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usbsticky's review against another edition
1.0
I dnf'd this one in disgust and that's it for me for the series. Somehow Kent decided that readers of naval historical fiction would also love historical romance. I don't. I can tolerate it but not badly written ones such as what Kent has done.
Spoilers below:
I enjoyed the early books in the series but then Kent decided to make romance a major subplot. Even worse, he drew almost all the major supporting characters into romance plots as well. All the romance subplots feel poorly written, feel manufactured and lack chemistry. All the female characters are lovely and beautiful and we are all supposed to sympathize with them. I don't.
This is where I drew the line: Adam Bolitho (the nephew) goes into an inn where two civilians are gossiping about either his uncle or him (both are in affairs). Adam throws a mug of poopy water in the face of one of them and challenges him to a duel to kill him. We are supposed to feel for Adam but where in the world is it ok to assault and try to kill someone for gossiping? And Adam is a adulterer, of a captain that he admires.
OK, I mean if that's part of the plot, then that's part of the plot but Kent has the gall to think that readers would actually be on the side of the Bolithos. Fact is, the cringy hero worship, or more factually, the poorly written hero worship has turned me against the writing of this series. CS Forester is ten times the writer Kent is. I'm surprised I made it this far in the series. Kent should have stuck to what he did best: write naval historical fiction about sailing and fighting. Don't try to manufacture drama and don't try to make these books more than what they are. And leave the cheesy romance to Barbara Cartland.
Spoilers below:
I enjoyed the early books in the series but then Kent decided to make romance a major subplot. Even worse, he drew almost all the major supporting characters into romance plots as well. All the romance subplots feel poorly written, feel manufactured and lack chemistry. All the female characters are lovely and beautiful and we are all supposed to sympathize with them. I don't.
This is where I drew the line: Adam Bolitho (the nephew) goes into an inn where two civilians are gossiping about either his uncle or him (both are in affairs). Adam throws a mug of poopy water in the face of one of them and challenges him to a duel to kill him. We are supposed to feel for Adam but where in the world is it ok to assault and try to kill someone for gossiping? And Adam is a adulterer, of a captain that he admires.
OK, I mean if that's part of the plot, then that's part of the plot but Kent has the gall to think that readers would actually be on the side of the Bolithos. Fact is, the cringy hero worship, or more factually, the poorly written hero worship has turned me against the writing of this series. CS Forester is ten times the writer Kent is. I'm surprised I made it this far in the series. Kent should have stuck to what he did best: write naval historical fiction about sailing and fighting. Don't try to manufacture drama and don't try to make these books more than what they are. And leave the cheesy romance to Barbara Cartland.
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