Book & Audio Review: The Way to Glory by David Drake

The Way to Glory
Author: David Drake
Narrator: Victor Bevine
Series: Lt. Leary (Book 4)
Publication: Baen Books; 1st edition (December 9, 2013); Audible Studios (November 4, 2008)
Length: 424 p.; 14 hours and 20 minutes

Description: Lieutenant Leary and Adele Mundy are Back in This Blazing Sequel to The Far Side of the Stars

Violence racks Cinnabar. The fleets of the tyrannical Alliance are on the move, and at home class riots threaten to rip apart not only society but the Republic of Cinnabar Navy. Lt. Daniel Leary has earned promotion, but the needs of the Republic and the RCN require that he serve under an officer whose paranoia has already led him to execute crewmen out of hand. 

Signals Officer Adele Mundy has repeatedly proved her skills and loyalty as Cinnabar's most accomplished intelligence agent, but now elements within the Republic want to draw her into a conspiracy like the one that led to her parent's massacre. Leary and Mundy battle their way from riot-torn streets to spies in an outlying base and an anarchic planet where violence is the only law, but if they succeed at every stage, one test still remains: a space battle against an overwhelming Alliance force. Even for Daniel Leary it will be a difficult fight to win—and almost impossible to survive.

My Thoughts: Class warfare is heating up in Cinnabar exacerbated by the actions of a ship commander who executed some crew for mutiny and who was then exonerated by the court martial held to look into the incident. Now Daniel Leary has been assigned to the man's ship and sent off to deal with pirates. The ship commander doesn't like Daniel at all either because he blames Daniel for actions of Daniel's father which caused the death of the commander's brother. 

Meanwhile, factions are trying to recruit Adele Mundy for a conspiracy similar to the conspiracy that caused the deaths of the whole of Adele's family. But Adele's spymaster has a mission for her that can be accomplished by going along on Daniel's new mission.

Pirate hunting should be easy. But spies and the dastardly Alliance's plans to establish a base just where Daniel has been sent, means that Daniel and Adele are in the right location to foil their plans ... if they can get their suspicious commanding officers to pay attention to them.

The story was filled with action, politics, space battles, and other exciting things. I really like both Daniel Leary and Adele Mundy who, with very different personalities, make an amazing team fighting for Cinnabar's future.

The narration was well done. The world building was excellent. Fans of space opera will enjoy this series. 

Favorite Quote:

The difference between victory and failure was very often the willingness to see what had to be done, and to do it instantly and with all the strength at your disposal.

I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.