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Book
Reviews
Pursuit
Of Honor
Review
by Deborah Lysaght
ak
D. A. De Lacy
Author of the Reprise Series
The great thing about Nathan Beauchamp is that he is so damnably
human.
The great thing about Jospeh O’Steen is that he is a
writer who understands not only the sea, but human nature itself.
The opening chapter of ‘Pursuit of Honor’ illustrates
all that a reader of this wonderful and underrated genre needs to
know before he or indeed she, goes any further.
Nathan ‘Nate’ Beauchamp is a decent young man and a
right seaman who can take success and loss in his stride,
honourable and most satisfyingly well loved by the people who know
him; this establishment of a man’s character (and indeed how
else are we to judge a gentleman?) is testament to Joseph
O’Steen’s relaxed, superbly readable and unpretentious style.
He has created a hero we can relate to and like at once, without
reservation.
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However
Mr O’Steen has a more roguish manner. He thinks nothing of
taking his readers by the throat, a move he executes with the
deft use of his atmospheric descriptions and believable
characters, and taking them like lambs to Mr Sarris’ yard to
be formally introduced to HMS Hawk, her beautifully crafted crew
and from there the sea without so much as a by your leave!
Resistance is futile; I defy you to put the book down by
the time you board the duckling that must become a swan.
What I enjoyed most about ‘Pursuit of Honor’ is
it’s complete readability and lack of overcomplication for the
sake of wordy cleverness. Instantly engrossing and packed full
of education without condescension I cannot recommend it highly
enough to either seasoned Age of Sail fans who will appreciate
his care, attention to detail and adrenaline fuelled ship on
ship action or indeed the freshly pressed, newly curious,
literary landsmen, who will find their sealegs with the greatest
of ease with Joseph O’Steen’s guiding hand on their tiller.
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This adventure story follows
Nathan’s further escapades as he seeks out the pirates with
intent to break their grip on the Caribbean. To his dismay, the
pirate chief he first captured was freed under exchange and is
again plying his trade against the British. Nathan finds his
ability tested to the fullest extent when he is called upon to
rescue the son of a wealthy British merchant who was kidnapped by
the pirates and must face down his old antagonist.
The author,
Joseph L. O’Steen, has crafted a book rich in setting that gives
enough detail about life on a British war ship to bring the reader
on board and sail him through realistic action.
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