Some Golden Harbor

by David Drake

Book Overview

The tyrannical Alliance continues its war against the Republic of Cinnabar, and Daniel Leary, newly promoted to Commander, and his crew have a new mission: Stop Dunbar's World from falling to an... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1416555242
• ISBN13: 9781416555247
• Release Date: January 2008
• Publisher: Baen
• Length: 544 Pages
• Weight: 0.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 4.1" x 6.8"

Customer Reviews

Drake Fan

I really enjoy David Drake's writing. His science fiction has always been really great. The RCN space opera series, of which this is the latest book, is really good. Only the fact that Drake wrote the Slammers series keeps me from calling this series his finest work. This book is five stars, but is also the lowest five stars of the series. It is still a great book, the others are better. The hero started the series as a low ranking officer who is from a powerful family but disowned. His spirit and raw ability to command bring him riches and respect of his own. His faithful sidekick, the fallen noble family daughter Mundy, is a sexless Spock type character who is as loyal as she is expert in computers and capable of unfeeling logical violence. The series tracks the duo as the hero climbs the ranks and gains enemies and wealth. This latest adventure see the two defeating a fortifed island with only scant resources, and saving a world. The cracks that are just starting to arise are 1) Mundy is just too good at killing and data hacking. She can kill a dozen soldiers with a simple pistol, and hack any data network and override any computer safety. Even her sadness at being such a good unfeeling killer is expressed at the perfect time in the perfect way. 2) The hero, Daniel, is much too perfect. Every plan is masterful, every chance pays off for him. He can make the ship do magic things, every shot hits just as it should, every crew member loves him like a minor god. The author, a vet himself assigned to a combat headquarters, does a great job with expressing Daniel's command of a crew of about 200. However, it is clear that while the author understands command functions passed on to units in combat, he cannot write about directly commanding larger bodies of fighting men. This leads to the now mid/high-ranking Daniel being, yet again, in charge of the same basic 200 men as in the first novel. The reasons for the small unit are starting to repeat. The problem is not serious yet, but small signs are there.

Golden Space Opera

This latest installent of the RCN series maintains the high caliber of the whole series. This is classic, old fashion space opera that grabs you at the start and just keeps going. The ensemble cast that has been developed is as interesting as the story development and action. In a way, this [both this story and the whole series] is told more the way Robert A. Heinlein would have written it, then Drake's normal style. Bottom line. This is story telling at the very best.

Leary Plays Politics

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 t

Leary is getting better and better

The complexity of Leary and Mundy is increasing as they age and mature. Drake is driving to some deeper moments in the future and I cannot wait. These books are getting better and better. Eager for more! Dan

Another good Leary-Mundy story

Book 5 of the Leary-Mundy space opera series continues to meet the high standard set by its predecessors. Daniel Leary's patron, Admiral Anston, has been medically retired and his replacement as Boss Admiral is not a Leary fan. So when there's a crisis out in the back of the beyond, Leary is sent to deal with it. Since Adele Mundy is going with him, the support from Navy Headquarters is a bit more than originally contemplated by the anti-Leary faction. The Princess Cecille becomes a "Naval Auxiliary" and a large part of her crew comes with her. Incidentally, Vocaine putting planet-bound enlisted personnel in clapped-out hulks is the same way the Royal Navy treated ship's crews during the Napoleonic Wars. I wonder if in later books we're going to see a replay of the Spithead-Nore mutinies of 1797. There's the usual daring deeds, the usual Cinnabar sneering at the wogs, and the usual political chicanery that Drake handles so well in this series. Unusually, Daniel doesn't seem to pick up a floozy or two to seduce. However, someone's got a boyfriend. No, it's not Adele. Our favorite sociopathic killer, Tovera, meets a similarly-minded alien lizardman and the love (or lust) appears mutual. There's also a gay female impersonator, a stranded Alliance nobleman with his battle-hardened retainers, and an evil slaver who meets his just deserts. "Some Golden Harbor" is another good romp in the series. I read it in one sitting and I'm looking forward to the next Leary-Mundy book.