21: The Final Unfinished Voyage of Jack Aubrey Book

Impossible to rate this fairly since it ends mid-sentence in Chapter 3, and I don't know if O'Brian ever left any notes as to his plot ideas. Who knows what Jack and Stephen would have gotten up to. So I'll hazard a 3 for what was written. It was a solid start, as all of the Aubrey books have been.

The last couple books had been disappointing in how the plot and pace spun out, but this one started out strong IMO, with some more glimpses into Jack and Stephen's domestic life. It is probably too much to hope that O'Brian would have elevated Bridget, Stephen's daughter, into a plot focus (since the chicks tend to get brief screen time, even though they are usually effectively utilized when they do appear in a story). Bridget's aptitude for sailing matters and a scientific bent is a sharp contrast to Jack's vapid and plump female spawn and I liked seeing the rivalry for Mrs. Aubrey's affections that was ablaze between the girls in the household. Bridget seems like a melding of Jack and Stephen's characteristics. She could have become rather interesting in future installments.

So now I've come to the end of one of my two favoritest series ever in all literature. It's been marvelous sailing, with a couple spells in the doldrums, and the voyage has been utterly book-life altering.