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Reviewed by Asher Syed for Readers' Favorite
In C.W. Lovatt’s Daniel Stubb:1808-1809, Daniel Stubb, a young British cavalry officer serving in Portugal during the Peninsular War, arrives with the 20th Light Dragoons as Sir Arthur Wellesley begins forcing Napoleon’s army from Iberia. Inexperienced in command, Daniel must carry orders through gunfire and lead the men when senior officers fail, learning how quickly courage can be lost. His role changes after Wellesley selects him as a staff galloper, a messenger sent wherever the battle is closest. Then Daniel rescues Marie Renarde, the French General Latour’s mistress, from attackers near Orepesa. Her knowledge of French plans pulls Daniel into danger beyond the battlefield, where his loyalty to Wellesley collides with his attachment to her as Britain’s campaign moves toward Talavera. Daniel must decide what Marie is worth risking.
C.W. Lovatt’s Daniel Stubb is brilliant historical fiction in wartime Iberia. Lovatt loads the book with period detail, leaning into what can only be the result of exhaustive research, such as Baker rifles outmatching French muskets near Vimeiro, and British two-rank platoon fire breaking Napoleonic columns at Talavera. Daniel is easy to root for, and Lovatt does a great job of formulating his arc from a seasick lieutenant to a galloper. Still, it is Marie who I found to be the most fascinating, and I could easily read a prequel on her alone. Rising to the ranks of a prominent mistress requires skill, cunning, and a degree of intelligence that makes her ferocious as both a lover and a fighter. Lovatt makes her a fully realized character through her Berlin history, her Talavera insight, and her access to Latour—which by default means access to Napoleon. With sharp scenery and battles, historical fiction readers who enjoy the likes of Griff Hosker and Adrian Goldsworthy will appreciate this book. Recommended.
