This is my favorite Sharpe book so far :) The female characters weren't as pathetic/annoying as usual, Sharpe and Harper were on the top of their game, and the plot was great fun. ( )

No. 17 in the Richard Sharpe series.

Sharpe and Sgt. Harper are sent back to England to discover the whereabouts of promised recruits for their battered South Essex regiment. What they discover is an illegal recruiting ring that auctions off newly-trained soldiers to regiments that have a hard time obtaining volunteers, such as those regiments that serve in the fever-ridden West Indies. Sharpe and Harper go undercover and “steal” back a newly-formed group of soldiers and through a brazen scheme, send them off to join Wellington’s army. Sharpe being Sharpe, with his overactive libido, naturally there’s a woman involved.

But it wouldn’t be a Cornwell book without a rousing, bloody battle; in this installment, it’s the description of Wellington’s invasion of France. While not as exciting as some of the great battles that have already taken place, it still is a highly satisfactory ending to a book that is surprisingly good with a out-of-the-norm story line. Another whacking good story.

Sharpe, Harper and their colleagues continue to entertain, and as usual there is a fascinating cast of one-time characters. Cornwell excels in this kind of characterization, and his books continue to bring the era and the people in it vibrantly alive. Highly recommended. ( )