28 of 33 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Leary Plays Politics, April 14, 2008
This review is from: Some Golden Harbor (RCN) (Mass Market Paperback)
Some Golden Harbor (2006) is the fifth SF novel of the Leary, RCN, series, following
The Way to Glory. In the previous volume, after the loss of his captain, Lieutenant Daniel Leary took the Hermes to attack an Alliance convoy in the Bromley system. The cutters damaged several cargo transports and the heavy cruiser Scheer, but Midshipman Timothy Dorst and his crew were killed in action.
Later, Signal Officer Adele Mundy made cutter 614 appear as a battleship and the Scheer surrendered to Admiral Milne's flotilla. Leary and a prize crew took the Scheer to Ritikin. There Leary was promoted to Commander by order of Admiral Anston, President of the Navy Board.
In this novel, Daniel has orders to go to Ganpat's Reach in an advisory role. Adele meets with Maurice Claverhouse in the Pleasaunce Style restaurant to obtain information about Dunbar's World. Adele is hoping that Claverhouse will have more current information on the situation than that available from Mistress Sand's organization.
Daniel visits the mother and sister of Midshipman Dorst. They already know of his death, but Daniel was his commanding officer and feels a duty to personally console the family. He also steers the family to his sister Deirdre to hasten distribution of Dorst's share of the prize money; Daniel's private deal with Deirdre will ensure that the Dorsts get immediate payment of the full amount.
Adele has expedited the use of the Princess Cecile to carry Daniel to Gunpat's Reach. Moreover, she has arranged for former Sissies to crew the ship. Their crew is being held in a hulk near Harbor 3.
Admiral Vocaine is now the Chief of the Navy Board, taking office after the retirement of Admiral Anston following a heart attack. Vocaine has instituted a new policy of detaining enlisted personnel between voyages, denying them port liberty. Both Daniel and Adele travel out to the place to collect the crew.
In this story, Lieutenant Vesey is acting captain of the Princess Cecile since Daniel is officially a passenger on this voyage. Besides, Daniel figures that the responsibilities will take her mind off the death of Midshipman Dorst. She has been very lost in her grief except when she has duties to perform.
Their first stop is Pellegrino, from which the invaders of Dunbar's World have come. Adele discovers that a disabled Cinnabar freighter has been waiting for parts for more than a month. Daniel decides to visit the captain of the freighter to get local news.
Adele visits the Cinnabar consular agent, who is also an agent for Mistress Sand. Hijaz Nordeen tells her the reason for the invasion. Chancellor Arruns has a son and heir -- Nataniel -- who is impatient in his wait for the chance at power. So Chancellor Arruns would prefer that Nataniel remain on Dunbar's World indefinitely.
Bennaria was the initial complainant to the Cinnabar Senate, for the invasion has disrupted their trade. Yet Daniel and Adele discover that Bennaria is not taking any steps on their own to oppose the invasion. Of course, they are quite willing to lend support to any Cinnabar effort, as long as it does not require their money or military.
This story tells of how Daniel accomplished his mission on Dunbar's World without any naval or military support other than the unarmed Princess Cecile and her well-armed crew. Daniel and Adele conduct covert operations on Bennaria to acquire what they need. Then they use these resources on Dunbar's World to get the Pellegrino troops off the planet.
Naturally, Daniel and Adele are resoundingly successful on Dunbar's World and confound their critics on Cinnabar. What else would you expect? Enjoy!
Highly recommended for Drake fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of naval and military maneuvers, intelligence gathering, and political intrigue.
-Arthur W. Jordin
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21 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Should have been called "sleepy golden pond", September 18, 2006
I've read most of Drake's work (all the SciFi) and have been a big fan of the Lt. Leary series. This book just does not "do it" for me.
Out of the 370 or so pages, perhaps 10% is real action - not what's expected from the series. The rest reminds me of an early text-only video game. Start at point A. Move to point B. Can't open door - it's locked. Return to point A and find magic key. Return to point B and use key. Oops - I forgot to grab the magic lint - can't cross threshold. Return to point A, get lint. Return to point B. Unock door again. Use lint. Can't look around - Darn - it's dark. Return to point A for a torch. Return to point B, fight ogre blocking door. Unock door. Use lint. Look around with torch. Can't. I forgot to grab the matches and light the torch. Return to point A, get matches. And on and on and on. I was getting ready to fall over I was spun around so much!
I'm not kidding. Leary was a pinball dizzily bouncing between two planets throughout the book. There was more "political action" - about as exciting as reading the minutes from a Senate session on Soybean Subsidies - then anything else.
The "tyrannical Alliance" was nothing of the sort. More a minor character that sent advisors and hired mercs. And really poor, unskilled mercs at that.
Tovera is becoming more humanized (at one point Drake seems to have confused Hogg with Tovera.) Adele is turning into a Schitzo. At this rate, we'll have a new character named Adelovera. Or we'll get a "Fight Club" hit, and find out that Tovera and Adele are the same person. The lines between the two are becoming too blurred.
Spoiler (kind-of)....
The end, with a cross-dressing TV serenading the crews was a pretty pathetic and uninspired moment in the book, and one of the most bizarre events in the series. Picture this: You have commanded your crews through harrowing space battles, negotiated peace on two planets, and avoided a fight between hired killers/bodyguards.
Do they do to Disneyland? Nope. Get drunk and party like it's 9999? Nope. They watch a drag queen sing from on top of the ships hull.
The whole story seemed unpolished and rushed to print. Yes, the storyline was good - not great (as many of Drake's are) - but the execution was poorly done this time. Sure, Drake at his worst is better than many authors at their best, but this was not up to par. I'm sure if he would have read his final version a few weeks after putting it down, he would have said "What the hell?!?"
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15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
SAME STORY, DIFFERENT TITLE, December 29, 2006
Boy, I really dislike writing this review. Why? Because I've really enjoyed the first four in this series. Well, "The way to Glory" was showing a bit of a slowdown, but nothing like "Some Golden Harbor"!
Yeah, there's some action, but it's the same kind of action you're seen time and time again in the other books. Character growth? Forget it! There has been little or no change in any of the relationships since "The Far Side of the Stars". Leary's still just a big old playboy who just happens to be a terrific navigator and ship fighter. Mundy isn't much better, same old robot in a human shell.
The worst part about this is it's starting to get really boring, and that's a shame since it started off so well. I think the best thing Drake can do is either kill them all off, abandon the it or put some real changes into the storyline. But I suppose as long as we keep buying this churned out crud he'll keep writing it.
Neutral on this one.
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