The Far Side of the Stars, 3

David Drake does not disappoint! This book has great characters and lots of action. It is part of a series -- 3rd in the series -- but it was the first book about Lt. Leary and his crew that I read. It is so good I'm going back to pick up the others I missed! If you like David Weber's Honor Harrington books, try this! You'll love it!

Third book in the RCN Series seems a bit out of character. It reads more like a "legend of Leary & Mundy" rather then an actual account of an adventure the two characters would have. Actually the book becomes more like the other two in the series for the last third of the book. Growth is important in a series, but we don't see that here and the story is just oddly surreal. However, having said that, this is better writing and better characters then in most modern science fiction we normally see. Even a sub-par Leary/Mundy book is better then most others. Even with the short comings, The Far Side of the Stars is an enjoyable read in a series of enjoyable reads.

This story is the third in the Republic of Cinnabar Navy series. This series of stories takes place in the far-future, where mankind has spread through hundreds of inhabated planets in the galaxy. However, power is split among a number of warring factions in control of the more central and civilized star systems, with a good number of backwards and "pirate-infested" systems around the edges. THE FAR SIDE OF THE STARS(2003) picks up where the 2nd book LT LEARY COMMANDING(2000) and 1st book WITH THE LIGHTNINGS(1998) left off... the main characters Leary (Lt. in the RCN), and Mundy (ex-Librarian, turned Signals Officer) return to Cinnabar, where they must take care of "business at home" for a bit, amid an apparent truce between Cinnabar and The Alliance.. But they become aware that their old ship, PRINCESS CECILE, is being sold off to a rich couple (Klimovs) seeking adventure on outback worlds in "The Commonwealth of God", and it looks like the old crew will be broken up - but Lt. Leary (now reserve Lt. Leary) finds a way to keep the ship and most of the crew together to seek adventure in "The Galactic North", as well as keep an eye out for the interests of Cinnabar against the "evil" Alliance of Stars - who, even under a flag of truce, is scheming for advantage in this part of the Galaxy. The Leary series is very similar to the John Grimes series of stories produced by A. Bertram Chandler in the 60's/70's/80's (albiet a bit more sophisticated, and technologically up-to-date). Indeed, it is apparent that Drake gives homage to Chandler, by naming the Captain of the rival Alliance ship "Captain Bertram". I found this book to be more interesting than the last one in the series, as there is much more variety... with a huge bar room brawl/riot, a dragon-like alien hunt, varied sexual escapades, along with the usual melees and space battles. One nitpick... The author does a good job of describing Mundy's ability to control the RF frequency domain; but when he mentions actual frequencies, he is not dealing with reality... 15 KiloHertz for a base frequency is barely above audio frequencies - and couldn't be used to pass gas, let alone a complicated "program", as was described in Chapter 19... even 15 MegaHertz would be low and inappropriate for this work - try 151.820Mhz, or 15 Ghz next time.

The Republic of Cinnebar and the Alliance are at peace which means changing swords into plows and leaving some folks out of work as the war provided them employment. With his warship the Princess Cecile mothballed, Lieutenant Daniel Leary and Signals Officer Adele Mundy are two of those legendary heroes seeking jobs. So when Count Kimov and his wife Valentina decide to hunt for exotic prey in the Galactic North they buy the mothballed Princess Cecile and hire Leary and crew to escort them there.However, just because an armistice has been signed, peace is not everywhere. Soon Leary and company are struggling with deadly dragons and a treacherous Alliance battle fleet ready to destroy Cinnebar and kill anyone who might give away the deceitful plan of preemptive first strike. However, besides a star war at a level not seen before, it is the Oracle that frightens Leary the most.The Republic of Cinnebar tales are some of the best space opera novels in recent years. The latest one, THE FAR SIDE OF THE STARS, is a delightful tale that starts by showing what happens to old soldiers whose glory time looks over, but quickly spins into an action-packed, faster then the speed of light war of the worlds' tale. Leary is a great protagonist who is a fish out of water when peace exists throughout the galaxy, but in a hostile life threatening environs, his true grit is that he is the outer space John Wayne. David Drake entertains the troops with this wild ride.Harriet Klausner

David Drake continues his RCN series with high style! He's created what most authors aspire for - an outstanding series based around solid and enjoyable characters, set in an environment with nearly unlimited potential. Once again Lt. Leary, proves his leadership and command abilities, while womanizing his way across the galaxy...fortunately he knows he couldn't carry the whole thing off without his merry band of misfits, including the most able and loyal Adele Mundy, computer/information extraordinaire, and of course - expert shot. And what their respective "masters" can't handle - Hogg, Leary's rogue of a manservant, and Tovera, Mundy's equally deadly assistant are more than up to. If these four aren't enough - then the Princess Cecile and her crew, the Sissies, will get the job done!The only thing bad about this series is the wait you have to endure until the next installment arrives.