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RCN #1
With the Lightnings
Daniel Leary is a lieutenant in the Republic of Cinnabar Navy (RCN) with no money and no prospects since he quarreled with his ruthless, politically powerful father. Adele Mundy is a scholar with no money and no prospects since her family was massacred for conspiring against the Government of Cinnabar. Kostroma is a wealthy planet which depends on diplomacy to stay independent in a galaxy whose two great powers, Cinnabar and the Alliance, battle for supremacy.
In a few hours, diplomacy is going to fail Kostroma. Daniel, Adele, and the scratch crew they gather aren't much to stand in the way of a powerful invasion fleet, but just possibly they're enough. They have nothing on their side but each other, and heaven help whatever tries to stand in their way!
In a few hours, diplomacy is going to fail Kostroma. Daniel, Adele, and the scratch crew they gather aren't much to stand in the way of a powerful invasion fleet, but just possibly they're enough. They have nothing on their side but each other, and heaven help whatever tries to stand in their way!
461 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 1, 1998
297 people are currently reading
2840 people want to read
About the author
David Drake
306 books886 followersDavid Drake is an American author of science fiction and fantasy literature. A Vietnam War veteran who has worked as a lawyer, he is now one of the major authors of the military science fiction genre.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 247 reviews
July 30, 2022
Aubrey and Maturin in space
This series has been described as Hornblower in space which is why I read this volume, my first David Drake, many years ago. However Daniel Leary and Adele Mundy have much more in common with Patrick O'Brian's Lucky Jack Aubrey and intelligence agent Dr. Stephen Maturin. In this first volume of the series, Leary and Mundy avoid dueling, become friends, stage rescues, capture starships, defeat the Alliance of Free Stars, and save a planet and each other.
David Drake is a giant among sci-fi/fantasy authors. All of his work, even the weakest, is worth reading*. Much of it is well worth rereading which is what I am doing with this series. He brings observations of human nature, history and his experience of having been at the sharp end of the stick in Vietnam to produce writing teeming with realism.
This series has been described as Hornblower in space which is why I read this volume, my first David Drake, many years ago. However Daniel Leary and Adele Mundy have much more in common with Patrick O'Brian's Lucky Jack Aubrey and intelligence agent Dr. Stephen Maturin. In this first volume of the series, Leary and Mundy avoid dueling, become friends, stage rescues, capture starships, defeat the Alliance of Free Stars, and save a planet and each other.
David Drake is a giant among sci-fi/fantasy authors. All of his work, even the weakest, is worth reading*. Much of it is well worth rereading which is what I am doing with this series. He brings observations of human nature, history and his experience of having been at the sharp end of the stick in Vietnam to produce writing teeming with realism.
January 6, 2022
Please don’t judge this book by its cover. Just. Don’t.
Since Drake is basing these novels on real life events and actual military engagements the minutiae are critically important. Politics, equipment, local conditions, strategies and tactics used, nothing gets neglected, in order to preserve the historic context. As such, it’s an immersive experience, of which the rewards aren’t immediately obvious (some would argue that the books have a slow build up – I would argue that they simmer with barely contained menace until all hell breaks loose). And then you have the character dynamics, especially of the two primary protagonists (namely Lieutenant Daniel Leary and Signals Officer Adele Mundy), echoing the relationship of Commander Jack Aubrey and Doctor Stephen Maturin in Patrick O'Brian’s Master and Commander series. This is really another aspect of the book that needs to be underlined: Drake is purposely focusing on character development here, and not just on the action and technology.
(It might be worth noting that O’Brian also often based his naval engagements on real life battles, and that his novels are also known for their attention to detail.)
So, if it isn’t glaringly obvious by now, this is a pastiche to naval literature, and in particular the Aubrey-Maturin series. And I mean that in the best possible way. It isn’t always easy to extrapolate and translate historical warfare into a Science Fiction setting, but Drake seems to have it down pat. With The Lightnings is the first book in the Royal Cinnabar Navy (RCN) series, also called the Lieutenant Leary series. It does expend some time setting up the universe: characters are introduced and scenes are set, etcetera. Speaking of characters: the Sissies are a delightfully colourful bunch of stone cold killers. Despite the somewhat measured first half, once the violence does start happening, it does so spectacularly. I don’t care what anybody says, Drake knows his stuff when it comes to writing military action. There certainly is no glossing over the ugly parts.
So why not just 5-stars and be done? These books are deceptively dense, and may not read as quickly as you expect. Also, since Drake is working within an historical and conceptual framework, albeit self-imposed, the books never quite take off into that delirious realm of high concept mind-frack and gosh-wow that would make them truly perfect (for me, that is, and possibly unpalatably implausible for everybody else). Oh, and before I forget, this is one of those human vs human universes, with nary a dangerous alien in sight, with the two main factions being the Republic Of Cinnabar (the good guys) and the Alliance Of Free Stars (the bad guys).
If read in context, there is no reason not to enjoy With The Lightnings, and even its sequels. That is, if you enjoy Military Science Fiction with a strong focus on characterisation. The characters are fun (as already mentioned), there is some welcome humour at times, and the action is extremely deftly portrayed. Daniel Leary is a charismatic leader and a brilliant strategist, often underestimated because of his age, while Adele Mundy is an intelligence genius and a crack shot. What’s not to like? Often faced by overwhelming odds, the Sissies regularly have to rely on superior tactics and brains-over-brawn to outsmart the enemy, as opposed to an all guns blazing approach. That’s not to say that the latter does not occur on occasion, and if you follow the series you will read anything from pitched infantry battles to ridiculously thrilling space battles.
Recommended.
Since Drake is basing these novels on real life events and actual military engagements the minutiae are critically important. Politics, equipment, local conditions, strategies and tactics used, nothing gets neglected, in order to preserve the historic context. As such, it’s an immersive experience, of which the rewards aren’t immediately obvious (some would argue that the books have a slow build up – I would argue that they simmer with barely contained menace until all hell breaks loose). And then you have the character dynamics, especially of the two primary protagonists (namely Lieutenant Daniel Leary and Signals Officer Adele Mundy), echoing the relationship of Commander Jack Aubrey and Doctor Stephen Maturin in Patrick O'Brian’s Master and Commander series. This is really another aspect of the book that needs to be underlined: Drake is purposely focusing on character development here, and not just on the action and technology.
(It might be worth noting that O’Brian also often based his naval engagements on real life battles, and that his novels are also known for their attention to detail.)
So, if it isn’t glaringly obvious by now, this is a pastiche to naval literature, and in particular the Aubrey-Maturin series. And I mean that in the best possible way. It isn’t always easy to extrapolate and translate historical warfare into a Science Fiction setting, but Drake seems to have it down pat. With The Lightnings is the first book in the Royal Cinnabar Navy (RCN) series, also called the Lieutenant Leary series. It does expend some time setting up the universe: characters are introduced and scenes are set, etcetera. Speaking of characters: the Sissies are a delightfully colourful bunch of stone cold killers. Despite the somewhat measured first half, once the violence does start happening, it does so spectacularly. I don’t care what anybody says, Drake knows his stuff when it comes to writing military action. There certainly is no glossing over the ugly parts.
So why not just 5-stars and be done? These books are deceptively dense, and may not read as quickly as you expect. Also, since Drake is working within an historical and conceptual framework, albeit self-imposed, the books never quite take off into that delirious realm of high concept mind-frack and gosh-wow that would make them truly perfect (for me, that is, and possibly unpalatably implausible for everybody else). Oh, and before I forget, this is one of those human vs human universes, with nary a dangerous alien in sight, with the two main factions being the Republic Of Cinnabar (the good guys) and the Alliance Of Free Stars (the bad guys).
If read in context, there is no reason not to enjoy With The Lightnings, and even its sequels. That is, if you enjoy Military Science Fiction with a strong focus on characterisation. The characters are fun (as already mentioned), there is some welcome humour at times, and the action is extremely deftly portrayed. Daniel Leary is a charismatic leader and a brilliant strategist, often underestimated because of his age, while Adele Mundy is an intelligence genius and a crack shot. What’s not to like? Often faced by overwhelming odds, the Sissies regularly have to rely on superior tactics and brains-over-brawn to outsmart the enemy, as opposed to an all guns blazing approach. That’s not to say that the latter does not occur on occasion, and if you follow the series you will read anything from pitched infantry battles to ridiculously thrilling space battles.
Recommended.
June 5, 2012
What a load of crap! I’m wondering if I read the same book as those other people giving it 4 and 5 stars. The first third (at least) is downright boring. A good chunk of the book is dedicated to binge drinking, disorderly behavior and vomiting. That includes the “hero”. The rest is not much better. When they are not drinking themselves senseless it’s mostly politics. The behavior of the navy personnel, including the officers, is so utterly non-professional that it’s unbelievable.
There’s a ship in space decorating the cover image. They also talk about “invasion fleet” in the book burb. There’s no fleet action whatsoever in this book. As a matter of fact, there’s almost no ship action at all except for a little show in the very end.
The technology is ridiculous. I should perhaps have become suspicious when I saw that the ship on the cover image had masts and sails like an ordinary ocean clipper. “Sponge space”? What the f…?
I was hoping this could become a new interesting series to read but now I don’t think so. I might (try to) read a second one just to see if they get any better but my hopes are not very high any more.
There’s a ship in space decorating the cover image. They also talk about “invasion fleet” in the book burb. There’s no fleet action whatsoever in this book. As a matter of fact, there’s almost no ship action at all except for a little show in the very end.
The technology is ridiculous. I should perhaps have become suspicious when I saw that the ship on the cover image had masts and sails like an ordinary ocean clipper. “Sponge space”? What the f…?
I was hoping this could become a new interesting series to read but now I don’t think so. I might (try to) read a second one just to see if they get any better but my hopes are not very high any more.
October 6, 2010
Aubrey and Maturin go into space. I really liked how he built his universe so that the jargon of the age of sail was able to fit into space travel. And I also really liked that while one of the main characters was a woman, she was able to be friends with the male protagonist without a hint of romance. How refreshing! Another point in the book's favor was that there were no gender-defined roles. The bosun is a woman--Maturin is a woman, for that matter--and good guys and bad guys are a mix of both. Gender simply didn't matter. Steven Brust is the only other writer I've seen who has the same indifference to gender, and I like it.
June 7, 2020
6/7/17 4th re-read. A truly enjoyable series. 2020 re-read: The characters, and universe are so well developed and relatable, it is hard to put the book down. The books in this series are the kind that rob you of sleep, "one more chapter" at a time.
May 11, 2014
I picked this up because Eric Raymond mentioned the series in his review of the latest addition. He said:
Well, I'm a fan of the Patrick O'Brien series as well as far future sci-fi and since the Kindle edition of this book was reasonably priced, I picked it up. And it's a decent find, though this first book is more an establishment of the premise than anything else. Indeed, the first half of the book lagged a bit as Daniel and Adele are on completely different, orthogonal, tracks to start off with and bringing them together takes some time (and no, not romantically—though that's a possibility later on, I suppose).
Once things started blowing up, though, the book moves right along. I enjoyed the characters and setting, but the action was absolutely stellar. I particularly liked how Drake handled some of the emotional/relationship landmines set in the earlier parts of the book and how he turned them into opportunities for the core group to bond rather than the expected fractures.
Anyway, I enjoyed the book, but that slow start keeps it from being any more than an average read on its own merits. That said, it was certainly good enough for me to pick up the next.
Drake’s sources are no mystery to anyone who has read Patrick O’Brien’s Aubrey-Maturin series; Daniel Leary and his companion-in-arms Adele Mundy are obvious takes on the bumptious Jack Aubrey and physician/naturalist/spy Stephen Maturin. Drake expends great ingenuity in justifying a near-clone of the Napoleonic-era British Navy in a far future with FTL drives.
Well, I'm a fan of the Patrick O'Brien series as well as far future sci-fi and since the Kindle edition of this book was reasonably priced, I picked it up. And it's a decent find, though this first book is more an establishment of the premise than anything else. Indeed, the first half of the book lagged a bit as Daniel and Adele are on completely different, orthogonal, tracks to start off with and bringing them together takes some time (and no, not romantically—though that's a possibility later on, I suppose).
Once things started blowing up, though, the book moves right along. I enjoyed the characters and setting, but the action was absolutely stellar. I particularly liked how Drake handled some of the emotional/relationship landmines set in the earlier parts of the book and how he turned them into opportunities for the core group to bond rather than the expected fractures.
Anyway, I enjoyed the book, but that slow start keeps it from being any more than an average read on its own merits. That said, it was certainly good enough for me to pick up the next.
August 11, 2011
I don't think I've enjoyed a book this much since Lois McMaster Bujold gave Miles Vorkosigan a rest and went full-time into fantasy. I've been aware of David Drake for years, since "Hammer's Slammers," and I've read a number of the Patrick O'Brien books that Drake says he patterned Daniel Leary and Adele Mundy after, so in retrospect it was no real surprise that I enjoyed "With the Lightnings."
Although the antecedents of Leary and Mundy (Aubrey and Maturin) are fairly clear if you've read O'Brien, this is no mere pastiche. Drake has a solid command of his writing style, a firm grasp of the military life, and a terrific imagination (never have I encountered a better chain of reasoning for calling a force of armed spacecraft a "navy", for one thing). Like any good "space opera" (said with a smile), it's not really in question that the heroes will win out in the end; the thing that keeps the reader on the edge of the seat is *how* they pull it off. And in that, Drake pulls this one off in style. I look forward to reading the next books in the series!
Although the antecedents of Leary and Mundy (Aubrey and Maturin) are fairly clear if you've read O'Brien, this is no mere pastiche. Drake has a solid command of his writing style, a firm grasp of the military life, and a terrific imagination (never have I encountered a better chain of reasoning for calling a force of armed spacecraft a "navy", for one thing). Like any good "space opera" (said with a smile), it's not really in question that the heroes will win out in the end; the thing that keeps the reader on the edge of the seat is *how* they pull it off. And in that, Drake pulls this one off in style. I look forward to reading the next books in the series!
May 25, 2018
Fun, action filled adventure.
Military action -- but quite different from what the layman expects after all the TV & movies featuring the USA. :)
I have some vague recollection that Drake (an actual military historian iirc) based this on the early colonial British forces? Buying into officer rank, who you know being critical for promotion & the like.
My favorites are Adele (a librarian pulled into the action), the misc. ratings assign to look after her & Hoggs -- the disreputable servant that belongs to Lt. Leary. :)
Military action -- but quite different from what the layman expects after all the TV & movies featuring the USA. :)
I have some vague recollection that Drake (an actual military historian iirc) based this on the early colonial British forces? Buying into officer rank, who you know being critical for promotion & the like.
My favorites are Adele (a librarian pulled into the action), the misc. ratings assign to look after her & Hoggs -- the disreputable servant that belongs to Lt. Leary. :)
November 18, 2013
This book is supposedly a classic in that it is the start of a military SF series by David Drake which had a decent following a dozen years ago.
The series is still ongoing as the 10th book is due next year.
I did however not enjoy it much for two reasons :
- Nothing happens much for during the first half of the book. It's expected that the author needs time to describe the setting and the world in a new series but still I have expectations that something (anything!) happens or it gets dead boring ( drunken binges and carpentry do not make a plot)....
- There is no structure to the book. The author does not seem to know the concept of chapter so we are treated to 3 huge parts each made up of a series of paragraph. Most of those are 5 or 6 lines long so we are treated with pages covered with groupings of 5 or 6 lines. Somehow this bothers me a lot for a reason I can't explain...
To give credit where it is due, the action finally picks up in the second half of the book and I will say the last 10% is decent. I see that the later book in the series have gotten better reviews on GoodReads so I might give the next book a try at some point in the future but as it is I was not impressed by this book at all...
The series is still ongoing as the 10th book is due next year.
I did however not enjoy it much for two reasons :
- Nothing happens much for during the first half of the book. It's expected that the author needs time to describe the setting and the world in a new series but still I have expectations that something (anything!) happens or it gets dead boring ( drunken binges and carpentry do not make a plot)....
- There is no structure to the book. The author does not seem to know the concept of chapter so we are treated to 3 huge parts each made up of a series of paragraph. Most of those are 5 or 6 lines long so we are treated with pages covered with groupings of 5 or 6 lines. Somehow this bothers me a lot for a reason I can't explain...
To give credit where it is due, the action finally picks up in the second half of the book and I will say the last 10% is decent. I see that the later book in the series have gotten better reviews on GoodReads so I might give the next book a try at some point in the future but as it is I was not impressed by this book at all...
July 29, 2016
Drake's RCN series features the military leader Daniel Leary and his friend Adele Mundy, librarian extraordinaire, along with a delightful, ever-expanding cast of support characters such as Daniels' family and his servant, Hogg, Adele's socially-challenged assistant Tovera, his shipmates, the incomparable Sissies, etc. (And there's usually a despicable character named Platt.) The stories are all solidly grounded on some interesting historical situation, which he explains in the books' introductions. They're well-told and exciting adventure stories that always offer some good food for thought and reflection, and the characters have depth and facets that always add a lot to the story as a whole. (For example, Daniel has a deep interest in the biological sciences that he rarely has time to pursue.) The books are a lot of fun and definitely among the very best space-opera style stories that I've encountered.
March 24, 2013
I approached "With the Lightnings" as a contemporary of David Weber's Honor Harrington books, expecting something in the same vein: a Napoleonic space warfare adventure. Given the premise, focused on a young space navy officer without political connections cast into a complicated political and military situation, this confusion on my part is understandable, but I'm afraid that confusion marred my enjoyment of the book. In fact, the book takes place almost entirely on the surface of a planet and rarely involves anything more futuristic than what amounts to an iPhone and a solar-powered hydrofoil. The weaponry has fancy names (and implied high-tech elements) but functionally, the author might've been describing modern firearms. Frankly, With the Lightnings only achieves science fiction status by implication, by its occasional descriptions of exotic animals and plants, and by the (extremely brief) space battle at the end. Ultimately, it wasn't what I was expecting, but worse than that, it also failed to be particularly good in its own right. The main two characters, Lt. Leary and Adele Mundy, are fairly interesting and the events that lead them to work together are evocative, but the story is told in such an erratic manner that it's often hard to tell which character we are following or from whose perspective the story is being told, arbitrarily switching locations and perspectives freely without chapter breaks to help the reader follow along. The book also fails to provide perspective to its events, dropping the reader into a complex political situation in the midst of an ongoing war and only barely covering who the two sides are or why they're fighting. This was my first exposure to David Drake's writing and frankly, I'm not impressed and I doubt that I'll give him another chance. Deep down, there's an interesting story in this book, and at times I was genuinely intrigued, but ultimately, it was told so incompetently that I was just happy to be done with it. If you're looking for a space adventure story, I'd recommend sticking with David Weber's Honor Harrington books instead, and if you're looking for something with a comparable futuristic political intrigue/thriller, I'd recommend Jody Lynn Nye's "The View From the Imperium" or Eric Flint's "Course of Empire/Crucible of Empire".
June 23, 2021
3.75/5
https://delivreenlivres.home.blog/202...
Un début difficile mais heureusement je me suis accrochée malgré mon envie d’abandon et le reste m’a bien plu.
De quoi ça parle?
Daniel Leary est un lieutenant dans la Navy de son pays, la République de Cinnabar. Fils d’une grande famille, son père étant l’un des conseillers au pouvoir actuellement, il a coupé tout les ponts avec ceux ci.
Il est le premier Leary a faire carrière dans la Navy, chose que désapprouve totalement son père. Néanmoins ça n’était pas une aberration pour lui car la famille de sa mère est très implantée dans le milieu, son oncle a même été un de ses membres les plus éminents.
Malgré son nom « République » la République de Cinnabar n’est pas sur un pays qui semble entièrement juste pour le moment dans ce qu’on en a vu jusqu’ici. On pourrait limite appeler ça une oligarchie. Elle est en conflit avec une autre entité appelée l’Alliance des planètes. Et ici aussi le nom est trompeur. Il n’y a pas vraiment d’alliance dans ces planètes, elles ont toutes été conquises par la force en écrasant leur gouvernement d’origine pour mettre celui de l’Alliance à la place.
Le coté oligarchie se ressent bien sur Daniel, qui peine à maintenir à flot le train de vie qui est exigé pour un Lieutenant juste avec son salaire. Normalement tout les officiers de la Navy sont issus des grandes familles et donc ont le budget pour. Mais notre héros ayant coupé les points avec la sienne, il doit combler les manques en bricolant et compter chaque centime. Heureusement, l’homme qui l’a élevé, un ancien homme de son père donc la famille a toujours travaillée pour les Leary, l’a suivi dans sa fuite après leur rupture.
Celui ci, qui aime bien connaitre tout un tas de gens peu recommandables mais très utile en temps difficile, est une aide inestimable pour Daniel.
Surtout qu’il est maintenant à l’étranger, dans une mission diplomatique de Cinnabar sur la planète Kostroma. Celle ci a vécu une grande partie de son Histoire loin de tout contact avec l’extérieur. Ils sont donc bien en retard sur le reste de l’univers.
Kostroma se positionne de façon neutre. Elle accueille aussi bien les diplomates de l’Alliance que de Cinnabar.
Entre en scène notre second personnage principal : Adele Mundy.
Celle ci fait aussi parti d’une vieille famille de Cinnabar. Mais cette famille a été anéantie il y a une décennie car certains de ses membres avaient formante l’arrivée de Cinnabar dans l’Alliance. Quand le complot a été dévoilé, justement par le père de Daniel, la famille a été condamnée à mort.
Et par la j’entend concrètement. Tout membre a été déclaré d’office traître et exécuté. (sauf normalement les mineurs).
Adèle a pu fuir car elle était loin de tout ça à ce moment la, en train de faire ses études pour devenir chercheuse dans le domaine de l’information.
Elle a pu continuer ses études sur une des planètes de l’Alliance où une ancienne alliée de sa famille l’a recueillie et aidée.
C’est aussi grâce à sa bienfaitrice qu’Adèle a trouvé un travail comme bibliothécaire principale du Palais de Kostroma. Avec son caractère détaché de tout, sa mémoire exceptionnelle et sa capacité à se concentrer quels que soient les circonstances, c’est vraiment le travail idéal pour elle. Sachant que ce métier ne concerne pas que les livres de fiction, mais toutes les informations qui sont en possession du Palais. Du coup un métier bien plus politique que ce qu’on pourrait imaginer au départ.
Elle gère aussi bien les livres et documents papier que les informations numériques sensibles.
Je vous vois venir, deux personnages, un homme et une femme, vous vous dites que ça va se terminer en romance. Et bien pas du tout.
Le début a été difficile parce que je ne trouvais pas du tout les personnages sympathiques.
Entre Daniel qui va de soirée arrosée en soirée arrosée à n’en plus finir pour rester dans le jeu politique alors qu’il a des dettes de partout et Adèle avec son caractère froid et détaché, qui se fiche de tout ce qui se passe autour d’elle qui ne la concerne pas directement, ils ne forment pas un duo très agréable à suivre au départ.
Surtout que je déplorais un gros manque d’informations sur la situation politique de Kostroma qui semblait importante mais dont on ne savait pas grand chose.
En gros on était limité aux informations que savent les personnages, et aucun des deux ne s’intéresse vraiment à ce qui se passe sur Kostroma, du coup on voit les événements importants arriver mais de très loin. (par exemple en entendant d’une conversation en passant dans un couloir, ou en étant témoin d’une scène qui semble importante politiquement mais que le personnage ne comprend pas -ou juste qu’il s’en fou)
En plus on passait notre temps à voir des scènes qui ne semblaient avoir aucun intérêt. Du coup ça me frustrait pas mal.
Mais heureusement à un moment le déclic c’est fait.
Daniel se révèle différent de tout ce que j’avais imaginé au départ. On s’éloigne du personnage superficiel pour voir arriver celui qui a un don pour calmer les choses quand le ton monte et faire d’une situation critique une réussite.
Adèle aussi évolue. On sort du personnage froid qui se désintéresse de tout pour voir la femme blessée qui se cache dessous. Femme qui va pouvoir utiliser ses connaissances pour découvrir le fin mot dans pas mal de cas.
Et tout commence à se dévoiler au moment où un coup d’état déchire Kostroma et son Palais.
La nouvelle famille politique au pouvoir ne laisse pas un seul partisan de l’ancienne en vie, et a décidé que la neutralité était pour les faibles et qu’eux se positionneront du coté de l’Alliance, qui a financé leur venue au pouvoir, évidemment.
C’est cet événement qui rapproche nos deux personnages.
Et ce n’était pas chose facile au départ, car c’est le père de Daniel qui est responsable de la mort de toute la famille d’Adèle. Il représente tout ce que la jeune femme a fuit toute sa vie.
Daniel a la vie sauve ce soir la car il était loin du Palais, dans une de ses soirées quand toute sa délégation est capturée exécutée.
Seul sur la planète avec quelques uns de ses hommes qui ont pu s’éloigner de leur vaisseau à temps, il va devoir essayer de survivre dans le chaos et la violence du coup d’été de ses ennemis. Il voudrait rejoindre le vaisseau qui a été capturé et bloqué à quai pour tenter de trouver un moyen de partir.
Du moins, c’était ses plans de départ …
Du coup quand tout ça arrive on comprend mieux le fait qu’on n’avait quasiment pas d’information sur la politique de Kostroma au départ. Et même si je trouve que ça aurait pu être mieux fait, pour ne pas qu’on le remarque, c’est logique vu que ça aurait été un peu une perte de temps de tout expliquer en détail alors que ce qui nous intéresse remet justement les choses à plat en détruisant tout.
La suite c’est révélé être un bon roman d’aventure. Rythmé mais pas trop, juste ce qu’il faut en fait. Même si ça n’a strictement rien à voir , je ne sais pas pourquoi mais ça me rappelle un peu les Indiana Jones niveau type d’aventure et rythme (peut être le coté rétro de l’ensemble).
Attention c’est vraiment une comparaison qu’il ne faut pas faire pour tout le reste, comme je le dis ça n’a rien à voir.
L’ensemble m’a vraiment emporté et bien plu, et je lirai la suite avec plaisir !
https://delivreenlivres.home.blog/202...
Un début difficile mais heureusement je me suis accrochée malgré mon envie d’abandon et le reste m’a bien plu.
De quoi ça parle?
Daniel Leary est un lieutenant dans la Navy de son pays, la République de Cinnabar. Fils d’une grande famille, son père étant l’un des conseillers au pouvoir actuellement, il a coupé tout les ponts avec ceux ci.
Il est le premier Leary a faire carrière dans la Navy, chose que désapprouve totalement son père. Néanmoins ça n’était pas une aberration pour lui car la famille de sa mère est très implantée dans le milieu, son oncle a même été un de ses membres les plus éminents.
Malgré son nom « République » la République de Cinnabar n’est pas sur un pays qui semble entièrement juste pour le moment dans ce qu’on en a vu jusqu’ici. On pourrait limite appeler ça une oligarchie. Elle est en conflit avec une autre entité appelée l’Alliance des planètes. Et ici aussi le nom est trompeur. Il n’y a pas vraiment d’alliance dans ces planètes, elles ont toutes été conquises par la force en écrasant leur gouvernement d’origine pour mettre celui de l’Alliance à la place.
Le coté oligarchie se ressent bien sur Daniel, qui peine à maintenir à flot le train de vie qui est exigé pour un Lieutenant juste avec son salaire. Normalement tout les officiers de la Navy sont issus des grandes familles et donc ont le budget pour. Mais notre héros ayant coupé les points avec la sienne, il doit combler les manques en bricolant et compter chaque centime. Heureusement, l’homme qui l’a élevé, un ancien homme de son père donc la famille a toujours travaillée pour les Leary, l’a suivi dans sa fuite après leur rupture.
Celui ci, qui aime bien connaitre tout un tas de gens peu recommandables mais très utile en temps difficile, est une aide inestimable pour Daniel.
Surtout qu’il est maintenant à l’étranger, dans une mission diplomatique de Cinnabar sur la planète Kostroma. Celle ci a vécu une grande partie de son Histoire loin de tout contact avec l’extérieur. Ils sont donc bien en retard sur le reste de l’univers.
Kostroma se positionne de façon neutre. Elle accueille aussi bien les diplomates de l’Alliance que de Cinnabar.
Entre en scène notre second personnage principal : Adele Mundy.
Celle ci fait aussi parti d’une vieille famille de Cinnabar. Mais cette famille a été anéantie il y a une décennie car certains de ses membres avaient formante l’arrivée de Cinnabar dans l’Alliance. Quand le complot a été dévoilé, justement par le père de Daniel, la famille a été condamnée à mort.
Et par la j’entend concrètement. Tout membre a été déclaré d’office traître et exécuté. (sauf normalement les mineurs).
Adèle a pu fuir car elle était loin de tout ça à ce moment la, en train de faire ses études pour devenir chercheuse dans le domaine de l’information.
Elle a pu continuer ses études sur une des planètes de l’Alliance où une ancienne alliée de sa famille l’a recueillie et aidée.
C’est aussi grâce à sa bienfaitrice qu’Adèle a trouvé un travail comme bibliothécaire principale du Palais de Kostroma. Avec son caractère détaché de tout, sa mémoire exceptionnelle et sa capacité à se concentrer quels que soient les circonstances, c’est vraiment le travail idéal pour elle. Sachant que ce métier ne concerne pas que les livres de fiction, mais toutes les informations qui sont en possession du Palais. Du coup un métier bien plus politique que ce qu’on pourrait imaginer au départ.
Elle gère aussi bien les livres et documents papier que les informations numériques sensibles.
Je vous vois venir, deux personnages, un homme et une femme, vous vous dites que ça va se terminer en romance. Et bien pas du tout.
Le début a été difficile parce que je ne trouvais pas du tout les personnages sympathiques.
Entre Daniel qui va de soirée arrosée en soirée arrosée à n’en plus finir pour rester dans le jeu politique alors qu’il a des dettes de partout et Adèle avec son caractère froid et détaché, qui se fiche de tout ce qui se passe autour d’elle qui ne la concerne pas directement, ils ne forment pas un duo très agréable à suivre au départ.
Surtout que je déplorais un gros manque d’informations sur la situation politique de Kostroma qui semblait importante mais dont on ne savait pas grand chose.
En gros on était limité aux informations que savent les personnages, et aucun des deux ne s’intéresse vraiment à ce qui se passe sur Kostroma, du coup on voit les événements importants arriver mais de très loin. (par exemple en entendant d’une conversation en passant dans un couloir, ou en étant témoin d’une scène qui semble importante politiquement mais que le personnage ne comprend pas -ou juste qu’il s’en fou)
En plus on passait notre temps à voir des scènes qui ne semblaient avoir aucun intérêt. Du coup ça me frustrait pas mal.
Mais heureusement à un moment le déclic c’est fait.
Daniel se révèle différent de tout ce que j’avais imaginé au départ. On s’éloigne du personnage superficiel pour voir arriver celui qui a un don pour calmer les choses quand le ton monte et faire d’une situation critique une réussite.
Adèle aussi évolue. On sort du personnage froid qui se désintéresse de tout pour voir la femme blessée qui se cache dessous. Femme qui va pouvoir utiliser ses connaissances pour découvrir le fin mot dans pas mal de cas.
Et tout commence à se dévoiler au moment où un coup d’état déchire Kostroma et son Palais.
La nouvelle famille politique au pouvoir ne laisse pas un seul partisan de l’ancienne en vie, et a décidé que la neutralité était pour les faibles et qu’eux se positionneront du coté de l’Alliance, qui a financé leur venue au pouvoir, évidemment.
C’est cet événement qui rapproche nos deux personnages.
Et ce n’était pas chose facile au départ, car c’est le père de Daniel qui est responsable de la mort de toute la famille d’Adèle. Il représente tout ce que la jeune femme a fuit toute sa vie.
Daniel a la vie sauve ce soir la car il était loin du Palais, dans une de ses soirées quand toute sa délégation est capturée exécutée.
Seul sur la planète avec quelques uns de ses hommes qui ont pu s’éloigner de leur vaisseau à temps, il va devoir essayer de survivre dans le chaos et la violence du coup d’été de ses ennemis. Il voudrait rejoindre le vaisseau qui a été capturé et bloqué à quai pour tenter de trouver un moyen de partir.
Du moins, c’était ses plans de départ …
Du coup quand tout ça arrive on comprend mieux le fait qu’on n’avait quasiment pas d’information sur la politique de Kostroma au départ. Et même si je trouve que ça aurait pu être mieux fait, pour ne pas qu’on le remarque, c’est logique vu que ça aurait été un peu une perte de temps de tout expliquer en détail alors que ce qui nous intéresse remet justement les choses à plat en détruisant tout.
La suite c’est révélé être un bon roman d’aventure. Rythmé mais pas trop, juste ce qu’il faut en fait. Même si ça n’a strictement rien à voir , je ne sais pas pourquoi mais ça me rappelle un peu les Indiana Jones niveau type d’aventure et rythme (peut être le coté rétro de l’ensemble).
Attention c’est vraiment une comparaison qu’il ne faut pas faire pour tout le reste, comme je le dis ça n’a rien à voir.
L’ensemble m’a vraiment emporté et bien plu, et je lirai la suite avec plaisir !
January 17, 2013
A great start to one of my favorite series. I love military sci fi space opera. This one delivers with a light touch. The writing and plotting are clear and the characters while familiar are a little something different. Daniel with his sort of endearing womanizing and his extra pound or two and Adele which her tack sharp mind and her inability to really relate emotionally to the world around her.
February 28, 2024
History Replacing Creativity
With the Lightnings is inspired by the Aubrey-Maturin series, but the author failed to meet the brief. That’s fortunate because the source material was a slice-of-life novel that lacked the basics of storytelling. Here, an invasion forces Leary and Mundy to work together, and classic Age of Sail tropes such as officer parties, diplomatic negotiations, and enlisted shore leave combine with aerial shock troops, orbital defences and antimatter missiles. One could imagine the same protagonists raiding the Spanish in the Caribbean, though the author avoids gender stereotypes. The intellectual Mundy is a capable duelist who racks up quite the body count, while the instinctive Leary is a deadly strategist who prefers to outthink his opponents.
I find it refreshing to take Age of Sail culture and transplant it into space. It works perfectly with speed-of-light communication restrictions. There’s more than a limitation on the spread of knowledge, but also classism. Sophisticated, advanced centres of civilization influence their jealous provincial frontier counterparts. One would desire fashion trends, mannerisms, and even currency from other star nations. The wholesale reuse of Age of Sail culture allows With the Lightnings to accurately represent social classes in a way few modern authors can conceive. Similarly, the Navy reflects a real-world organization with its inbred politics and bureaucratic interests, as it’s the British Royal Navy in space.
There's one area that the author shouldn't have adopted from Aubrey-Maturin: the terrible pacing. The first act is terrifyingly mundane, with almost no foreshadowing or clear goals. Once the invasion begins, the opposite is true: Leary and Mundy overcome so many problems that one expects the novel to end, and yet there’s a third of the page count remaining. Even the epilogue overstays its welcome! Still, With the Lightnings has found an underserved niche of those looking for a character drama anchored to military service without instantly devolving into a career-climbing power fantasy, and the author has an underappreciated skill at making the future respect the past.
Recommended.
With the Lightnings is inspired by the Aubrey-Maturin series, but the author failed to meet the brief. That’s fortunate because the source material was a slice-of-life novel that lacked the basics of storytelling. Here, an invasion forces Leary and Mundy to work together, and classic Age of Sail tropes such as officer parties, diplomatic negotiations, and enlisted shore leave combine with aerial shock troops, orbital defences and antimatter missiles. One could imagine the same protagonists raiding the Spanish in the Caribbean, though the author avoids gender stereotypes. The intellectual Mundy is a capable duelist who racks up quite the body count, while the instinctive Leary is a deadly strategist who prefers to outthink his opponents.
I find it refreshing to take Age of Sail culture and transplant it into space. It works perfectly with speed-of-light communication restrictions. There’s more than a limitation on the spread of knowledge, but also classism. Sophisticated, advanced centres of civilization influence their jealous provincial frontier counterparts. One would desire fashion trends, mannerisms, and even currency from other star nations. The wholesale reuse of Age of Sail culture allows With the Lightnings to accurately represent social classes in a way few modern authors can conceive. Similarly, the Navy reflects a real-world organization with its inbred politics and bureaucratic interests, as it’s the British Royal Navy in space.
There's one area that the author shouldn't have adopted from Aubrey-Maturin: the terrible pacing. The first act is terrifyingly mundane, with almost no foreshadowing or clear goals. Once the invasion begins, the opposite is true: Leary and Mundy overcome so many problems that one expects the novel to end, and yet there’s a third of the page count remaining. Even the epilogue overstays its welcome! Still, With the Lightnings has found an underserved niche of those looking for a character drama anchored to military service without instantly devolving into a career-climbing power fantasy, and the author has an underappreciated skill at making the future respect the past.
Recommended.
May 2, 2011
I was put off from reading this for a full eight years mainly due to the horrible cover, but also some misgivings about David Drake. While I loved his Hammer’s Slammers, his writing has often been a bit wooden. The blurb just didn’t do it for me either. Well, I’m so happy to be proven wrong. “With the Lighnings” is quality military SciFi. The RCN series has been likened to the Hornblower books, However Drake himself says they are actually based on the Aubrey/Maturin books. Since those are in themselves inspired by the Hornblower series, I suppose both comparisons are apt.
Lt. Daniel Leary is an officer of the Republic of Cinnabar Navy. Cinnabar is a “great power” opposed by “the Alliance”. As in all good adventure fiction of this stripe, the Alliance is “evil” and Cinnabar is “good”. Leary is a supernumerary on a diplomatic mission to the planet Kostroma. Meanwhile, Adele Mundy, a Cinnabar information specialist in exile, has been hired to set up the ruler’s library on Kostroma. While they are there, the Alliance invades Kostroma. Leary and Mundy join forces and, with the help of a group of Cinnabar ratings, set about attempting to escape.
Swashbuckling action only begins to describe this book. Drake has adapted his technology and political/social structures to mimic the age of sail to a degree that would be ridiculous if it wasn’t such a good background for a story. Leary and Mundy are the perfect characters for this kind of thing. Daring, courageous and humorously cocky, yet by no means arrogantly sure of themselves. The locales are colorful, the characters engaging, the action furious and exciting.
http://www.books.rosboch.net/?p=668
Lt. Daniel Leary is an officer of the Republic of Cinnabar Navy. Cinnabar is a “great power” opposed by “the Alliance”. As in all good adventure fiction of this stripe, the Alliance is “evil” and Cinnabar is “good”. Leary is a supernumerary on a diplomatic mission to the planet Kostroma. Meanwhile, Adele Mundy, a Cinnabar information specialist in exile, has been hired to set up the ruler’s library on Kostroma. While they are there, the Alliance invades Kostroma. Leary and Mundy join forces and, with the help of a group of Cinnabar ratings, set about attempting to escape.
Swashbuckling action only begins to describe this book. Drake has adapted his technology and political/social structures to mimic the age of sail to a degree that would be ridiculous if it wasn’t such a good background for a story. Leary and Mundy are the perfect characters for this kind of thing. Daring, courageous and humorously cocky, yet by no means arrogantly sure of themselves. The locales are colorful, the characters engaging, the action furious and exciting.
http://www.books.rosboch.net/?p=668
November 25, 2021
WITH THE LIGHTNINGS begins a space opera series. Lieutenant Daniel Leary of the Republic of Cinnabar Navy has been posted to Kostroma. He has quarreled with his politically powerful father which means that he has no money and no influence. But he has more than his share of dreams and ambitions.
Adele Mundy is a librarian and about the only survivor of the Mundys of Chatsworth who ran afoul of those in political power on Cinnabar and were murdered. Daniel Leary's father was one of those in power when the purge happened. Adele was off planet in school when the purge happened leaving her broke and subject to the kindness of strangers. She has recently taken a job on Kostroma to organize the head of government's library.
Kostroma is in a difficult position as it tries to remain independent from both the Republic of Cinnabar and the Alliance of Free Stars. The internal politics on Kostroma is also in flux with frequent political coups changing who's in charge frequently.
Daniel and Adele find themselves in the middle of one of those coups, this one engineered by the Alliance. They team up to survive and defeat the Alliance's plans.
This was excellent space opera. The worldbuilding was well done with interesting politics adding frequent twists to the plot. The characters were well-developed people. The action was fast-paced and frequent ranging from being shipwrecked on a deserted island to rescuing other RCN people from the palace to pitched space battles.
I really enjoyed the characters and the world that was created in this story and look forward to reading more episodes.
Adele Mundy is a librarian and about the only survivor of the Mundys of Chatsworth who ran afoul of those in political power on Cinnabar and were murdered. Daniel Leary's father was one of those in power when the purge happened. Adele was off planet in school when the purge happened leaving her broke and subject to the kindness of strangers. She has recently taken a job on Kostroma to organize the head of government's library.
Kostroma is in a difficult position as it tries to remain independent from both the Republic of Cinnabar and the Alliance of Free Stars. The internal politics on Kostroma is also in flux with frequent political coups changing who's in charge frequently.
Daniel and Adele find themselves in the middle of one of those coups, this one engineered by the Alliance. They team up to survive and defeat the Alliance's plans.
This was excellent space opera. The worldbuilding was well done with interesting politics adding frequent twists to the plot. The characters were well-developed people. The action was fast-paced and frequent ranging from being shipwrecked on a deserted island to rescuing other RCN people from the palace to pitched space battles.
I really enjoyed the characters and the world that was created in this story and look forward to reading more episodes.
September 13, 2011
Oh... my... GOD! This was just a damn chore to read! I did not care for the prose or the world/galaxy setting. I didn't care about the characters at all & by the time I was at page 200, I realized nothing was really going on. It's as if this novel was just a set up for the rest of the novels & a poor one at that.
I will give Drake credit for not making this a thousand page novel like Peter Hamilton or Weber (though Weber writes fantastic Military Science Fiction). He kept it...um, short--though that's up for debate considering how I slogged through this book waiting... waiting... waiting... for something, ANYTHING, to happen. This is why I have a problem with former military servicemen as writers--they spend too much time on protocol. It gets boring. This is why I've yet to read a John Ringo novel for fear of him doing the same thing. David Weber knows how to set up conflict, have the military brass quickly discuss strategy (key word: "quickly") & then gets right into the action! Drake just drones & his character, Lt. Leary, makes me think of Capt. Stern from Heavy Metal magazine--a pompous, egotistical ass! If only Leary was as interesting as Stern. If only Drake tackled this with the same excitement as his tank corps tales, Hammer's Slammers!
Do yourself a favor & read Weber's Starfire series instead or, if you want to read Drake for the first time, get your hands on HAMMER'S SLAMMERS VOL. 1 & 2--much better stuff. Otherwise, avoid this boring pile of crap! It's the kind of novel which gives the sub-genre of Military Science Fiction a bad name.
I will give Drake credit for not making this a thousand page novel like Peter Hamilton or Weber (though Weber writes fantastic Military Science Fiction). He kept it...um, short--though that's up for debate considering how I slogged through this book waiting... waiting... waiting... for something, ANYTHING, to happen. This is why I have a problem with former military servicemen as writers--they spend too much time on protocol. It gets boring. This is why I've yet to read a John Ringo novel for fear of him doing the same thing. David Weber knows how to set up conflict, have the military brass quickly discuss strategy (key word: "quickly") & then gets right into the action! Drake just drones & his character, Lt. Leary, makes me think of Capt. Stern from Heavy Metal magazine--a pompous, egotistical ass! If only Leary was as interesting as Stern. If only Drake tackled this with the same excitement as his tank corps tales, Hammer's Slammers!
Do yourself a favor & read Weber's Starfire series instead or, if you want to read Drake for the first time, get your hands on HAMMER'S SLAMMERS VOL. 1 & 2--much better stuff. Otherwise, avoid this boring pile of crap! It's the kind of novel which gives the sub-genre of Military Science Fiction a bad name.
July 30, 2023
I have these books describing the adventures of Daniel Leary and Adele Bundy in the Republic of Cinnabar Navy (RCN) to be quite enjoyable. They may not appeal to everyone. The sometimes cartoonish bravado of Leary and others, combined with the pretense of space travel having something in common with the romantic view of travel by sailing ship in the 1800s, might be a bit much to swallow. The characters are done very well, however, and I find myself coming back again and again for another volume in the series to read.
The setup in each book is rather lengthy, with action generally reserved for the endings. The norm within these books includes a significant amount of womanizing and drunkenness, which will not sit well with some readers. It does, however, paint a fairly complete picture of a somewhat corrupt society that is able to dominate its neighbors because it has a strong will to do so. It does have a strong female supporting character, which is refreshing.
The technology described is a bit bogus, but if you can overlook this obvious fabrication, these books are a pretty good read. I've classified this as both scifi and fantasy, because it seems to be a bit of both.
The complete series is as follows:
With the Lightnings
Lt Leary, Commanding
The Far Side if the Stars
The Way to Glory
Some Golden Harbor
When the Tide Rises
In the Stormy Red Sea
What Distant Deeps
The Road of Danger
The Sea Without a Shore
Death's Bright Day
Though Hell Should Bar the Way
To Clear Away the Shadows
The setup in each book is rather lengthy, with action generally reserved for the endings. The norm within these books includes a significant amount of womanizing and drunkenness, which will not sit well with some readers. It does, however, paint a fairly complete picture of a somewhat corrupt society that is able to dominate its neighbors because it has a strong will to do so. It does have a strong female supporting character, which is refreshing.
The technology described is a bit bogus, but if you can overlook this obvious fabrication, these books are a pretty good read. I've classified this as both scifi and fantasy, because it seems to be a bit of both.
The complete series is as follows:
With the Lightnings
Lt Leary, Commanding
The Far Side if the Stars
The Way to Glory
Some Golden Harbor
When the Tide Rises
In the Stormy Red Sea
What Distant Deeps
The Road of Danger
The Sea Without a Shore
Death's Bright Day
Though Hell Should Bar the Way
To Clear Away the Shadows
Read
May 4, 2021I have no idea what part of this was inspired by Patrick O'Brian (other than the spaceships acting like real sailing ships), but that's a good thing. When I first heard this series pitched as 'Aubrey/Maturin IN SPACE, oh but Stephen has become a girl' I was skeptical. I figured it was one of those things where the author couldn't handle Jack and Stephen's closeness and had to flop one of the genders in order to make it okay.
Nope. I couldn't recognize very many traits from the inspiration in any of the characters. I loved this, though. The plotting was tight and fast-paced and fun (indeed, I got halfway through and thought I must be nearly done), the characters were well fleshed-out, and -- joy of joys! -- the female character got to DO things and be strong and flawed and brilliant and respected and ignored and EVERYTHING, just like a male character! And there's no romance! Part of me wants to stop here because I really don't want to see an Adele/O'Leary romance later on, but I enjoyed it so much I want to keep going.
There was a bit too much going on, and it got hard to follow after a while, but other than that, it was a solid rollicking romp.
Nope. I couldn't recognize very many traits from the inspiration in any of the characters. I loved this, though. The plotting was tight and fast-paced and fun (indeed, I got halfway through and thought I must be nearly done), the characters were well fleshed-out, and -- joy of joys! -- the female character got to DO things and be strong and flawed and brilliant and respected and ignored and EVERYTHING, just like a male character! And there's no romance! Part of me wants to stop here because I really don't want to see an Adele/O'Leary romance later on, but I enjoyed it so much I want to keep going.
There was a bit too much going on, and it got hard to follow after a while, but other than that, it was a solid rollicking romp.
October 2, 2013
I really wanted to like this, given the words of the author stating that he was influenced by Patrick O'Brian. But, unfortunately, the influence seemed to be restricted to strangely sailor-like descriptions of the spaceship crew (who were surprisingly good at carpentry etc. stuff that you would not expect to be amongst the skills of a space-going men) and the fact that the spaceships had all sorts of masts. The main protagonists, although perhaps modelled slightly after Aubrey and Maturin were disappointing in their shallowness.
But the most disappointing thing was that nothing actually happened in the first third of the novel. Even Patrick O'Brian - as plotless as his novels sometimes were - managed to create tension that kept you turning pages long after your bedtime.
I had to stop reading after that first third and I picked up a novel by Patrick O'Brian for re-reading instead.
But the most disappointing thing was that nothing actually happened in the first third of the novel. Even Patrick O'Brian - as plotless as his novels sometimes were - managed to create tension that kept you turning pages long after your bedtime.
I had to stop reading after that first third and I picked up a novel by Patrick O'Brian for re-reading instead.
June 20, 2011
Completely enjoyable first installment in Drake's space-opera take on Patrick O'Brien's Aubrey-Maturin series.
The combination of jaunty high adventure with Drake's usual unblinking presentation of brutality works much better for me than his usual straight military SF. The moments of amusement and fun are a good respite from the bleak results of violence.
Drake also makes the very interesting decision to make one of the viewpoint characters a sociopath who knows, more or less, what she is, and tries very hard not to be. I look forward to what he does with the character in the later installments of the series.
The combination of jaunty high adventure with Drake's usual unblinking presentation of brutality works much better for me than his usual straight military SF. The moments of amusement and fun are a good respite from the bleak results of violence.
Drake also makes the very interesting decision to make one of the viewpoint characters a sociopath who knows, more or less, what she is, and tries very hard not to be. I look forward to what he does with the character in the later installments of the series.
October 25, 2022
After reading the first 50 or so pages 18 months ago, I relegated this book to my "started-deferred" shelf. It seemed to me that this was a story about seagoing ships and sailors that had merely been tweaked to reflect a futuristic setting. More recently, having run out of other books I decided to give it another try and this time "got over the hump" and ended up enjoying the book a fair bit. Daniel Leary and Adele Mundy are interesting characters that will take a long time to get to know well. I will read the next in the series at least.
January 27, 2013
Re-reading this book as I put the series aside for years and now want to resume and finish it. It is as good as I remember it being. Drake's chosen the Aubrey/Maturin series of O'Brien as his model and he manages to capture that feel while transposing things convincingly to a science fiction setting. What I love about this writer (especially in contrast to many others characterized as "military SF" is that he conveys the sense of chaos, the feeling that events are spinning out of control of the characters.
March 6, 2024
How could I not like this book? It's a homage to the best book series of all time--Patrick O'Brien's Aubrey–Maturin series; it's military science-fiction; and it's written by David Drake, my favorite military SF novelist.
Other book in this series aren't as good. The characters start to become static and it becomes just one adventure after the other. There's nothing wrong with that, but it's not that engaging either. The first few books are quite good. I'll be re-reading more of them in the coming nights.
Other book in this series aren't as good. The characters start to become static and it becomes just one adventure after the other. There's nothing wrong with that, but it's not that engaging either. The first few books are quite good. I'll be re-reading more of them in the coming nights.
May 3, 2021
I don’t usually read sci-fi so it took me a minute to adjust to this book. The beginning was slow but the worldbuilding was interesting so I kept reading. The culture in this book is so specific and odd to me that I was fascinated. Once the action started, I was hooked. I really liked the character interactions in this book. Daniel and Adele were really good main characters and I liked to read about them.
February 5, 2013
I love military Science Fiction and have read collaborations by this author in the past so decided to try one by him alone. I was very pleased with my decision, as this turned out to be an action packed adventure with wonderful characters.
August 29, 2016
Good solid read populated with interesting characters. Read them all.
June 13, 2017
Good read! The beginning was slow going but the story picked up! I liked Daniel and his crew! I wonder what will happen to Adele and her assistant.
January 17, 2021
Fun
Great space opera that keeps you reading and at the edge of your seat. I'm rereading the series all over again
Great space opera that keeps you reading and at the edge of your seat. I'm rereading the series all over again
July 25, 2025
https://magicandmeteors.wordpress.com...
David Drake’s With the Lightnings is a vivid, intelligent, and thunderously compelling introduction to the RCN (Republic of Cinnabar Navy) series. It offers far more than the usual array of spaceships and shoot-outs. This is a novel steeped in political intrigue, social hierarchy, ethical ambiguity, and unlikely acts of heroism—an elegant fusion of sweeping space opera and grounded military fiction.
The story opens on the brink of upheaval. Kostroma, a wealthy but officially neutral planet, becomes the epicentre of a violent coup. The swift and merciless overthrow of the monarchy is not some isolated local uprising—it’s a move within a far wider and deadlier interstellar struggle. Both the Republic of Cinnabar and the rival Alliance of Free Stars see an opportunity in Kostroma’s vulnerability, and begin moving their pieces into position. What follows isn’t a conventional war narrative, but something far more strategic and insidious: sabotage, propaganda, espionage, diplomatic gamesmanship, and sudden violence played out in palace chambers, data centres, back alleys, and deep-space warships.
Drake handles the political landscape with nuance and precision. The Republic of Cinnabar, though nominally a constitutional power, is deeply entrenched in aristocratic privilege, dynastic patronage, and political favour-trading. It is governed as much by influential Houses as by its Senate or navy. Power is not purely institutional—it is inherited, negotiated, and sometimes quietly seized. The Alliance of Free Stars, though often presented as the ideological opposite, proves equally opportunistic, meddling in Kostroma’s affairs with its own covert agents and puppet factions. There are no shining heroes or cartoon villains here—just governments driven by ambition and the individuals caught in their orbit.
Two such individuals—Lieutenant Daniel Leary and Adele Mundy—emerge as the novel’s central figures. Their partnership is an unlikely but utterly compelling alliance. Leary is a junior officer from one of Cinnabar’s most influential families, confident, tactically brilliant, and socially at ease. His instincts and charm make him a natural leader, though he is constantly navigating the long shadow of his politically powerful (and emotionally distant) father. Adele Mundy, by contrast, is reserved, self-contained, and analytical. Once a noblewoman herself, her family was executed in a political purge. Rather than collapse, she rebuilt herself into a formidable expert in information systems, intelligence gathering, and electronic warfare.
Adele doesn’t seek sympathy or revenge—her motives are quieter but no less forceful. Her dispassionate manner, intellectual rigour, and quiet integrity set her apart from every other figure in the novel. She is not fearless, but focused. Her decision to serve comes not from grand ideals but from a deeply personal moral clarity: a resolve to act, precisely because so many others don’t. The juxtaposition between her cool reserve and Daniel’s warm exuberance is one of the most satisfying character dynamics in recent science fiction. Their relationship is never romanticised or simplified, but built on mutual respect, earned trust, and an unspoken understanding of how much they rely on each other.
The backdrop to their story—both political and physical—is rendered in rich detail. Kostroma itself is a planet with its own layered culture: aristocratic courts alongside working-class sectors, historical grudges simmering beneath ceremonial civility. The ruling monarchy, once seen as little more than a ceremonial institution, suddenly becomes central to the planetary struggle for power and legitimacy. Local alliances fracture. Foreign pressure mounts. The capital is as much a battlefield as the skies above it.
Meanwhile, the depiction of life aboard a Cinnabar warship is equally compelling. The Princess Cecile is no sleek cruiser—it is a military vessel, engineered for combat and survival rather than glamour. Drake brings the reader deep into the routines and tensions of shipboard life: the creaking pressure of confined spaces, the rhythms of watch rotation, the immediacy of command decisions under fire. It’s a setting built on realism, not fantasy. Repairs are jury-rigged. Communications fail. Everything comes down to human judgement, crew cohesion, and the ability to improvise under pressure.
Drake’s own military background lends these scenes authenticity. Space battles aren’t glossy cinematic spectacles; they’re tense, unpredictable engagements shaped by calculation, risk, and the psychological pressure of knowing that one misstep can cost lives. There’s a certain understated nobility to the way these characters serve—not out of blind loyalty, but because they see the weight of inaction and take responsibility where others hesitate.
Amid all the high-stakes tension, Drake weaves in moments of dry, understated humour. Whether it’s bureaucratic absurdity, cultural misunderstandings, or the gallows wit of soldiers under stress, the tone feels grounded and familiar—wry without being flippant. It brings a humanity to the story that balances the political cynicism and technical precision. This makes for a book that is balanced in every way and in which you can always predict that the characters will all stick to the morals. Even though Drake delights in taking them through the most incredible situations! These aren’t caricatures or action figures; they’re people trying to do their jobs in a galaxy that doesn’t reward clarity or fairness.
There are plot twists, certainly—and they are executed with impressive timing—but the power of With the Lightnings lies less in surprise than in slow, inevitable consequence. The most thrilling developments arise not from shock, but from the realisation that character choices, made for complex reasons, ripple outward with real weight. Strategy matters. Relationships matter. Class, legacy, and reputation matter. And amidst it all, personal principle still counts for something.
With the Lightnings is science fiction of the very best kind: driven by character, fueled by ideas, and executed with clarity, intelligence, and control. David Drake has built not just a convincing world, but a believable society—complete with its own hierarchy, history, and contradictions. In Daniel Leary and Adele Mundy, he has created one of the most satisfying and distinctive duos in contemporary SF, brought together not by fate, but by function—and made stronger through shared purpose.
This isn’t a novel that publicity. It builds. It moves carefully, decisively, and with growing force. And when it hits, it hits hard—not just with explosions, but with meaning.
David Drake’s With the Lightnings is a vivid, intelligent, and thunderously compelling introduction to the RCN (Republic of Cinnabar Navy) series. It offers far more than the usual array of spaceships and shoot-outs. This is a novel steeped in political intrigue, social hierarchy, ethical ambiguity, and unlikely acts of heroism—an elegant fusion of sweeping space opera and grounded military fiction.
The story opens on the brink of upheaval. Kostroma, a wealthy but officially neutral planet, becomes the epicentre of a violent coup. The swift and merciless overthrow of the monarchy is not some isolated local uprising—it’s a move within a far wider and deadlier interstellar struggle. Both the Republic of Cinnabar and the rival Alliance of Free Stars see an opportunity in Kostroma’s vulnerability, and begin moving their pieces into position. What follows isn’t a conventional war narrative, but something far more strategic and insidious: sabotage, propaganda, espionage, diplomatic gamesmanship, and sudden violence played out in palace chambers, data centres, back alleys, and deep-space warships.
Drake handles the political landscape with nuance and precision. The Republic of Cinnabar, though nominally a constitutional power, is deeply entrenched in aristocratic privilege, dynastic patronage, and political favour-trading. It is governed as much by influential Houses as by its Senate or navy. Power is not purely institutional—it is inherited, negotiated, and sometimes quietly seized. The Alliance of Free Stars, though often presented as the ideological opposite, proves equally opportunistic, meddling in Kostroma’s affairs with its own covert agents and puppet factions. There are no shining heroes or cartoon villains here—just governments driven by ambition and the individuals caught in their orbit.
Two such individuals—Lieutenant Daniel Leary and Adele Mundy—emerge as the novel’s central figures. Their partnership is an unlikely but utterly compelling alliance. Leary is a junior officer from one of Cinnabar’s most influential families, confident, tactically brilliant, and socially at ease. His instincts and charm make him a natural leader, though he is constantly navigating the long shadow of his politically powerful (and emotionally distant) father. Adele Mundy, by contrast, is reserved, self-contained, and analytical. Once a noblewoman herself, her family was executed in a political purge. Rather than collapse, she rebuilt herself into a formidable expert in information systems, intelligence gathering, and electronic warfare.
Adele doesn’t seek sympathy or revenge—her motives are quieter but no less forceful. Her dispassionate manner, intellectual rigour, and quiet integrity set her apart from every other figure in the novel. She is not fearless, but focused. Her decision to serve comes not from grand ideals but from a deeply personal moral clarity: a resolve to act, precisely because so many others don’t. The juxtaposition between her cool reserve and Daniel’s warm exuberance is one of the most satisfying character dynamics in recent science fiction. Their relationship is never romanticised or simplified, but built on mutual respect, earned trust, and an unspoken understanding of how much they rely on each other.
The backdrop to their story—both political and physical—is rendered in rich detail. Kostroma itself is a planet with its own layered culture: aristocratic courts alongside working-class sectors, historical grudges simmering beneath ceremonial civility. The ruling monarchy, once seen as little more than a ceremonial institution, suddenly becomes central to the planetary struggle for power and legitimacy. Local alliances fracture. Foreign pressure mounts. The capital is as much a battlefield as the skies above it.
Meanwhile, the depiction of life aboard a Cinnabar warship is equally compelling. The Princess Cecile is no sleek cruiser—it is a military vessel, engineered for combat and survival rather than glamour. Drake brings the reader deep into the routines and tensions of shipboard life: the creaking pressure of confined spaces, the rhythms of watch rotation, the immediacy of command decisions under fire. It’s a setting built on realism, not fantasy. Repairs are jury-rigged. Communications fail. Everything comes down to human judgement, crew cohesion, and the ability to improvise under pressure.
Drake’s own military background lends these scenes authenticity. Space battles aren’t glossy cinematic spectacles; they’re tense, unpredictable engagements shaped by calculation, risk, and the psychological pressure of knowing that one misstep can cost lives. There’s a certain understated nobility to the way these characters serve—not out of blind loyalty, but because they see the weight of inaction and take responsibility where others hesitate.
Amid all the high-stakes tension, Drake weaves in moments of dry, understated humour. Whether it’s bureaucratic absurdity, cultural misunderstandings, or the gallows wit of soldiers under stress, the tone feels grounded and familiar—wry without being flippant. It brings a humanity to the story that balances the political cynicism and technical precision. This makes for a book that is balanced in every way and in which you can always predict that the characters will all stick to the morals. Even though Drake delights in taking them through the most incredible situations! These aren’t caricatures or action figures; they’re people trying to do their jobs in a galaxy that doesn’t reward clarity or fairness.
There are plot twists, certainly—and they are executed with impressive timing—but the power of With the Lightnings lies less in surprise than in slow, inevitable consequence. The most thrilling developments arise not from shock, but from the realisation that character choices, made for complex reasons, ripple outward with real weight. Strategy matters. Relationships matter. Class, legacy, and reputation matter. And amidst it all, personal principle still counts for something.
With the Lightnings is science fiction of the very best kind: driven by character, fueled by ideas, and executed with clarity, intelligence, and control. David Drake has built not just a convincing world, but a believable society—complete with its own hierarchy, history, and contradictions. In Daniel Leary and Adele Mundy, he has created one of the most satisfying and distinctive duos in contemporary SF, brought together not by fate, but by function—and made stronger through shared purpose.
This isn’t a novel that publicity. It builds. It moves carefully, decisively, and with growing force. And when it hits, it hits hard—not just with explosions, but with meaning.
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