Jacky Faber is back on the continent gaining glory, admirers and enemies by the dozens. We last left Jacky in a state of contentment, reunited with her Jaimy with plans to marry, and crossing the seas trading coal and ballasts for Faber Shipping Worldwide but good things never last for our favorite adventuress. Finally she’s going to answer to British Intelligence.

This is one of Meyer’s short novels in the Bloody Jack series and a bit slow too. The first half of the book goes over the familiar beats of Jacky befriending the enemy crew who have captured her, endearing herself to the doctor and captain and meeting old friends like Brotherhood member Davy Jones and Jacob from the Wolverine all while Biffill (remember him from the Dolphin?) protests against her good treatment.

It does have a brief moment of excitment as Jacky vainly tries to help the Dauntless escape from attack by the French with most of the crew out from food poisoning and then a subsequently horrifying stay in prison and near-death with the guillotine.

In fact it is the British Intelligence who have saved her head from rolling into a basket. Not because they want to hang her as they have always threatened but find her unique skill set of dancing, manipulativeness, street-wisdom and inane likeability to be perfect for a spy. As we all know Jacky is loathed to get involved in politics and war especially for a government that has done nothing but hounded her but they have blackmail on their side so Jacky accepts the mission to infiltrate Napolean’s ranks.

Now it’s the second half where it’s really fun as she explores the City of Love and Light with an adorable yet incompetent spy, Jean Paul, learns ballet, inadvertedly causes a bullet to be put in a top officer’s groin and then become one of the most celebrated messengers for Emperor Napolean.

As one can guess, Jacky makes friends wherever she goes and so she fnds herself in conflicts with what she is supposed to do in hating the Frogs and coming to admire her small unit that she trains from clodhoppers to a real fighting set. After all, they’re all human whether French or English.

You can bet that isn’t what the British expected when they forced into this but Jacky’s soft-hearted nature is what always sees her through and gets her out of scrapes and this time is no different.

Another interesting chapter in Jacky’s life that she can add to her treasure chest but a bit more somber compared to the previous chase down the US frontier.