Karsa Orlong

Give them a go - I reckon you'll love them, once you get past all the nautical terms in the first half of the first book. Trying to work out which series I have on the go at the moment . . . Aubrey/Maturin - O'Brian - yep Vorkosigan Saga - Bujold - check Warrior Chronicles - Cornwell - uh huh Revelation Space - Reynolds - defo Masters of Rome - McCullough - yep Dresden Files - Butcher - well d'uh Acts of Caine - Stover - hmm Ben Hope series - Mariani - when I feel like it Peter Grant series - Aaronovitch - hmmm, maybe Raven's Shadow - Ryan - yep Black Company - Cook - probably done with this one Malazan Empire - Esslemont - hmmm There are probably some I forgot

Agent Carter 1x03 - enjoying this so far Continuum 2x03 - getting really good now!

Thanks for the tip re Storm and Conquest - I had a look at it yesterday and it looks fantastic. I also saw this one about Edward Pellew which looks good. Have put both on the wishlist for now, as I'll probably start with Trafalgar: The Men, The Battle, The Storm. I can understand it, as my interest is currently growing exponentially I started reading Traitor's Blade on Saturday, a fantasy novel (first in a new series, naturally ) by Sebastien de Castell. The riff on the Musketeers appealed. But I got bored after around 100 pages and switched to the next O'Brian, The Reverse of the Medal, instead I've decided that I need to devote some time to the many series I already have on the go before starting any others . . .

Thanks bobbly, you too! Thanks, I shall definitely look into that I already had my eye on Clayton/Craig's Trafalgar: The Men, The Battle, The Storm, which you mentioned elsewhere, and on John Sugden's hefty two-volume biography of Nelson (although I might start with something a bit . . . shorter than that!).

Thought I'd gather links to my reviews of the books together in one post. I'll update this post with more as I go along. There are minor spoilers in these reviews, usually relating to the previous book in the series, so please be aware. Master & Commander Post Captain HMS Surprise The Mauritius Command Desolation Island The Fortune of War The Surgeon's Mate The Ionian Mission Treason's Harbour The Far Side of the World The Reverse of the Medal The Letter of Marque The Thirteen Gun Salute The Nutmeg of Consolation Clarissa Oakes The Wine Dark Sea The Commodore The Yellow Admiral The Hundred Days Blue at the Mizzen

Oh God, the dreaded 'If you like Game of Thrones' sticker

What a fantastic review, willoyd! Far, far better than I could have put it. I've just finished the tenth book, The Far Side of the World, so it's good to know there's someone else here who understands my enthusiasm for the books. Would you consider posting a link to your review in the dedicated thread for the series in the 'Historical Fiction' forum? I think it deserves it and might encourage others to give it a go This has been exactly my experience. I remember commenting in my review of M&C how bewildered I was by all the nautical terminology but, like you say, if you let it wash over you it gradually gets in the old noggin eventually. I did buy a companion book, too, and it was very useful at the start, but now I'm just flying through them without even a glance at it. There are a couple of other companion books I have my eye on but, at the moment, I am getting drawn to factual tomes about Cochrane, Nelson, and Trafalgar. I always like it when a work of fiction makes me want to look deeper into the fact.

The Far Side of the World (Aubrey/Maturin Book #10) by Patrick O'Brian 1984 - Harper ebook - 406 pages It is still the War of 1812. Patrick O’Brian takes his hero Jack Aubrey and his tetchy, sardonic friend Stephen Maturin on a voyage as fascinating as anything he has ever written. They set course across the South Atlantic to intercept a powerful American frigate outward bound to play havoc with the British whaling trade. If they do not come up with her before she rounds the Horn, they must follow her into the Great South Sea and as far across the Pacific as she may lead them. It is a commission after Jack’s own heart. Maturin has fish of his own to fry in the world of secret intelligence. Aubrey has to cope with a succession of disasters – men overboard, castaways, encounters with savages, storms, typhoons, groundings, shipwrecks, to say nothing of murder and criminal insanity. That the enemy is in fact faithfully dealt with, no one who has the honour of Captain Aubrey’s acquaintance can take leave to doubt. Note: This book begins shortly after the events of Treason's Harbour. I liked: Pretty much everything! To qualify that, whereas the previous few books were localised around the Mediterranean, this one is a glorious journey from one side of the world to the other. It leaves behind a lot of the intrigue and thrills of the previous book, which is a shame, but it creates much excitement of its own along the way. As a result, the story is largely set in the self-contained world of Aubrey's ship, the Surprise, along with all the trials and tribulations that entails, whether of man's making or Mother Nature's. The atmosphere created by O'Brian's descriptions of the weather they encounter along the way is unbelievably good. Some of the secondary characters really come to the fore, particularly Bonden and Mowett. I loved the sub-plot that took place between Mr Hollom and the gunner, Horner, and his wife (apparently Hollom's a 'wind-eating Jonah for all his success cruising in the gunner's private waters' ). It moved from happy to sad to scary to tragic with such masterful ease. One particular event, where Stephen goes overboard, was brilliant and completely unexpected. There is conflict between Jack and Stephen, which works beautifully. The ending is completely different to what I expected. This is a good thing! I disliked: Nothing. I thought it was pretty much perfect. However, O'Brian himself noted in his foreword that this is the point in his tale where actual history is pretty much used up, and that much of what follows beyond this book is down to his invention. Only time will tell how I feel about that. Along with Desolation Island, I'd say this one is a good point to dip one's toe into the water, so to speak, as much of the ongoing story is left behind once Surprise departs Gibraltar. The story ebbs and flows like the tide, it's completely alive with character, it's exciting, tense, funny, tragic, and one particular storm is quite terrifying. I don't often chain-read a series like I have these last three books without my enthusiasm dropping off a cliff, but it hasn't happened here. I really enjoyed the first four books but, from Desolation Island onwards it has been fabulous. So tempted to go straight into the next one - after all, there is not a moment to be lost! - but I may take a short break and read something else first. Memorable Quotes On Jack's character: This amused me On one of the storms:

Well I said 'yes', so off you go then!

Kermode and Mayo's Film Review

Happy reading, Tim. Some great books in those photos.

If I said 'yes' would go and listen to it? Yes!

Found out that, just before Christmas, the BBC Radio 4 'Bookclub' programme's 200th edition celebrated the centenary of Patrick O'Brian's birth by discussing the Aubrey/Maturin series and the first book, Master & Commander, in particular. Quite an interesting listen. Also, as further part of the celebration, Benedict Cumberbatch has been reading the seventh book, The Surgeon's Mate, although only just found out and some of the earlier episodes have been and gone. Links here.

BBC Radio 4 show Bookclub discusses Patrick O'Brian's Master & Commander: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04tcxm4 Worth a listen. Also, belatedly, I found out that Benedict Cumberbatch has been reading the seventh novel in the Aubrey/Maturin series, The Surgeon's Mate, for Radio 4 Extra. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04t98s0/episodes/guide Unfortunately, the episodes are disappearing quickly.

Obviously not

You can probably see the doctor for that, too

Not really, no

Both brilliant books - enjoy you re-read!

I had to go and look up Malory Towers

I've found it quite easy to ditch the scores - it's been quite liberating so far

Should go to the doctor for that

Pre-ordered the deluxe boxed set of Steven Wilson's forthcoming album Hand. Cannot. Erase.

Oh thanks, Sarah, that's good to hear Yes, the raft incident, and wasn't Maturin's first 'trepanning' in Master & Commander as well? I seem to remember it happening quite early on I don't dislike Russell Crowe in the role, he's just not how I imagine Aubrey - he's much taller in my mind, and generally bigger. And Maturin - Paul Bettany seems way too tall for the character on the page. Don't get me wrong, I think it's a great film, but I've been holding off re-watching it whilst I'm reading the books, just so I don't get those actors stuck in my head. Enjoy your re-read! Have a glance at this, if you get a chance as you go along - it's quite fun to read the reviews after reading each book

Much of this all applies to just about every fantasy series out there Including Erikson. And Tolkien. I'm glad I read Magician when I did, i.e. after Tolkien and Eddings but before practically everyone else. I tried to read Silverthorn a while later, after having read a lot more fantasy, and hated it, and have never been near Feist again. Life's too short. I do have the Empire trilogy on my Kindle, though, at your recommendation