Disclaimer: I received this book for free as part of a Goodreads Giveaway.

While this wasn't a tough read, it wasn't a particularly enjoyable one, either. At least Captain Cook and Dickson were fun characters to follow, and though I didn't care much for the plot at least I enjoyed reading their parts in the story.

I often confused characters, not being able to remember the difference between Lucy and Sarah, and the constant switch in points of view didn't help, either. I didn't find some scenes necessary, and overall the plot had no sense of urgency to me, but the read was still smooth and I couldn't help but liken my experience to that of watching a movie (especially the comedic parts with Cook and Pitman).

The language was admirable, at least. The way each character spoke fit them well and identified them easily (at least, those characters that I could differentiate). The setting was well established, too; nothing felt like it was out of place, and I was fully immersed in the world.

I wish I was able to enjoy the story more, though, but that may be because I didn't care much for the overall plot. Captain Cook's story was definitely the most interesting, and he was a joy to follow because of how much a gentleman he was all while being the brute he needed to be at times. Dickson's role in the story was the icing on the cake, because even though he wasn't always particularly necessary, with his lewd pamphlets and his love for nuts, he was a fun character .

Though I'm not quite experienced with novels set during the plague, I still liked the story despite my lack of interest in the plot. All I wanted was for Captain Cook to succeed, and in the end that was good enough for me.