates right up there with the best. Can't wait for the next installment.

Rating:
Summary: A strong story, but not as strong as "Kydd"
Review: Julian Stockwin continues the saga of Thomas Paine Kydd, a wigmaker pressed into naval duty. As befits a second novel, the author tries for something a little more grand and epic, and here lies the downfall. I still recommend it, but I cannot say that I felt the same powerful impact as the first story. I simply enjoyed hearing more about my favorite characters and meeting new ones.

Stockwin's first novel was written with very short chapters, each one a kind of short story with intense conflicts and climaxes. This novel has much longer chapters, so there are several plotlines and themes throughout each one. Some, like the deserting soldiers who become sailors under Kydd's tutalege, are brought up but never given closure. We never know what happens to these soldiers once they are accepted on board. This is just one of many instances where I had questions that were never answered.

I won't give away the ending, but I must say it was unsatisfying to the extreme.

I'm afraid I'd give away too much of the plot if I were to critique it further, so I'll end here. If you enjoyed the characters of Kydd and Renzi, then by all means keep up with them, but don't expect the power of the first book.

I hope by the third book the author will have learned his craft and can handle this new storytelling style, if he keeps at it, or goes back to his first style, which was remarkably well done. I almost gave this only 3 stars, but compared to most books, the details and drama still just barely warrant a 4.

Rating:
Summary: A fresh breeze in naval fiction!
Review: Julian Stockwin has taken a keen sense of naval history and combined it with the skills of a gifted storyteller to provide an engrossing story of pressed seaman Thomas Paine Kydd. Stockwin's ability to convey the life of the men who sailed before the mast on board a frigate is masterful, setting aside the caricatures often found in nautical fiction, filling out these sketches with thinking, feeling human beings. Tom and Kydd and his friend Nicholas Renzi, along with their shipmates, travel a perilous journey on board the frigate Artemis, from a chilling battle with a French frigate in the English Channel, through exotic India and China, to the Great South Sea. Once started, it was difficult to put the book down. The author's passion for the sea and the men who sailed between decks in Nelson's time is evident on every page, as is his understanding of seamanship and the skills of a sailor. Stockwin has created a character in Kydd, who will enchant nautical fiction readers for years to come. I look forward with great anticipation for Seaflower, the next tale in the Kydd saga.

Rating:
Summary: Somewhat disappointing
Review: Like many other reviewers here, I have read most of the historical naval fiction repetoire. I'm an avid fan of O'Brian's. I found this book, as well as its predecessor, "Kydd" to be a nice summer read, but ultimately unfulfilling.

I'm guessing that most of the people reading this genre would consider themselves sticklers for historical detail and accuracy. I found several things in Stockwin's writing that I don't believe to be particularly accurate. One such example is a reference to the use of a chronometer by one of the ship's officers. While Capt. Cook did in fact test early chronometers prior to the time-frame of these novels, they did not become standard issue aboard British warships until the mid to late nineteenth century. It's highly unlikely that there would have been one aboard in 1793. Another example of inaccuracy is the reference to the sailor's uniforms (striped shirts, trousers, and even deck shoes!) Again, uniforms for common sailors did not become standard issue until long after the Napoleonic wars were over.

While these things are small sticking points, I took greater offense at the lack of character development in the main protagonists. Kydd seems inconsistent to me. He is at once sensitive, boorish, macho, and moody. I felt that Renzi was Stockwin's (less successful) attempt at recreating O'Brian's enigmatic Stephen Maturin. I also felt that it stretches the limits of credibility that in the course of this one novel, so many events befall the the ship and crew. I suppose it's POSSIBLE, but is it likely?

In the end, I will probably read the next installment when it becomes available, in the hope that Stockwin's style, plot and characters improve with practice. I'm excited about the premise of a lowly deck-hand rising through the ranks of service to some as yet unknown future.

Rating:
Summary: Up there with the best
Review: Sensitive writing and deft plot handling continue the good work started in 'Kydd'. The pairing of down-to-earth Kydd with the intellectual Renzi reminds one of Aubrey and Maturin in the O'Brian series and the literary edge it gives to those books. On page 8 there is a neat piece of homage to Patrick O'Brian when, to Renzi's stunned amazement, the crew casually swig premier cru Haut Brion like it was common blackstrap.

After the humdrum life on 'Duke William', Kydd and his mates are transferred to the 32-gun frigate Artemis, where he immediately finds action in a bloody one-to-one battle with an adversary of similar size. On a high with excitement and adulation after the success, Kydd is brought sharply back to earth by his sister's news of their father's failing eyesight. Seeing his dreams crumbling around him, he returns home - gutted, and is slowly succumbing to apathy when Renzi appears, galvanizing him into action with a plan which promises to put all to rights.

Kydd is soon off to sea again on a secret mission, where a sensitively-written romantic interlude suddenly evolving into entrapment is handled by Kydd grasping it like a nettle. Renzi's reaction to this interlude leaves us wondering if his friendship with Kydd is all it seems on the surface, or are there suppressed desires beneath?
Kydd is roused from his introspection by promotion and an unexpected visit to the South Seas, where Renzi's sexuality is established, but his ideals of the 'noble savage' are dispelled in a horrific way. The voyage home is beset by problems, culminating in a real cliff-hanger - followed by a taster of the next book 'Seaflower', and, as we have come to expect in this genre, a historical note outlining the facts behind the fiction.
This is up there with the best. ****