To Clear Away the Shadows

RCN Series, Book 13

By: David Drake

Narrated by: Victor Bevine

Length: 8 hrs and 48 mins

Publisher's summary

NEW ENTRY IN DAVID DRAKE'S LANDMARK RCN SERIES

ADVENTURES BEYOND THE EDGE OF THE KNOWN UNIVERSE

The truce between Cinnabar and the Alliance is holding, and the Republic of Cinnabar Navy is able to explore regions of the galaxy without the explorers being swept up in great power conflict.

The Far Traveller is probing sponge space to open routes for Cinnabar traders - and for RCN warships if war breaks out again. But besides astrogation, the Far Traveller is to survey and catalog life forms on the worlds it touches.

Harry Harper has just been posted to the Traveller. He's an RCN officer by convention, a scientist by training - and a member of one of leading aristocratic families on Cinnabar by birth.

Lieutenant Rick Grenville would rather serve on a warship in the heart of battle, but peace and the whim of the Navy Board have put him on an exploration vessel instead. He finds that the dangers on the fringes of civilization are just as great as those from missiles and gunfire that he expected to face.

As internal struggles cause the Alliance to relax its iron grip, regional forces are attempting to increase their own power - and they're not fussy about the means they use.

Besides the biological answers that officials on Cinnabar expect the Far Traveller to find, the ship's Director of Science, Doctor Veil, has her own agenda: to learn more about the Archaic Spacefarers who roamed the universe tens of thousands of years before humans reached the stars.

The crew of the Far Traveller is poised to clear more of the shadows away from the deep past than ever before in human history - if they survive.

At the publisher's request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management).

Praise for prequel Though Hell Should Bar the Way:

“Though Hell Should Bar the Way is vastly entertaining, a tale that demonstrates Drake’s skill as an author, illustrating why Drake is one of the best living science fiction authors today." (The Daily News of Galveston County)

©2019 David Drake (P)2019 Audible, Inc.

I want my Capt. Leary, RCN back!

This is more like the Chronicle's of HMS Beagle than HMS Lydia. It wasn't awful, just not what I expected. At the conclusion my reaction was more "So what?" than "When's the next installment!"

great story. rcn forever

I enjoyed this a lot. I miss Daniel and adele. but this was very interesting and I reccomend the book a lot.

Lt. Leary retire's?

It is a great transition story if David is staying in the RCN universe. I know you will find that the author has kept to his usual great standards of story telling by keeping it moving from one situation to another while developing the characters as he goes along. You'll notice that I have avoided spoilers. That is because it will keep you entertained from the first word to the last. Therefore, my last word is that it ended too soon.

Not a Daniel Larey book

I've wondered the author would continue this when I saw a new book was tobe released. we have had a shift in characters and this is for the good. I can't wait to see part 2 of this arc.

Not really a novel

This should be looked at as a collection of short stories that hang loosely together. With no real story arc or plot it is only mildly interesting.

I miss Leary but it still Cinnabar

two main characters of the Cinnabar series are always dear to my heart but I love them enough to know the developing new characters will keep the series going for many years to come.

I am lost, not sure where we are going

"To Clear Away the Shadows" didn't for me. Don't be me wrong it is an entertaining tale, but none of the usual characters are included or referenced, per my first listen through.

The new characters remind me of the similarities between Drake's RCN series vs Patrick O'Brien''s "Master and Commander" series, the main difference seems to be the distance between ports. Both are good for rainy days or long road trips.

"... the Shadows" does a good job of introducing the new main characters, but the main theme seems a little week and the mini stories and ending create more shadows.

Findally, how the heck does the publisher thing Book 12 is a prequel ?

Left me hanging

loved the story line. felt like he got tired of the story abruptly or there better be a sequel. wanted to know these characters more.

A decent book nominally in the RCN series

This book constantly refers to the matrix as "sponge space" which is distracting. Also Daniel and Adele are no shows, there is barely any political intrigue and no space battles.

Not Drake’s best work.

I’ve been a long time fan of David Drake, and I know not every book can be the best story ever. This one was just meh. The characters felt like he just did a copy and and paste from the rest of the RCN series, but with different names.