The eighth in the adventures of Captain Aubrey and Dr.Maturin. After a peak into their respective home lives (Maturin's is my particular favorite: he and Diana have homes of their own because their lives are so different--plus he needs privacy for all his intelligence work--but he visits often for shared breakfast in bed and dinner parties), they ship off to support the blockade against the French. It's a long, boring period for them, made more troubling by the leadership. One of Aubrey's old commanders is in charge of the blockade, and too long without action or hope have severely depressed his spirits and health. His second in command is one of the many captains Aubrey has disobliged over the years--this time, not by sleeping with his wife, but instead by catching him cheating at cards. At last, the French make a break for it, giving the squadron a chance to finally fight--and they can't catch them. The commander is so depressed he must go home for his health, and Aubrey is placed under the command of a man who deeply hates him. Then some other stuff happens that I have forgotten because I took a few months' break (purely because I listen to these books rather than read them), and then somehow Aubrey manages to get off his slow decrepit ship and onto the dear old Surprise! Moreover, he's off blockade duty and instead, gets to travel up and down the coast determining which Turkish leader to throw his support (and canons) behind. The book ends with a very exciting ship battle.This is a wonderful episode in the lives of Maturin and Aubrey. Both characters are adorably showcased here, plus Aubrey gets to be a serious badass, which he's missed out on in the last few books. Additionally, this book is particularly funny--I cannot count the number of times I cackled.