Akunin at his best. This is the 4th book in the series - about Nicolas Fandorin (the descendant of the famous Erast Fandorin, Akunin's most known protagonist - the debonair spy at the break of the 20th century), and though it comes after a long break, it's certainly worth the wait. It is as engaging and intriguing and thought provoking as all the books about his famous ancestor. Nicolas Fandorin is an unusual sort of historian and a problem solver in present day Russia, he is more down to earth than his ancestor the spy, but he doesn't lack the latter's acumen or courage or love of adventure. The events, though, are not happening in Russia, but aboard a cruise liner, and also with long flashbacks into history, 300 hundred years ago, to explain the plot. An utter treat to read! ( )

Un bon Akounine, mais existe t il de mauvais akounine. J'ai eu un peu de mal a rentré dans l'histoire comme dans tous les romans de la série des Nicholas Fandorine. La trame narrative est relativement simple. l'auteur se fait plaisir en nous racontant une histoire de pirate. Les modernes ne supportent pas la comparaison avec les historiques, qu'importe. Nicholas, grande perche, comme son arriere arriere arriere grand tante, s'en sort toujours avec un humour russo-britannique étonnant.
La grande trouvaille est de faire raconter le roman par un perroquet shintoiste et éternel, un espèce d'immortel ou d'ange malheureusement denué de la parole qui tente d'aider nos héros.
Le personnage de laetitia von Dorn est très attachant.
Un bon moment de lecture pour les amoureux des corsaires. ( )

I have been waiting for adventures like this! Every time I opened a book, I felt I was immersed into the events described on a particular page. Everything seemed so real! I wanted to be on that ship :)
The language is beautiful. Thank you Akunin for writing this great book! ( )