Seize the Fire by Laura Kinsale

Narrated by Nicholas Boulton

Even though I have eagerly snatched up every single audiobook from this hugely talented author/narrator team as soon as they’ve appeared, Seize the Fire is one I’ve been waiting for ever since Laura Kinsale and Nicholas Boulton began their collaboration. The prospect of hearing Sheridan Drake brought to life in all his tortured, roguish, f**cked-up, delicious glory by such a wonderfully skilled narrator made this one of my most highly anticipated listens of the year. And needless to say, my expectations were more than met.

Although the action of Seize the Fire takes place in a number of locations, from England to the Falkland Islands, from Turkey to the fictitious Oriens – homeland of its heroine – and across the world’s great oceans and deserts, the story is, in essence, a character-driven romance between naval hero, self-confessed blackguard and all-round scoundrel Captain Sir Sheridan Drake and the exiled Princess Olympia of Oriens, a naïve young woman who is desperate to return to her country (although in fact, she was born in England and has never actually been to Oriens!) in order to serve as a rallying point for the overthrow of the corrupt regime currently in power there.

The various machinations of the plot which see the couple running off together – Olympia believing Sheridan intends to escort her across Europe while he intends to fleece her of her jewels and leg it as soon as possible – are complicated by a mixture of political expediency and personal animosity on Sheridan’s part towards his father’s ex-mistress, who has been left in control of his inheritance. A series of misadventures sees him and his princess captured by pirates, stranded on an island together and then sold into slavery; and throughout it all, we are treated to the development of a fascinating and enduring relationship between them which really does run the gamut of emotions.

Olympia already has a case of serious hero-worship over Sheridan before she even meets him, which makes it easy for him to manipulate her into trusting him. He’s the epitome of the charming rogue – and he really is a rogue, acting despicably towards Olympia on more than one occasion. He’s deeply flawed, short-tempered, self-serving and manipulative, yet he’s utterly compelling, with an unexpected streak of vulnerability that is revealed gradually as the story progresses. Unusually (I think) for a romance novel, he’s an unreliable narrator; he frequently describes himself as a bad person, yet he consistently acts in a way that proves otherwise, especially when it comes to his desire to protect Olympia at all costs. Laura Kinsale very skilfully SHOWS us time and time again, that in spite of his flaws, Sheridan possesses a core of honour and nobility, and he emerges as a true hero, a man who has taken his lumps throughout life (and boy, has he taken them!), made tough and often impossible decisions and who has done what he had to do in order to survive.

At the beginning of the book, Olympia is young and idealistic, and doesn’t fully understand the implications of what she intends to do, seeing only that leading her people to independence is the right thing to do. While it’s true that Sheridan treats her badly throughout the story in both word and deed, her resulting character growth is quite extraordinary, and she becomes stronger, more confident and self-reliant through the course of her association with him. She eventually comes to see Sheridan as he truly is – a flawed and deeply troubled man who is haunted by so many of the events for which he is lauded as a hero – and even though she tries to hate him for the things he has said and done, it’s impossible. She sees him at his best and at his worst – and loves him anyway.

Both Olympia and Sheridan are profoundly changed by their interactions, but their path to happiness is a very difficult one, and they both have to fight hard and endure much if they are to stay together. This love story between two such mis-matched people is simply wonderful; they complement and support each other through some truly terrible times, and the way they gradually bring purpose back into each other’s lives is both poignant and beautiful.

When it comes to the narration, there was no way this was going to be anything other than superb with Nicholas Boulton at the helm. He portrays Sheridan incredibly well, giving him a rather affected, slightly nasal drawl and putting an unpleasant sneer into his voice throughout much of the story. This is Sheridan the Scoundrel, the man he believes himself to be and it’s not until his more unguarded moments – of which there aren’t many until late in the book – that the affectation in his speech gradually begins to disappear, perfectly mirroring the way his thickly veneered exterior starts to crack as the demons Sheridan has so far managed to keep at bay come back to haunt him in full force. It’s at those points that the listener gets glimpses of the real Sheridan, the vulnerable, haunted man labouring under a ton of survivor’s guilt who questions his very existence; and Mr Boulton brings all of that anguish and despair to his portrayal to such a degree that there were times I was on the verge of tears.

His interpretation of Olympia is equally good, her naively hopeful and trusting nature at the beginning conveyed by a simplicity and lightness of tone. But as the story progresses, he adds a variety of nuance to her speech as she experiences some of the hard knocks of life that her sheltered upbringing has spared her hitherto. Disappointment and betrayal take their toll on her, too, and the listener is left in no doubt of her newly acquired backbone or her heartbreak in the later stages of the book.

For a story that travels the world, there are surprisingly few secondary characters. Among the foremost of these are Mustafa, Sheridan’s crafty manservant and the Turkish Sultan Mahmoud. Mr Boulton does a terrific job with the accents he employs for both, which are distinctive but not too thick, and his whining, wheedling portrayal of Mustafa is often very funny.

He’s also excellent at bringing out the humour and, more importantly, the irony in the narrative, especially when we’re in Sheridan’s head. This is, for the most part, a fast-paced and rather serious story, dealing as it does with a man who has lost himself and is now on the verge of total breakdown, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have its lighter moments.

Seize the Fire is another terrific addition to the collection of audiobooks by Laura Kinsale and Nicholas Boulton and one I know I will be returning to often.

Caz

Narration: A+

Book Content: A

Steam Factor: Glad I had my earbuds in

Violence: Fighting, some descriptions of battle and one scene (not graphic) of torture

Genre: Historical Romance

Publisher: Hedgehog Inc.