Though Hell Should Bar the Way

RCN Series, Book 12

By: David Drake

Narrated by: Victor Bevine

Length: 12 hrs and 23 mins

Publisher's summary

A new novel in the nationally best-selling RCN military SF series.

David Drake, dean of military science fiction, returns with another entry in his best-selling RCN series.

From wealth and power to poverty and insults!

Roy Olfetrie planned to be an officer in the Republic of Cinnabar Navy, but when his father was unmasked as a white-collar criminal he had to take whatever he was offered.

What is offered turns out to be a chance to accompany Captain Daniel Leary and Lady Adele Mundy as they go off to start a war that will put Roy at the sharp end.

Duty snatches Roy from the harem of a pirate chief to a world of monsters, from interstellar reaches in a half-wrecked starship to assassination attempts at posh houses. Roy has the choice of making friends or dying friendless; of meeting betrayal and responding to it; of breaking his faith or keeping it at the risk of his life.

Pirates, politics, and spies - and, waiting for Roy if he survives all the rest, a powerful warship.

The action doesn't slow - nor can Roy, for if he does the only question is which of the many threats will be the one to catch and kill him. But Captain Leary himself has given Roy a chance, and Roy is determined make the most of it - Though Hell Should Bar the Way.

©2018 David Drake (P)2018 Audible, Inc.

Refreshing take on a long Series

All long series start to wane, but the introduction of a key new character had refreshed this series. The dialogue was sharp & clear.
Its not a restart to the series but certainly a reboot to the RCN universe.
Narration the best with Victor Bevine.

Drake takes a new approach to tell a great story

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I recommend David Drake and in particular the RCN series. I particularly enjoyed Though Hell Should Bar The Way as it was told from a new character. As it is the 12th in the series, there is a risk of Drake "re-plowing the field" with another book, but here Drake has refreshed the narrative by having the story flow from a character that is introduced to the characters we readers (and listeners) have grown to know from the first 11 books in the series.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Roy Olfetrie, is new to Drake's RCN series and I hope to see more of him in the future. He freshened up the story and I greatly enjoyed his sense of the other recurring characters in the series.

Which scene was your favorite?

Each of the interactions between Olfetrie and Tolvera, Lady Mundy's "assistant" were great. It seemed that Tolvera has some fondness for Olfetrie.

enjoyablr

very different without Leary and mundy as the main character but it is a lot of fun and almost as good.

More please.

This series is the first Steam Punk sci fi I've read and I like it very much.

Though Hell Should Bar the Way

I was very surprised with this episode. It turned into a classic adventure story, a very good adventure story.

Maybe the best Leary book even though it’s not about Leary

Just listened to this for the second time and enjoyed at least as much as the first. Wonderfull action adventure story. Hope to see more of Roy, Lal, and Monica.

A fresh look at a familiar series.

I've enjoyed the entire series but it's a nice change. Leary from a spacers view

An RCN story with a twist.

In a departure from his usual style, Drake uses the POV of what would be (in another RCN novel) a secondary character and also writes in the first person, this time. This combination serves to allow to avoid having to come up with some impossible something for Leary Et Al to do, yet again. That happens off-stage, making the central action of this book almost a return to the beginning of it all (at least in tone if not in detail).

Introduction To A Future Crew Member!?

While being a book written from the perspective of a new character I did not find it detracted any from the story or enjoyment as compared to any of the other books in the series.
Now having said that much I am sure not everyone will agree.
There will probably even be people who disagree to the extent that they will not read the whole book.
This will be their loss since being shortsighted blind fools they will be missing out.

-performance

I wish I could say that Victor Bevine did a great jobb as usual, but in my opinion he did not do as well this time around. I found myself having to re-listen to certain passages at times to make sure I grasped what was going on and who was saying what. Now I figure Victor is not fully to blame as David has a tendency to so ;) "Curtail" his sentences as to be somewhat..

-story

Most of this book is focused on us getting to know Roy Olfetrie while also touching on piracy and slavery somewhat, along with some space action and daring do.
Mostly tho as I said its about us getting a glance at Roy's background, personality, motivations and so forth so as to in my opinion integrate him into Leary & Mundy's "little" circle of friends. This was my guess even before I got to the ending of this book where my first suspicions about what would happen and where Roy would end up was confirmed.

-future

Leary now having reached the lower echelons of Flag Rank being a Senior Captain in charge of a Destroyer Flotilla, having acquired the requisite dogs body along with Adele Mundy being.. herself, well things are looking decidedly interesting..
Now what kind of epic adventure action will they get up to next!?

New angle on an old favorite

I really enjoyed this title, the introduction of a new main character was well done and being able to view Daniel and Adele from a new perspective (as well as the other crew members) was a lot of fun. I have listened to every title in the RCN series and keep expecting the stories to lag, this new book promises to keep the RCN sailing strong. The narration of Victor Bevine is spot on as always and brings the crew to life as he always does. I highly recommend this book to any fans of the series or to anyone that loves a good space opera.