As you might expect from a naval novel with the title The Lion of Midnight, this latest instalment of the 'Journals of Matthew Quinton' by historian J. D. Davies carves a new path in the annals of naval fiction.
As I have said before the navies of the 1660's were very different with courtiers rather than professional sailors making command decisions and in this case we are looking at the intrigues of the Swedish court as well. Sweden at the time was a country with a relatively small population compared with it's European neighbours and it was going through a 'golden age; for it's military prowess. It had conquered nearby lands and was respected as a strong military power. Into this mix is thrown Matthew Quinton on a mission to escort a fleet of mast ships home, some diplomatic passengers, a peer of the realm who had signed Charles I's death warrant and an old nemesis of Matthew.
Davies uses his historical accuracy to bring to life 1660's Gothenburg and the plotting of the various European powers in relation to one another and to Sweden in a well developed plot. Quite a bit of the book is spent on land but this does not detract and as you would expect from this author there is a well written climactic sea battle to keep HNF fans happy.
I continue to enjoy this look at life in the restoration navy through the eyes of Matthew Quinton and particularly liked the detailed look at Swedish influence on the period's history which I previously new little about.
The gripping story lines were skilfully based round the historical records of true events (explained in a historical note at the end of the book) and both this book and the series as a whole are highly recommended reading.
Description of: The Lion of Midnight
Author: J. D. Davies