Patriots

This novel captures the flavor and spirit of the American Revolution. The opening is humorous, with a giant of a man telling a little skinny fellow that he should now know better than to hit a man in the head with his fist. In summary, there's a conflicting bureaucracy controlling various planets. One planet is settled with land grants from one bureaucrat in contradiction to grants given by another bureaucrat. Unfortunately, the first group has already settled their land. Now, the second group, where the bureaucrat has more solid legal authority, is dividing up already settled land to flood the planet with their overflow population. This sets the book up for the most unlikely rebellion in some time...

This is a totally unique book. Unlike most Sci Fi that deals with war and such, this one is about people, totally about people and how they react to the larger picture. Most be totally unaware of how small decisions effect the outcome with a longer view. It gives a totally human view of historial people. What where our own founding fathers really like? not likely the larger than life people legion has made of them, but flesh and blood, just trying to build lives for themselves and their families. One of the best Sci Fi books in recent history.

My review title probably tells it all - but PATRIOTS is a very good book, probably better than many readers will realize. We see larger-than-life characters, intrigue, generational clashes, and a boy turning into a man. All based on one of the seminal events of the American Revolution retold. It has all of Dave Drake's uncompromising recognition of the fact that actions have consequences - and sometimes violence is going to happen. And is sometimes better than inaction. But still not without consequences. In any case - a really good read that offers a look at the sort of people who settled North Amercia and revolted in 1775. And why some of them made the decsions they did. Not always why the average person thinks so, either. And a safe book for young readers without being written down. No killing (somewhat a surprise for one of Drake's books, but there wasn't any killing by the Green Mountain Boys in what became Vermont, so the book is true to history that way), no explicit sex, and no preaching. As I said - a good read. I wish the reviewer who predicted a series had been right, but that was never the plan.

In Patriots, it appears that Drake is setting up a Sci-fi American Revolution. Events appear to be leading up to a revolution anyway. This book appears to be a setup for a whole series. Very good characters, well thought out, it just doesn't feel complete. So come on Mr. Drake, tell me the rest of this story as only you can.

David Drake has made the "smash them flat" style of futureistic military fiction his own. However, in his newest book, "Patriots", he has drawn the plot development and characters with a much finer pen. The closest, and in my mind, most complimentary comparison I can make is that this book reads like a Bob Heinlein book. The book contains all of the successful elements of Heinlein's, a younger lead, an older mentor and a romantic interest. This mixture is lead into a revolution, almost a cliche, but well handled, in a humerous way. The book is not the Great American Novel, but it is an entertaining way of spending an evening or two. Try it! You might like it and then you might want to go back and re-read some of the Alois Hammer books and see where David Drake has come from.