The Far Side of the Stars

David Drake

Oct 2003 · RCN Book 3 · Baen Publishing Enterprises

About this ebook

While the Republic of Cinnabar is at peace with the Alliance, warriors like Lt. Daniel Leary and Signals Officer Adele Mundy must find other work¾like escorting a pair of wealthy nobles on an expedition to the back of beyond! The Princess Cecile, the corvette in which they carved their reputations in letters of fire, has been sold as a private yacht, but she still has her guns, her missiles, and her veteran crew. Daniel and Adele will need all of those things as they face winged dragons, an Alliance auxiliary cruiser, jealous lovers, and a mysterious oracle which really does foresee the future. That won't be enough, though, when they penetrate a secret Alliance base and find a hostile fleet ready for a war that will sweep Cinnabar out of a strategically crucial arm of the galaxy. Preventing that will involve skill, courage, and more luck than a sane man could even pray for; and it will require a space battle on a scale that a tiny corvette like the Princess Cecile has no business being involved in. But she'll be in the middle of it anyway, because Daniel, Adele, and their Cinnabar crew would never turn their backs on a fight!

At the publisher's request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management).

Praise for the Lt. Leary Series:

"Please more Lt. Leary soon!" ¾Andre Norton

"Updating dashing Horatio Hornblower tactics and vintage John Wayne heroics with . . . formidably battle-hardened female NCOs, Drake gives . . . a full measure of appealing derring-do." ¾Publishers Weekly

"Drake's [With the Lightnings] once again demonstrates the author's talent for arcane politics and vivid battle scenes . . . a pair of clever and resourceful protagonists . . . action-packed space opera. . . ." ¾Library Journal

"Drake . . . creates two strong protagonists . . . [With the Lightnings] is an intelligent page-turner . . . the launching of a new futuristic space-navy saga." ¾Booklist

". . . vintage Drake, fast paced, heroic, and ending in a rousing climax. Drake remains one of the best of the military SF writers." ¾Science Fiction Chronicle

"[With the Lightnings is] his best and most fun novel . . . I'd love to see a sequel." ¾Philadelphia Weekly Press

"[Drake] couldn't write a bad action scene at gunpoint, and his sense of humor infuses the characters here [in Lt. Leary, Commanding] with agreeable qualities. . . . Grand fun for lovers of action in high space. ¾Roland Green

Ratings and reviews

Great swashbuckling Sci Fi opera, love it.

About the author

Vietnam veteran, former lawyer, former bus driver, and now bestselling author, David Drake tells a military story like no other. His readers recognize that he can take them where no one else can, with gut-wrenching description that puts them face-to-face with the enemy, and in the midst of the action right on the battlefield. He helped create the audience for mercenary military science fiction with his best-selling "Hammer's Slammers" books. Drake graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Iowa, majoring in history (with honors) and Latin. His stint at Duke University Law School was interrupted for two years by the U.S. Army, where he served as an enlisted interrogator with the 11th Armored Cavalry in Vietnam and Cambodia. Drake has a wife, a son, and various pets.