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dfan's review
3.0
Meh.
The narrative relies too much on the characters' inner monologue to explain the state of the universe. It clubs you over the head with exposition, rather than subtly hint at how each nation developed.
The narrative relies too much on the characters' inner monologue to explain the state of the universe. It clubs you over the head with exposition, rather than subtly hint at how each nation developed.
mattpoll's review
4.0
I enjoyed the book, but felt it lacked the characterization that was strong during the Crimson Worlds books. The characters are stiff, particularly from the Alliance. And what's with the Romanization of everything? Felt somewhat cliche.
However the plot moved enough for me to want to see what happens next. While I don't think it was Allan's best work, it was enough to make me want to continue at least the trilogy.
However the plot moved enough for me to want to see what happens next. While I don't think it was Allan's best work, it was enough to make me want to continue at least the trilogy.
justaguy's review
3.0
I don’t think low of this book at all. The story plot is good and the tension building too. However, what makes me downgrade from four to three stars would characterize itself. It seems that the author instills repeatedly by culture mentions and characters’ trending. It starts to annoying heck out of me. Other than that, I think it is good overall and will read the next one of series.
newhampster's review
3.0
Good action, nonstop and some excellent psych analysis of warriors. I actually had a hard time putting it down.
But the reason for only 3 stars is fairly poor editing and the authors need to continually remind us of a previous analysis, in detail. I know how Kat was raised and indoctrinated because I’ve been told dozens of times.
Minor edit but grrrr. In later chapters the lead in gets confused as to which ship we’re on.
Overall a fun read for the price but I doubt I’ll be reading more in the series.
But the reason for only 3 stars is fairly poor editing and the authors need to continually remind us of a previous analysis, in detail. I know how Kat was raised and indoctrinated because I’ve been told dozens of times.
Minor edit but grrrr. In later chapters the lead in gets confused as to which ship we’re on.
Overall a fun read for the price but I doubt I’ll be reading more in the series.
mburnamfink's review
3.0
Amazon had a deal on the first six books in the series because the seventh one is coming out, and I like military scifi so why not?
Welcome to the future, a future of war! Galactic civilization has fallen after setting up a network of FTL routes, and the technology for building new ones have been lost. Three major powers have risen in the aftermath. The Confederation are our good guys, a democracy with an independent streak that is regarded as soft by the enemy, but which has survived three existential wars thanks to daring heroics and superior technology. The Alliance is our bad guys, a militaristic empire with a warrior aristocracy and Spartan/Roman overtones. And the ugly guys are the Union, a totalitarian empire with a fearsome secret police and purge-driven politics. The troops of the Union are the Foudre Rouge. Subtly is not Allan's strongpoint as an author, though compared to David Weber (Rob S. Pierre, folks!) he's doing okay.
So the plot. War between the Confederation and the Union is imminent, and Confederation battleship Dauntless is patrolling the frontier, when it gets pulled off for a refit at the rear of Confederation space. Except that the Union has convinced the Alliance to launch an attack as well, hoping to force the Confederation to fight on two fronts. The Alliance is skeptical, and in the midst of their own refit after a recent conquest, but they can dispatch their most advanced dreadnought, the Invictus, under the command of Kat, a staunch warrior who conceals her doubts about the Alliance, to take a distant refueling outpost. If the attack succeeds, the Alliance will press forward. If it fails, they'll deny everything. The fate of the Confederation rests on Dauntless, her crew, and her captain Barron, grandson of the Confederation's great hero.
Allan mixes action sequences and the rush to war with philosophical musings on combat and death, but this is very much war via John Wayne movies, a kind of pop-culture profundity. The space ships are Galactica style battlecruisers with laser and particle beam weapons, carrying a few squadrons of fighters armed with missiles and plasma torpedoes. There are some gestures towards Newton and vectors, but the style is "World War 2 in space" rather than a new, or even particularly cohesive take on war in space. There's a recurrent moment of ships hiding by orbiting behind a moon or planet, and as anyone who knows about orbital mechanics well tell you, the thing about orbits is that they go around a mass. You can't hide in orbit for very long. This is very much Extruded Space Opera product #7. There aren't any major flaws, but it is definitely a step down from The Lost Fleet or the good Honor Harrington books.
There was one thing that I couldn't tell if it a dumb oversight or actually clever. The Confederation has an emergency alert command "Omega One" which signals invasion of the Confederation. The Alliance has a command "Omega Zero" which triggers their self-destruct. Did Allan forget he used that name already, or it it a statement about what each side regards as their 'ultimate'? I'll probably read the rest of these between serious books, because I was entertained, but that's as far as I'll go.
Welcome to the future, a future of war! Galactic civilization has fallen after setting up a network of FTL routes, and the technology for building new ones have been lost. Three major powers have risen in the aftermath. The Confederation are our good guys, a democracy with an independent streak that is regarded as soft by the enemy, but which has survived three existential wars thanks to daring heroics and superior technology. The Alliance is our bad guys, a militaristic empire with a warrior aristocracy and Spartan/Roman overtones. And the ugly guys are the Union, a totalitarian empire with a fearsome secret police and purge-driven politics. The troops of the Union are the Foudre Rouge. Subtly is not Allan's strongpoint as an author, though compared to David Weber (Rob S. Pierre, folks!) he's doing okay.
So the plot. War between the Confederation and the Union is imminent, and Confederation battleship Dauntless is patrolling the frontier, when it gets pulled off for a refit at the rear of Confederation space. Except that the Union has convinced the Alliance to launch an attack as well, hoping to force the Confederation to fight on two fronts. The Alliance is skeptical, and in the midst of their own refit after a recent conquest, but they can dispatch their most advanced dreadnought, the Invictus, under the command of Kat, a staunch warrior who conceals her doubts about the Alliance, to take a distant refueling outpost. If the attack succeeds, the Alliance will press forward. If it fails, they'll deny everything. The fate of the Confederation rests on Dauntless, her crew, and her captain Barron, grandson of the Confederation's great hero.
Allan mixes action sequences and the rush to war with philosophical musings on combat and death, but this is very much war via John Wayne movies, a kind of pop-culture profundity. The space ships are Galactica style battlecruisers with laser and particle beam weapons, carrying a few squadrons of fighters armed with missiles and plasma torpedoes. There are some gestures towards Newton and vectors, but the style is "World War 2 in space" rather than a new, or even particularly cohesive take on war in space. There's a recurrent moment of ships hiding by orbiting behind a moon or planet, and as anyone who knows about orbital mechanics well tell you, the thing about orbits is that they go around a mass. You can't hide in orbit for very long. This is very much Extruded Space Opera product #7. There aren't any major flaws, but it is definitely a step down from The Lost Fleet or the good Honor Harrington books.
There was one thing that I couldn't tell if it a dumb oversight or actually clever. The Confederation has an emergency alert command "Omega One" which signals invasion of the Confederation. The Alliance has a command "Omega Zero" which triggers their self-destruct. Did Allan forget he used that name already, or it it a statement about what each side regards as their 'ultimate'? I'll probably read the rest of these between serious books, because I was entertained, but that's as far as I'll go.
sebastian_n's review
4.0
Never thought I would find a book primarily about a single spaceship duel interesting... but here we are.
davidpaige's review
4.0
I wasn't sure at the beginning who to root for.
Part of what I liked in the book is that the ships were unshielded. Laser and particle beam weapons produced damage on the ships. I also liked that when approaching at .2C, the encounter would be very short, and certainly with damaged engines, it takes hours to slow enough to turn around for another pass.
And while the battles weren't in real time, they seemed to me to take a (somewhat) more realistic period of time to happen.
Part of what I liked in the book is that the ships were unshielded. Laser and particle beam weapons produced damage on the ships. I also liked that when approaching at .2C, the encounter would be very short, and certainly with damaged engines, it takes hours to slow enough to turn around for another pass.
And while the battles weren't in real time, they seemed to me to take a (somewhat) more realistic period of time to happen.
bwbbwb's review
4.0
Well written and you feel like you are right in the action, a bit like an 1800s naval book. Fun read!
fbone's review
2.0
Military sci-fi with a trio of system-wide participants battling each other or planning to. Each has their own ideology similar to different empires on Earth. The writing skill was good and it's apparent the author put a great deal of work into this. However, there were too many coincidences and plot holes for me to give this more than two stars. Some of the tactics used doesn't seem to fit what an experienced captain would do. Also, there were no surprises, everything telegraphed early on.