Well, when Melissa blogged about the new book by Susan Cooper I was intrigued, despite her lukewarm review. I mean, not only is it Susan Cooper, but — hoo boy! — it’s a historical novel about the Battle of Trafalgar! The title of the book, Victory, refers to Admiral Lord Nelson’s flagship. :D

And, alas, I totally concur with everything Melissa said in her post. Sam’s story = more interesting than Molly’s. Connection between Sam and Molly = too weak. Afterword = the best part (I always read ‘em too). Expectation because the author was Susan Cooper = too high.

And there’s the rub. The high expectation. Here I am, twenty-five years later, still chewing over the rich, multi-layered symbolism, the meditations on the nature of good and evil, and the vivid imagery and mood of The Dark is Rising. But Victory was totally forgettable. Well, maybe not totally. It did feed my ravenous appetite for Napoleonic Naval Battles in Fictional Form, and it was fun to get the point of view of a 13-year-old ship’s boy. It’s not a bad read for a middle-schooler. But I can guarantee I won’t still be reading and thinking about this book 25 years from now.

Bummer.