Kydd and Renzi join the crack frigate Artemis for a voyage that carries them far beyond home waters. The faster and more independent ship demands different seamanship from the battle fleet and exposes Kydd to shipwreck, mutiny and combat with a powerful French opponent.
Success at sea cannot separate Kydd from obligations ashore. An urgent message from Guildford threatens to end his growing naval career and forces him to decide whether his place remains with the family and trade he knew or with the seamen whose craft he has begun to master.