A new commission. A hard-fighting frigate. And a voyage that will test a young officer to his limits.

1798. Nineteen-year-old Matthew Lamb has finally achieved his greatest ambition: a lieutenant’s commission in the Royal Navy.

Joining HMS Sturdy, a powerful thirty-six-gun frigate commanded by the formidable Captain John Cutler, Lamb is eager to prove that he belongs among the officers of the quarterdeck. But life aboard a King’s ship offers little time for a young lieutenant to find his feet.

After joining Lord St Vincent’s fleet off Cadiz, the Sturdy is ordered far from European waters. French privateers are ravaging British merchant shipping in the Indian Ocean, and the Royal Navy has been sent to hunt them down.

From the Cape to Calcutta and the dangerous waters of the Bay of Bengal, Lamb faces storms, convoy duty, elusive privateers and the brutal realities of naval warfare. And as Captain Cutler’s increasingly unpredictable behaviour places a growing burden on his officers, Lamb soon discovers that courage at sea can be demanded in more ways than one.

Rich in period detail, dark humour and hard-fought naval action, this gripping Age of Sail adventure is perfect for readers of C. S. Forester, Patrick O’Brian and Alexander Kent.