The first in the series feels different, in hindsight, to what came later - darker, more spectacular, harsher. Flashman punches Judy in the face, rapes Nareem - he would not really do either again (though he was harsh to the Cleonie in Flashman and the Redskins). He is rewarded for his transgressions with fame and wealth although is punished too - he suffers three times at the hands of Gul Shah, a terrific villain, goes through the horrific retreat from Kabul (some of Fraser's best ever writing), gets exiled to Scotland, is cuckolded by his wife (though Fraser keeps it a little ambiguous).
Fraser's writing is often inventive - he gets Flashman out of trouble with a duel, in the dungeon (quick thinking means he outsmarts a dwarf) though Flashman is rescued several times. The satire of Elphinstone and company is excellent, there is a rich galaxy of characters including Cardigan, Avitable, Wellington, Akbar Khan, McNaughton, Burnes, Queen Victoria, the Duke of Wellington, etc. The action sequences, particularly the murder of Burnes and the retreat, are superb.
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