From Publishers Weekly
In the far future, the human inhabitants of Venus are menaced by a tyrannical government on Earth. Much as Elizabethan England was menaced by Spain, in fact, for this novel concludes a trilogy (Igniting the Reaches; Through the Breach) based on the career of Sir Francis Drake?not his ancestor, author Drake insists. The Englishman's futuristic incarnation, Piet Ricimer, has risen to the status of star-faring hero through his raids on Earth's interstellar colonies. This volume brings open war, as Ricimer's fleet "singes the tyrant of Earth's beard" and then defeats an outer-space armada with an arsenal that includes the unmanned, crash-diving "fireships" of the title. Most of the characterizations here lack originality, and the author's game of replaying Elizabethan history leads to some awkward world-building, tactics and weaponry. Unlike in Through the Breach, however, here the action scenes excel, perhaps because Drake forgoes that novel's first-person narration for a tougher third-person approach. A string of fine action scenes, however, isn't enough to distinguish a novel in today's action-packed SF market. Drake has done much better work, most recently in The Sharp End, and likely will again.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Kirkus Reviews
Third of Drake's far-future space swashbucklers (Through the Breach, 1995, etc.) inspired by the Elizabethan Age of Discovery. Again, the heroic, libertarian Venusians battle the evil empire of the Earth Federation, this time in a plot based upon the exploits of buccaneer/explorer Sir Francis Drake (no relation, the author adds). The sole innovation here is the advent of a female starship captain, Sal Blythe, who makes a business arrangement with troubled warrior Stephen Gregg to join the Venusian raiding squadrons despite the initial disapproval of their god-fearing, inspirational captain, Piet Ricimer. So, after a mediocre string of raids and skirmishes, author Drake offers up a space version of a famous historical England vs. Spain sea showdown. By now--the only development of any lasting interest--Sal and Stephen, both suffering battle-related stress and trauma and drinking heavily, have found some solace in each other's arms. A two-dimensional shoot-'em-up, the weakest and least inventive entry so far in a fading series. --
Copyright ©1996, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
