Rating: 
Summary: Killer Librarian Meets Captain Aubrey
Review: Bibliophile friends recommended this book to me on two counts: they said that it contains one of the deadliest hiney-kicking librarians in all of fiction, and that the partnership between the two leads is reminiscent of the late (sigh) Patrick O'Brian's team of Aubrey and Maturin. Both recommendations are definitely true. The book kept me turning pages and very absorbed in the plot. I especially appreciated that Drake didn't drag in a romance just because his two main characters were male and female. I can imagine something like that happening a few books down the line, but as fast as the plot moved in this first outing it would have been very implausible.My only complaint was that Drake seemed to work TOO hard at making his futuristic space navies similar to Hornblower or Maturin's British Navy -- complete with masts, barefoot sailors, and prize money. David Weber's "Honor Harrington" series has a little bit lighter touch with this kind of thing. Still, looking forward to the sequel due out in August.
Rating: 
Summary: A far cry from his great works
Review: By which I mean Hammers Slammers (of course). Women! This one heads up a female role like he got married and she was all over his writing. This is definitely new ground in writing for him. But, he's the best in his field. He'll overcome his inadequacies in merging. Now for the kicker: I'd always wanted to be there when Hammer's Slammers kicked off with Hammer and Joachim and the white mice. This would be it! A deadly and talented woman as the leads (Daniel) first in command and... Joachim in a womans form, under Daniels first in command with alias' and complications. Drake is amazing where he will go and has the genius of natural talent to take it there. I subscribed to amazons e-mail notifications to catch the next novel in this series. An awesome read for THE NAVY, FAMILY HONOR, and JUSTICE. TheNIGHTCRAWLER (Has stated the obscure)
Rating:
Summary: The best work David Drake has done alone, so far
Review: David Drake wrote a novel with Janet Morris, "Arc Riders," which is one of the finest novels about time travel in Science Fiction. He has always written good stories with good technology, but I have found it hard to identify with his main characters. And though not in the same league as S.M. Stirling, I have found his graphic descriptions of mayhem unsettling. This novel is as enjoyable as a David Weber novel, with leading characters you can identify with and like. It is not really a future war novel, more of an adventure novel with war in it. "Starliner" and "The Forlorn Hope" were good novels in this genre, but this is the best work David Drake has done alone, so far. It would make an excellent beginning for a series.
Rating:
Summary: Hornblower in space
Review: I'm *NOT* a big David Drake fan. Usually, his stories, particularly the Slammers, have left me feeling as if I'd been dropped into the Augean Stables and then left for the stuff to dry on me. Those of his characters I've met generally belong on any reasonable "Shoot to kill on sight!" list. This one is at least somewhat better, in that it didn't revolt me and I don't feel any particular urge to drown both of the major characters as a favor to humanity. As a matter of fact, I managed to finish the book, which is the first for a Drake novel in years. Why did I try this book? Because of the Belisarius series by "Drake and Flint" (An Oblique Approach, In the Heart of Darkness, Destiny's Shield, and Fortune's Stroke, so far). I figured maybe Drake might have improved. He has. Like I said, I finished the book, and the roughly $1.75 I paid for my copy was worth it.
Rating: 
Summary: Drake has improved to being marginal.
Review: I'm *NOT* a big David Drake fan. Usually, his stories, particularly the Slammers, have left me feeling as if I'd been dropped into the Augean Stables and then left for the stuff to dry on me. Those of his characters I've met generally belong on any reasonable "Shoot to kill on sight!" list. This one is at least somewhat better, in that it didn't revolt me and I don't feel any particular urge to drown both of the major characters as a favor to humanity. As a matter of fact, I managed to finish the book, which is the first for a Drake novel in years. Why did I try this book? Because of the Belisarius series by "Drake and Flint" (An Oblique Approach, In the Heart of Darkness, Destiny's Shield, and Fortune's Stroke, so far). I figured maybe Drake might have improved. He has. Like I said, I finished the book, and the roughly $1.75 I paid for my copy was worth it.
Rating:
Summary: Drake is chasing Weber's coattails
Review: If I had to guess, David Drake has decided he'd like a piece of David Weber's action. Daniel Leary and Adele Mundy make an interesting pair, and Drake's description of their unusual relationship (strictly professional) is part of the interest for this novel. Leary is a young naval officer whose easy going way is quite different from any Drake character in memory. Adele Mundy is a woman whose passion is information, and together they make a dangerous team. While in a similar vein as Weber's Honor Harrington books, "With the Lightnings" is a much different universe, an odd mixture of 3rd world ineptitude and corruption mixed with futuristic technology. The Republic of Cinnabar, Leary and Mundy's home star nation is an odd mixture of revolutionary France and Victorian England. The planet Kostroma (where most of the novel takes place) stands in as Spain for a further parallell to the world of Hornblower or Sharpe. Drake's casual way with the lives of supporting characters is still there. They die in droves, frequently described quite graphically. Still and all, an entertaining way to pass the time until Weber finishes his next book.
Rating:
Summary: Drake is chasing Weber's coattails
Review: If I had to guess, David Drake has decided he'd like a piece of David Weber's action. Daniel Leary and Adele Mundy make an interesting pair, and Drake's description of their unusual relationship (strictly professional) is part of the interest for this novel. Leary is a young naval officer whose easy going way is quite different from any Drake character in memory. Adele Mundy is a woman whose passion is information, and together they make a dangerous team. While in a similar vein as Weber's Honor Harrington books, "With the Lightnings" is a much different universe, an odd mixture of 3rd world ineptitude and corruption mixed with futuristic technology. The Republic of Cinnabar, Leary and Mundy's home star nation is an odd mixture of revolutionary France and Victorian England. The planet Kostroma (where most of the novel takes place) stands in as Spain for a further parallell to the world of Hornblower or Sharpe. Drake's casual way with the lives of supporting characters is still there. They die in droves, frequently described quite graphically. Still and all, an entertaining way to pass the time until Weber finishes his next book.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent, even though it's been done before
Review: If you enjoy space opera, this book is for you. Drake writes about a group of sailors (and one civilian) trapped on a planet which changes sides in an ongoing interstellar war. They change from welcome guests, to being hunted by their former hosts. If you are a David Drake fan, you will recognize this as being very similar to the situation in THE FORLORN HOPE--And you will be right. But this is not merely a rehashing of the same theme--The story is different, and very enjoyable and moving. To survive, the protagonists have to learn to depend on each other. I felt THE FORLORN HOPE was a better book, but this book is still excellent.
Rating:
Summary: A stimulating, unusual story
Review: Let's get the plot out of the way first; it's fairly straightforward. Lt. Daniel Leary, of the interstellar Republic of Cinnabar, is a junior officer aboard the communications vessel RCS Aglaia, sent to the planet Kostroma for diplomatic purposes. Adele Mundy, whose family was massacred on orders of Leary's politically important father, is the new Electoral Librarian of Kostroma, trying to get a government library off the ground with virtually no help from the ostensible government. The Alliance, Cinnabar's deadly enemy, takes over Kostroma in a single night of violence, and the eager Daniel and dispassionate Adele are Cinnabar's only hope. The result is a space opera that takes place mostly on the ground. With more politicking and character development and less action than Drake's usual work, With the Lightnings is surprisingly thoughtful for military science fiction. The physical conflicts are resolved not so much through violence than through outside-the-box thinking and skilful research, to the point that this book promotes a surprisingly positive view of information science. This is remarkably refreshing storytelling. Admittedly, With the Lightnings is Aubrey/Maturin in space, in the same sense that Honor Harrington is Horatio Hornblower in space. If you don't like Napoleonic sea stories, they're both hard to get into - but there is a caveat. Despite the similarities to their literary counterparts, Daniel Leary of Bantry and Adele Mundy of Chatsworth are unique, engaging characters with offbeat personalities. Lieutenant Leary, for example, the rough `n' tough naval officer, is an enthusiastic naturalist, and the Kostroman wildlife that Drake provides for his likable curiosity is exciting in itself, with shades of Drake's survival novel "The Jungle." In fact, it's that very curiosity that draws him to Adele, whose favorite pastime is looking things up. Ah, Adele. What is it I like about her? She's not just a spy; she's a librarian, and her intelligence still comes into play despite all the cool technology that she has to aid her. As a library student, I've learned that merely getting information is never enough (particularly with today's "information overload," especially on the Internet). You must recognize which information is important and how to use it, and Adele demonstrates this perfectly. I have seriously recommended this book to fellow students and librarians, because it inadvertently takes a positive look at the information industry. While some readers may think the book is at first slow (because the real conflict only appears 150 pages in), I was captivated by the descriptions of Adele's duties as a librarian, and by Drake's ideas of what makes for a good library - perfect discussion material for most of the classes I'm taking. Daniel Leary's own inquisitiveness also takes up a good deal of story time, and his interests in biology become an important plot point later on. Adele's other unusual trait is her expertise with a pistol; her detached skill with an instrument of death further accentuates her cool objectivity. As a character, she perfectly balances Daniel's fiery cheerfulness. Both Daniel and Adele are professionals in their fields, and they treat each other with a professional sort of friendship that, delightedly, has no romantic overtones. They're friends, not lovers, yet they're dedicated to each other as they are to their jobs. This is what friendship should be; again, it's refreshing. Okay, I admit that the plot of With the Lightnings is pedestrian. But David Drake, with unique sci-fi concepts and compelling characters, makes it work and come alive in a way few authors can. This is a book to treasure.
Rating:
Summary: A stimulating, unusual story
Review: Let's get the plot out of the way first; it's fairly straightforward. Lt. Daniel Leary, of the interstellar Republic of Cinnabar, is a junior officer aboard the communications vessel RCS Aglaia, sent to the planet Kostroma for diplomatic purposes. Adele Mundy, whose family was massacred on orders of Leary's politically important father, is the new Electoral Librarian of Kostroma, trying to get a government library off the ground with virtually no help from the ostensible government. The Alliance, Cinnabar's deadly enemy, takes over Kostroma in a single night of violence, and the eager Daniel and dispassionate Adele are Cinnabar's only hope. The result is a space opera that takes place mostly on the ground. With more politicking and character development and less action than Drake's usual work, With the Lightnings is surprisingly thoughtful for military science fiction. The physical conflicts are resolved not so much through violence than through outside-the-box thinking and skilful research, to the point that this book promotes a surprisingly positive view of information science. This is remarkably refreshing storytelling. Admittedly, With the Lightnings is Aubrey/Maturin in space, in the same sense that Honor Harrington is Horatio Hornblower in space. If you don't like Napoleonic sea stories, they're both hard to get into - but there is a caveat. Despite the similarities to their literary counterparts, Daniel Leary of Bantry and Adele Mundy of Chatsworth are unique, engaging characters with offbeat personalities. Lieutenant Leary, for example, the rough 'n' tough naval officer, is an enthusiastic naturalist, and the Kostroman wildlife that Drake provides for his likable curiosity is exciting in itself, with shades of Drake's survival novel "The Jungle." In fact, it's that very curiosity that draws him to Adele, whose favorite pastime is looking things up. Ah, Adele. What is it I like about her? She's not just a spy; she's a librarian, and her intelligence still comes into play despite all the cool technology that she has to aid her. As a library student, I've learned that merely getting information is never enough (particularly with today's "information overload," especially on the Internet). You must recognize which information is important and how to use it, and Adele demonstrates this perfectly. I have seriously recommended this book to fellow students and librarians, because it inadvertently takes a positive look at the information industry. While some readers may think the book is at first slow (because the real conflict only appears 150 pages in), I was captivated by the descriptions of Adele's duties as a librarian, and by Drake's ideas of what makes for a good library - perfect discussion material for most of the classes I'm taking. Daniel Leary's own inquisitiveness also takes up a good deal of story time, and his interests in biology become an important plot point later on. Adele's other unusual trait is her expertise with a pistol; her detached skill with an instrument of death further accentuates her cool objectivity. As a character, she perfectly balances Daniel's fiery cheerfulness. Both Daniel and Adele are professionals in their fields, and they treat each other with a professional sort of friendship that, delightedly, has no romantic overtones. They're friends, not lovers, yet they're dedicated to each other as they are to their jobs. This is what friendship should be; again, it's refreshing. Okay, I admit that the plot of With the Lightnings is pedestrian. But David Drake, with unique sci-fi concepts and compelling characters, makes it work and come alive in a way few authors can. This is a book to treasure.
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