The irrepresible Jacky Faber is back at it again. Her debt to the Crown seems all squared away until the dasteredly Biffil and Flashby team up to bring Jacky’s good name to the dirt of the gallows. Luckily, her many friends (and admirers) come to her aid during the trial. Not enough to get her free but instead of the hangman’s noose, she and her beloved new brig the Lorelei Lee are being transfered to the Crown’s possession to bring convicts to populate New South Wales, Australia!

As one can imagine it really pokes into Jacky’s ego that her possession is now belonging to the Crown and her impending nuptials with Jaimy Fletcher are stalled once again as she seems she’ll permenantly live out the rest of her life as a convict in Australia. Luckily, the ship is not a frightful journey as her other adventures. Captain Laughton is a cheerful hedonist who takes full advantage of a ship full of convicts and whores, encouraging the ladies and lads to get together. After all, the point of the journey is to populate New South Wales so there will be plenty of burgeoning bellies once they get to shore. He also has a financial stake in it as the head count increases if the ladies are pregnant.

But it’s actually quite fun as there are sea-faring traditions like the playful war between Shellshacks and Pollywogs including a fake “rebellion,” dunkings and a stark naked Captain dressing as King Neptune. Plus Jacky has some privileges as the Captain often invites her to dinner to provide musical entertainment. It also helps that the ever-faithful Higgins joins her trip as Assistant Purser to the Captain under the guise of not knowing each other which allows them to keep each other safe. Mainly Jacky safe but you get the idea.

This also gets to how I am once again astounded by the breadth of Jacky’s talents. We all know she’s a resourceful girl who learns many useful skills as she goes but let’s just list them now to admire them.

-Sailing, painting, cannonry, sword fighting, fencing, diving, guitar, fiddle, hornpipe, archery, singing, acting, speaks Spanish, French, some Latin, and English, scientific illustration, pick-pocketing, shooting and just so much. She’s a real role model I believe and with such vast array of skills, it’s no wonder she quickly wins over people.

Besides that, there’s visists to Gilbatar and India of which she soon picks up a sweet young orphan named Ravi as well as angering the worshippers of the Goddess Kali and getting just kicked out of India by its governer. Yeah, the Captain and his crew were not as charmed with her then. But at least she got an elephant ride out of it.

But really it’s not all fun and games even though its quite enjoyable throughout. Things are intially dire as the female convicts (many of whom were picked up in brothels for the breeding project) separate into crews according to brothels. The Lizzies of London under the Ms. Barnsley who despises what she sees as Jacky’s holier than thou attitude. Ms. Berry of the Liverpool Judies, and Ms.McDonald of the Scottish Tartans. That just leaves Jacky with her Newgaters, girls who are more thieves than prostitutes and whom Jacky bonded with while in Newgate prison. This includes several founding mothers of Australia as Meyer writes in his Apologia for historical license. There’s Mary Wade, Molly Reiby, and Esther Abrahams who really don’t do much, I assume because Meyer didn’t want to take too much revision to historical figures that Australians care about.

Anyway, those divisions are intially rough as they have to compeate to make money to pay for the best bunks which the prostitutes have an easier way of getting considering their oldest profession while the Newgaters deal with laundry and rat-killing.

There’s also the despicable First Mate Ruger whom shares none of Laughton’s affability, a propensity for drink and cruel to women. Of course, he has his eye on Jacky since finding her tattoo that confirms her infamous history. He also has his eye on the pregnant Maraid. Yep, same Mairead from Under the Jolly Roger and Liam Delany’s daughter. She was also captured to be put on the ship.

This is contrasted with Jaimy’s imprisonment as he is put under the same trials and exiled from the Royal navy. He heads with a bunch of Jacky’s Irish crew who were captured as they waited for Jacky to hire them back for Faber Shipping. Their journey to the penal colonies are not filled with parties and celebrations but chained to their cells exempting a brief shuffle on the deck as they’re beaten and spat at by their wardens including the perverse Weasel from H.M.S. Wolverine.

So inspired by his crafty beloved, Jaimy engineers a mutiny with the rest of the mates. It’s nice to see this new side of Jaimy as he has been a bit one note in his proper British gentleman nature with a side streak of violent jealousy. This brief time as a convict brings about a harder side to jaimy as well as a more understanding side in his interactions with Jacky as he takes on her role as captain of others with enemies abound.

So yes, lots of adventure in this saga and I haven’t even gotten to Jacky’s meeting with the infamous Chinese pirate Ching Shih which is . . . well that would all be spoilers.

While not much character devlopment is present here for Jacky, it does provide some for Jaimy and seeing a new view of the world with its general lighter tone (as light as it can be when decapitation, pirate battles and assault is still a threat) makes it a treat to read. It’s cliffhanger will surely leave you waiting for more.