Please see my comments on Vol. 1, Master and Commander. ( )

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Lucky Jack Aubrey takes a back seat to Maturin as War of 1812 breaks out: For the first five novels in Patrick O'Brian's hallowed Aubrey-Maturin series, Captain "Lucky Jack" Aubrey was the swashbuckling hero and Dr. Stephen Maturin was the mysterious sidekick. Thanks to O'Brian's wonderful prose, this balance worked exceedingly well.

And yet, there was always a sense that there was more to the surgeon-spy Maturin than O'Brian was letting on . . . that he was more than a sidekick, but a serious player in his own right. Of course, this was slightly undercut with Maturin's hilarious inability to master even the most rudimentary elements of the seafaring life, but you still knew that Maturin had a courageous, dashing heart to go with his naturalist's brain.

In "The Fortune of War," Maturin shoves his way to the fore and Captain Aubrey is more or less sidelined with a grevious wound to his sword arm. The War of 1812 has broken out, and the British navy experiences some shocking defeats at the hands of the heretofore contemptible American navy. Eventually, Aubrey and Maturin find themselves going broadside-to-broadside with the Americans, but perhaps since Aubrey is not in command of his vessel (Aubrey and Maturin being saved from certain death after their ship sinks in a fiery accident), Aubrey is forced to watch his ship strike its colors.

Maturin and Aubrey are brought to Boston as prisoners of war, and while Aubrey convalesces, Maturin dives pell-mell back into his life as a spy. Boston is a city of intrigues, and Maturin's history as a spy plays havoc with his attempts to free himself, Aubrey, and the lovely Diane Villiers. Maturin gets to demonstrate that he's got a bit of super secret agent in him, and many readers will be shocked at the violent means Maturin often uses to achieve his ends. He's a far cry from the non-violent physician he is often assumed to be!

Perhaps spending more time on land than any book in the series so far, "The Fortune of War" still offers thrills and escapades galore. For fans of this series, this novel is not to be missed.

Patrick O'Brian wrote 21 books of naval adventure set in the early 1800's featuring the rough but amiable Captain Jack Aubrey and his friend the ship's surgeon and spy Stephen Maturin. I like to think of these books as Jane Austen for men. I read the first five books back in 2003 and enjoyed them well enough but found them difficult to read since I kept stumbling over terms like "fo'c'sle." Now I've discovered that the BPL has the Aubrey Maturin series available for free download as audiobooks so I can blissfully listen to the books, naval vocabulary and all.

Our heroes Aubrey & Maturin find themselves passengers on other British ships for most of this book. The first ship burns and sinks, the second ship is captured in battle with the USS Constitution, and the third... Well, I won't give away the ending but it has better fortune than the first two ships. The main part of the book is set in Boston where Jack & Stephen are held as prisoners of war during the War of 1812 and Stephen finds himself in the midst of covert spy activity with the French who are also in town. There are a number of humorous moments (including a Bostonian who allows the proper English is spoken in Boston even as far west as Watertown) and some crisp, detailed ship-to-ship battle scenes.

I don't know if it's the audiobook or that the book is set in Boston, but I like this book better than any of the others in the series so far. I look forward to listening to further installments. ( )

Aubrey fights in the war of 1812. Captured by the Americans, Aubrey does his best to escape while Maturin finds love and intrigue as he reunites with Diana and fights off French spies. Excellent read. ( )