In this book we have a chance to overhear some of Aristotle's views on biology and medicine. In contrast to the sub-plot in Aristotle and Poetic Justice featuring romanticised adventures with war and pirates, this time we are well and truly exposed to the reality of what happens to ordinary innocent people caught up in wars and piracy. I don't think I am particularly squeamish and when warnings are given about the contents of books I often fail to see what all the fuss is about. Nevertheless, I do have to say that unless you have a very strong stomach you might prefer to skip the last couple of pages of chapter XX in which some sympathetic minor characters come to a shocking end. No doubt such things did and do happen, but I at least would have appreciated some distancing effect in the narrative at this point. Stephanos' plain narrative tone, without any over-explicit embellishments, somehow brings the shocking nature of the events very close.
Leaving that aside, there are the usual beautiful descriptions of what daily life, in particular shipboard life, was like at the time. There are touches of humour, but in many ways this is a darker story than the previous ones in the series. It will be interesting to see whether this tone is carried forward to the next ones.
