Rating: 
Summary: Not commanding my attention
Review: With the Lightnings (precursor to this story) was interesting enough that I read Lt. Leary Commanding. It is now residing in the box heading towards my local used book store. I was still interested enough to finsh the book to see if it ended the way I thought it would (it did, no big surprises).Drake continually interrupts his writing to explain the motives of the characters - as if I wasn't paying attention or too dim to pick it up myself. (I am not speaking of filling in the gaps for those who hadn't read the previous book, which were expected.) Stylistically, this really disrupts the flow of reading. Drake can write well and can write good action. I was disappointed to see the quality of his work disrupted. The overall story line was interesting. There was a more than satisfactory amount of action, political and military. I enjoyed the brief descriptions of the various crew members. They weren't detailed, not being major characters, but they were at least interesting and varigated. Occasionally to the point that I wonder if the author's acquaintences could put names to them... However, the two main characters (Lt. Leary and PO Mundy) are flat. Very nicely painted, with much potential, but still flat. Am I really expected to believe that a physically bumbling and aristocratically arrogant communications officer who knows nothing about, and apparently has made no effort to gain knowledge of, the Navy in which she serves, is supposed to be a welcome crew member? The rest of the crew is a collection of crack, top-notch sailors, but not her? The book reminds me of some civilians' over-done portrait of the military: accept the structure presented and don't wonder why it's done that way. Perhaps it is not the characters, but their motivations which are flat. How many times can Adele Mundy be offended because someone adddressed "A Mundy of Chatsworth" in that manner? How many times will we read Lt. Leary thinking that "A Leary of Bantry"....?? If you want an aristocratic tradition painted into your far-flung futuristic space faring navy, avoid this book and head for another David: David Weber.
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