Ensign Flandry is classic science fiction, exploration of new worlds, clashes between galactic civilizations.
And spies.
It
is also a fairly classic "intelligent young man is swept up in events
beyond his control and is thrust into responsibilities far earlier than
he should be" tale.
And at both, it's pretty good. But not
great. I just, quite frankly, kept catching myself tuning out every once
in a while, then having to flip back and figure out what I missed. But
while it isn't engrossing, it's solid early Poul Anderson, and Poul
Anderson is almost always worth a read.
Dominic Flandry is an
Ensign on Starkad, where the Earth is arming the landfolk with weapons,
while their intergalactic rivals, the Merseians, are arming the seafolk.
They're fighting out imperial battles through native populations, and
edging closer and closer to all out war.
Sound familiar?
And
those damned diplomats are trying to keep the peace, when the Merseians
really can't be trusted, and you have to let the military do their
thing, even if it screws up diplomacy - I had to cock an eyebrow a
little at that.
But Flandry ends up a) befriending the woman in
charge of the landfolk on Starkad, b) getting attached to the
intelligence chief as an aide and c) sent to Merseia, where he is in
receipt of some dangerous information that neither the Merseians nor
certain Earth elements want to get out.
How Flandry negotiates these problems is entertaining, and I enjoyed reading this, but I doubt it'll linger.
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