J.D. Davies has really found his style with his Matthew Quinton series. The fourth part that I reviewed late last year was the first one that pulled me in, but I still pointed out that the stories seem to be staying on land far more than at sea. However, the fifth book in the series fixes all that!
I've been reading the historical fiction series by J.D. Davies over the past year and a half and you can find my previous reviews from this blog. The reason I've taken such a long time to get to the fourth installment is that while I've liked them well enough, they have not really pulled me in... until now. In the fourth novel in the series, J.D. Davies has hit on the right mix of action and intrigue and pushed aside, at least for now, the less interesting Quinton family secrets plotline that weighed down the earlier novels.
The Blast that Tears the Skies is the third novel in J.D. Davies' The Journals of Matthew Quinton series. It is a historical naval fiction series set in the 17th century that has, until now, spent most of its time on land, dealing with the protagonist's family mysteries. The third part finally brings the family mystery to its conclusion and also describes one of the major naval battles of the era, the Battle of Lowestoft, where the Royal Navy have to forget their differences in order to beat the Dutch Navy.
The Mountain of Gold is the second novel in the The Journals of Matthew Quinton series by J.D. Davies. It is historical naval fiction, but unlike most other novels set in the Age of Sail, Matthew Quinton lives in the 17th century, in post-Civil War era England where the king's power is still shaky and many wish that the Civil War had ended differently. The first novel was somewhat light on the naval adventure side, most action taking place on land, and the sequel has the same problem, if you wish to call it that. But, overall, it is rather a good read of the period.
There have been numerous authors trying their hand in the same genre with Patrick O'Brian, but no one has truly been able to match the quality of his naval historical fiction. J.D. Davies' Gentleman Captain, is a fine entry to the genre, however, and manages to make itself different enough from those who have gone before. One of the main differences is the era. The novel is set in the latter half of the 17th century and offers a nice view of the post Civil War England.