From Amazon.com
Gene Roddenberry created Lieutenant Commander Montgomery Scott--the
Enterprise's beloved chief engineer Scotty--in the image of his friend James Doohan, a former real-life engineer and officer in the Canadian Army. Now Doohan, in his
Flight Engineer series, coauthored with military-SF powerhouse S.M. Stirling, has created an equally likable character in Scotty's image: Commander Peter Ernst Raeder, a sly and salty flight engineer for the Commonwealth Navy.
Be warned: Baen Books has given the series an astronomically inappropriate tagline--"Beam us up again, Scotty!" And they've likewise made the unseemly decision to set Doohan's disembodied head afloat on the cover of both this and the last book, spinning surreally above generic space battles like some mustachioed, Scottish Death Star. But despite the crass cashing in on Scotty and his mug, Doohan and the already accomplished Stirling come through with fun and competent, if straightforward, work, a jocular mix of naval intrigue, pitched ship-to-ship combat, and (surprise!) last-minute, skin-of-your-teeth problem-solving. And at the heart of the story sits the worldly-wise, sardonic wit of Commander Raeder.
If you're new to the series, you'll probably want to check out The Rising first. But if you're anxious to see whether Raeder's daring aboard the Dauntless earned him reprimand or reward, pick up Privateer. One of his commanders puts it best: "You know the reward for good work, don't you, son?" "More work, sir?" "You're learning, son." We can trust the same applies to Doohan and Stirling. --Paul Hughes
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
From Publishers Weekly
In a sequel to their coauthored The Rising, Doohan ("Scotty" on the original TV series Star Trek) and SF veteran Stirling (the Drake series, etc.) again deliver the exhilarating action that their fans want. Commander Peter Raeder of Space Command is facing reassignment to an earthbound desk post for a reckless act of bravery that saved every hand aboard the Dauntless, but contradicted the orders of his superiors. So when the inscrutable General Scaragoglu offers Raeder a dangerous and deadly assignment, he accepts eagerly. Doohan fans will be delighted as the high-spirited crew of the Dauntless set out on their new ship, the Invincible, and Raeder's highly talented fighter-jock buddiesAincluding the lovely Lt. Comdr. Sarah JamesAtrain for their top-secret mission. Piloting "Speeds"Afighters reconfigured to resemble the ships of space piratesARaeder's band conducts attack raids on their enemy, the "Mollies," within a dangerous asteroid belt. But when the Invincible is nearly crippled in battle, with just enough fuel to limp home to Ontario Base, Raeder and his band are left, with supplies dwindling, to face the enemy on their own and to rescue Sarah, who has been taken prisoner. Though they're writing here far from the borders of serious SF, Doohan and Stirling bind sharply drawn characters and rousing adventure with an energetic story line, offering first-rate escapist entertainment. (Oct.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
by James Doohan
