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Thomas Kydd #2
Artemis
With Kydd, Julian Stockwin introduced us to a young wig-maker from Guildford who was kidnapped and pressed into duty with the tempestuous crew of the Duke William battle ship. Now, Thomas Paine Kydd is back -- with a vengeance -- in the latest installment of Stockwin's thrilling naval adventure series.
Artemis is the eighteenth-century crack frigate that Kydd and sea-mate Nicholas Renzi are set to sail all the way to the fabled Far East. In this great age of fighting sailing ships, Kydd's voyage promises to be a perilous undertaking. But not even shipwreck, mutiny, or a confrontation with a mighty French frigate manages to thwart Artemis and her crew. It's only when Kydd receives an urgent message from home -- one that threatens to cut short his career and trap him on shore forever -- that Artemis's real journey begins.
Filled with mesmerizing suspense and vivid details of Napoleonic-era seafaring, Artemis is classic, page-turning storytelling at its best.
352 pages, Paperback
First published April 4, 2002
169 people are currently reading
532 people want to read
About the author
Julian Stockwin
53 books342 followersJulian Stockwin was sent at the age of fourteen to Indefatigable, a tough sea-training school. He joined the Royal Navy at fifteen. He now lives in Devon with his wife Kathy. Julian has written 24 books to date in the Kydd series of historical adventure fiction, the story of one man's journey from pressed man to admiral in the age of fighting sail, and a non-fiction book, 'Stockwin's Maritime Miscellany.' His latest Kydd series title is THUNDERER. And, he's also published two historical standalone novels, THE SILK TREE, set in the time of Emperor Justinian and THE POWDER OF DEATH, about the quest for the secret of gunpowder.
Series:
* Thomas Kydd
Series:
* Thomas Kydd
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
January 19, 2022
Read this book in 2005, and its the 2nd volume of the amazing "Thomas Kydd" series.
This series has a real authentic feel what language and actions are concerned at sea and on land, and so at times it can be hard to follow it is still a marvel to read and enjoy this original series.
Our main protagonist, after leaving the old ship-of-the-line "Royal William", has now found a berth in a crack frigate, the HMS Artemis.
This HMS Artemis and its crew is coming into the harbour of Portsmouth after a decisive victory over the French, when out Jack Tar, Thomas Kydd, is called home to Guildford on a family matter.
After handling affairs in Guildford to the best of his abilities, he will set sail again in his beloved HMS Artemis, a voyage that will take him to the fabled East.
Over there in the East he will have to face fierce challenges, physical and personal, and on the return trip home he will encounter the fearsome cruel waters of the Great Southern Ocean.
What is to follow is another tremendous addition to this amazing naval series, and that's why I like to call this episode: "A Superb Thomas Kydd Sequel"!
This series has a real authentic feel what language and actions are concerned at sea and on land, and so at times it can be hard to follow it is still a marvel to read and enjoy this original series.
Our main protagonist, after leaving the old ship-of-the-line "Royal William", has now found a berth in a crack frigate, the HMS Artemis.
This HMS Artemis and its crew is coming into the harbour of Portsmouth after a decisive victory over the French, when out Jack Tar, Thomas Kydd, is called home to Guildford on a family matter.
After handling affairs in Guildford to the best of his abilities, he will set sail again in his beloved HMS Artemis, a voyage that will take him to the fabled East.
Over there in the East he will have to face fierce challenges, physical and personal, and on the return trip home he will encounter the fearsome cruel waters of the Great Southern Ocean.
What is to follow is another tremendous addition to this amazing naval series, and that's why I like to call this episode: "A Superb Thomas Kydd Sequel"!
December 9, 2014
I am a big fan of historical “age of Sail” naval genre particularly those set during the Napoleonic era. I enjoyed the first book in this series “Kydd” so I have ventured on to book two in the series. The time frame of the book is 1793.
Thomas Kydd and his friend Nicolas Renzi is now Able Seaman aboard the frigate HMS Artemis. After a battle against the French frigate Citoyenne which includes hand to hand combat the Artemis barely wins the battle. Our heroes are promoted to Petty Officers. Kydd sister arrived in port to tell him their father is gravely ill. Kydd obtain permission for leave to visit his father before the Artemis sails for India and China.
Stockwin paints a full vivid picture of naval life with lots of attention to detail. It is obvious there is lots of knowledge and research behind this book, as well as knowledge about Royal Navy life of that era. Stockwin is a good writer and drives the story forward at a good clip. The characters are original and interesting. The book is entertaining and educational. I can recommend this book to anyone interested in nautical historical fiction. I read this as an audio book downloaded from Audible. Christian Rodska narrated the book.
Thomas Kydd and his friend Nicolas Renzi is now Able Seaman aboard the frigate HMS Artemis. After a battle against the French frigate Citoyenne which includes hand to hand combat the Artemis barely wins the battle. Our heroes are promoted to Petty Officers. Kydd sister arrived in port to tell him their father is gravely ill. Kydd obtain permission for leave to visit his father before the Artemis sails for India and China.
Stockwin paints a full vivid picture of naval life with lots of attention to detail. It is obvious there is lots of knowledge and research behind this book, as well as knowledge about Royal Navy life of that era. Stockwin is a good writer and drives the story forward at a good clip. The characters are original and interesting. The book is entertaining and educational. I can recommend this book to anyone interested in nautical historical fiction. I read this as an audio book downloaded from Audible. Christian Rodska narrated the book.
December 14, 2018
very enjoyable and surprisingly detailed about nautical matters
January 21, 2021
Julian Stockwin is another writer working in a genre which never seems to lose its popularity. I see that since this book, the second in a series, he has published twenty one more. He seems to have built up a huge fan base. So how doe he compare to the recognised writers in this field?
I can say that C S Forester is still the pre-eminent writer of this type of fiction. Kydd may be a resourceful person, but he never engages the reader as Hornblower does. While Stockwin avoids formulaic writing, such as we found in the novels of Alexander Kent and Dudley Pope, I feel he is not in the same class of writer as Patrick O'Brien.
I was looking for a thriller, a story with a unity of action which builds to a climax and which Alexander Kent does every time. There is some exciting storytelling here. but the story is a series of connected episodes as the characters deal with a range of challenges in a circumnavigation of the world, with rounding Cape Horn being just one challenge of many.
When Kydd was on land, such as during his return to wig-making in Guildford, or dallying with Sarah Bullivant in Macao, I became dissatisfied. This is not about seafaring in the late eighteenth century. While these episodes could be excised without harming the narrative, the rest of the novel does reward the reader's persistence.
Where Stockwin excels, is his knowledge of how an old sailing ship functions, of how the ship needs to be maintained to ensure it can cope with storms in the Roaring Forties. "The hog's lard was giving out, and on the foreshroud deadeyes he was having to work with a nauseating mixture of fat and rancid butter. It was essential activity, for any slackness in the rigging would result in the destruction of a spar as it worked to and fro."
As I said, he can write exciting narrative, such as when the Spanish pilot looks to be trying to run the Artemis aground, or when the observatory party are attacked by a Polynesian war party. These are short, however and you have to read a lot of other material before you reach this point.
I didn't like his dialogue where he tries to suggest working class and regional dialects, although he does capture the style of the upper class officers. Sociolinguistics is another field of expertise.
I said Stockwin seems to be very familiar with the period but I thought the idea that a pressed seaman could apply and be granted a discharge to return to the bosom of his family was unlikely. I had assumed pressed seamen were deprived of rights such as compassionate leave.
I was puzzled about how the fever appeared on an ocean going ship until I noticed the ship had made landfall in Brazil to collect fresh water. The parasitic insects or the water itself could have been the source of the disease. The only problem remains as to how the surgeon, having lost his reason, had continued to find food and water to sustain himself locked in his cabin.
These are but small points. Clearly, Stockwin has a faithful and enthusiastic readership who do not baulk at these details.
I can say that C S Forester is still the pre-eminent writer of this type of fiction. Kydd may be a resourceful person, but he never engages the reader as Hornblower does. While Stockwin avoids formulaic writing, such as we found in the novels of Alexander Kent and Dudley Pope, I feel he is not in the same class of writer as Patrick O'Brien.
I was looking for a thriller, a story with a unity of action which builds to a climax and which Alexander Kent does every time. There is some exciting storytelling here. but the story is a series of connected episodes as the characters deal with a range of challenges in a circumnavigation of the world, with rounding Cape Horn being just one challenge of many.
When Kydd was on land, such as during his return to wig-making in Guildford, or dallying with Sarah Bullivant in Macao, I became dissatisfied. This is not about seafaring in the late eighteenth century. While these episodes could be excised without harming the narrative, the rest of the novel does reward the reader's persistence.
Where Stockwin excels, is his knowledge of how an old sailing ship functions, of how the ship needs to be maintained to ensure it can cope with storms in the Roaring Forties. "The hog's lard was giving out, and on the foreshroud deadeyes he was having to work with a nauseating mixture of fat and rancid butter. It was essential activity, for any slackness in the rigging would result in the destruction of a spar as it worked to and fro."
As I said, he can write exciting narrative, such as when the Spanish pilot looks to be trying to run the Artemis aground, or when the observatory party are attacked by a Polynesian war party. These are short, however and you have to read a lot of other material before you reach this point.
I didn't like his dialogue where he tries to suggest working class and regional dialects, although he does capture the style of the upper class officers. Sociolinguistics is another field of expertise.
I said Stockwin seems to be very familiar with the period but I thought the idea that a pressed seaman could apply and be granted a discharge to return to the bosom of his family was unlikely. I had assumed pressed seamen were deprived of rights such as compassionate leave.
I was puzzled about how the fever appeared on an ocean going ship until I noticed the ship had made landfall in Brazil to collect fresh water. The parasitic insects or the water itself could have been the source of the disease. The only problem remains as to how the surgeon, having lost his reason, had continued to find food and water to sustain himself locked in his cabin.
These are but small points. Clearly, Stockwin has a faithful and enthusiastic readership who do not baulk at these details.
September 6, 2022
Thomas Kydd and his pal Nicholas Renzi join a frigate crew for a journey to the Far East and adventures around the world. Kydd escapes cannibals, being shipwrecked, and almost getting ensnared into marriage during this perilous voyage. One exciting incident follows another along with authentic setting details that will make you smell the sea air and feel the rocking of the ship. If you like adventure on the high seas and the era of mighty sailing ships, you’ll enjoy this series.
July 2, 2021
I've been reading this series out of order and this is my 6th or 7th book. I've really come to appreciate this series. Hornblower has been my gold standard for 45 years and I've never found a series that could hold a candle to it. This series is similar broadly in that it's also historical fiction but also different.
First of all, in retrospect HH is more concise, it adheres to the central story closer. CSF is a more experienced and skilled writer. His character studies are unparalleled in any type of book I've read. His books have layers that I've come to appreciate and realize in the 20-30 times I read and reread each of his books.
The Kydd books are broader, cover more and less. He goes into the details of the running of naval ships a lot more. I learn more about ratings, outfitting of ships, etc. There are also more side stories. At the beginning I felt they were a nuisance as they took away from the main story but now I've come to appreciate them. Whereas CSF concentrated on HH only, Stockwin writes a good deal about Renzi as well.
Spoilers all below:
In this book, the breadth is a lot bigger than the average HH book, there are trips into Macao, Hong Kong, the Polynesian islands. The books just seem a lot longer (I haven't actually compared the number of pages). And even side characters get more book time.
Summary:
The book starts off with Kydd and his pals being transferred into a frigate for mutiny where the captain decides not to punish them. Thankfully the new captain is a competent and just man. The shipmates are all fairly nice fellows and even the officers turn out to be not bad. I like this a lot as I do not like coming in contact with nasty people, even in books. Or especially in books since it's an escape for me.
The next big event is Artemis' meeting and battle with the French frigate Citoyenne which they beat into submission. It makes the Artemis and crew famous and Kydd is able to leave. He decides to go home and help out his family which is suffering because his father is going blind and the wig business is going downhill in general.
The downside is that Kydd has discovered a love for the sea and he really wants to be a sailor on a naval ship, it's his destiny! Renzi has gone home with him and after a chance meeting with a retired seaman, comes up with an idea. They decide to set up a school that is run on naval discipline. It succeeds and they are able to leave and get back to the Artemis just in time.
Their next stop is India but it's a short one. There's a small side story where Kydd saves 2 deserting English soldiers and brings them into the crew but nothing further is heard of them. Next, they have to bring an English diplomat to Canton for a trade mission and they step foot briefly there and enjoy the trip up river and a short stay in the city. The pass Hong Kong (spelled Heung Kong here) and stay in Macau for awhile.
The stay in Macau is longer. Renzi meets a fellow scholar (Portuguese priest) and Kydd meets his first(?) love. She is a British governess for a rich Chinese merchant. Kydd is carried away by his feelings (emotional and sexual) and they have sexual relations. As his leave ends the girl begs him to stay as he has ruined her. But in the end the attraction for the sea is too strong and he feels that he won't be a good husband for her.
They next make a stop in Manila where a British scientist and his team are marooned by damage to their brig. He has an Admiralty letter that enables him to commandeer Artemis to help him with his technical work, which is to go to the opposite side of the globe to Greenwich and make geographical and time observations.
They make landfall on a Polynesian island and set up camp. Artemis is also able to find a spot to careen her bottom and generally fix up the ship. There are natives living close by and they save an American sailor who has been captured by the natives when his ship got wrecked. He serves as translator and savior when the natives decide to attack the ship. Apparently he gets on the ship but we never hear from him again. At this point of writing I realize that Stockwin has populated his book with so many people that some of them are just forgotten or never written about again. Anyway, the sailors get plenty of rest and fresh food and also sex with the native women. Renzi decides to stay forever with a native woman but Kydd finds him as the natives attack, hit him on the head and drag him back to the ship at the last moment.
At some point Kydd and Renzi are both promoted to petty officers (quartermaster's mate in Kydd's case) due to crew dying and spots opening. The ship goes eastward to complete a trip around the globe and go south via the Cape Horn. There is a big storm and many sailors are lost. Eventually Kydd is promoted to acting quartermaster.
They sail up the east coast of S. America and they land for a rest but pick up some kind of disease, which spreads among the crew. It's dire straits for the ship as many of the crew start dying. But the wind is good and they travel back quickly. The captain dies and the ineffective 1st lieutenant Fairfax takes over. Without the strong personality of Captain Powlett to control tempers the ongoing bad blood between the gentile 3rd Lieutenant Rowley and the plebian 2nd Lieutenant Parry escalates. This comes to a head during a storm when they reach the coast of the Azores. There are conflicting orders and due to the bad sailsmanship of Rowley they are dashed on the rocks and the Artemis is lost. The book ends abruptly here.
As you can see, a lot happens in the book. As I'm reading the series all at once, it's hard to keep track of all the events. Happily the writing is easy to read and follow and I turn the pages eagerly from start to finish. I highly recommend this series!
First of all, in retrospect HH is more concise, it adheres to the central story closer. CSF is a more experienced and skilled writer. His character studies are unparalleled in any type of book I've read. His books have layers that I've come to appreciate and realize in the 20-30 times I read and reread each of his books.
The Kydd books are broader, cover more and less. He goes into the details of the running of naval ships a lot more. I learn more about ratings, outfitting of ships, etc. There are also more side stories. At the beginning I felt they were a nuisance as they took away from the main story but now I've come to appreciate them. Whereas CSF concentrated on HH only, Stockwin writes a good deal about Renzi as well.
Spoilers all below:
In this book, the breadth is a lot bigger than the average HH book, there are trips into Macao, Hong Kong, the Polynesian islands. The books just seem a lot longer (I haven't actually compared the number of pages). And even side characters get more book time.
Summary:
The book starts off with Kydd and his pals being transferred into a frigate for mutiny where the captain decides not to punish them. Thankfully the new captain is a competent and just man. The shipmates are all fairly nice fellows and even the officers turn out to be not bad. I like this a lot as I do not like coming in contact with nasty people, even in books. Or especially in books since it's an escape for me.
The next big event is Artemis' meeting and battle with the French frigate Citoyenne which they beat into submission. It makes the Artemis and crew famous and Kydd is able to leave. He decides to go home and help out his family which is suffering because his father is going blind and the wig business is going downhill in general.
The downside is that Kydd has discovered a love for the sea and he really wants to be a sailor on a naval ship, it's his destiny! Renzi has gone home with him and after a chance meeting with a retired seaman, comes up with an idea. They decide to set up a school that is run on naval discipline. It succeeds and they are able to leave and get back to the Artemis just in time.
Their next stop is India but it's a short one. There's a small side story where Kydd saves 2 deserting English soldiers and brings them into the crew but nothing further is heard of them. Next, they have to bring an English diplomat to Canton for a trade mission and they step foot briefly there and enjoy the trip up river and a short stay in the city. The pass Hong Kong (spelled Heung Kong here) and stay in Macau for awhile.
The stay in Macau is longer. Renzi meets a fellow scholar (Portuguese priest) and Kydd meets his first(?) love. She is a British governess for a rich Chinese merchant. Kydd is carried away by his feelings (emotional and sexual) and they have sexual relations. As his leave ends the girl begs him to stay as he has ruined her. But in the end the attraction for the sea is too strong and he feels that he won't be a good husband for her.
They next make a stop in Manila where a British scientist and his team are marooned by damage to their brig. He has an Admiralty letter that enables him to commandeer Artemis to help him with his technical work, which is to go to the opposite side of the globe to Greenwich and make geographical and time observations.
They make landfall on a Polynesian island and set up camp. Artemis is also able to find a spot to careen her bottom and generally fix up the ship. There are natives living close by and they save an American sailor who has been captured by the natives when his ship got wrecked. He serves as translator and savior when the natives decide to attack the ship. Apparently he gets on the ship but we never hear from him again. At this point of writing I realize that Stockwin has populated his book with so many people that some of them are just forgotten or never written about again. Anyway, the sailors get plenty of rest and fresh food and also sex with the native women. Renzi decides to stay forever with a native woman but Kydd finds him as the natives attack, hit him on the head and drag him back to the ship at the last moment.
At some point Kydd and Renzi are both promoted to petty officers (quartermaster's mate in Kydd's case) due to crew dying and spots opening. The ship goes eastward to complete a trip around the globe and go south via the Cape Horn. There is a big storm and many sailors are lost. Eventually Kydd is promoted to acting quartermaster.
They sail up the east coast of S. America and they land for a rest but pick up some kind of disease, which spreads among the crew. It's dire straits for the ship as many of the crew start dying. But the wind is good and they travel back quickly. The captain dies and the ineffective 1st lieutenant Fairfax takes over. Without the strong personality of Captain Powlett to control tempers the ongoing bad blood between the gentile 3rd Lieutenant Rowley and the plebian 2nd Lieutenant Parry escalates. This comes to a head during a storm when they reach the coast of the Azores. There are conflicting orders and due to the bad sailsmanship of Rowley they are dashed on the rocks and the Artemis is lost. The book ends abruptly here.
As you can see, a lot happens in the book. As I'm reading the series all at once, it's hard to keep track of all the events. Happily the writing is easy to read and follow and I turn the pages eagerly from start to finish. I highly recommend this series!
August 5, 2019
I do like these kinds of adventures, yet after finishing the first two in this series I'm not tempted to go on with more of them. The plots were similar to others I have read in this genre. I would say if you like a seafaring adventure this series might be of interest to you.
May 5, 2012
The second book in a long running series this title has made many improvements on the debut title issues, the characters have grown, and gone is the innocence to the plot a new origionality pervades the whole story and leaves the reader with a shanty lilt to their speech and a roll to their gait.
Having read the rest of the series and read the rest of the reviews i can tell others that Julian did learn and progress the characters even further, and when that was coupled with his obvious passion for the sea and all things nautical, you end up with a series that does rank up there with Forrester and O'Brian, every year i look forward to my new instalment of Kydd...but to get there you have to start at the beginning.
Well recommended
(Parm)
Having read the rest of the series and read the rest of the reviews i can tell others that Julian did learn and progress the characters even further, and when that was coupled with his obvious passion for the sea and all things nautical, you end up with a series that does rank up there with Forrester and O'Brian, every year i look forward to my new instalment of Kydd...but to get there you have to start at the beginning.
Well recommended
(Parm)
July 6, 2016
Onto the next in the series Seaflower
. Fun tales, if you are into "iron men and wooden ships."
. Fun tales, if you are into "iron men and wooden ships."
November 20, 2022
Six months have passed since Thomas Kydd was pressed into the Royal Navy. He has risen through skill and courage to become an able seaman. His mess mates have helped him through thick and thin: Renzi (his educated and logical friend), Stirk (a tough gun captain), Doud (an easygoing topman), Doggo (a wild but ugly able seaman), Pinto (a well-groomed yet deadly Iberian), and Wong (an enigmatic circus strongman). Together, they embark on Artemis, a frigate captained by Black Jack Powlett, in this second in the Thomas Kydd Sea Adventures.
After a harrowing sea battle – replete with broadsides and hand-to-hand combat – with the French Citoyenne, Artemis returns victorious, but wounded, to England where Kydd meets the king and reunites with his sister. Cecila’s news of home is not good; their father’s eyesight is failing and Kydd must take over the wig shop to support the family. He thought he had finally found his path in life; now, he must give up his love for the sea. It seems a harsh sentence, one that will be akin to life in prison, but Renzi is certain they will find a solution. The question is whether they will do so before Artemis sails after repairs are made.
Between Renzi and Cecila, a remedy is found in the nick of time. When their frigate weighs anchor in August 1793, Kydd and his mates find themselves bound for India. Speed is essential, but only the captain knows why. During the voyage, they endure storms at sea, lightning strikes, a crossing-the-line ceremony, monsoons, and encounter Army deserters, a pirate execution, and a woman who drives a wedge between Kydd and Renzi.
India turns out to be only their first destination. From there they sail to China and the Philippines. Their stop in the latter is fraught with peril, since no one knows whether Spain has joined the war as a French ally yet. Kydd and Renzi are both promoted to petty officers, which means new quarters and different mess mates. A stranded scientist with Admiralty orders sends the Artemis on an expedition 2,000 miles away farther into the Pacific and they must reach the island by a specific date. Treachery and turbulence earmark this stopover where they encounter cannibals and an American marooned on the island for four years.
From a journey to the far side of the world to navigating the Roaring 40s, the Furious 50s, and the Screaming 60s, Stockwin once again delivers a masterful and galvanizing adventure that provides us with numerous you-are-there experiences alongside Kydd. Some scenes are nightmarish. Others allow us to feel as bereft as he does. We readily identify with how changes impact existing ways of life and some professions become antiquated. The final episode in this circumnavigation of the world is riveting and disquieting, compelling us to read the next installment of Kydd’s exploits in the Royal Navy.
(This review originally appeared at Pirates and Privateers: http://www.cindyvallar.com/Stockwin.h...)
After a harrowing sea battle – replete with broadsides and hand-to-hand combat – with the French Citoyenne, Artemis returns victorious, but wounded, to England where Kydd meets the king and reunites with his sister. Cecila’s news of home is not good; their father’s eyesight is failing and Kydd must take over the wig shop to support the family. He thought he had finally found his path in life; now, he must give up his love for the sea. It seems a harsh sentence, one that will be akin to life in prison, but Renzi is certain they will find a solution. The question is whether they will do so before Artemis sails after repairs are made.
Between Renzi and Cecila, a remedy is found in the nick of time. When their frigate weighs anchor in August 1793, Kydd and his mates find themselves bound for India. Speed is essential, but only the captain knows why. During the voyage, they endure storms at sea, lightning strikes, a crossing-the-line ceremony, monsoons, and encounter Army deserters, a pirate execution, and a woman who drives a wedge between Kydd and Renzi.
India turns out to be only their first destination. From there they sail to China and the Philippines. Their stop in the latter is fraught with peril, since no one knows whether Spain has joined the war as a French ally yet. Kydd and Renzi are both promoted to petty officers, which means new quarters and different mess mates. A stranded scientist with Admiralty orders sends the Artemis on an expedition 2,000 miles away farther into the Pacific and they must reach the island by a specific date. Treachery and turbulence earmark this stopover where they encounter cannibals and an American marooned on the island for four years.
From a journey to the far side of the world to navigating the Roaring 40s, the Furious 50s, and the Screaming 60s, Stockwin once again delivers a masterful and galvanizing adventure that provides us with numerous you-are-there experiences alongside Kydd. Some scenes are nightmarish. Others allow us to feel as bereft as he does. We readily identify with how changes impact existing ways of life and some professions become antiquated. The final episode in this circumnavigation of the world is riveting and disquieting, compelling us to read the next installment of Kydd’s exploits in the Royal Navy.
(This review originally appeared at Pirates and Privateers: http://www.cindyvallar.com/Stockwin.h...)
March 10, 2026
⭐️⭐️½ (rounded up)
I really love the premise behind this series: a pressed man rising from the lower deck all the way to admiral. Life before the mast is rarely explored in naval fiction to the extent that life on the quarterdeck is, and that alone makes the Thomas Kydd series appealing. Julian Stockwin clearly has a deep affection for the Age of Sail and he handles the dialogue and shipboard atmosphere very well.
Unfortunately, the characters themselves never quite come to life.
Kydd, the protagonist, is surprisingly bland. There’s just not much to him. Instead of a strong central character driving the story, the book reads more like a string of loosely connected adventures.
Books 1 & 2…
Kydd is a wig-maker impressed onto a ship of the line, the next he’s an able seaman on a then briefly teaching school ashore, then off again to India, China, and the South Seas. You get the idea; It all feels episodic rather than cumulative.
The result reminded me of the kind of serialized “Naval Adventure for Boys” stories my father might have read in 1942—each installment a self-contained exciting episode where everything conveniently works out by the end.
Kydd’s intellectual friend Renzi is almost an afterthought. His arc—deciding to “go native” and marry a local woman—feels like another cliffhanger designed for the next installment. But the problem is that the stakes never feel very high. The reader quickly senses that everything will turn out fine.
There are moments when the book settles into a pleasant rhythm, especially during the passages at sea. Those sections capture the feel of life aboard a frigate and hint at the kind of immersive naval storytelling the series could deliver. Unfortunately the narrative rarely stays in that groove for long before leaping to the next adventure.
I really want to love this series the way I love Bernard Cornwell’s Sharpe novels or Dewey Lambdin’s Alan Lewrie books. Those series combine strong characters with big historical stakes and rich period context. By comparison, Artemis feels lightweight and a bit goofy.
At nearly 450 pages, the book probably would have been stronger at 300. As it stands, it’s an entertaining but ultimately shallow naval yarn.
Drop a comment if the writing improves.
I really love the premise behind this series: a pressed man rising from the lower deck all the way to admiral. Life before the mast is rarely explored in naval fiction to the extent that life on the quarterdeck is, and that alone makes the Thomas Kydd series appealing. Julian Stockwin clearly has a deep affection for the Age of Sail and he handles the dialogue and shipboard atmosphere very well.
Unfortunately, the characters themselves never quite come to life.
Kydd, the protagonist, is surprisingly bland. There’s just not much to him. Instead of a strong central character driving the story, the book reads more like a string of loosely connected adventures.
Books 1 & 2…
Kydd is a wig-maker impressed onto a ship of the line, the next he’s an able seaman on a then briefly teaching school ashore, then off again to India, China, and the South Seas. You get the idea; It all feels episodic rather than cumulative.
The result reminded me of the kind of serialized “Naval Adventure for Boys” stories my father might have read in 1942—each installment a self-contained exciting episode where everything conveniently works out by the end.
Kydd’s intellectual friend Renzi is almost an afterthought. His arc—deciding to “go native” and marry a local woman—feels like another cliffhanger designed for the next installment. But the problem is that the stakes never feel very high. The reader quickly senses that everything will turn out fine.
There are moments when the book settles into a pleasant rhythm, especially during the passages at sea. Those sections capture the feel of life aboard a frigate and hint at the kind of immersive naval storytelling the series could deliver. Unfortunately the narrative rarely stays in that groove for long before leaping to the next adventure.
I really want to love this series the way I love Bernard Cornwell’s Sharpe novels or Dewey Lambdin’s Alan Lewrie books. Those series combine strong characters with big historical stakes and rich period context. By comparison, Artemis feels lightweight and a bit goofy.
At nearly 450 pages, the book probably would have been stronger at 300. As it stands, it’s an entertaining but ultimately shallow naval yarn.
Drop a comment if the writing improves.
November 5, 2025
General Overview
Kydd, aboard the titular Artemis, heads to the far side of the world in this next installment. From the streets of Guildford, now to cramped for Seaman Kydd, to the exotic of the Orient, a place of particular intrigue for our hero and his crewmate, Nicholas Renzi, we travel across the wide seas in this great novel.
Style
Mr Stockwin knows his audience, his history, and delivers good fiction with this. Some of the characters are very much as expected, but written well enough that this issue can be easily ignored. Our authors expert knowledge of the age of sail doesn't bog down the narrative and the events surrounding our characters.
The great variety of locations visited, and how each feels and reads different fits really well for this world romping novel.
Story
After being transferred to the fighting frigate Artemis, Kydds worlds expands. Fresh shores, old friends and home, along with a whole host of challenges for our heroes, we see real growth and exploration of character in this piece. The ground work our author lays to see Kydd develop is particularly noteworthy.
Ending in a most dramatic fashion, following a series of dramatic set pieces, Artemis is a superb novel for fans of tall ship fiction.
Final Thoughts
A good follow up in this series, I look forward to reading the next.
Kydd, aboard the titular Artemis, heads to the far side of the world in this next installment. From the streets of Guildford, now to cramped for Seaman Kydd, to the exotic of the Orient, a place of particular intrigue for our hero and his crewmate, Nicholas Renzi, we travel across the wide seas in this great novel.
Style
Mr Stockwin knows his audience, his history, and delivers good fiction with this. Some of the characters are very much as expected, but written well enough that this issue can be easily ignored. Our authors expert knowledge of the age of sail doesn't bog down the narrative and the events surrounding our characters.
The great variety of locations visited, and how each feels and reads different fits really well for this world romping novel.
Story
After being transferred to the fighting frigate Artemis, Kydds worlds expands. Fresh shores, old friends and home, along with a whole host of challenges for our heroes, we see real growth and exploration of character in this piece. The ground work our author lays to see Kydd develop is particularly noteworthy.
Ending in a most dramatic fashion, following a series of dramatic set pieces, Artemis is a superb novel for fans of tall ship fiction.
Final Thoughts
A good follow up in this series, I look forward to reading the next.
August 4, 2017
The year 1793 is an interesting time to set a novel. The French Revolution was still going on, and a lot of the French elite were in the process of losing their heads. Napoleon was named a general and began his rapid rise to the top of the French military. The infamous mutiny on HMS Bounty was four years earlier, although it was still a topic of debate in most English ships. In the previous book of this series, Thomas Kydd, a young English wig-maker, is pressed into service on an old line-of-battle ship, the Duke William. In this book he ships out on the frigate Artemis, a fast man-o'-war going in harm's way. From a stirring battle with a French warship, Kydd and his crewman quickly become folk heroes, then sail to India, where they escort a British envoy and his family to China; then it's on to the South Seas, finally rounding Cape Horn in a blizzard. Author Julian Stockwin paints a clear picture of the people and customs of this time, and the story is stronger for it. Artemis is reminiscent of the seagoing tales of C.S. Forester and Robert Louis Stevenson, but what it most reminded me of are those old swashbuckling pirate movies of Errol Flynn like Captain Blood and The Sea Hawk. Great action, thoughtfully told!
December 1, 2023
I enjoy old sailing yarns. Originally searching for something close to Patrick O’Brien’s EXCELLENT Aubrey & Maturin series, I found the Thomas Kydd books. While both are British seafaring adventures and have many similarities, Stockwin’s seems a little grittier and more ‘adult’. Like O’Brien’s duo, Kydd has a ‘particular friend’, Nicholas Renzi, but the similarities pretty much end there.
#2 is set in the late 1800’s during the war with France. Our protagonists are aboard a British frigate and battle a stronger foe. Using only wind power – yet engaging enemies – and fighting with primitive (or at least old fashion) weapons, is amazing to consider. The actual sailors of the times must have been very brave men. Whether sailing to India and the Pacific or supporting a family in absentia, this is as much an ‘adventure’ as a historical novel. (Sometimes it’s hard to understand the old jargon – but that’s part of the book’s charm.)
As of this reading, there are 26 in the series. While not quite as good as O’Brien, I’ll probably read all of them.
April 30, 2022
Kydd and Renzi have many adventures in book two. Arriving back in England as heroes in their victorious frigate Kydd gets a visitor in the form of his sister who tells him he is needed at home to take over the family wig business. He is unhappy with this development but does his duty. This is a strange interlude as Renzi goes along and comes up with the idea of the family starting a school as the wig business is having a downturn. Thomas is supposed to be a teacher until a local lad begs for the chance to teach allowing Kydd and Renzi to return to sea. They end up in a man o war and sail to India, then China, then to the South seas and return via Cape Horn. Subsequently, they are nearly wrecked on an island but the Captain saves the ship by anchoring and riding out the storm. However, the pull of the anchor weakens the ship and and they are without a ship and stuck in the Caribbean. Renzi and Kydd are also separated until book three brings them back together again.
April 4, 2022
First and most importantly Julian Stockwin has my respect. I have lots of stories in my mind, but have never had the ability to put it all down and come up with a coherent whole. He has done so - many times. And that is a BIG deal.
That said, I’m sorry to follow up with a two star review. I forced my way through the first two books of the series wanting to like it. But I can’t.
The dialogue is forced - trying to hard to reflect dialect but failing. Stricken know his sea-lore. He’s obviously studied. But unlike Forester or O’Brien he fails to translate terms. If you’re not an expert on Napoleonic ships, you’ll be lost. The two main characters become friends in Book one - but there is no reason for it. They don’t like each other and then they are BFFs. Time is dilated - what should reflect a year or so of time, is reported as mere months.
In those few months the hero goes from a landman with less than no experience, to a leader and expert sailor. And the story is a series of barely-related events that just don’t grab.
As I said, I tried to like this. It’s my favorite genre. But, Oct just doesn’t work.
That said, I’m sorry to follow up with a two star review. I forced my way through the first two books of the series wanting to like it. But I can’t.
The dialogue is forced - trying to hard to reflect dialect but failing. Stricken know his sea-lore. He’s obviously studied. But unlike Forester or O’Brien he fails to translate terms. If you’re not an expert on Napoleonic ships, you’ll be lost. The two main characters become friends in Book one - but there is no reason for it. They don’t like each other and then they are BFFs. Time is dilated - what should reflect a year or so of time, is reported as mere months.
In those few months the hero goes from a landman with less than no experience, to a leader and expert sailor. And the story is a series of barely-related events that just don’t grab.
As I said, I tried to like this. It’s my favorite genre. But, Oct just doesn’t work.
May 13, 2023
Another so so Kydd novel. Better than the first though the book was really a section of 5 or 6 short stories adventures in 1. He is involved in a battle in the first section. Then he has to leave the Navy to help out when his father needs his help, but last book he was pressed because the Navy needed men? Then he is back and they journey to India and China. He meets falls in love and is once again tempted with land life in China. They are then forced on a scientific expedition to the South Seas where they run afoul of the native. Finally they have a horrendous trip back to England around Cape Horn. They were okay and now he is a Quartermaster's mate so it not all common ship duties but seemed a lot to try and pack into 1 300 page book.
April 29, 2021
I really like the period details--the dialogue, clothing, food, and drink--of this series. I also read The Master and Commander series and there's a lot of historical overlap. I also like the relationship between Kydd and Renzi. The stories are "roaratorious"--especially at sea. The bit about Sarah was too long and unnecessary and the ending was so unexpected but I love these swashbuckling tales.
November 3, 2018
The contrast between life at sea and life as a tradesman is quite interesting. The love for the sea and the wanderlust that often accompanies this love are easy to understand in Kydd's young life. An interesting look at sailing in the Far East and the various colonies that flourished there. It's a good read and a good contribution to the series.
February 8, 2021
On Kydd's new ship, he finds an excellent Captain, old friends and new adventures. The Artemis is sent on a diplomatic mission to the Far East and then a scientific mission. Love, adventure, sailing, shipwreck, a little of everything. I'm really enjoying this series and can't wait to get to the next one.
July 31, 2022
Listened to Audio read by Christian Rodska. He does a great job.
I have enjoyed this continuation of Kydd's story as he sees more of the world and becomes more and more connected to the sea. Great development of the relationship between him and his particular friend. Lots of danger and less than ideal situations for them to navigate through.
Prompt:
52 Summer Challenge 2022: Adventure
I have enjoyed this continuation of Kydd's story as he sees more of the world and becomes more and more connected to the sea. Great development of the relationship between him and his particular friend. Lots of danger and less than ideal situations for them to navigate through.
Prompt:
52 Summer Challenge 2022: Adventure
February 25, 2021
More ripping yarns from a seafaring master!
The second in Stockwin's Kydd series is every bit as rollicking and intriguing as his first novel, Kydd, and shows no sign of letting up! Bring on The Seaflower!
The second in Stockwin's Kydd series is every bit as rollicking and intriguing as his first novel, Kydd, and shows no sign of letting up! Bring on The Seaflower!
March 5, 2024
Voyage to the far side of the world
Strong second book in series. Lots of interesting social dynamics in the confined world of a sailing wars on a circumnavigation. Cliffhanger ending leaves open lots of possibilities.
Strong second book in series. Lots of interesting social dynamics in the confined world of a sailing wars on a circumnavigation. Cliffhanger ending leaves open lots of possibilities.
November 4, 2024
Think of this series as “Patrick O’Brian lite.” Stockwin does not have the writing skills of the Master and Commander author, but he can still spin an entertaining tale of the British Navy during the Napoleonic era of war.
October 23, 2017
The natural follow on From Kydd. I have now read & purchased all books in the series and am awaiting my copy of "The Baltic Prize"
April 24, 2018
Excellent book but the ending was kinf of abrupt.
September 20, 2018
Didn't finish. Rare for me but the character don't ring true to me.
February 18, 2020
A thrill a minute. Could not put it down
August 6, 2020
Most of the action takes place right at the start of the book. Not much else in it just sailing places. Still too many apostrophes to understand
October 1, 2020
Easy, relaxing read about seamanship late 1700's,early 1800's.
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