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Reaches #1-3 omnibus
The Reaches
Thundering Space Adventure from the Best-Selling Author of Hammer's Slammers
A thousand years ago, the human empire collapsed. Now mankind is reclaiming the galaxy, and ships hurtle between the stars, hoping to reap the rich opportunities of this new age of trade and exploration. But there are wars springing up, with new tyrants seizing whole planets, while other planets are rebelling against the powers that hold them captive. And lurking in the dark spaces between the stars are pirates, plundering all sides in the conflicts. It is the golden age of space travel, and it is possible for a brave man or woman to become very wealthy-or very dead.
At the publisher's request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management).
A violent, hard-nosed swashbuckler, set forth with discernment and skill. —Kirkus Reviews
Drake uses military language fluently to create vivid combat scenes. —Publishers Weekly
Hard-hitting SF adventure-a tale that will appeal to fans of military SF. —Library Journal
"A cleverly set up, Poul Anderson-style reprise of the early Elizabethan period, when trade and piracy were synonyms . . . enormously entertaining! —Detroit News
Vietnam veteran, former lawyer, former bus driver, and now bestselling author, David Drake tells a military story like no other. His readers recognize that he can take them where no one else can, with gut-wrenching description that puts them face-to-face with the enemy, and in the midst of the action right on the battlefield. He helped create the audience for mercenary military science fiction with his best-selling "Hammer's Slammers" books. Drake graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Iowa, majoring in history (with honors) and Latin. His stint at Duke University Law School was interrupted for two years by the U.S. Army, where he served as an enlisted interrogator with the 11th Armored Cavalry in Vietnam and Cambodia. Drake has a wife, a son, and various pets.
A thousand years ago, the human empire collapsed. Now mankind is reclaiming the galaxy, and ships hurtle between the stars, hoping to reap the rich opportunities of this new age of trade and exploration. But there are wars springing up, with new tyrants seizing whole planets, while other planets are rebelling against the powers that hold them captive. And lurking in the dark spaces between the stars are pirates, plundering all sides in the conflicts. It is the golden age of space travel, and it is possible for a brave man or woman to become very wealthy-or very dead.
At the publisher's request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management).
A violent, hard-nosed swashbuckler, set forth with discernment and skill. —Kirkus Reviews
Drake uses military language fluently to create vivid combat scenes. —Publishers Weekly
Hard-hitting SF adventure-a tale that will appeal to fans of military SF. —Library Journal
"A cleverly set up, Poul Anderson-style reprise of the early Elizabethan period, when trade and piracy were synonyms . . . enormously entertaining! —Detroit News
Vietnam veteran, former lawyer, former bus driver, and now bestselling author, David Drake tells a military story like no other. His readers recognize that he can take them where no one else can, with gut-wrenching description that puts them face-to-face with the enemy, and in the midst of the action right on the battlefield. He helped create the audience for mercenary military science fiction with his best-selling "Hammer's Slammers" books. Drake graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Iowa, majoring in history (with honors) and Latin. His stint at Duke University Law School was interrupted for two years by the U.S. Army, where he served as an enlisted interrogator with the 11th Armored Cavalry in Vietnam and Cambodia. Drake has a wife, a son, and various pets.
954 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 30, 2003
48 people are currently reading
89 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 - 10 of 10 reviews
September 21, 2023
Ich verstehe nicht wieso die "Reachestrilogie" nicht viel bekannter und populärer ist. Meiner Meinung nach eine der großartigsten Space-Operas, die es gibt. Mein Favorit war der mittlere Roman "Through the Breach", der alles enthält, was ich mir von Weltraumabenteuern erwarte: Aufbruch ins Unbekannte, Auseinandersetzungen auf fremden Planeten und im All, exzellent geschilderte Action, hervorragende (aber nicht immer symphatische) Charaktere, vergangene Kulturen und deren Überreste, kurz gesagt eine Handlung, die einen packt und nicht mehr loslässt.
January 22, 2018
100 pages in and glad I did not buy this book. It is poorly written, and character development is next to non-existent! It bounces from one scene to another. It could have been so much more, to bad.
November 28, 2017
Great Military Scifi, and I love the fact that David Drake was inspired by historical events. Good for a lite pulp read, but with depth.
June 19, 2019
It took halfway through the book before I could really start to enjoy it. If you like David Drake books hang in there it does get better.
October 10, 2020
I was invested in all the the Characters. A new take to me in low tech space combat.
December 21, 2010
An interesting, almost believable future. An intergalactic civilization has collapsed, leaving humanity spread out among the stars. But one man on Venus has a vision of a grand unifying government ... no, wait, he doesn't. Somehow, the people left on other planets after the collapse don't count as "people" or "human" anymore, since their technological level has degraded to only what is needed for survival. So the visionary wants to "liberate" the people from the oppression of not only the evil empire of Earth, but of themselves.
It could almost be hopeful, if it wasn't a paranoid, self-defeating distopia. Mass production is frowned upon, as supposedly it led to the collapse, so there's a large focus on individual craftsmanship. But somehow, there are no rules or specifications for the crafts, so weapons are limited to single-shot cannons, laser or gauss, with a variety of ammunition and payload that make loading and firing almost more trouble than it's worth. The whole reason for this is, of course, that this is actually the story of Sir Francis Drake, transported to the far-flung future, and it fit better in the author's head if the soldiers didn't have access to rifling techniques or semi-automatic weapons.
The story itself is pretty good - lots of explosions, boarding of ships, takedowns of villains. Good things to build a narrative around. We really only see the Venusian point of view, but you'll barely notice the lack, and the Earth Federation makes for a worthy villain. The only thing that drags things down a bit is the protagonist of all three stories, Steven Gregg, as he whinges on about how horrible war is, and how it's ruined him for life outside of the confines of battle. He's become a hero in his own right, and inspires others to great and wonderful things, but he's haunted by all the people he's gunned down. In some ways, he might be regarded as an author avatar, as David Drake is a Vietnam veteran. A reminder of the things we ask the men and women in the armed forces to do on our behalf.
It could almost be hopeful, if it wasn't a paranoid, self-defeating distopia. Mass production is frowned upon, as supposedly it led to the collapse, so there's a large focus on individual craftsmanship. But somehow, there are no rules or specifications for the crafts, so weapons are limited to single-shot cannons, laser or gauss, with a variety of ammunition and payload that make loading and firing almost more trouble than it's worth. The whole reason for this is, of course, that this is actually the story of Sir Francis Drake, transported to the far-flung future, and it fit better in the author's head if the soldiers didn't have access to rifling techniques or semi-automatic weapons.
The story itself is pretty good - lots of explosions, boarding of ships, takedowns of villains. Good things to build a narrative around. We really only see the Venusian point of view, but you'll barely notice the lack, and the Earth Federation makes for a worthy villain. The only thing that drags things down a bit is the protagonist of all three stories, Steven Gregg, as he whinges on about how horrible war is, and how it's ruined him for life outside of the confines of battle. He's become a hero in his own right, and inspires others to great and wonderful things, but he's haunted by all the people he's gunned down. In some ways, he might be regarded as an author avatar, as David Drake is a Vietnam veteran. A reminder of the things we ask the men and women in the armed forces to do on our behalf.
April 20, 2008
This book contains the trilogy of Igniting the Reaches, Through the Breach, and Fireships. All follow the adventures of the Stephen Gregg, a gentleman of Venus, and Captain Piet Ricimer. Starting out as young traders who are forced to fight for their lives far out beyond Pluto, the men become friends. Captain Ricimer eventually becomes one of the richest, most powerful men on Venus, while Stephen Gregg, also very wealthy, becomes one of the most feared due to his talent for battle. There is plenty of action in the books as Venus struggles to maintain independence from the tyranny of Earth. It is very enjoyable to read them all in a single volume.
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January 9, 2010baen ebook
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July 19, 2008Includes Igniting the Reaches (1994), Through the Breach (1995), and Fireships (1996).
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June 4, 2018Solid characters that you want to believe will cage their demons and lead successful lives.
The characters grow in believable way in reactions to a centralized earth governments desire to control mankind's destiny. The cost of combat and the dangers of space harrow the hearts of the Venusian sailors
The characters grow in believable way in reactions to a centralized earth governments desire to control mankind's destiny. The cost of combat and the dangers of space harrow the hearts of the Venusian sailors
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews