IRONCLADS AND STEAM POWER IN A GREAT WORK OF NAUTICAL FICTION
Britannia’s Wolf by Antoine Vanner
Amazon.com Review 25th july 2013 by “Westsail”
“Britannia’s Wolf” is a finely crafted sea tale that rewards the reader on many levels. First of all, it is a rip-snorting story of derring-do that features likable characters in difficult circumstances faced with tough choices. In other words, the story grabs the reader and won’t let go. Second, I am a sailor, and insist on realism in sea stories. Here, Vanner excels. He explains how things work in an obsolete technology while still entertaining and getting the “shiver me timbers” parts right. Third, for those like me who are history buffs, Vanner’s main character creation, Nicholas Dawlish, rings true as a contemporary of the setting in which he is found. He is more progressive than most of the period (1877-1878), but he is not a touchy-feely emo dressed up in a cute outfit from days gone by. Rather, Dawlish is a real person, the product of his times, with the inner turmoil that results when matters of the heart conflict with social mores. Antoine Vanner has gotten me involved with his characters, the time in which they live, and the fascinating details of their daily lives. I anticipate with great pleasure further books in what will hopefully be the long tale of the Dawlish Chronicles.