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From palace to reeking jungle, from gunfights in grimy hangars to the flagship's bridge during a sprawling space battle, Leary and Mundy are in the thick of it again. Watch the galaxy explode - In The Stormy Red Sky!
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Mass Market Paperback
This space opera is the seventh of, to date, eight naval SF action stories featuring Daniel Leary, an officer in the space navy of the far future "Republic of Cinnabar" and his signals officer (and super spy) Adele Mundy.
Like David Weber's "Honor Harrington" series, although with quite different execution of a similar idea, this series imagines a far future technology for space travel and space warfare which imposes tactical, logistical and strategic challenges for space navy officers remarkably similar to those which the technology of fighting sail imposed on the wet navy officers of Nelson's navy.
Indeed, just as the first 12 Honor Harrington novels are rather like a far future, gender reversed re-creation of C.S. Forester's Hornblower novels, Drake has confirmed that the "Leary" series was inspired by Patrick O'Brien's Aubrey and Maturin novels such as Master and Commander.
This book begins with the formal ceremonies as Daniel Leary is promoted to Captain RCN and takes command of the heavy cruiser "Milton." This ship has just been commissioned into the Republic of Cinnabar Navy (RCN): she was formerly the "Scheer," which Leary and his crew captured from the enemy Alliance during a previous book, "The Way to Glory," and has spent the intervening two books being repaired and refitted after that battle.
The Milton's first job under RCN colours should be an easy one: a diplomatic mission to a star cluster called the Veil. A Senator who has just lost an election for the top job in the republic is, partly as a consolation prize, partly to get her out of the way, and partly because the job needs doing, being sent as Cinnabar's envoy to the Veil Cluster's new dictator, Hieronymous, who has just succeeded his grandfather. So Daniel Leary has to take her there.
However, the job may prove more eventful than anyone expected ...
The series to date consists of:
1) With The Lightnings
2) Lt. Leary, Commanding
3) The Far Side of the Stars (Lt. Leary)
4) The Way To Glory (RCN)
5) Some Golden Harbor (RCN)
6) When the Tide Rises (R.C.N. - Lt. Leary)
7) This book: "In the Stormy Red Sky"
8) What Distant Deeps: RCN Series, Book 8 (Unabridged)
The first few books were collectively known as the "Lt. Leary" series, but as he was promoted to Commander at the conclusion of "The Way to Glory" and to Captain at the start of this book, the series is now more aptly known as the "RCN" series.
The plots or situations of all the books in this series are to some extent inspired by real events from various periods of history, and David Drake usually explains in an author's note where he took them from. In the case of "In the Stormy Red Sky" David Drake has woven together three events which took place in the Mediterranean area during the five years which followed the disaster for Roman arms at the battle of Cannae in 216 BC.
These were
1) The accession of Hieronymous as Tyrant of Syracuse following the death of his grandfather Dionysius II.
2) A coup in Tarentum organised by a group of young aristocrats with assistance from Hannibal
3) The successful attack on Cartegena by Scipio (later Scipio Africanus).
David Drake is a consistent four-star author: his highly prolific output doesn't include many five star books but I've never read a bad one. The RCN stories are all clever, entertaining, and interesting and "In the Stormy Red Sky" is no exception.
Like David Weber's "Honor Harrington" series, although with quite different execution of a similar idea, this series imagines a far future technology for space travel and space warfare which imposes tactical, logistical and strategic challenges for space navy officers remarkably similar to those which the technology of fighting sail imposed on the wet navy officers of Nelson's navy.
Indeed, just as the first 12 Honor Harrington novels are rather like a far future, gender reversed re-creation of C.S. Forester's Hornblower novels, Drake has confirmed that the "Leary" series was inspired by Patrick O'Brien's Aubrey and Maturin novels such as Master and Commander.
This book begins with the formal ceremonies as Daniel Leary is promoted to Captain RCN and takes command of the heavy cruiser "Milton." This ship has just been commissioned into the Republic of Cinnabar Navy (RCN): she was formerly the "Scheer," which Leary and his crew captured from the enemy Alliance during a previous book, "The Way to Glory," and has spent the intervening two books being repaired and refitted after that battle.
The Milton's first job under RCN colours should be an easy one: a diplomatic mission to a star cluster called the Veil. A Senator who has just lost an election for the top job in the republic is, partly as a consolation prize, partly to get her out of the way, and partly because the job needs doing, being sent as Cinnabar's envoy to the Veil Cluster's new dictator, Hieronymous, who has just succeeded his grandfather. So Daniel Leary has to take her there.
However, the job may prove more eventful than anyone expected ...
The series to date consists of:
1) With The Lightnings
2) Lt. Leary, Commanding
3) The Far Side of the Stars (Lt. Leary)
4) The Way To Glory (RCN)
5) Some Golden Harbor (RCN)
6) When the Tide Rises (R.C.N. - Lt. Leary)
7) This book: "In the Stormy Red Sky"
8) What Distant Deeps: RCN Series, Book 8 (Unabridged)
The first few books were collectively known as the "Lt. Leary" series, but as he was promoted to Commander at the conclusion of "The Way to Glory" and to Captain at the start of this book, the series is now more aptly known as the "RCN" series.
The plots or situations of all the books in this series are to some extent inspired by real events from various periods of history, and David Drake usually explains in an author's note where he took them from. In the case of "In the Stormy Red Sky" David Drake has woven together three events which took place in the Mediterranean area during the five years which followed the disaster for Roman arms at the battle of Cannae in 216 BC.
These were
1) The accession of Hieronymous as Tyrant of Syracuse following the death of his grandfather Dionysius II.
2) A coup in Tarentum organised by a group of young aristocrats with assistance from Hannibal
3) The successful attack on Cartegena by Scipio (later Scipio Africanus).
David Drake is a consistent four-star author: his highly prolific output doesn't include many five star books but I've never read a bad one. The RCN stories are all clever, entertaining, and interesting and "In the Stormy Red Sky" is no exception.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
26 reviews
28 of 29 people found the following review helpful
Trouble rather the tiger in her lair than the scholar at her books.
27 April 2009
Format:Hardcover
I'm sure many readers of this review will notice that the title is a gender-changed version of the opening line of Gordon R. Dickson's famous novel "The Tactics of Mistake." There's a reason for it.
If you've read Arthur Jordin's review here on Amazon, you've gotten the basic story summary. This is another book in what is listed as the "Lt. Leary Series" over at the publisher's website(www.webscription.net). The series is space opera, with lots of combat, a cause well worth fighting for, and enemies worth beating.
In the other books, Lieutenant (later Captain) Daniel Leary is the main character, and his friend, Adele Mundy is his "signals officer." She is also, not by coincidence, the best intelligence officer (spy) in the galaxy, and has contributed to more than one victory either by providing critical information or by messing up enemy communications. Or both.
This book, however, is not Daniel's book, but Adele's. She has led a difficult life, and had a lot of her humanity torn from her by the political murders of her parents and baby sister, and the harsh years that followed that tragedy. This is the story of Adele reclaiming parts of her lost humanity. Adele being Adele, and the situation being a shooting war, the price of those parts is high, both in tears and shed blood.
I can't give any details without spoiling the surprises in this marvelous story, but I will say the ending is as "beautiful and terrible as an army with banners" and well worth reading the book to get to it.
I enjoyed this book enormously, and found it well worth the time invested. Thank you, David.
Ave nautae senatusque Cinnabarum!
If you've read Arthur Jordin's review here on Amazon, you've gotten the basic story summary. This is another book in what is listed as the "Lt. Leary Series" over at the publisher's website(www.webscription.net). The series is space opera, with lots of combat, a cause well worth fighting for, and enemies worth beating.
In the other books, Lieutenant (later Captain) Daniel Leary is the main character, and his friend, Adele Mundy is his "signals officer." She is also, not by coincidence, the best intelligence officer (spy) in the galaxy, and has contributed to more than one victory either by providing critical information or by messing up enemy communications. Or both.
This book, however, is not Daniel's book, but Adele's. She has led a difficult life, and had a lot of her humanity torn from her by the political murders of her parents and baby sister, and the harsh years that followed that tragedy. This is the story of Adele reclaiming parts of her lost humanity. Adele being Adele, and the situation being a shooting war, the price of those parts is high, both in tears and shed blood.
I can't give any details without spoiling the surprises in this marvelous story, but I will say the ending is as "beautiful and terrible as an army with banners" and well worth reading the book to get to it.
I enjoyed this book enormously, and found it well worth the time invested. Thank you, David.
Ave nautae senatusque Cinnabarum!
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
a great SF series continues
8 May 2009
Format:Hardcover
I have been a fan of Drake's Daniel Leary and Adele Mundy series since its beginning with 1) With the Lightnings, and continuing with 2) Lt Leary Commanding, 3) The Far Side of the Stars, 4) The Way to Glory, 5) Some Golden Harbor, and 6) When the Tide Rises.
With seven books now out in the series, I continue to look forward to the next one. Anyone not familiar with the series should definitely start with With the Lightnings, but In the Stormy Red Sky is a worthy step in the the Leary and Mundy story. Their story is comparable to Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey and Maturin, but I prefer Drake's characters.
Drake uses historical cultures in a futuristic setting, and he uses historical events as the inspiration for the the events in these books. As he says in the author's note, three incidents contributed to the plot of this book:
1) The death of Dionysius II, whose grandson Hieronymos succeeded to the throne of Syracuse.
2) The successful revolt of a group of young aristocrats in Tarentum, aided by Hannibal.
3) The successful assault by Scipio (later Scipio Africanus) on the fortress city of Cartagena.
Knowing this history may, or may not, aid your enjoyment of the book. A general problem with many of Drake's books is that these historical cultures (which seems to correspond to an 18th century British navy ship as closely as anything) don't fit well in a high-tech society. I consider the level of education necessary for a high-tech society to thrive to be incompatible with the kind of "primitive" culture Drake describes. Although the culture / technology clash is occasionally jarring, I like the the relationship between Leary and Mundy, and am happy to suspend my disbelief to read about them.
With seven books now out in the series, I continue to look forward to the next one. Anyone not familiar with the series should definitely start with With the Lightnings, but In the Stormy Red Sky is a worthy step in the the Leary and Mundy story. Their story is comparable to Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey and Maturin, but I prefer Drake's characters.
Drake uses historical cultures in a futuristic setting, and he uses historical events as the inspiration for the the events in these books. As he says in the author's note, three incidents contributed to the plot of this book:
1) The death of Dionysius II, whose grandson Hieronymos succeeded to the throne of Syracuse.
2) The successful revolt of a group of young aristocrats in Tarentum, aided by Hannibal.
3) The successful assault by Scipio (later Scipio Africanus) on the fortress city of Cartagena.
Knowing this history may, or may not, aid your enjoyment of the book. A general problem with many of Drake's books is that these historical cultures (which seems to correspond to an 18th century British navy ship as closely as anything) don't fit well in a high-tech society. I consider the level of education necessary for a high-tech society to thrive to be incompatible with the kind of "primitive" culture Drake describes. Although the culture / technology clash is occasionally jarring, I like the the relationship between Leary and Mundy, and am happy to suspend my disbelief to read about them.
16 of 18 people found the following review helpful
The Political Angle
25 April 2009
Format:Hardcover
In the Stormy Red Sky (2009) is the seventh SF novel in the Leary, RCN, series, following When the Tide Rises. In the previous volume, Daniel saved the RCN Squadron at Diamondia and was written up in the dispatches. Adele picked up comm traffic between the Alliance ships and provided a deception plan. Rene Cazelet -- Adele's protege -- eavesdropped on the Alliance ships from an escape capsule.
In this novel, Daniel Leary is promoted to Captain in the RCN. He is the youngest Captain on the rolls. And he is being given command of a heavy cruiser, the RCS Milton.
Adele Mundy is the signal officer aboard the Milton, just as she had been on the Princess Cecile. She is also Lady Mundy of Chatsworth, a member of the gentry. Mostly she is a friend of Daniel Leary.
Senator Forbes has been named as plenipotentiary to the Veil and Adjacent Regions. She had been Minister of Finance. but resigned from that post to run for Speaker of the Senate. After losing the vote, she had accepted her present position to keep from being demoted to a back bench. Now she is hoping to gain some status within the hinterlands.
Lieutenant Commander Dan Robinson is second-in-command of the Milton. He is a protege of Senator Forbes. Naturally Leary would rather have Elspeth Vesey as his First Lieutenant, but Forbes had recommended Robinson.
In this story, Adele is told that she will not receive the RCN star as recommended through channels. Huxford informs her that it would not be appropriate for one of Madame Sand's agents to be publicly decorated. Adele lets him leave without killing him, but he does so hastily.
Leary has orders to take Senator Forbes to Karst to talk with the Hegemony. Headman Terl had died recently and his son is refusing to talk to underlings. Forbes is to represent the power of the Senate, while the Milton will show the power of the RCN.
The Milton stops at Paton on the way to the Hegemony. Adele goes with Senator Forbes to visit Master Beckford. Daniel stays behind to meet with Governor Das, the Resident of the Veil stars.
Das had initially reported the lack of cooperation of the new Headman of the Hegemony. He gives a detailed report to Daniel. He also asks for assistance in a navigation problem on the Spezza.
Captain Haugen of the Spezza has a regiment of Brotherhood troops waiting for resolution of the problem. The astrogation chip for the next stage of their voyage cannot be read by his equipment. Daniel offers the assistance of Adele and she finds that the chip has been encrypted.
Adele decrypts the proper file and copies it back into the chip. The course is now accepted by the computer. Naturally, Adele retains copies of both files on the chip.
When the Milton reaches Karst, Daniel and Forbes go to the palace to be presented to the new Headman. There they are told that the RCN has lost a major battle in the Montserrat Stars. When they get back to the Milton, Adele confirms the news from her tap on the database of an Alliance destroyer.
This tale takes the Milton into an operation against the Alliance, with Senator Forbes tagging along. Forbes learns a little humility and gains a great deal of respect for the RCN, as exemplified by the crew of the Milton. She returns to Cinnabar with a new viewpoint and considerable reflected glory from the mission.
This story has considerable conflict, everything from Adele's clash with Huxford to spatial combat with the Alliance. Naturally, the Millie crew also gets into combat on the ground. Read and enjoy!
Highly recommended for Drake fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of naval engagements, information retrieval, and political intrigue. Anyone who has not yet read this series should start with the first volume: With the Lightnings.
-Arthur W. Jordin
In this novel, Daniel Leary is promoted to Captain in the RCN. He is the youngest Captain on the rolls. And he is being given command of a heavy cruiser, the RCS Milton.
Adele Mundy is the signal officer aboard the Milton, just as she had been on the Princess Cecile. She is also Lady Mundy of Chatsworth, a member of the gentry. Mostly she is a friend of Daniel Leary.
Senator Forbes has been named as plenipotentiary to the Veil and Adjacent Regions. She had been Minister of Finance. but resigned from that post to run for Speaker of the Senate. After losing the vote, she had accepted her present position to keep from being demoted to a back bench. Now she is hoping to gain some status within the hinterlands.
Lieutenant Commander Dan Robinson is second-in-command of the Milton. He is a protege of Senator Forbes. Naturally Leary would rather have Elspeth Vesey as his First Lieutenant, but Forbes had recommended Robinson.
In this story, Adele is told that she will not receive the RCN star as recommended through channels. Huxford informs her that it would not be appropriate for one of Madame Sand's agents to be publicly decorated. Adele lets him leave without killing him, but he does so hastily.
Leary has orders to take Senator Forbes to Karst to talk with the Hegemony. Headman Terl had died recently and his son is refusing to talk to underlings. Forbes is to represent the power of the Senate, while the Milton will show the power of the RCN.
The Milton stops at Paton on the way to the Hegemony. Adele goes with Senator Forbes to visit Master Beckford. Daniel stays behind to meet with Governor Das, the Resident of the Veil stars.
Das had initially reported the lack of cooperation of the new Headman of the Hegemony. He gives a detailed report to Daniel. He also asks for assistance in a navigation problem on the Spezza.
Captain Haugen of the Spezza has a regiment of Brotherhood troops waiting for resolution of the problem. The astrogation chip for the next stage of their voyage cannot be read by his equipment. Daniel offers the assistance of Adele and she finds that the chip has been encrypted.
Adele decrypts the proper file and copies it back into the chip. The course is now accepted by the computer. Naturally, Adele retains copies of both files on the chip.
When the Milton reaches Karst, Daniel and Forbes go to the palace to be presented to the new Headman. There they are told that the RCN has lost a major battle in the Montserrat Stars. When they get back to the Milton, Adele confirms the news from her tap on the database of an Alliance destroyer.
This tale takes the Milton into an operation against the Alliance, with Senator Forbes tagging along. Forbes learns a little humility and gains a great deal of respect for the RCN, as exemplified by the crew of the Milton. She returns to Cinnabar with a new viewpoint and considerable reflected glory from the mission.
This story has considerable conflict, everything from Adele's clash with Huxford to spatial combat with the Alliance. Naturally, the Millie crew also gets into combat on the ground. Read and enjoy!
Highly recommended for Drake fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of naval engagements, information retrieval, and political intrigue. Anyone who has not yet read this series should start with the first volume: With the Lightnings.
-Arthur W. Jordin
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