Time of Terror [Paperback]

Nathan Peake is a dashing British naval officer who's called on for a secret mission that on the surface appears to be a mere bit of smuggling, but he turns out to be a pawn in a plot to destabilize the economy of France, now that it's under a potentially unfriendly new government. However...there's all the turmoil of the Revolution and the Reign of Terror going on...

At a glance, the title might have one thinking this is a horror novel, and the cover painting alone would hint that this is one of the countless Patrick O'Brian ripoffs that overpopulated bookshelves for a while (and would have the reading public believing that the Napoleonic wars were primarily naval). However, this carves out its own niche and balances seagoing action with land-based intrigue.

Some of the naval terminology went over my head, but having lately read a few books about the French Revolution and its aftermath, I could see that Hunter did his research. The book is full of real-life characters, including Robespierre, Thomas Paine, Mary Wollstonecraft, and even a brief appearance by Marie Grosholtz, aka Madame Tussaud. And there's lots of action, including naval battles, races through the streets of Paris, and Hunter even throws in a Satanic chapel in the catacombs under Les Invalides.

My biggest problem is that the narrative sometimes got choppy, with Peake in the middle of Paris in one scene and suddenly at sea in the British Channel in the next, with little explanation as to what happened in between. And the setup for a sequel is a bit too obvious; I would have preferred a more self-contained story.

Still, it's an enjoyable read, a decent example of the historical swashbuckler, with a few flaws, but forgivable ones. It doesn't set out to be great art, but is a decent example of good craftsmanship.

Blood, gore, and a little more blood for good measure - that's how I once heard the Terror of the French Revolution described. This book is no disappointment for one looking for an interesting nautical adventure intermixed with the horrors of the French Revolution.

Nathaniel Peake (or should I say Turner, which is the alias he uses during most of the story) is an intriguing sea captain who opts to accept a special assignment that lands him right in the midst of Revolutionary France.

Hunter takes liberties with some of the characters, but that's what good historical fiction is all about - take someone real and make them even more sinister or more lovable. I enjoyed how he played up Robspierre, and his treatment of Thomas Paine was utterly fascinating.

The love story was a bit too much for me - I think the book probably would have been better had Hunter focused on the swashbuckling adventures and hijinks of Peake instead. Having said that, the little bit of romance that was present made for an underlying current that added a bit, and probably set the tone for another book in the series.

Can't say that I loved it, but it's worth reading. The fact that the author is British, as is the hero, makes the book intriguing and fun.

"Peake is entrusted with a mission to wreck the French economy by smuggling fake currency into Paris." (from the back cover)

Who wrote the teaser for this book? I ask because the involvement of Lt. Nathan Peake, British naval officer, in a secret operation to wreck the French economy isn't revealed until the 365th page of a 434-page novel. It is, in fact, quite a shock to Peake, who thought all along he was smuggling tobacco. So thanks, anonymous copywriter, for spoiling the surprise.

That little hitch aside, "The Time of Terror" is an exciting beginning to a series by Seth Hunter (a.k.a. Paul Bryers, a somewhat prolific British author) that takes place during the bloody first days of the French Revolution, shortly after the execution of France's king and queen.

It seems at first glance to be a nautical yarn in the tradition of Forester and O'Brian, but relatively little of the action takes place at sea. Peake begins the book chasing smugglers off the British coast and, when he follows a fleeing lugger all the way to France, is party to one of the first shots of the latest French and English war. Soon, Peake, posing as an American merchant captain, is given command of an American barque transporting tobacco (OK, it's really counterfeit currency) and finds himself shoulder-deep in French political mayhem.

Most of the action takes place in France. There, Peake interacts with some historical movers and shakers of the day, from global revolutionist Thomas Paine to English feminist Mary Wollstonecraft. There's also Sara Seton, the beautiful young widow of a French aristocrat and subject of a romantic subplot that offers quite a few twists along the way.

Hunter's novel does an excellent job evoking the street-level terror that accompanied the French Revolution -- the mob violence, the volatile leadership and the steady chop of the guillotine -- and his land-based scenes are far more richly painted than the naval action. Peake himself is a little unusual as an action hero: his plans don't always come to fruition, and he's often simply swept along in the course of events around him. Still, he usually manages to land on his feet, and I believe the conclusion of this novel sets the stage for an exciting sequel featuring a wiser, more mature protagonist.

by Tom Knapp, the Rambles.(net) guy