From Publishers Weekly

No one who read Drake's first account of Lt. Daniel Leary's adventures in With the Lightnings will be surprised at the appearance of this sequel; that novel clearly launched a series. What is surprising, however, is the wonderfully strong quality of the follow-up. Although Drake starts off on an odd note (with a panoramic view of a military-SF hierarchical society), his Dan Leary and Signal Officer Adele Mundy prove an uncommonly engaging pair of protagonists. Mundy in particular is something of a novelty in the fieldAnot particularly attractive, she's not only older than Leary, but she's also a formidable pistol shot, a genius with electronics (albeit something of a klutz otherwise) and not romantically involved with Leary (or anybody else). Finding themselves aboard the Royal Cinnabar Navy ship Princess Cecile, the two plunge into a multilayered sequence of adventures. They survive bureaucratic pettifogging as well as the machinations of charming and unscrupulous political exiles trying to get home, peril in space, attempted assassinations and an encounter with a den of pirates they hope to make into allies against Cinnabar's enemies. The suspense on the way to the climactic battle is genuine, and the action scenes are up to the author's very high standard. To top that off, Drake has also managed to rein in his sometimes tedious cynicism, replacing it with dry wit. (July)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Given command of the Princess Cecile, a space-faring corvette of the Republic of Cinnabar Navy, Lt. Daniel Leary receives an assignment to travel to the planet Strymon to reinforce that volatile world!s alliance with Cinnabar. Instead of a routine voyage, however, Leary contends with an unwelcome passenger, political sabotage, and an attempt to maroon him on a backward planet. Drake!s sequel to With the Lightnings continues the saga of a brash and brilliant young man determined to make his way by his own merits. Filled with battle scenes on the ground and in the far reaches of space, this sf adventure should appeal to fans of military sf. Suitable for most libraries.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.