Siege: Donland And The Hornet

by Perry Comer

The year is 1779, the Colonials with the aid of French Admiral D’estang are rumored to be plotting to re-take Savannah. Donland is tasked to ferret out information concerning French intentions. He will do so without his trusted first lieutenant and friend who is near death and the doctor holds out little hope. Unknown to Donland, as he is about the discovery the French fleet, is Sumerford's scheme to settle an old score with a traitor on the Island of Jamaica. Chased by the French frigate Concorde and wounded Hornet must fend off the Frenchman and arrive in Savannah before the French fleet without sinking. Hornet, without her guns lies a derelict on the riverbank while the city is surrounded. Donland and his mates outnumbered by French and Colonials are thrown into the desperate fight to save the city.

126 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 30, 2017

Reviews

[Steven Toby · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wasn't impressed by this book. It was fairly fast moving and the plot seems consistent with the history but the text shows evidence of hasty or careless editing -- I highlighted one of the misused words -- and also, the naval maneuvers were not authentic either in terminology or in the ship's reactions to wind and waves (although not incorrect in every sequence). The vessel, Hornet, is a "sloop", which could be a brig, ship, or schooner in this period, yet except that she's square rigged, you can't really tell much about her from the text. The damage she receives in the Caribbean does not seem to be repaired correctly -- banging in caulking from inside is useless against the hydrostatic pressure from without, and also the shaping of the seams is intended to take caulking only from the exterior. No one suggests fothering her with a spare sail, which would be the correct, seamanlike response. Also, 2 feet of water in the pump wells doesn't seem like an amount sufficient to cause as much alarm as the crew displays.


So, not a sufficient dose of naval action to satisfy Hornblower or Aubrey/Maturin fans. There are better examples of the genre out there. Too bad, because the author went to the trouble of finding an operation from the Revolutionary War that is not so well known, and the locations seem correctly portrayed.

[Christopher Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the most tense and dramatic of the series so far, even more so than the first book in which the tiny Hornet has to ride out a hurricane and escape a frigate.

The Hornet, still shipping about the spy Summerford, discovers that the French are looking at taking over Savannah, Georgia during the US Revolutionary War. This warning is not taken seriously by the powers that be, and Hornet is sent to gather more proof. Meanwhile the Frigate Concorde is shadowing the Hornet as a constant menace.

Damaged heavily and barely afloat, Hornet joins the defense of Savannah against overwhelming forces of combined Colonial and French and there is some question whether the ship will even be repaired before the inevitable French victory. ITs tense, tough, and bleak, but the Hornets and especially Captain Donland are courageous and keep their morale up whatever they face.

[DonLallier · Rating 5 out of 5]

A excellent sea story, with lots of action.

I have read some other books by Perry Comes and have found him to be a excellent author.He definitely is able to keep your attention as he describes a naval seen.I enjoyed this book and look forward to the next story.

[Chaplain Stanley Chapin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fairly tame story

I. enjoy sailing ship adventures and naval action, there was very little in this novel.There also was almost no intrigue or intensity.

[ssimonds · Rating 1 out of 5]

This series is in dire need of an editor

If I paid for this series is he quite angry about the chronic grammatical and spelling errors and ask for a refund