Artemis [Large Print] [Hardcover]

Julian Stockwin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 2002

The second naval adventure following the life of Thomas Paine Kydd. Kydd sails into Portsmouth a hero, after a ferocious battle against the French. He must return, however, to Guilford on a family matter. But the sea beckons, and Kydd manages to set off on his beloved Artemis for another adventure.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A young sailor battles foes on sea and land in this second entry in Stockwin's 19th-century naval series. When we last left young Thomas Kydd, he had distinguished himself in battle aboard the Duke William (Kydd, 2001). Now, Kydd and fellow novice sailor Nicholas Renzi leave the lumbering Duke William for the sleek frigate Artemis and promptly find themselves in cutthroat battle again, overmatched against the French frigate Citoyenne. The face-off ends in hand-to-hand combat and a hard-won victory for the men of the Artemis. But Kydd's jubilation is short-lived; his sister, Cecilia, arrives unexpectedly with the news that their father's health is failing. Kydd must return home to provide for his family. Renzi, with whom the virginal Cecilia has been flirting, accompanies his friend. They work dutifully but unenthusiastically to open a school, longing all the while for the sea. A reprieve comes when Cecilia finds someone to run the school, freeing Kydd and Renzi to follow their passion. Fortune favors them again; they're able to rejoin the Artemis, which is bound for the Orient. On this odyssey, Kydd also finds love (with the effervescent Sarah Bullivant) and sees a good deal of India, Macao and China. An act of desertion threatens both the valued friendship of Renzi and Kydd and their futures with the Artemis. The story peaks early with the naval battle and slowly loses speed down the stretch, but period dialect and seagoing argot aplenty add credibility to the adventure, and the unworldly Kydd is an apt lens for the reader's journey.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

Ex-navy officer Stockwin's second novel is a rip-roaring yarn that confirms Hodder's faith in his ability to turn his vivid knowledge of 18th century seafaring into first-rate global adventure. Thomas Kydd, press-ganged into service as an ordinary seaman in the first novel, now wins promotion to petty officer and prefers his love of the sea to romance or his previous wigmaker's life on dry land. He is a prime example of manhood in the age of sail, immersed in the bloodlust of battle, exultation of victory, savage sights in Asia, comradeship below decks, the tumult above. His voyages on the frigate Artemis read very well, with a final sting in the tale that will cause readers in the historical novel niche to be thirsting for the next in the series. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 549 pages
• Publisher: Thorndike Press (October 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786245883
• ISBN-13: 978-0786245888
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,610,899 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I wanted to go to sea ever since I can remember. My mother says that as a toddler I went up to sailors on the street, and on one occasion dragged home a dead seabird because it smelled of the sea! I was entranced when my great uncle Tom Clay, a seaman in square-rigged ships who had sailed around the Horn in the "Cutty Sark", took me over this ship. As a young boy I read everything about the sea and I was especially terrified by a description of a great storm, but longed to go to sea to experience one.
I won a scholarship to a grammar school, but my mind was captivated by seeing low grey shapes far out to sea, outward bound to who knew where. I passed this sight every day on my way to school; my scholastic performance suffered!
In the hope of having the nonsense knocked out of me, my father sent me to a tough sea-training school. This only strengthened my resolve for a life at sea and at fifteen I joined the Royal Navy.
After leaving the Navy (rated Petty Officer) I practised as an educational psychologist. I worked for some time in Hong Kong, where I was commissioned into the Royal Naval Reserve.
I now live in Devon with my wife and literary partner, Kathy - and two Siamese cats.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable story lines, average writing, May 5, 2003

By 

Stefan T. Wennik "stw" (Mass. USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Artemis: A Kydd Novel (Hardcover)

As many of the other reviewers here, I am an avid fan of the nautical fiction genre; and, have read CS Forrester, Patrick OBrian, and many others, cover-to-cover. As such, I was excited to find 'Kydd' and 'Artemis' and a new series by a promising new author.

I enjoyed 'Kydd' just a little more than 'Artemis,' but liked both. The story lines are fun and engaging. The characters are decently drawn (although I am starting to find Renzi just a bit too implausible and contrived). The attention to detail is very high. And certainly, the twist of reading these stories from the point of view of a pressed man before the mast (as opposed to the usual point of view of an officer's) is educational. Although Stockwin isn't really breaking totally new ground here (I'd say Bernard Cornwell provided an ample path here with his 'Sharpe' novels), it's mostly a new wrinkle for those of us addicted to Aubrey/Maturin.

So, where does Stockwin fit in to the panoply of napoleonic-era historical fiction authors? I'd say mid-pack. The quality of writing is average. The character development is average. I'd put him in there with James Nelson and Dudley Pope; and even with Bernard Cornwell for that matter. Fun quick reads. Good stories with rousing action and interesting subject matter. But it's really not great literature.

In my opinion, Stockwin has a long way to go before he jumps up to the next tier in terms of writing ability. There's none of the magic, flowing prose of Patrick OBrian, nor any of the incredible mix of character, wit, and eloquence. There is a good story line and mostly decend prose. Like James Nelson, he gets a bit melodramatic at times. There's just a bit too much of the '...heart beating in his manly chest...' nonsense.

He also falls into one little trap that I find particularly annoying. Every page or so, he slips in the use of some overtly 'big' words. It feels like he's trying to impress us with his vocabulary:

"... he drew out a peculiar short coil of a black flexible substance, chased in leather at one end, and the other terminating in a knobby excrescence."

I'm not sure what an 'excrescence' is, but I feel that a more gifted writer would have found a more economical and effective way of describing a knotted leather whip. To my ears, this kind of thing just falls flat. There are many little examples of this throughout the two books. Do they ruin the stories? No. Do they make you wince a little bit as you're reading? Probably.

If you are looking for the 'topmast' of nautical fiction, look to OBrian, Marryat, Conrad. If you're looking for engaging adventures on the high seas and a fast easy read, definitely grab these new Stockwin novels. I recommend them despite their few faults. I hope new ones will keep coming and that the author grows as a writer.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Thank heavens this writer came along!, July 9, 2002

By 

Naomi Johnson "beauvallet" (Columbus, Ohio USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Artemis: A Kydd Novel (Hardcover)

For those who admire O'Brian, Stockwin's books may not appeal. For those who find O'Brian unnecessarily long-winded and overwhelmingly pretentious, give Stockwin's books a try (start with 'Kydd,' the first in the series). Stockwin has taken the unusual tack of starting his series with a non-sailor, a pressed man, and has introduced both him and the reader to late 18th century shipboard life. This isn't Hornblower or --thank God! -- Aubrey, Kydd is an altogether original character. We learn as he learns, we see storms, battles, maneuvers, all of it through his eyes and from his position on board a frigate. This is very different from seeing things only through the eyes of the captain, which is what is presented in most nautical fiction. Kydd will most likely rise in rank as the series progresses, but the reader gets to make that most enjoyable journey with him.

I note that other critics have taken issue with Stockwin's actual writing skill. I have no problem with the man's craft or talent. In fact I have yet to read a fictional account of rounding the Horn that was as descriptive, passionate, frightening and inspiring as Stockwin's account in 'Artemis.' I enjoyed this book a great deal, and regret only that I have to wait another year for book 3 in the series.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Somewhat disappointing, August 15, 2002

By 

John Florance (Phoenix, AZ United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Artemis: A Kydd Novel (Hardcover)

Like many other reviewers here, I have read most of the historical naval fiction repetoire. I'm an avid fan of O'Brian's. I found this book, as well as its predecessor, "Kydd" to be a nice summer read, but ultimately unfulfilling.

I'm guessing that most of the people reading this genre would consider themselves sticklers for historical detail and accuracy. I found several things in Stockwin's writing that I don't believe to be particularly accurate. One such example is a reference to the use of a chronometer by one of the ship's officers. While Capt. Cook did in fact test early chronometers prior to the time-frame of these novels, they did not become standard issue aboard British warships until the mid to late nineteenth century. It's highly unlikely that there would have been one aboard in 1793. Another example of inaccuracy is the reference to the sailor's uniforms (striped shirts, trousers, and even deck shoes!) Again, uniforms for common sailors did not become standard issue until long after the Napoleonic wars were over.

While these things are small sticking points, I took greater offense at the lack of character development in the main protagonists. Kydd seems inconsistent to me. He is at once sensitive, boorish, macho, and moody. I felt that Renzi was Stockwin's (less successful) attempt at recreating O'Brian's enigmatic Stephen Maturin. I also felt that it stretches the limits of credibility that in the course of this one novel, so many events befall the the ship and crew. I suppose it's POSSIBLE, but is it likely?

In the end, I will probably read the next installment when it becomes available, in the hope that Stockwin's style, plot and characters improve with practice. I'm excited about the premise of a lowly deck-hand rising through the ranks of service to some as yet unknown future.