The Sea Without A Shore by David Drake (A Daniel Leary Book)

My standard preface for a Daniel Leary book, this book is another in the continuing saga of Daniel Leary’s career in the Cinnabar space navy.  I compare this series with that of the Horatio Hornblower series and perceive that as a compliment.  I love both of the series, one as iron men in wooden ships and the other as the carbon fiber men in the composite beryllium ships.   It is the men not the hardware that makes the series so enjoyable.

This time the Sissie's are pared down to the core and shipping out in a beat up freighter as a favor to Mistress Sands, the spy master.

It's interesting that the psychological aberrant are so prominent in the Leary books.  Adele Mundy and Tovera are both, hmm a bit odd is the kindest definition.  The general population not in the nobility seem to reflect England's Victorian population behavior.   Which carries me back to Hornblower and the fact that the spacers behave so much like the sailors of old.

Problems abound in these books and Daniel Leary frequently solves them in a highly unorthodox manner.

These books are a treat to read and I always enjoy them.  

Once again the “Sissie” and her crew are put into untenable situations and extradite themselves brilliantly.   Again, the loyalty, honor and camaraderie are what makes the books so engrossing and successful.

The books are simplistic and I love them.  (Draw your own conclusions on that.)

Body of work of <a type="amzn" > David Drake </a>

Web Site:  http://www.david-drake.com/

I am aware that this is scifi and should be on dwarf but I'm not into any general fiction at the moment. 

This book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations.

For Love of Mother-Not by Alan Dean Foster

This is the first of the Pip and Flinx stories. Pip is an Alaspinian mini-dragon. Flinx is an orphan with interesting talents. Flinx is the unwitting target of both law enforcement and an underground outlaw group. Avoiding entrapment by either group is the gist of the story.

I have enjoyed the Pip and Flinx stories over the years and have carefully kept them for my grandson. I was delighted to find this first volume to set the scene for the later books.

Flinx and Pip have a relationship that is beyond the boy and his pet type. They are interdependent, more so than Flinx realizes. The story is the beginning of a coming of age saga. It is classic, old school scifi and I really liked it.

I recommend the book.

Body of work of Alan Dean Foster

Web Site:

Starstrike, Task Force Mars by Kevin Dockery and Douglas Niles

Starstrike is a military shoot-em-up. Regardless of the time frame and setting, it still is a somewhat simplistic and far fetched saga of a group of SEALS. The new SEALS as opposed to the original Navy Seals are space faring commandos. On their first off world training mission they encounter hostile aliens and requite themselves in the tradition of the real Navy Seals. In other words, they kick some alien butt.

Although none of the characters are memorable as individuals as a group they prove themselves ferocious warriors. The arrogant aliens grossly outnumber, out gun the SEALS. The alien technology is superiour. In spite of this the SEALS show the Aliens that we may be backward technologically but our spirit and ferocity are not to be underestimated. The story is a very entertaining, small unit combat novel.

I recommend the book.

Body of work of Kevin Dockery
Body of work of Douglas Niles