With the Lightnings

RCN Series, Book 1

By: David Drake

Narrated by: Victor Bevine, David Drake

Length: 13 hrs and 45 mins

Publisher's summary

Daniel Leary is a lieutenant in the Republic of Cinnabar Navy with no money and no prospects since he quarreled with his ruthless, politically powerful father.

Adele Mundy is a scholar with no money and no prospects since her family was massacred for conspiring against the Government of Cinnabar.

Kostroma is a wealthy planet which depends on diplomacy to stay independent in a galaxy whose two great powers, Cinnabar and the Alliance, battle for supremacy.

In a few hours, diplomacy is going to fail Kostroma. Daniel, Adele, and the scratch crew they gather aren't much to stand in the way of a powerful invasion fleet, but just possibly they're enough.

Men and women who hold courage cheap and honor more dear than life itself face impossible odds in a novel of color, intrigue, and slashing action. From the corridors of a treason-ridden palace through the perils of unknown seas and hellish jungles to a final blazlng climax in space, the heroes never bow and the action never flags.

They have nothing on their side but each other - and heaven help whatever tries to stand in their way!

BONUS AUDIO: Includes an exclusive introduction by author David Drake.

Go Navy: download more titles in the RCN Series.

©1998 David Drake (P)2008 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"The yarn unfolds into an authentically taut and exciting tussle, courtesy of Drake's unflinching portrayal of battle's downside and his eye for telling detail." ( Kirkus Reviews)
"A full measure of appealing derring-do." ( Publishers Weekly)

Good story. Horrible narrator.

I've read this book before and wanted to listen to it again while driving.

Do NOT listen to this narration while driving.
You will be lulled into a coma and kill people!

Hook, line and sinker - love this series

I love these characters and have listened to every book in the series. The characters are flawed anti-heros, or better to say, the moral compass by which they live is slightly skewed from our modern American views of right and wrong, ethical and unethical. Drake has done a great job of world-building, creating an Imperial culture of aristocracy, purchased commissions in the military, landowners vs peasants, pocket universes and high tech gadgets (pocket-sized computers controlled by wands with holo-field displays) paired with steampunk-style space ships (sails, signals, and space suits, oh my). The narrator speaks with a sort of breathless hush - like something is always about to happen - but I swear, you get used to it and then you look forward to it, and then it just becomes part of the background.

Very slllllooowwww start, but really throttles up!

Drake spends the first half of the book developing the hero & heroine characters. I started to skip to another series, but I'm really glad I stuck with it. Once the shooting starts, it's non-stop. Looks like I'm spending the next couple of months on another multi-book series!

Decent Age of Sail SciFi Retelling.

Fans of the standard Age of Sail novels will quickly recognize the jargon and speech patterns in this and follow on novels. The translation is very clunky at times, appearing forced and artificial, but the characters and story usually make this a minor irritation. However, keep this in mind if expecting the naturally flowing, organic dialogue of the Hammers series, and other works of Drake.

The choice of narrator, however, is problematic. Bevine has a fine speaking voice, and captures meaning and tone well. However, he has a very low energy delivery that is very much at odds with the more energetic, swashbuckling elements of the novel, of which there are many. There are times when the tension and action of a scene are completely undermined by what I would almost describe as a 'bedtime story' voice.

All in all a good story, one that seems to indicate that it will get better as the series matures, and a narrator that perhaps needs to drink a little more coffee before sitting down before the mic.

Did Drake Change His Style?

I've read about everything "Sci-Fi" that Drake has written as far as I know, but I wouldn't have EVER guessed Drake wrote this one if his name hadn't been on it... What's with the sudden use of 5-dollar words, tossed in seemingly at random?
"...he said... avuncularly.."
I like David, in the past I've talked with him quite a few times when he wandered into book stores in which I was shopping in North Carolina, he's a heck of a nice guy! He's smart and well spoken, I don't know what happened with this book.

If you follow me, you know I HATE bashing narrators, it has to be pretty bad to make me comment on the narration negatively, but the reader just drones on and treats even the (few) action scenes like he's reading a happy Fairy Tale to a 5-Year Old at bed time... it's "Flat" to say the least.

While reviewing books, many reviewers often comment, "You have to suffer through X-Amount of this book to finally get to the great part...", this is one of those books from what I've heard, but I just feel like I've paid to suffer. There are many great authors that can start a series without the listener having to "suffer through character development", they're outstanding authors who WILL get (quite a lot of) my money... Drake is usually in this category, but this book just doesn't qualify. I buy books to enjoy, not to suffer through huge parts, and then spend MORE money to continue the series on the hope that it really DOES "get better next time".

I kid you not, I bought this book back in 2008, and I've spent FOUR YEARS trying to finish it without drifting off to sleep during each chapter... This time, I made a POINT of listening to the entire thing, no matter what... I hate to say it, but my overall opinion on it still hasn't changed.

Great Series. Not My Reader.

I love this series for the same reasons mentioned by many other reviewers. I have re-read them several times. Unfortunatly, the performance on this series is, in a word, pedantic. I am sure that there are people who love Mr. Bevine's reading, and I begrudge no-one a job. I just have a hard time listening to him. I am dyslexic, and I listen to audiobooks so I can get through them faster than reading them on my own, but this series I prefer to read.

Fun book, lukewarm narrator

This is the first title in David Drake's unabashed homage to the Patrick O'Brian Aubrey/Maturin series. In this first book, we meet Lt. Daniel Leery of the Royal Cinnabar Navy and Adele Mundy, the librarian. Drake's take on Aubrey/Maturin is a good start. A fun read, somewhere between Space Opera and MilSF, and if he's able to build on the relationship between Leery and Mundy, while growing their characters, this should be a great series.

The narration is slow, and uninspired. Not bad, just not what one might hope for. Victor Bevin is no Patrick Tull, for sure, and not even a Simon Vance, but there's nothing overtly wrong with the narration. I'd just like a bit more life in it.

Master and Commander -- Lite

David Drake touts this series as an analog of Patrick O'Brian's Aubry/Maturin series, and it is that. Drake is, however, not as good a writer as O'Brian was. The former's style is simpler and less refined. Perhaps Drake is aiming at a younger audience, who knows. I am on the fourth in the series now, and I find myself growing tired of repetitive exchanges between the two principles. I also wonder if Drake has any real military experience, because the behavior of his "RCN" is inconsistent with both O'Brian's Royal Navy and John G. Hemry's much more realistic science fiction military series'.

Still, the stories are serviceable enough.

Daniel Leary RCN 1st Republic of Cinnabar Story

What did you love best about With the Lightnings?

Daniel Leary, on a diplomatic assignment, well primarily assigned as a filler on a routine mission to Kastroma. Undoubtidly included due to family name. Corder Leary, Daniels estranged father is Speaker Leary) As Daniel is an add on, place holder he is overlooked when the Alliance of Free States Takes over Kastroma. Daniel turns out to be a resiliant, self effacing character that's easy to like and root for.

What did you like best about this story?

This is written in the format of an old fashioned Space Opera, lot's of action, fun and doesn't take it's self to seriously. It would be easy to say it's not this or not that, but what it is is FUN and well written along with an excellent audio production.

Have you listened to any of Victor Bevine and David Drake ’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Victor Bevine I've listened to before and he does a credible job and fits the story well. Prior to this I hadn't listened ( I have read a few) to other David Drake stories, but did purchase Book 2 LT. Leary Commanding after hearing this one and it was if anything even better. while these certainly can be listened to or read out of order with out difficulty as with most these character driven stories they are better in order.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No extreme reaction after all it's not military SciFi it's an old fashioned Space Opera. Sure there is some violence and some emotional content but for the most part this is simply light fun reading.

Any additional comments?

If your unaware of what Space Operas are or have a fondness for the classics like EE 'Doc" Smith's Skylark etc this would be a wonderful introduction

Unnecessary

An interesting derivative of the Aubrey-Maturin Series that felt like it was probably slightly more fun for the author than the reader. I think someone unfamiliar with the source material would actually enjoy the book more than I did.