I love Cornwell but this is an early work and I don;t think one of his better efforts. ( )

Over the years I have read a fair number of Cornwell's historical novels and have always enjoyed them but this the first of his stand alone sailing books that I've read so was curious to see how they would compare and on the whole I was reasonably pleased with it.

The story revolves around an aging,reasonably well known (in sailing circles at least)lone sailor Tim Blackburn who after his wife dies in an explosion on a yacht sails off in search of his daughter, another competant sailor, who has disappeared after joining a mysterious environmental group called Genesis. He sails half way around the globe in what he initially believes is a rescue attempt but what he finds is not what he expected.

Like most of Cornwell's books there is not a lot of characterisation but what this is made up for by a fast paced yarn which continually made me want to read more and more. There are plenty of descriptive sections about sailing showing the author's love and knowledge of the subject but he goes not get bogged down in detail as some other similar writers have. You certainly do not have to be a sailor to follow the story and on the whole felt that it added rather than detracted from the overall plot. That said I did feel that the plot was a little thin in places.

Overall I found this a rather enjoyable yarn, in a boy's own sort of way, and a good piece of escapism to take on a beach or a long plane/train journey as it is probably not something that last too long in the memory. And if I'm brutally frank I prefer his historical stuff but then that is my favourite genre anyway. If you enjoy Cornwell's books then you will probably enjoy this but is unlikely to convert you to his other stuff if not. ( )

I am in complete agreement with the previous review. This sea-faring thriller is more indepth on sea-faring intricacies than the other thrillers but, while perhaps overbearing for some readers, was more than compensated by the excellent characterisation, plot, themes and descriptive language of the setting. The Reverend David Blackburn is an excellent character and Jackie Potten is one of the first of Cornwell's female characters to be given some real depth. ( )

“And in the dawn, as the tired wind calmed, we saw that the sea was weeping.” This concluding line in Bernard Cornwell’s “Stormchild” speaks to the outspoken emotions rife in a novel that takes the reader from surging heights of elation to churning troughs of heart wrenching sadness. Mr. Cornwell proves that he can write the stuffing out of thrillers as well as historical fiction. That he takes his brobdingnagian talents to the world of what appears to be a personal passion, boating, only adds to the verity of the story and the eloquence of the action. Make no mistake, I will be picking up Mr. Cornwell’s other thrillers soon. ( )