Fearless (The Lost Fleet, Book 2) by Jack Campbell
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Book Reviews of Fearless (The Lost Fleet, Book 2)
Book Review: Carrying On
Summary: 5 Stars
Fearless (2007) is the second naval SF novel in the Lost Fleet series, following Dauntless. In the previous volume, Geary led the Alliance survivors out of the Syndic system to Corvus and then to Kaliban. Geary learned in Corvus that Alliance ships knew little about tactical maneuvering, so he started training the fleet in simple formations.
In Kaliban, Geary used these formations to fight a smaller group of Syndic warships and destroyed every enemy vessel. Numos disobeyed orders and his subformation failed to down any Syndic ships. He and his clique blamed the fleet commander, but Geary pointed out that all other ships followed orders and got plenty of opportunities to fight the Syndics.
In this novel, Jack Geary is the designated acting commander of the fleet survivors. He is the most senior captain within the Alliance due to his century long stasis is an escape pod. Unfortunately, he is also trapped within his own legend.
Tanya Desjani is an Alliance Captain, commanding the Dauntless. She is Geary's Flag Captain. She is younger than Geary expects of a battle cruiser commander, but the attrition rate in the Alliance navy has resulted in young ship captains.
Victoria Rione is the Co-president of the Callas Republic and a member of the Alliance Senate. She is the only civilian within the fleet.
Roberto Duellos is an Alliance Captain, commanding the battlecruiser Courageous. He is a close advisor to Geary.
Numos is an Alliance Captain, commanding the battleship Orion. He is thoroughly indoctrinated with the current naval customs of courage and aggression. He also despises Geary.
In this story, the Alliance fleet enters the Sutrah system. They do not find any minefields near the jump point and only a few light Syndic warships in the vicinity. The Syndic ships flee across their front and Geary suspects mines in the intercept path. He asks Desjani to check the path.
Three destroyers and a light cruiser break formation and head toward the enemy ships. Geary immediately orders them to discontinue the pursuit and change course. Then the bridge crew confirms that stealth mines have been laid in their path.
The four Alliance ship are blown apart in the minefield. Everyone is amazed that Geary knew that the minefield existed. He tells them that it was obvious.
Rione informs Geary that many of the officers within the fleet are upset by his changes. He might be a legendary hero, but he is still modifying the way things are done. But the destruction of these ships results in some reconsideration of his teachings.
Geary is concerned by the modified tactics of the Syndics. They seem to be learning faster than his Alliance ship commanders. If this goes on, they might never return to Alliance space.
Then the fleet discovers a labor camp within the system. Message traffic indicates that Alliance POWs are being held within these camps. Geary calls a virtual conference of his ship commanders.
Numos and his clique are still trying to change Geary's tactics, but Duellos and others belittle his comments. Then Numos brings up Geary's relationship with Rione. Geary becomes angry and lays down the law on such accusations. Then he issues preliminary orders for taking the POW camp.
This tale has the Marines taking the camp and releasing the Alliance prisoners. The senior officer among the POWs is Captain Falco. Almost everybody is pleased at their success, but some problems soon arise.
From Sutrah, the fleet jumps to Strabo. The next installment in this series is Courageous.
Highly recommended for Campbell fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of naval combat, service politics, and competent commanders. Read and enjoy!
-Arthur W. Jordin
Book Review: Engrossing technical military sci fi
Summary: 5 Stars
Fearless is the second book of the Lost Fleet series following the debut book titled Dauntless.
Captain "Black Jack" Geary has managed to do the impossible. In the first book, he saved the Alliance fleet from almost assured destruction by the Syndicate worlds military space fleet who had lured the Alliance into a trap. Jack Geary, an alliance hero who was found in cryo sleep on a malfunctioning escape pod from a war 100 years earlier, had assumed control of the alliance fleet and through a series of stunning displays of military tactics took an undisciplined Alliance fleet and turned them into an effective and coordinated unit. The alliance fleet found themselves on the run back to their home system, unable to use the Hypernet gates that would get them there quickly and in possession of the key to the syndic worlds own hypernet gates. The Syndic force is in relentless pursuit and it is only through Jack Geary's military cunning that the alliance force has been able to evade destruction.
This second book has the Alliance force on the offensive as they attack a syndic worlds systems and also facing new problems from the inside as another hero to the alliance is found alive on a sydicate worlds labor camp.
Jack Campbell has created a believable futuristic landscape utilizing believable physics in his universe of science fiction warfare . I am not normally a reader of science fiction and I happened to pick the first book up as it caught my eye. I read "Dauntless" in short order, was hooked and was excited to see this second book on the bookstand. This book was another thriller.
Jack Campbell deserves a wide audience for this book, if not for it being a fun series to read, then for his intellectual prowess for envisioning realistic battle scenes and strategies.
The first book is not a necessity, but it is recommended.
I wholeheartedly endorse this book.
Book Review: A Study of Leadership
Summary: 5 Stars
I applaud Mr. Campbell for taking naval fiction into the future instead of yet another rewrite of the Napoleonic war. He has obviously given great consideration to what a space battle would entail--no other science fiction author has, to my knowledge, dealt with the issues presented by ships that can travel at appreciable fractions of the speed of light.
To fully understand these books one must realize that they are not primarily science fiction; rather, The Lost Fleet is a book about leadership, honor, morality and the fighting of war. A Fleet that had lost the nuances of military strategy, with commanders who vote on strategy and then undertake heroic but idiotic frontal assaults has been taken over by a survivor from a prior battle who possesses an understanding of lost tactics and strategy as well as an outdated sense of honor and morality that has been sacrificed to expediency in the endless war.
Book Two adds a couple new wrinkles not the least of which is our hero's realization that there is a very, very dark side to an advanced technology developed during his hibernation. In the same fashion that nuclear weapons changed warfare; "Black Jack" Geary figures out that a new power has emerged and must decide what to do with the knowledge he possesses.
Campbell focuses on his leader and while ostensibly about space battles this author is merely developing a fascinating character. Like O'Brian's Captain Aubrey, John Geary's faith in his training and leadership skills unites a fleet and provides for some excellent adventure. These works are very well written and are a cut above most offerings of the genre to which they supposedly belong. I look forward to following Geary's adventures.
Book Review: Food for thought on the subject of military stupidity
Summary: 5 Stars
First, a complaint. These books are clearly designed as a series. Now, where an honest author such as David Weber or S. M. Strling would have given us a single 900 page volume, this author gives us three 300 page volumes, even though the three could have easily been published as one.
That said, these books, even if painted on a futuristic space opera canvas, address the age old issue of military mind rigidity, stupidity, idiocy. History is full of examples of battles where at least one side is a mob of individual warriers, competing for glory among themselves. Caesar's campaigns in Gaul provide the perfect example.
The best example to relate to these Lost Fleet books is that of the idiotic French knights at the battles of Crécy and Agincourt (read Barbara Tuchman's "A distant Mirror" for a delightful tale of a century's worth of such foolishness). Contrasting such mindless behavior with its opposite, military discipline, is the basic premise of these books. The story line follows the process of gradually transforming the protagonist fleet from a mob into an army.
As such, this series is different from the normal run of space operas, and -- even though I could criticise various things about it, were I in a nitpicking mood -- thought provoking. So, according to me, it merits a 5-star rating.
Book Review: I agree--"Military science fiction at its best."
Summary: 5 Stars
I admit I'm just a dilettante when it comes to knowing anything about battles or the military, but I do enjoy reading military SF, and I enjoy reading this series so far.
It has the initial, intriguing situation of a legendary hero seeming to come back from the dead (or rather life-suspension for a century in a damaged escape pod), just as the Alliance Fleet has been lured into enemy territory and a trap that wipes out the commanding officers, leaving Captain "Black Jack" Geary in command.
This second installment continues the story. It, like the first book, ends in a good place. Yes, they are NOT home yet... they are still the Lost Fleet of the title, but the story arc is there and I found it very satisfying. While continuing to try and save the Fleet, against great odds, continuing to try to establish confidence in his command (and his own self-confidence), another conflict arises in the figure of a rescued POW--Captain Falco, a famous hero whose situation seems to echo Geary's own, and a man who expects to take up his former place as leader of Alliance ships...
Personally, I wouldn't mind if this series is dragged out forever at this rate. I am in for the long-haul and enjoying the ride.