2014 military SF, first book of the Alexis Carew series. Barred by her
sex from inheriting the family estates, Carew signs aboard a ship of
the Royal Navy as a midshipman… in space.
This is the sort of book where the author proudly lays out how
pounds, shillings and pence work… but hasn't noticed that "pence" is a
plural. It's a clear descendant of Hornblower and Aubrey-Maturin (via
David Drake's RCN series, which I really ought to re-read): while
it's nominally science fiction, the science is blatantly set up to
create a recognisable Napoleonic-era navy (complete not only with
masts and rigging but with prize money, chainshot, flogging, and
bumboats).
See, there's darkspace, always in italics so you know how nifty it
is. You can pop into or out of it at Lagrange points (any Lagrange
points), and travel there is non-linear but faster than in normal
space… but electronics don't work unless they're shielded by a
terribly expensive mineral (you know it's important, it's purple with
white swirls). If you thought the Honor Harrington series was
blatantly set up to allow ships to exchange broadsides in space,
you'll have to hold your nose a bit here, because while the publishing
category is science fiction, there's really no science involved:
nobody in-universe really understands this stuff, and it's clear that
the answer to any question of physics is "whatever makes it most
Napoleonic".
Meanwhile there's Alexis herself, who takes to the Navy like the
proverbial duck, in spite of being the Only Girl In The Fringe Fleet;
everybody is nice and accepting and generous (with one or two
exceptions quickly won over), her problems are minor and easily
overcome, and she quickly starts to distinguish herself, in manners
strikingly reminiscent of some of the incidents from Mr. Midshipman
Hornblower. But she's Terribly Tortured and always feels she hasn't
done well enough, so that's all right then.
Nobody here is much of a real person; Alexis mostly just gets things
right, while everyone else is a stereotype (Kindly Captain, Nasty
Fellow Middie, Repentant Bad Guy, Corrupt Purser). It's competently
enough written, but reading this book feels like eating a whole box of
doughnuts, and has about as much lasting value.
Followed by Mutineer, which is apparently set aboard HMS Hermione.
Hmm.
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