Rating: 
Summary: A Wonderful Offering from the Mind of Mr. Drake!
Review: Simply a great read! I picked it up at the library, now I have to get my own copy! I hope this is the premier novel of a great new series!
Rating: 
Summary: Entertaining space opera
Review: They used to call this kind of thing space opera. No, not a visionary and intellectually challenging exploration of social possibilities (geez, if that's what you want, go back and read LeGuin or Cherryh) but a dam' fine read that accomplishes all to which it aspires. The reviews that have compared it to O'Bryan's Aubrey - Maturin novels and (to a lesser extent) to Weber's Honor Harrington series, are dead on. Good company imho, though in this tale Drake is less technical than Weber and less encyclopaedically erudite than O'Bryan. For what it's worth and in case the word hasn't gotten around, Drake has a sequel coming out titled "Lt. Leary Commanding" due out from Baen Books this coming July. I thought well enough of With the Lightnings that I plan to snag the sequel as soon as it hits the shelves.
Rating:
Summary: Hornblower in space
Review: This is not the typical David Drake novel. There still is quite a bit of bloodletting and it is fast paced, but the set of characters is un-Drake like and much better balanced. This has very much the flavor of the Hornblower-series with slight overtones of the Aubrey-Maturin series.Indeed the story is a little forced to fit into that format (the whiz-kid librarian in particular stretches belief) but a very commendable effort. It is not that easy to transpose Hornblower into space! Very enjoyable.
Rating:
Summary: Drake's best to date!
Review: This is, in my opinion, Drake's best to date. I even likedit better than "Forlorn Hope" - which was my previous favorite. I'd give it a ten on a scale of one to ten. I think most of you who like Drake will love this one. For those of you who aren't fans of Drake, I will say that this novel doesn't have the "dark" emotional overlay that some of his works have, in particular many of the "Hammer's Slammers" series. It is a rousing adventure with well drawn and likeable characacters. The main characters are a naval lieutenant and an unusual librarian. One of my favorite quotes: {Lamsoe is a Navy rating that has just been assigned to a mission with our librarian} Lamsoe murmured, "Proud to be chosen, Mistress. There's always something happening where you are." "It's an occupational hazard for librarians," Adele said. I'm just hoping this will become a series!
Rating:
Summary: Drake's best to date!
Review: This is, in my opinion, Drake's best to date. I even likedit better than "Forlorn Hope" - which was my previous favorite. I'd give it a ten on a scale of one to ten. I think most of you who like Drake will love this one. For those of you who aren't fans of Drake, I will say that this novel doesn't have the "dark" emotional overlay that some of his works have, in particular many of the "Hammer's Slammers" series. It is a rousing adventure with well drawn and likeable characacters. The main characters are a naval lieutenant and an unusual librarian. One of my favorite quotes: {Lamsoe is a Navy rating that has just been assigned to a mission with our librarian} Lamsoe murmured, "Proud to be chosen, Mistress. There's always something happening where you are." "It's an occupational hazard for librarians," Adele said. I'm just hoping this will become a series!
Rating:
Summary: A good, fun and quick read.
Review: This was an excellent read. Fun, engaging and a pleasant way to spend an afternoon. The only criticism one might have is that the book would make a good start for further character and plot development with a trilogy or a series.
Rating:
Summary: Sci-Fi's Answer to Aubrey & Maturin
Review: Whenever a sci-fi author writes of naval adventures in space, the comparison is inevitably made to the great "Horatio Hornblower" series by C. S. Forrester. However, the past decade has brought focus on a new series of naval adventures, the late Patrick O'Brian's New York Times best-selling "Aubrey-Maturin" series, which looks to remain, at 20 novels, one of the most comprehensive stories of naval and scientific adventure ever to be set against the backdrop of the Napoleonic Wars, and the War of 1812. In that vein, author David Drake has created his own version of British Royal Navy officer Jack Aubrey, with the introduction of Lt. Daniel Leary, a young officer in the Republic of Cinnabar's Navy. Young Lt. Leary is a ladies man, although he could be in better shape. Still, Leary is a highly skilled and promising young officer, who thrills in his love of scientific knowledge, but who feels that his naval career might not amount to much, given his estrangement with his politically powerful father. Drake finds his Dr. Steven Maturin, a man who is physician, scientist, scholar and spy, in the form of Adele Mundy, a librarian and information specialist, who has been given the job of setting up a library for the newest ruler of Kostroma, an erstwhile ally of Cinnabar. Adele is an expatriate of Cinnabar, formerly having been one of the aristocracy, like Leary. Lt. Leary is on Kostroma as part of a diplomatic mission, and stumbles onto Adele as he goes to the new library in pursuit of his scientific hobbies. Adele is not well disposed towards Daniel, as his father was resposible for her exile from Cinnabar, as well as the death of her parents and 10 year old sister, all the result of political machinations. This novel is rich in political intrigue, derring-do, swashbuckling, the exploration of the natural world, and the importance of information. Adele and Daniel are thrown together as they combat a plot by the Alliance of Stars to drive Kostroma out of the arms of Cinnabar, and into the clutches of that ruthless interstellar empire. This is a truly enjoyable book, with enjoyable characters, and what looks to be the start of a beautiful friendship between Mundy and Leary. I highly recommend this book.
Rating:
Summary: Sci-Fi's Answer to Aubrey & Maturin
Review: Whenever a sci-fi author writes of naval adventures in space, the comparison is inevitably made to the great "Horatio Hornblower" series by C. S. Forrester. However, the past decade has brought focus on a new series of naval adventures, the late Patrick O'Brian's New York Times best-selling "Aubrey-Maturin" series, which looks to remain, at 20 novels, one of the most comprehensive stories of naval and scientific adventure ever to be set against the backdrop of the Napoleonic Wars, and the War of 1812. In that vein, author David Drake has created his own version of British Royal Navy officer Jack Aubrey, with the introduction of Lt. Daniel Leary, a young officer in the Republic of Cinnabar's Navy. Young Lt. Leary is a ladies man, although he could be in better shape. Still, Leary is a highly skilled and promising young officer, who thrills in his love of scientific knowledge, but who feels that his naval career might not amount to much, given his estrangement with his politically powerful father. Drake finds his Dr. Steven Maturin, a man who is physician, scientist, scholar and spy, in the form of Adele Mundy, a librarian and information specialist, who has been given the job of setting up a library for the newest ruler of Kostroma, an erstwhile ally of Cinnabar. Adele is an expatriate of Cinnabar, formerly having been one of the aristocracy, like Leary. Lt. Leary is on Kostroma as part of a diplomatic mission, and stumbles onto Adele as he goes to the new library in pursuit of his scientific hobbies. Adele is not well disposed towards Daniel, as his father was resposible for her exile from Cinnabar, as well as the death of her parents and 10 year old sister, all the result of political machinations. This novel is rich in political intrigue, derring-do, swashbuckling, the exploration of the natural world, and the importance of information. Adele and Daniel are thrown together as they combat a plot by the Alliance of Stars to drive Kostroma out of the arms of Cinnabar, and into the clutches of that ruthless interstellar empire. This is a truly enjoyable book, with enjoyable characters, and what looks to be the start of a beautiful friendship between Mundy and Leary. I highly recommend this book.
Rating:
Summary: Pity Their Enemies
Review: With the Lightnings is the first novel in the Leary, RCN, series. Lieutenant Daniel Leary is an officer on the Republic of Cinnabar Navy ship Aglaia with no money and no prospects. Adele Mundy is a scholar and librarian with no money and no prospects. In this novel, they meet on Kostroma in the Elector's Library, which is under Adele's supervision. They recognize each other as fellow bibliophiles. She is trying to get the palace carpenters to put up some simple shelves for the stored books and other items, but having little luck in getting across her needs, so Daniel offers to provide her with assistance from his ship's crew. They begin to strike up a friendship ... until Adele discovers that Daniel's father is Speaker Corder Leary. She then snubs Daniel and he leaves fluming with anger. Later, Daniel learns that she is a Mundy of Chatsworth, whose family was all shot as conspirators by order of Daniel's father. He rounds up a work party from the ship and takes them to the Elector's library to assist Adele in putting up the shelves. He provides his card in case that she would want to have a friend call on him to arrange the details of their duel, but she realizes that Daniel had nothing to do with the death of her family, he being only seven years old at the time, and releases her anger. The petty officer over the detail takes crew, carpenters, and library assistants in charge and starts them building shelves with no more nonsense. This novel features some interesting characterization, particularly of Adele, who is a strong-willed woman much like Honor Harrington, even to her expertise with a dueling pistol. However, she is not a leader of men (or women), but rather is an expert and advisor. Daniel is the leader in this story, fitted for this role by both training and talent. The plot is fairly obvious (the shooting begins a little later in the tale), but is fast, furious and fun. What Adele can do with a data terminal is just short of miracleous and, after the onset of the invasion, she applies this expertise for the RCN Aglaia. Recommended for Drake fans and anyone else who enjoys spatial combat tales with likeable characters.
Rating:
Summary: Pity Their Enemies
Review: With the Lightnings is the first novel in the Leary, RCN, series. Lieutenant Daniel Leary is an officer on the Republic of Cinnabar Navy ship Aglaia with no money and no prospects. Adele Mundy is a scholar and librarian with no money and no prospects. In this novel, they meet on Kostroma in the Elector's Library, which is under Adele's supervision. They recognize each other as fellow bibliophiles. She is trying to get the palace carpenters to put up some simple shelves for the stored books and other items, but having little luck in getting across her needs, so Daniel offers to provide her with assistance from his ship's crew. They begin to strike up a friendship ... until Adele discovers that Daniel's father is Speaker Corder Leary. She then snubs Daniel and he leaves fluming with anger. Later, Daniel learns that she is a Mundy of Chatsworth, whose family was all shot as conspirators by order of Daniel's father. He rounds up a work party from the ship and takes them to the Elector's library to assist Adele in putting up the shelves. He provides his card in case that she would want to have a friend call on him to arrange the details of their duel, but she realizes that Daniel had nothing to do with the death of her family, he being only seven years old at the time, and releases her anger. The petty officer over the detail takes crew, carpenters, and library assistants in charge and starts them building shelves with no more nonsense. This novel features some interesting characterization, particularly of Adele, who is a strong-willed woman much like Honor Harrington, even to her expertise with a dueling pistol. However, she is not a leader of men (or women), but rather is an expert and advisor. Daniel is the leader in this story, fitted for this role by both training and talent. The plot is fairly obvious (the shooting begins a little later in the tale), but is fast, furious and fun. What Adele can do with a data terminal is just short of miracleous and, after the onset of the invasion, she applies this expertise for the RCN Aglaia. Recommended for Drake fans and anyone else who enjoys spatial combat tales with likeable characters.
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