Some Golden Harbor (RCN - Lt. Leary, Book 5) 
asked by mullers on October 30, 2006 12:55 PM
The tyrannical Alliance continues its war against the Republic of Cinnabar, and Daniel Leary, newly promoted to Commander, and his crew have a new mission: Stop Dunbar's World from falling to an invasion by the planet Pellegrino. Nataniel Arruns, son of the dictator of Pellegrino, has landed with a large contingent, intending to set himself up as the ruling warlord, with the planet's population becoming workers-serfs-of the Pellegrinian overlords. And Dunbar's world has no more than their local police force to oppose him. Leary again commands the corvette Princess Cecile, but on this mission her missile tubes are empty. Only one man is in a position to aid Leary, but the rich and powerful would rather see him fail than succeed in stopping the invasion. Leary must somehow overcome a large entrenched force on an island defended by powerful plasma cannon and shipkilling missiles and backed up by a heavily armed warship in orbit, all while commanding only a small and virtually unarmed spacecraft. But Leary again has the help of Signals Officer Adele Mundy, who can make computer networks do the apparently impossible. Leary, Mundy and the crew of the Princess Cecile have gone up against impossible odds before . . . and their opponents in those victorious missions are still wondering just what hit them.
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David Drake's Some Golden Harbor is the fifth novel about now Commander Daniel Leary of the Royal Cinnabar Navy and his faithful Signals Officer (and spy) Adele Mundy. This is as I have mentioned a series superficially resembling Aubrey and Maturin in space -- but I should also mention that while much of the setup resembles England in the Napoleonic Era, other aspects, including specific incidents on which some of the plots are based, are derived from Ancient (Republican) Rome.
As this novel opens Leary is out of favor with the new head of the RCN. Thus he is assigned to a minor job away from the war front (Cinnabar is at war with the evil Alliance), as an "advisor" to a Cinnabar ally trying to protest the invasion of another (somewhat allied) planet by a planet more closely tied to the Alliance. But Leary manages to arrange for his own personal ship, the Princess Cecile (a warship he captured in book I and which was sold out of the Navy later, much like the Surprise in the Aubrey/Maturin books), to take him, and a picked crew, to his assignment.
The rest of the book consists of shuffling between the three involved planets. Bennaria, Cinnabar's "ally", is rather a mess, controlled by corrupt oligarchs involved in slaving. Pellegrinia, the Alliance's ally, is controlled by a strict ruler who has sent his son to invade the third planet, Dunbar's World, to get his son out of his hair. Leary must improvise wildly, stealing and commandeering more ships, convincing various only partly interested people to help him, saving the odd victim from the odd sadist, training his promising midshipmen to command, etc. etc.
It remains fun, fairly light, action-packed, military SF. There are hints of some development in Leary's character and life -- possibly even the attention of a more intelligent woman than his usual one-night stands. Mundy remains Mundy, but some other Sissies get to grow just a bit. Is it a masterwork -- by no means. But I did like it -- and I think I'd rank it as one of the better books in this series (though not so good as the first, With the Lightnings, which remains the best).
As this novel opens Leary is out of favor with the new head of the RCN. Thus he is assigned to a minor job away from the war front (Cinnabar is at war with the evil Alliance), as an "advisor" to a Cinnabar ally trying to protest the invasion of another (somewhat allied) planet by a planet more closely tied to the Alliance. But Leary manages to arrange for his own personal ship, the Princess Cecile (a warship he captured in book I and which was sold out of the Navy later, much like the Surprise in the Aubrey/Maturin books), to take him, and a picked crew, to his assignment.
The rest of the book consists of shuffling between the three involved planets. Bennaria, Cinnabar's "ally", is rather a mess, controlled by corrupt oligarchs involved in slaving. Pellegrinia, the Alliance's ally, is controlled by a strict ruler who has sent his son to invade the third planet, Dunbar's World, to get his son out of his hair. Leary must improvise wildly, stealing and commandeering more ships, convincing various only partly interested people to help him, saving the odd victim from the odd sadist, training his promising midshipmen to command, etc. etc.
It remains fun, fairly light, action-packed, military SF. There are hints of some development in Leary's character and life -- possibly even the attention of a more intelligent woman than his usual one-night stands. Mundy remains Mundy, but some other Sissies get to grow just a bit. Is it a masterwork -- by no means. But I did like it -- and I think I'd rank it as one of the better books in this series (though not so good as the first, With the Lightnings, which remains the best).
reviewed by james58 on November 20, 2006 6:24 PM
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must we be beaten over the head with descriptions of the one-dimensional personalities of the main characters. If someone is cold and ruthless, show us with some cold and ruthless action, don't tell us (one example of many) ten times that her parents were killed and she lived in poverty until she met the heroic main character (whose traits are also described at least ten times.) Enough already. I got that from the previous novels. Remind me once and then have them DO something.
Speaking of doing something, as another reviewer commented, there's not a lot of action in this novel.
Speaking of doing something, as another reviewer commented, there's not a lot of action in this novel.
reviewed by jerseymike on November 22, 2006 5:56 AM