Third Millennium Publishing, 2000, ISBN 1-929381-62-X, 286 pages

Author Scott Langley postulates that Napoleon escaped from St. Helena in 1821 and ended up uniting South America under his rule 23 years later. Learning his lesson, and that South America has few roads, he concentrates on building a navy under the control of ex-British Admiral Thomas Cochrane. In this navy is Capitaine Eligus Bronsan, a hero of many a sea battle and commander of a paddlewheel steamer called The River Wolf.

Langley's alternative historical novel uncorks a ripping good yarn about 1844 South America. While the opening seems taken from the original Indiana Jones movie (sketching an ancient Incan temple trasure map only to be interrupted by poison dart blowing primitives), the rest of the novel sails clear of such burdens. Indeed, the theft of said sketches starts a series of events dragging Bronsan to the Falklands in search of a Russian rival.

The prose reads quickly, the author seems to have researched mid 19th century ships, and the plot offers twists and turns along the way. The characters prove interesting and you get a sense of motivations and actions within a logical framework. If there's a continual nit to pick, it's the occasional diversion from the plot where the story comes to a full halt and you're inundated with too much information somewhat inelegantly told in large chunks.

If you'd really like to nibble the book to death with a pack of ducks, there's a couple of other points that could be addressed--like what happened to the storm and ship? One minute you're in a terrific scene reading about a terrible storm and the ship in peril and the next, Capt. Bronsan is in formal dress. Langley really pulled me into the storm scene. It is one of the most effective and captivating scenes in the book. The motivations of the captain meet the risks of the sea meet the impact of time meet the changeability of the weather, and bang--gripping action and descriptions. And then, in the middle, he leaves you high and dry. I mean, what happened? Yes, the ship came through, but how did it pull through?

And then there's the numerous references back to a pivotal battle in the past, but nary a good squadron action in the book. The battle explains some of the character motivations, but where is it? There is one ship-to-ship battle, and Langley carries it off with style. I guess I'm saying that there should be more.

Indeed, this untold pivotal battle, plus the episode about the Goat, would make an excellent "prequel" novel following Bronsan's rise to the Captaincy, not to mention his peripheral interaction and thoughts about serving under Napoleon.

In many respects, The River Wolf shows an author with a lot of potential, and I look forward to seeing how Langley develops his characters and where the next book will take them. But it also shows a need to tie the pieces together into a tighter flowing whole, so to speak. It needs to be less episodic and more coherent.

And yet, I certainly read through the book in its entirety and would like more. Langley has crafted a good historical alternative, and in some ways, an escape from St. Helena book would be an excellent start to a series following Captain Bronsan.

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