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Review: The Victory, by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles


Pages: 447
Originally published: 1989
My edition: 2006 )Time Warner)
Why I decided to read: I’ve been enjoying the Morland Dynasty series for about a year now
How I acquired my copy: bought online

#12: 1803-06. Covers the Battle of Trafalgar

In Manchester, James’s wife Mary Anne becomes embroiled in the plight of the working poor. Lucy, Lady Aylesbury, is most of the focus of the 12th book in the Morland Dynasty series. Her lover Weston is a captain in the Navy; her husband Chetwyn develops a friendship with a young man, and their relationship causes much scandal. Haworth, Mary’s husband, is also a captain in the Navy, and witnesses firsthand the Battle of Trafalgar. Lucy’s relationship with Weston sails along (pardon the pun), until…

This is a pretty decent addition to the series, although I felt that Lucy was a bit foolish at times and Chetwyn very hypocritical. Chetwyn is definitely not one of my favorite characters in this series, though I hope he improves with time. Nobody seems particularly happy or optimistic about the future, which can make for some pretty bleak reading a times. Cynthia Harrod-Eagles is especially adept at describing great historical moments; the Battle of Trafalgar is depicted with painstaking precision, significant considering that it is the lynchpin that holds this book in the series together. British naval history is not an area in which my knowledge or interest is strong, but there were several scenes that had me gripped! This entry in the Morland saga is a bit of a downer, but it’s still a good read.

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