In this installment, which opens right after the last book, Will first needs to help Gaston gain control over his madness, which has been gripping him since his torture/treatment at the hands of the crazy doctor. There are also changes coming to the buccaneers. New men arrive on Jamaica every day and many follow the lure of gold that piracy seems to promise, without caring for the traditions of the Brethren of the Coast. Amongst old friends who do hold to traditions, changes are happening, too. Will is instructed by his father to marry--and learns that Gaston desires him to have children some day. Striker lets it be known that he's also wished for children--and a wife, but fears Pete will kill someone rather than let that happen. Much of the first part of this book, the captain and crew of the Virgin Queen are sailing on their own, or in Port Royal, or off on other parts of the islands. There is a lot of action in the latter part when Henry Morgan gathers together the buccaneers for his famous attack on Porto Bello. But there is not a dull moment in the entire 600 pages of this book.

I am so grateful that the author has written this series. Sometimes books can be magic of the highest order--casting a spell that can transport a reader to other worlds to meet and adventure with people who can be known better than oneself. I can't wait to read the next book (which fortunately for me, is available as I write this). I will need to wait for the right moment when I can put aside time to immerse myself again in this amazingly vivid world with these incredible characters and adventures. These are books I wish would never end, so I know I will be re-reading them as soon as I can. ( )

Good, but not as good as either "Brethren" of "Treasure." I feel that the philosophical conversations were a bit too frequent and lengthy, and I got a bit tired of the constant analogies and metaphors. Still, a wonderful series!!!! ( )

Not quite as good as the first one, as it decends into ridiculous nadirs of hurt/comfort, but still long and wonderfully filled with gay pirates. ( )

Sequel to Brethren and unfortunately not quite as good. Will and Gaston spend most of the book having sex, and the author's tendency to invoke animals gets more pronounced. People are called wolves, sheep, centaurs, puppies, lions, and Horses. Still, gay pirates. And I will definitely read the next one. ( )

Will, otherwise the Viscount Marsdale, and Gaston his matelot, deepen their love for one another as they contend with the new problems that confront them. Not least of these is that Will is expected to take a wife and produce a son and so continue the family line if he is to inherit as his father’s heir. Gaston’s feelings on this are mixed to say the least.
Henry Morgan has plans for lucrative raids, but Will has doubts about the admiral’s true intent. They also have to cope with the many new recruits who need training in the ways of the Brethren, as well as the fickle French with whom they plan to battle against the Spanish.
Striker and Pete have issues of their own to deal with. We also see relationships between some of the other buccaneers nurtured and blossom; while others prove themselves less faithful to their former friends.
The overriding theme though is the relationship between Will and Gaston. Gaston’s madness is an ever present threat, and in addition there are new developments to test their devotion. As they struggle to find ways to address these issues, and develop powerful metaphors to help understand them, they appear to grow even closer. They also strive to find ways to address the problems of the physical aspect of their relationship. But it is the time they spend in conversation together that is their strength, and it is this aspect of the book that makes the story rather intense at times, such that, while I was keen to know the next development, I felt I needed frequent breaks while reading, (this is by no means meant as a negative comment).
The descriptions of places and events add much colour to the story, and a quick search with Goggle and Goggle maps confirmed the accuracy here.
An enthralling read, I very much enjoyed this second part of Raised By Wolves; I now very much look forward to the third volume in the series. ( )

Usually, the second book in a trilogy doesn't hold up to the calibur of the first. Hoffman, however, delivers in spades. Matelots is equal to, if not better than, Brethren: Raised by Wolves. Hoffman makes exceptional use of language to put the reader in the time period without burdening us with difficult to read passages. The old-fashioned phrasing used by the characters could have been awkward, but is heart-felt and realistic here. Secondary characters take a bigger part in this story, especially Gaston, making the dialog even more important. The author cleverly shows the "evolution" of buccaneers into pirates and how the term "mate" derived from matelot to be more encompassing (much to the disgust of a few characters!). Whether this is historically accurate is irrelevant; it gives the reader something to grab onto in the story to connect them with what we *think* we know about pirates and who the buccaneers actually were. The pacing of the book is excellent and there is a lot of action, but the focus is the evolving relationship between Gaston and Will.

At the end of Brethren, we saw that Will and Gaston had grown to love one another, but there are more obstacles in their way than sexual preference. Gaston and Will both have personal demons that threaten to destroy them from within. Gaston does suffer some mental illness which is exacerbated by the horrors in his past and his fear of hurting Will. Will has been damaged both physically and mentally by the cruelty Shane inflicted on him. Add to this Will's father scheming to have Will marry and produce an heir, Gaston's dangerous jealousy over potential brides, the consequences of their encounter with Doucette, and the dangers of their lifestyle and these two have a lot to overcome.

I cannot recommend these two books enough!! They are wonderful stories with depth and power that will keep a reader up long past their bedtime to finish. This is historical fiction at its best. ( )

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