Richard Sharpe is continuing his successful career in the British military while serving in India. Four years have passed since the previous novel. Things take a turn for the worse when he is confronted with the actions of another officer who has joined the forces of the Mahratta confederation.

The Mahratta, seen previously in the earlier volume, have every intention of trying to force the British out of the subcontinent are willing to do anything to accomplish their goal. Sharpe is goes after the traitor i nth ehopes of bringing him in, only to be drawn into the battle of Assaye, where he has his first interaction with Sir Arthur Wllesley (the future Duke of Wellington).

From their the reader joins Sharpe as he is confronted with numerous battles, political intrigue, and danger as he hunts down his goal.

As with the earlier book, the novel is filled with rich historical detail that seems to capture the horrors of warfare taking place in India as Britain tries to bring it fully into the empire while some native peoples do everything they can to maintain their independence. Sharpe is really an intriguing character. In a way, he reminds me a lot of Horatio Hornblower, though the latter seems more keen on always doing the right thing.

I am definitely looking forward to the next book in the series.