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toryp's review against another edition
4.0
4.5*
This one's plot didn't feel as intense as the last one, and it lost a bit of momentum in the middle, leaving me wondering where it was going.
But the characters that Elizabeth Bonesteel creates are just so good! The new ones that we were able to meet, as well as the continuation of Elena, Greg and Jessica's story were a heap of fun to follow along.
Can't wait for the next one :D
This one's plot didn't feel as intense as the last one, and it lost a bit of momentum in the middle, leaving me wondering where it was going.
But the characters that Elizabeth Bonesteel creates are just so good! The new ones that we were able to meet, as well as the continuation of Elena, Greg and Jessica's story were a heap of fun to follow along.
Can't wait for the next one :D
graff_fuller's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 Stars
I actually liked this book better than the previous book.
Looking forward to going on to the next one, now.
I actually liked this book better than the previous book.
Looking forward to going on to the next one, now.
zyphax's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed the first book in the series a good deal more.
lizshayne's review
4.0
This is the second book in this series and I'm now grateful that it took me so long to get around to the first because now I get to read the second right away.
Now I just want the third. There's a third, right?
It turns out I like space opera and milSF when it focuses on the characters and solving mysteries. And where the plot revolves around complexities of military battles and taking sides rather than a very stark "we good, them bad, kill!" approach, which bugs me.
Now I just want the third. There's a third, right?
It turns out I like space opera and milSF when it focuses on the characters and solving mysteries. And where the plot revolves around complexities of military battles and taking sides rather than a very stark "we good, them bad, kill!" approach, which bugs me.
bethmitcham's review against another edition
4.0
Interesting society building. The people were very flawed and the politics complex.
katetownsend's review against another edition
4.0
Review originally found on Looking Glass Reads.
This week marked the release of Remnants of Trust, the second novel in the Central Corps series by Elizabeth Bonesteel. This is a fast paced military science fiction novel that has a lot going for it. The story begins with Captain Greg Foster and Commander Elena Shaw, freshly returned from a court martial and assigned to the relatively empty Third Sector. But things aren’t quite as quiet as they assumed as the Exeter, another ship from Central Gov, is attacked by raiders. Even after the Orunmila, a PSI ship, comes to the rescue the ship is destroyed, half the crew is dead, and the captain maimed. To top it off, a traitorous saboteur is on the loose.
The book is written in third person point of view with semi-omniscience. We jump around in various characters heads, most notably at chapter changes but other times as well. For the most part we see the story through the eyes of the three captains and their second in commands, plus Elena Shaw, of course. This works in the story’s favor. However, if you don’t enjoy a book switching between characters, be forewarned.
There are a good number of characters to keep track of here. It never felt out of hand, though, and I never had any issue with keeping who’s who straight. All of the characters were very well rounded. They felt like people. Real people. Normal people. And that’s something I love about this book.
Elena Shaw is tough as nails, but enjoys practicing ballet and struggles internally with happenings both in book #1 of the series and farther in her past. Captain Shiang Guanyin of the Orunmila is a twenty nine year old captain, married, mother of five children, and currently pregnant with number six, a side of a female starship captain that isn’t often explored which Bonesteel does very well. Celik, captain of the destroyed Exeter, is now down a leg, a ship, half a crew, and bent on revenge, closure, anything to try and fix what happened. Yet Celik retains both common sense and sense of duty to what crew he has left, his captain-ness, if you will, and never turns into the single minded vengeance happy character he could have easily fallen into.
These characters, along with all the rest, are dynamic. They have personalities, hopes, dreams, and real, understandable reasons for the positions they hold on ongoing events throughout the book. None of them really felt like cookie-cutter military officers as can sometimes happen within this and similar genres.
Now, I didn’t read the first book. I jumped right into the series at book two (as per normal). However, I would suggest reading the first book in the series, The Cold Between, before picking up book #2. While the immediate story isn’t at all confusing without reading the first book, there are overarching series long plots and political subterfuge that would probably benefit from starting from the beginning of the series.
In the same vein, I did have one other problem. I wasn’t exactly positive what Central and PSI were. I mean, I do understand that they have/are a military force, send assistance to colonies, etc. I just wasn’t positive if they were governments, some sort of other peace keeping organizations in space, and, if they were separate governing bodies, why they were working within the same territory. Again, this isn’t anything I can truly fault the author for as I didn’t read the first book, but I felt it was something to point out nonetheless.
Overall, I would recommend giving Remnants of Trust by Elizabeth Bonesteel a read. It is a highly enjoyable read. I will definitely be going back and reading the first book in the Central Corps series. If you like military sci-fi this is definitely a book for the TBR pile.
*I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*
This week marked the release of Remnants of Trust, the second novel in the Central Corps series by Elizabeth Bonesteel. This is a fast paced military science fiction novel that has a lot going for it. The story begins with Captain Greg Foster and Commander Elena Shaw, freshly returned from a court martial and assigned to the relatively empty Third Sector. But things aren’t quite as quiet as they assumed as the Exeter, another ship from Central Gov, is attacked by raiders. Even after the Orunmila, a PSI ship, comes to the rescue the ship is destroyed, half the crew is dead, and the captain maimed. To top it off, a traitorous saboteur is on the loose.
The book is written in third person point of view with semi-omniscience. We jump around in various characters heads, most notably at chapter changes but other times as well. For the most part we see the story through the eyes of the three captains and their second in commands, plus Elena Shaw, of course. This works in the story’s favor. However, if you don’t enjoy a book switching between characters, be forewarned.
There are a good number of characters to keep track of here. It never felt out of hand, though, and I never had any issue with keeping who’s who straight. All of the characters were very well rounded. They felt like people. Real people. Normal people. And that’s something I love about this book.
Elena Shaw is tough as nails, but enjoys practicing ballet and struggles internally with happenings both in book #1 of the series and farther in her past. Captain Shiang Guanyin of the Orunmila is a twenty nine year old captain, married, mother of five children, and currently pregnant with number six, a side of a female starship captain that isn’t often explored which Bonesteel does very well. Celik, captain of the destroyed Exeter, is now down a leg, a ship, half a crew, and bent on revenge, closure, anything to try and fix what happened. Yet Celik retains both common sense and sense of duty to what crew he has left, his captain-ness, if you will, and never turns into the single minded vengeance happy character he could have easily fallen into.
These characters, along with all the rest, are dynamic. They have personalities, hopes, dreams, and real, understandable reasons for the positions they hold on ongoing events throughout the book. None of them really felt like cookie-cutter military officers as can sometimes happen within this and similar genres.
Now, I didn’t read the first book. I jumped right into the series at book two (as per normal). However, I would suggest reading the first book in the series, The Cold Between, before picking up book #2. While the immediate story isn’t at all confusing without reading the first book, there are overarching series long plots and political subterfuge that would probably benefit from starting from the beginning of the series.
In the same vein, I did have one other problem. I wasn’t exactly positive what Central and PSI were. I mean, I do understand that they have/are a military force, send assistance to colonies, etc. I just wasn’t positive if they were governments, some sort of other peace keeping organizations in space, and, if they were separate governing bodies, why they were working within the same territory. Again, this isn’t anything I can truly fault the author for as I didn’t read the first book, but I felt it was something to point out nonetheless.
Overall, I would recommend giving Remnants of Trust by Elizabeth Bonesteel a read. It is a highly enjoyable read. I will definitely be going back and reading the first book in the Central Corps series. If you like military sci-fi this is definitely a book for the TBR pile.
*I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*
librarianelizabeth's review against another edition
2.0
Good: world building and space opera action, tense plot twists and ensemble cast, with some snarky, skilled characters I enjoyed.
Bad: the focal points of most of the chapters were the other characters. Overwrought government conspiracy and poor relationship choices, past and present drove far too much of the plot, bah. Such angst! Eye rolling!
Bad: the focal points of most of the chapters were the other characters. Overwrought government conspiracy and poor relationship choices, past and present drove far too much of the plot, bah. Such angst! Eye rolling!
brianrenaud's review against another edition
3.0
Another well written 'Central Corps' novel from Elizabeth Bonesteel. Like most series, you'll want to read the first one (The Cold Between) before reading this, the second book in the series. Bonesteel puts some effort into showing her characters growing and learning over the course of the book. I'm looking forward to reading the next installment in the series.
rferrett's review against another edition
3.0
It's funny when you finish a book and you are not sure if it was any good and if you actually liked it? I hovered between 2 and 3 stars; but on balance as I decided to get number 3 to read down the line that it must be more 3 than 2 as I wouldn't normally stick with a series having given a book a two star ratings.
Pretty by the numbers Space Opera that had just about enough intrigue for me to want to find out what happens to the characters.
Pretty by the numbers Space Opera that had just about enough intrigue for me to want to find out what happens to the characters.
darlenemarshall's review against another edition
4.0
Space opera is alive and well in the very capable hands of Ms. Bonesteel. The first Central Corps novel was excellent, especially in its portrayal of diverse characters and strong female protagonists. This one's even better.
On the heels of her court martial, Commander Elena Shaw is sent to the backwaters of space to patrol a nearly empty sector, or so she's led to believe. There events from years past return to haunt her, and an attack on a Corps ship leaves more questions than answers.
What I'm loving about this series is the diverse nature of the women characters. The captain of the PSI generation ship is a heavily pregnant mother of six, not the usual starship captain we're used to. I saw a review that said the Central Corps novels are like "Star Trek for grown-ups", and I felt that way as I was reading it. I look forward to more novels in the Central Corps series and following Elena Shaw on her complicated career path.
On the heels of her court martial, Commander Elena Shaw is sent to the backwaters of space to patrol a nearly empty sector, or so she's led to believe. There events from years past return to haunt her, and an attack on a Corps ship leaves more questions than answers.
What I'm loving about this series is the diverse nature of the women characters. The captain of the PSI generation ship is a heavily pregnant mother of six, not the usual starship captain we're used to. I saw a review that said the Central Corps novels are like "Star Trek for grown-ups", and I felt that way as I was reading it. I look forward to more novels in the Central Corps series and following Elena Shaw on her complicated career path.
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