Dark Star Rising
Page 29
“And such an important ship as Daring requires an equally senior executive officer,” Grandview continued, handing the second scroll to Liam. “Congratulations, Commander Blackwood.”
Liam felt the crisp parchment in his hand. He cracked the wax seal and unrolled the paper, reading the elegant script held therein. It was indeed a promotion to the rank of commander, with all the rights, privileges, and responsibilities bestowed. It was addressed to Liam personally, and it was signed by the Emperor’s own hand.
“Sir,” he managed to say, “I’m honored.”
“Thank you, sir,” Riverton echoed.
Grandview held up the third scroll and invited them both to sit once again. He handed it to Riverton.
“This is a new kind of mission,” he said as Riverton unraveled the orders. “One that will require all of your skills. It is quite unlike anything our Navy has undertaken before, but I’m confident that I have the right officers seated before me.”
Riverton read the mission, tilting it so that Liam could see the three short paragraphs. It was hard to grasp the depth of meaning buried beneath the simple words, and as he looked at Riverton he saw her eyes alight.
“Daring will need to be refitted,” Grandview said, “and you’ll want to consider taking on a bit more crew. I can make some recommendations if you wish to hear them. But His Majesty will expect Daring to depart within three months of today.”
Riverton turned her head slowly to Liam. There was a question in her gaze, but also a knowing smile. He returned the smile, and nodded.
She stood up and extended her hand to Grandview.
“Lord Grandview, my executive officer and I accept this commission.”
Acknowledgments
This was a fun book to write, but it was even more so because of my editor, Vedika Khanna, and her enthusiastic support. I’ve lost count of how many times she would make a suggestion and I’d scramble to jot it down, thinking, “Oh, that’s gold!”
Books take time to write, and the time spent on this book was made much more enjoyable by the members of the Boyz Club, who were routinely shouting “Huzzah!” even before it was cool.
Finally, to my beloved Emma: you are a rock star. Thank you for everything.
About the Author
BENNETT R. COLES has a degree in naval history and served fifteen years as an officer in the Royal Canadian Navy. His first novel, Virtues of War, won the Cygnus Award Grand Prize for science fiction and spawned two follow-up novels, as well as a short story in the 2017 anthology Infinite Stars. He is also the author of Winds of Marque, the first novel featuring Blackwood and Virtue. He lives in Victoria, British Columbia, with his wife and two sons.
bennettrcoles.com
Twitter: bennettcoles
Discover great authors, exclusive offers, and more at hc.com.
Praise for Winds of Marque
“Bennett R. Coles ranks among my go-to list in SF. Entertaining and intelligent storytelling and terrific characters. In Winds of Marque, Coles may well have invented a whole new subgenre that has me scrambling for a description—Steam Space? Whatever you call it, [it’s] a blast to read. Here’s hoping that many more adventures are in the offing for Blackwood and company.”
—Steven Erikson, New York Times bestselling author
“Science fiction fans of the Hornblower or Aubrey-Maturin sailing sagas will likely thrill as the cannons are run out for battles in space.”
—Publishers Weekly
“The kind of authentic-feeling space navy action that you’d expect from a master like Jack Campbell. Outstanding action that will keep you turning the pages with enough twists to keep you guessing until the end. Looking forward to the next book in the series.”
—Michael Mammay, author of Planetside
“Winds of Marque maintains a brisk pace from the get-go. . . . Coles cleverly preserves many of the naval traditions that have become synonymous with historical seafaring adventure stories. The leadership structure aboard Daring, the divisions between the sailors and the officers, and even the commands shouted out in the middle of a battle feel ripped from the pages of a Patrick O’Brian novel.”
—Bookpage
“The Big Ship Energy is real. . . . It should go without saying that fans of Aubrey-Maturin and Temeraire will enjoy sailing across the stars with the crew of Daring.”
—Barnes & Noble Sci-Fi & Fantasy Blog
“A classic space adventure with bullets and swords as well as missiles and aliens that’s a rollicking read. With each book Coles continues to prove his expertise in creating science fiction novels with engaging characters that are involved in incredible actions.”
—SciFi Pulse
“[Coles] demonstrates a talent for refreshing the familiar tale of a navy ship in search of a pirate base. . . . Fans of Patrick O’Brian’s Aubrey-Maturin series, military sf, or swashbuckling tales will find something to enjoy amid the interplanetary travel, black powder cannons, and close quarter cutlass duels with members of the brutish Theropods and their mighty tail swords.”
—Booklist
“The jaunty pace is unwavering and enjoyable. . . . Lovers of classic high-seas adventures and those who enjoy genre-bending SF will find this swashbuckling space adventure a worthy read.”
—Kirkus Reviews
Also by Bennett R. Coles
Blackwood & Virtue Series
Winds of Marque
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
dark star rising. Copyright © 2020 by Bennett R. Coles. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
Digital Edition OCTOBER 2020 ISBN: 978-0-06-282038-9
Print ISBN: 978-0-06-302269-0
Cover design and illustration © Damonza.com
Cover image © Shutterstock
Harper Voyager and the Harper Voyager logo are trademarks of HarperCollins Publishers in the United States of America and other countries.
HarperCollins is a registered trademark of HarperCollins Publishers in the United States of America and other countries.
first edition
About the Publisher
Australia
HarperCollins Publishers Australia Pty. Ltd.
Level 13, 201 Elizabeth Street
Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia
www.harpercollins.com.au
Canada
HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Bay Adelaide Centre, East Tower
22 Adelaide Street West, 41st Floor
Toronto, Ontario, M5H 4E3
www.harpercollins.ca
India
HarperCollins India
A 75, Sector 57
Noida
Uttar Pradesh 201 301
www.harpercollins.co.in
New Zealand
HarperCollins Publishers New Zealand
Unit D1, 63 Apollo Drive
Rosedale 0632
Auckland, New Zealand
www.harpercollins.co.nz
United Kingdom
HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.
1 London Bridge Street
London SE1 9GF, UK
www.harpercollins.co.uk
United States
HarperCollins Publishers Inc.
195 Broadway
New York, NY 10007
; www.harpercollins.com