Valiant (The Lost Fleet, Book 4) by Jack Campbell
|
List Price: Our Price: $4.07 You Save: $3.92 (49%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $0.71 (click here) Category: Book See more book details and other editions |
|---|
Book Reviews of Valiant (The Lost Fleet, Book 4)
Book Review: Geary's Point of View
Summary: 4 Stars
I have read a lot of comments that people have posted and so far I think a lot of them just do not get the writing style the author was going for. Most books use the point of view of many characters to assist with the story line and to flesh out certain characters. The Lost Fleet is written from just Geary's point of view. This limits how much other characters can be fleshed out to only what Geary is thinking of them at the moment. They can never really tell their side of the story and can only show their actions and intentions as interpreted by Geary.
What this does and what I think the author was going for is to create a story of isolation. I mean think about it, he's a man found after a century of floating in space only to find out he is some great hero of the past. He is automatically isolated and on the outside because of this but then you throw in the burdens of command and an enemy constantly trying to kill them all if he makes a mistake. He has thoughts and feelings that go beyond his duty but due to his honor he sticks to regulations (regarding his love interests and most everything else). This further isolates him because he can't even choose to do what his heart desires most.
Hopefully that helps some of you understand why the books are written like they are. And the 4th book, Valiant, is very good at portraying this isolation and shows that Geary is extremely human and on the verge of breaking down. He can't stop being fleet commander, he can't have the women in his life, he has secret foes that may be willing to do anything to oppose him.
I gave this book only 4 stars simply because as others have stated this series should have been condensed down into 3 books with longer page counts. I also do not like the reiteration of certain things in all 4 books. It's as if the author wants to make his books readable starting at any point. They may not make as much sense if you don't start from the first one but you wouldn't miss out on some of the detailed explanations of how things work. I don't like that.
Book Review: Continuation of a steady and successful plot
Summary: 4 Stars
Book four takes off where book three left the reader. The Lost Fleet had just left a tolling battle in the Lakota system through a jump to the Ixion system, only to decide to surprise the Syndic battle group as they pull a u-turn and return to the Lakota system. More than half the novel is dedicated to the battle and aftermath in the Lakota system. Thence on, the Fleet passes through the pirate mining system Branwyn, then to the supposedly abandoned system of Wendig and finally the Fleet ends up in the Cavalos system, all of which are still in Syndic territory. With only two battles taking up the pages within, a large amount of the time to spent trying to find who is undermining Geary's leading position and hypothesizing about the nasty little hate triangle between the Syndic, Alliance and alien persuasions.
Much like the previous three books of the series, Campbell repeats many of the things we already know (difficult communication through ship distances, the grayness of jumping, the ultimate goal for the fleet and difficulties of battle faster than point one light speed). Also, Victoria Rione rears her ugly head again in these pages and continues to reinforce my hate for her. She's a `button-bushing pitch (read into that).' Why is it that every conversation Rione and Geary have together, I feel like tearing out my own hair? As Rione ends her emotional and physical relationship with Geary, we get to see a rise in personal communication between Geary and Desjani, much as the circulating rumors have already implied.
The over all pace has been steady since book one and continues to be brisk through book four. With all that could be said about Valiant, in the end you can stay it's a continuation of a steady and successful plot. Little surprises around some corners, deaths and destruction sprinkled here and there along with some personal tension will meet the reader in these easy 284 pages.
Book Review: Pleasant diversion
Summary: 4 Stars
These books have been a pleasant diversion. The battle scenes are well thought out. The science and general operations of the ships seem plausible and the author has done a wonderful job of closing out each novel so each book can stand on its own merits.
The first novel introduces us to the Alliance's struggle against the Syndicates with Captain Geary as the unwilling hero and main protagonist. Captain Geary needs to lead the fleet safely home and somehow re-teach his fleet captains forgotten ways of fighting from another nobler era. When the captains obey Geary's commands they win battles. When the captains fail to follow Geary's orders they lose their ships.
It is a classic us-against-them story line. The Alliance against the Syndicates and Geary against his recalcitrant captains. The idea worked for the first novel but the story has barely progressed beyond those confines and it shows in this last installment.
The weakness of the series is the character development. The good guys lack any depth beyond supporting or conniving against Captain Geary. The bad guys are limited to sterotypes. There might be good Syndicates but most are bad (and misled). All Syndicate CEO's are bad. The faceless and unknown aliens are bad and so on. Even the good guys are not exactly hero material. Who would like to see more of Rione? After a fourth novel it would be nice to see some progression.
Out of the four novels, this one was the best. I would normally agree that this should have been kept as a trilogy and ranted that the editor should have trimmed up the story but I still want to read more. I think the author will be very challenged to wrap up the story in the next two novels but I think it is possible and the way this book ended really creates some exciting possibilities. Overall, this was a fun read and I am looking forward for the next volume.
Book Review: Jumping Back to Go Forward...
Summary: 4 Stars
The Lost Fleet continues to be lost in alien space. Captain Jack Geary continues to fight for his fleet's survival, against elements in his own fleet, and to maintain a balance between the perception of him as a hero and himself as a human being with human failings.
If you enjoyed the first three books, then there should be no reason not to enjoy this one. Those who want the plot to proceed more quickly may be frustrated. The fleet has returned to Lakota, where they faced a punishing battle. This time, however, things have changed. Geary knows about the mysterious aliens who helped bring the enemy Syndic fleet against him and his people are now catching on to how the aliens are tracking them and also what may be their motives, at least in part. He also knows more about how the Syndics operate and can begin to exploit their weaknesses. He's also more able to make use of turning the hearts and minds of the civilians who are tired of war and not happy about how they are treated by those in power. So things are progressing, too slowly for some, perhaps, but I'm still willing to enjoy the ride and see where it goes.
Book Review: Good military SF
Summary: 4 Stars
If you haven't read the first three books in this series, go back and start at the beginning. If you have read them and enjoyed them, you will like this installment as well. Like most military SF it suffers from stuffiness -- since everyone is SO sincere, and SO self-sacrificing (except for the baddies of course, who are SO self-serving, and SO sincere in their maliciousness). However, this series doesn't seem to be quite as over the top in this regard as, say, the works of David Weber. Nevertheless it lacks the saving and ingratiating humor of Lois Bujold's Vorkosigan series.
Once past that (and the ridiculous cover art -- I mean, our hero is a fleet commander, not a marine grunt; come on!) this volume, like the others, is well plotted, with an interesting protagonist, who is presented with some interesting problems. And the space battles seem "realistic" (given the assumed technology of this future), fought with very clever tactics and stratagems.
In short, it was good enough that I will buy the next volume in the series to see how things -- if not "work out" -- progress.