The Last Colony by John Scalzi
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Book Reviews of The Last Colony
Book Review: The Last Colony
Summary: 5 Stars
A good story. Guy just can't write them fast enough. Rushed the ending a little bit but overall a good job. Makes you hope this is not the end of the story.
Book Review: Another wonderful spacefaring sci-fi book
Summary: 5 Stars
Totally delightful story, which I could not put down until I was through the surprise in the last sentence.Book Review: Final Book in a Worthwhile Trilogy
Summary: 4 Stars
The Last Colony is the final installment of Joe Scalzi's science fiction trilogy, following Old Man's War and The Ghost Brigades. Suffice it to say, if you enjoyed the first two installments, you won't be disappointed. In a nutshell, after years of colonizing planets with Earth inhabitants, the subsequent colonies have matured to the point that many wish to have their own colonies. In an effort to quell cries of favoritism, the Colonial Defense Force cobbles together a seed colony, consisting of colonists from many of the existing colonies. The colony will be led by John Perry and Jane Sagan, the main characters from the preceding two novels, who have subsequently retired from active duty with the CDF. Conflict with other intelligent life forms and intrigue within the Colonial Union ensues.
I've read quite a bit of science fiction lately, and this novel is a jarring contrast to one I recently finished, River of Gods (Ian McDonald). Whereas the latter was, at times, difficult to follow and understand (I would term it literary, intelligent science fiction), Scalzi's work is far more accessible to the average science fiction fan. After reading River of Gods and Saturn's Children (Charles Stross), I needed a break and this novel was a perfect breather. It is easy to follow, well developed and enjoyable to read. Not groundbreaking or award winning in my opinion, but if a good science fiction story is what you're looking for, and you're not in the mood for deep, philosophical Philip Dick, Frank Herbert style sci-fi, you could do far worse than Scalzi's trilogy. As with Old Man's War, I felt that some of the dialogue was contrived, but not to the extent of detracting from the story.
Bottom line, if you're looking for classic Isaac Asimov style science fiction, this is just the ticket. Conversely, other authors are pushing the boundary of science fiction into the literary realm. This is not one of those, deep philosophical, complex works.
Book Review: More Than Adequate Ending
Summary: 4 Stars
John Perry and his ex-Special Forces wife Jane Sagan are asked by the Colonial Defense Forces to lead a new Human colony on a world that has not yet been claimed by any other alien species. As usual, there is more than meets the eye to the CDF's request for Perry and Sagan to head the new colony -- Roanoke -- and what is not revealed may wind up costing not only Perry and Sagan their lives, but spell doom for Roanoke as well.
Once again Scalzi thrusts us into a universe where soldiers are adapted in creative ways to fight off any number of alien aggressors. But unlike the previous two books -- Old Man's War & The Ghost Brigades -- The Last Colony focuses much less on the martial capabilities of CDF soldiers (infantry and special forces alike...after all, the previous two books convincingly displayed their skills) and focuses more on the machinations of how the CDF is dealing with the Conclave...a conglomeration of over four hundred alien species that is threatening the Colonial Union's colonization efforts. Scalzi does a terrific job of setting the scene -- the Conclave's threat to Humanity -- but some of the details miss the mark. I would have liked more from Sagan's perspective as well as their daughter's Zoe's perspective...though I suspect the later novel(la)s Zoe's Tale and The Sagan Diary covers much from these characters' point of view. Still, I wanted more within this novel...I wanted Sagan and Zoe to really stand out in their interactions with others in these pages because their characters are so pivotal to this overall story.
Nonetheless, The Last Colony stands as a fine ending to a story and characters that won't soon be forgotten. Scalzi deserves every bit of the praise he has received for this trilogy...it is more than worth reading...it is unforgettable.
Book Review: End of the Trilogy is the best
Summary: 4 Stars
"The Last Colony" is the third book of the "Old Man's War" trilogy by John Scalzi. It's as much a political thriller as the military sci-fi of the previous books; it follows Jane Sagan and John Perry as they are picked to lead the planetary colony of Roanoke, the first colony to be picked from existing colonies rather than Earth itself. But Roanoke is important in a different way - it's being used as a pawn by the Colonial Union (leader of all the human colonies) in their opposition to the Conclave, a group of alien races that are attempting to regulate the unchecked expansion and war in the universe.
I liked "The Last Colony" both more and less than the earlier books. The philosophical questions around the CDF and the Special Forces aren't really a large part of the whole thing, which is slightly disappointing. Working better, however, is that Scalzi doesn't spend so much time in the area of competent but dull mil-sf like he did in the last two. Much of this book is the raising of the colony, which Scalzi handles well (although it is somewhat understandably shunted aside by developments later in the book) - it's nice to watch as Perry and Sagan try to keep the colony under control and safe under the constraints they're stuck with.
The book picks up steam as things turn more political, and the balancing act Perry has to strike is engaging. Scalzi keeps the situation tense and interesting, although some events are disappointingly offscreen. It's a satisfying finish to the Old Man's War series, and the best of the three books.