In this latest instalment of the Leary and Mundy adventures, Daniel and his friend Adele find themselves at a bi9t of a loose end as a peace treaty is signed between the Republic of Cinnabar and the Alliance of Free Stars. Both nations have been devastated by the costs of the decades of on-going hostilities and only peace, however rickety it might be, would keep interstellar civilisation alive. But there are those who see opportunities in this peace and they make plans to increase their own spheres of interest with ships designed to ride the Matrix by the skills of their commanders directly. This time, Daniel and Adele find themselves fighting with an Alliance squadron in defence of peace! ( )

Drake once again brings us an exciting tale of Captain Leary and his good friend Adele Mundy.

We can't wait to see more of course as this daring leader and his partner continue to go head first into danger and often face defeat moments before they find victory. This tale, perhaps dwells too long on a combat that is hard enough to keep track of, though because of the unique war Drake envisions space combat, we are introduced again to how it all must be explained, and near half the book is given over to one combat, with a few pages at the end to resolve matters.

Perhaps the minutia of combat may need to be listed in a four or five page brief, and the story could flow more easily, for the characters tasked with guiding us through the battle, and points of view we see, make it seem artificial. Now the physics of the Leary universe begin to get in the way of the storytelling. Something that when looking at the tales of Hornblower and CS Forester (where all ship to ship combat stories and series seem to have their roots in) does not need.

And then in the opening notes we are told that the 200s had a similar plot as that of our own Palmyra. I do not mind that at all. But perhaps changing the names from our world and history to the universe that is so many centuries ahead (Reference to Earth and times does mean that Leary's people look back at us-so the grand times of the French Revolution, the Napoleonic Wars, and even Roman ambitions all adding real historical names seems somewhat uncreative.)

In Leary we have a hero who has advanced tactics ahead of those he fights. Who understands that risk will have its costs. There is one loss in this story, but after so long now, it may be time to kill those close secondary characters who also seem to have a charmed life along with the hero. Nowhere near the super invulnerability of a Honor Herrington, but time for Leary to lose some of the guides who have been with him since the first book.

Otherwise, a good, fast paced read. And worthy of a reread when Drake has decided that the series has reached its end. ( )

Once again I find myself introduced to an author well into a series. Not bad, an enjoyable read. ( )

There's little to be said here, other than why aren't you reading this series.

Horatio Hornblower in Space with a super Librarian.

The Eighth book in the RCN series, and all of them are consistently good.

If you like Honor Harrington, this is different, but you will enjoy it.

Without doubt some of David Drake's best writing.

The Characters are simply a joy. Read it! ( )

Peace has broken out between Cinnabar and the Alliance of Free Stars. To get them out of the way of political maneuvering, Captain Daniel Leary and Adele Mundy have been sent to escort the new Commissioner to the backwater planet Zenobia. But a local autocrat with ideas above her station could spark a new war, unless Leary and Mundy can stop her.

A worthy continuation of this long-running series. ( )