Cindy Vallar's Blog - Posts Tagged "alexander-clay-series"

The Distant Ocean by Philip K. Allan

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Three French ships plague British merchantmen in the Indian Ocean, and the mounting losses necessitate the departure of Captain Alexander Clay from his wife. Their parting is bittersweet; his orders come just as he learns of his impending fatherhood, and he may be gone a long time. Duty, however, takes precedence, and he joins Commodore Sir George Montague’s squadron. In addition to their two warships, which are tasked with ending the French depredations, are two sloops. One is commanded by his closest friend, John Sutton, and the other, by their nemesis, Nicholas Windham.

Windham has never accepted the story of how his uncle died, and he craves justice. “Dismal George” – better known for his penchant for his ship’s appearance than his fighting capabilities – overlooks some of Windham’s disgruntlement, but cannot abide dissension among his officers. He fears that Windham’s idée fixe will cause injury to his own career and orders his friend’s nephew to set aside the need to make Sutton pay and reconcile.

On their way to their destination, Clay escorts several Guineamen to the Gold Coast, while Dismal George and the sloops accompany another convoy to Gibraltar. Floating corpses off Africa introduce Clay and his men to one of the horrific realities of slavery, and when the truth of what occurred is discovered, Clay sets in motion a scheme to thwart the French privateer responsible for the deaths. Coxswain Able Sedgwick plays a key role in the plan, for he grew up on these shores, but the outcome has unforeseen and deadly consequences.

The initial blockade of Reunion Island, a French stronghold in the Indian Ocean, fails to lure the enemy warships from their safe haven. Clay and Sutton have words over the latter’s intentions toward Clay’s sister, causing a rift between the friends. Then Wyndham puts forth a new plan to deal with the French that Sutton supports. Their two sloops will ferret out the weakest of the three enemy vessels and launch a two-pronged attack. During the hunt, Dismal George will escort a convoy to Bombay while Clay accompanies another ship – one already attacked by the French – to Cape Town. Wyndham’s gambit has definite merit, but his motivation differs from Sutton’s, much to his chagrin.

Distant Ocean, the fifth book in the Alexander Clay series, is an incisive and accurate depiction of life in the Georgian navy. Allan incorporates a humorous portrayal of a Crossing the Line ceremony, a poignant farewell to men lost, and a harrowing escape at sea into this beguiling tale of friendship, guilt, obsession, retribution, and determination.




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The Turn of the Tide by Philip K. Allan

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Three distinctive episodes open this sixth book in the Alexander Clay series. A one-eyed Scotsman named Major Fraser eludes French gendarmes with the help of a French royalist. Able Sedgwick attends an abolitionist meeting to speak about his experiences as a slave, but hecklers disrupt the gathering and when things turn ugly, Able’s mates come from a nearby tavern to even the score. Captain Clay gives away the bride, his sister, to his best friend and fellow officer at their wedding. Soon after, Alexander is summoned to London for a special meeting with the First Lord of the Admiralty.

The summons means an end to the brief sojourn at home and a start of a new mission. Although Clay’s frigate, the Titan, is to join the Channel Fleet blockading the French coast, the First Lord has a detached assignment for him and it involves Major Fraser. For some time, he’s been working with the Choannerie, French royalists based in Brittany who are determined to upend the revolutionary government. The British government is amenable to assisting them, but before becoming too involved, Clay must land Fraser and several marines, along with a sufficient number of rifles, in enemy territory. Clay decides to send his own trusted marine, Lieutenant Thomas Macpherson, with Fraser to be his eyes and ears.

The initial ambush that the Choannerie plan goes off without a hitch, and that success convinces the First Lord that one additional show of resistance is necessary, but it must involve a much larger and more secure target. Major Fraser has such a place in mind and while he works ashore in France, Clay and the Titans practice for their part in the attack. He has reservations, but places his trust in Fraser. Tom acquires tidbits of knowledge that alone are insignificant, but when put together leave him quite unsettled. While belowdecks, a new recruit who claims to have psychic powers causes a ripple of discord that disrupts the happy ship.

This episode in Alexander Clay’s adventures takes place both at sea and on land. Aside from showing life at sea from the perspectives of the ratings and the officers, Allan weaves interesting subplots throughout the tale. One of these is an annoying and elusive French privateer; another is a cleverly perpetrated hoax to teach a lesson. The climax is stunning, riveting, and awesomely unveils the treachery behind a finely honed plan of vengeance. Fans of the series will find this book as good as or better than previous titles; newcomers will quickly become fans eager to discover what happens to Clay and his Titans.




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In Northern Seas by Philip K. Allan

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Napoleon is frustrated. He conquers all in his path except one particular thorn; the British navy thwarts him no matter how he attempts to invade England. One of his ministers suggests an alternative method. Rather than mount a direct attack, France will strike where the English are most vulnerable – the canvas, hemp, and tar that their warships need. If French agents can persuade the Baltic countries to cease selling these supplies to the English, diplomacy and misinformation will prove a far better weapon to achieving his dream.

The loss of a ship, regardless of whether he did all that he could or not, necessitates a court martial. Captain Alexander Clay stands so accused. What puzzles him more than the outcome is the civilian with the silver-topped cane who attends the proceedings. Glances between that gentleman and the presiding admiral, followed by gentle persuading that a question asked need not be answered strikes Clay as odd. When the same gentleman appears unannounced at his home and wonders whether he might be interested in a new frigate, Clay is further nonplused. The answer, of course, is yes; after all, he is a captain in the Royal Navy and the country is at war with France.

The gentleman with the cane proves to be Nicholas Vansittart, a lawyer and influential member of Parliament. He is also a diplomat who requires Clay’s assistance in his current mission – to stop French interference in the Baltic trade. He admires Clay’s ability to get the job done, oftentimes using unexpected methods, and the manner in which he has advanced through the ranks on his own merit. With Clay at the helm of a fast ship, HMS Griffin, the hope is that together they can resolve the current difficulties through diplomacy. If not, Clay will already be on station to assist Sir Hyde Parker, Lord Horatio Nelson, and the Baltic Fleet in demonstrating just how far the British will go to protect their supply chain against Mad Tsar Paul’s League of Armed Neutrality.

Like a ship navigates the swells and troughs of the sea, this seventh book in the Alexander Clay series keeps readers traversing wave after wave of action and adventure. Whether in Paris, London, Copenhagen, or St. Petersburg, intrigue abounds. Clay and much of his old crew, as well as a few new ones, find themselves in the thick of things. One new character, Vansittart’s valet, has ties to two of them, neither of whom are particularly pleased to renew his acquaintance. To further spice up this nautical tale, Allan interweaves humor, romance, bigotry, assassination, murder, and theft with coming to terms with a disability, narrow escapes, and an enemy ship stalking the Griffin. The denouement is a riveting account of the action during April 1801’s Battle of Copenhagen. It is rife with closer-quarter fighting, ships of the line, and Nelson’s famous turning of a blind eye. Readers will find themselves sitting on the edge of their seats, holding their breath as the story carries them back in time to revisit old friends and experience unexpected hazards.




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Clay and the Immortal Memory by Philip K. Allan

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Invasion. This single word sums up Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte’s most ardent wish: to claim England as his own. But the British Royal Navy blockades France’s ports and while he has enough barges to carry his troops across the Channel, he lacks enough ships of the line to go up against this irritating foe. During 1804, his shipwrights build new ships as fast as they can. He has also reached a secret accord with Spain that will soon allow him to sufficiently increase his naval forces. What he does not have and what he has no control over are two elements that his admirals deem essential: calm waters and no enemy ships. He is certain, however, that 1805 will resolve these issues and he will have the victory he desires.

Francois Brissot is excited to join the crew of the 74-gun Redoubtable at Toulon. He only hopes she will not be relegated to sitting in the harbor as happened to his previous ship because of the British blockade. Once aboard, he finds that many of the men are new to the sea, but he has a way of leading and training them that strikes a jealous chord with the first lieutenant, Camille Dupotet. The rivalry deepens after Redoubtable fails to elude the British patrol blockading the harbor and Francois is the only officer to suggest a creative way that might give them the edge the next time they confront the enemy.

Successfully preventing the French from capturing a convoy from China provides Captain Alexander Clay and his men the opportunity to return to England. Monsoon winds are less accommodating, requiring him to venture close to the French base in the Indian Ocean. As a result, the Griffin is doggedly pursued by three enemy ships; an ingenious ruse allows him to escape unnoticed. Once they are in the Atlantic, they happen upon a French fleet and Clay faces a dilemma: pursue this fleet or head to the nearest British base to report the enemy’s whereabouts.

A bit closer attention to copyediting would have corrected some misspellings, but these are not sufficient to disturb the reader’s enjoyment of this tenth adventure in the Alexander Clay series. My one complaint is that the French characters speak more like their English counterparts than as Frenchmen. This tends to weaken the feel of the French world they inhabit.

Allan does a commendable job portraying both the tedium of daily ship life and the intensity of those occasional bouts of nail-biting action. He deftly weaves humor or anguish into his scenes. One example of the former occurs when one of Sean O’Malley’s schemes backfires. One example of the latter takes place aboard Victory at the Battle of Trafalgar.

Clay and the Immortal Memory is a tale of Napoleon’s successful maneuverings to strike a devastating blow against the British that eventually culminates in the Battle of Trafalgar. Readers get to view these events from both perspectives. The focus, however, is on the aftermath of the clash, which proves just as riveting as the battle. Fans of this series will enjoy this latest adventure.


This review originally appeared at Pirates and Privateers (http://www.cindyvallar.com/Allan.html...)




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