Rating: 3 out of 5
The last time I wanted to look at Jack Campbell and his ‘The Lost Fleet’ series I did that with one entry for six books. Perhaps as much should be served this time round though I am prone to being more verbose, if only to say the same in more words. But I think I’ll count this to represent the major motif in these six books and add another for the secondary extra-terrestrial one.
Firstly, if I may, this is an excellently straightforward space sci-fi. There is a good guy — the protagonist, John Geary — who is both skilled, knowledgeable, honourable as well as represents the democratic values of his society. There are also the certain bad guys — both the dishonourable and un-democratic people of Mr Geary’s kind as well as the people they fight against. Thus, we have a very well defined boundary of good and evil.
So you all knew it wasn’t right. Couldn’t be right. Or you’d have written it down.
‘Dauntless’, Jack Campbell
Secondly, we have got ourselves a good piece of action every now and then. Quite predictably, both here and in the other six books, there are a few smaller conflicts and a larger battle to top off the book, so to say. One should not really be in doubt who wins though there should be some thoughts to who fall amongst the collaterals.
My commanding officer commented afterward that as our losses equaled those of the Syndics, it would’ve been simpler if Captain Falco had only ordered each of his ships to ram one of the enemy ships, thereby achieving the same result with much less difficulty.
‘Fearless’, Jack Campbell
Thirdly, I still feel very much that this should be either one large book or two/three smaller ones. Reading these in one go makes the repetitive part rather annoying. There is also, perhaps, too much of the local politicking which both is predictable as well as isn’t given the time to properly develop. The feeling I get is that Mr Geary needs another enemy, and the ‘best’ one is an internal one’.
Bad as we’ve become, assassination of superior officers has never been a path to advancement in the Alliance fleet.
‘Courageous’, Jack Campbell
Overall, I do not regret returning to this series. It is good entertainment though one should not expect a literary masterpiece.
