Captain Jack Aubrey, a brilliant and experienced officer, has been
struck off the list of post-captains for a crime he did not commit. His
old friend Stephen Maturin, usually cast as a ship's surgeon to mask his
discreet activities on behalf of British Intelligence, has bought for
Aubrey his former ship the Surprise to command as a privateer, more
politely termed a letter of marque. Together they sail on a desperate
mission against the French, which, if successful, may redeem Aubrey from
the private hell of his disgrace. A nighttime battle with an unusual
climax, a jewel of great value, and Maturin's fondness for opium make
this segment of Patrick O'Brian's masterful series both original and
profoundly exciting.