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shonari's review against another edition
5.0
This book was fan-fucking-tastic. A real page turner. I'm so happy to find a new author with a bibliography large enough to to keep me entertained for a while.
siriuschico's review against another edition
4.0
Pokud sháníte odpočinkovou sci-fi, Warship vás přiletěl nás zachránit. Příběh jedné vysloužilé lodi a jejího boje proti vnitřním a vnějším nepřátelům je už trochu ohraná písnička. Ale Dalzelle, dokázal že i z tohoto dolu lze ještě hodně vytěžit. Je to právě komornost příběhu, která Warship vyvyšuje nad ostatní průměrné sci-fi. Nečekejte zářivé vesmírné souboje, je to pouze jedna vysloužilá loď s kapitánem trochu alkoholikem a posádkou outsiderů. K tomu přidejte záhadného nepřítele, politické obstrukce a vzpouru posádku. To všechno okořenit uvěřitelným chováním postav a Warship je na světě.
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If you are looking for relaxing sci-fi, Warship just flew in to save you. It is a little bit played out story of old ship and its fight against enemies. However Dalzelle managed to mine out a more from this premise. It is this smallness of this story what makes it shine. It is not about great space fight it is just one old ship with bit of alcoholic caption and with crew of misfits. Add mysterious enemy, political obstruction, mutiny and you have Warship.
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If you are looking for relaxing sci-fi, Warship just flew in to save you. It is a little bit played out story of old ship and its fight against enemies. However Dalzelle managed to mine out a more from this premise. It is this smallness of this story what makes it shine. It is not about great space fight it is just one old ship with bit of alcoholic caption and with crew of misfits. Add mysterious enemy, political obstruction, mutiny and you have Warship.
truthwatcher's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
pjonsson's review
4.0
This is a pretty good piece of military science fiction that should please most people that are into these kind of books. It is perhaps somewhat light reading but it is a good adventure story with plenty of likable characters, a good somewhat mysterious enemy and quite good ship versus ship action.
This is the, not too original, story about a hero that is not exactly in favour by the upper brass of the navy he is on. Partly because of his origin (Earth) but also because a lot of the upper brass is appointed, not by virtue of their competence, but by their political skills and their support from the usually incompetent politicians.
Not too surprisingly our hero have to fight an uphill battle, even after it is evident that there is a clear and present threat to humanity. Also not to surprising he manages to come out pretty much on top much owing to the fact that he is indeed a good starship captain.
The book introduces several characters, some of which start off being not so likeable. However in a few twists, some more unexpected than others, a lot of the characters turns out to be not only likeable but even allies of our hero. I quite liked the Aston Lynch / Pike character. He was one of the more surprising twists in the story.
One thing that I really liked with this book is that the despicable, manipulating, useless and generally destructive politicians do not really get the upper hand. On the contrary, the worst of them gets the very treatment that I whish we could bestow on some of our present day useless oxygen wasters.
As a whole this was a pleasant, perhaps somewhat quick, read that is well enough written, has nice characters and have ship to ship combat that can stand up to the work of some of the better authors in the genre.
This is the, not too original, story about a hero that is not exactly in favour by the upper brass of the navy he is on. Partly because of his origin (Earth) but also because a lot of the upper brass is appointed, not by virtue of their competence, but by their political skills and their support from the usually incompetent politicians.
Not too surprisingly our hero have to fight an uphill battle, even after it is evident that there is a clear and present threat to humanity. Also not to surprising he manages to come out pretty much on top much owing to the fact that he is indeed a good starship captain.
The book introduces several characters, some of which start off being not so likeable. However in a few twists, some more unexpected than others, a lot of the characters turns out to be not only likeable but even allies of our hero. I quite liked the Aston Lynch / Pike character. He was one of the more surprising twists in the story.
One thing that I really liked with this book is that the despicable, manipulating, useless and generally destructive politicians do not really get the upper hand. On the contrary, the worst of them gets the very treatment that I whish we could bestow on some of our present day useless oxygen wasters.
As a whole this was a pleasant, perhaps somewhat quick, read that is well enough written, has nice characters and have ship to ship combat that can stand up to the work of some of the better authors in the genre.
righteousridel's review
4.0
Creative Worldbuilding and Perfect Execution
A terrifying new enemy after centuries of peace and abundance is the setting for Warship, written by an author who looked at the immense expanse of space and asked: why fight? Typically the worldbuilding for a military sci-fi universe doesn't bother with such basic questions, but starting from the premise of near-infinite resources, readers are introduced to a natural, organically built society rich in politics and technological advancements that may arise in five-hundred years. What's truly impressive is this creative, deep worldbuilding comes through in small glimpses and brief interactions, because the plot of Warship is about a spaceship firing its guns in anger.
The overall story is lifted from similar novels in the Age of Sail category. There's an introductory shakedown cruise where you meet the Captain, his officers, and learn what you need to about the technological capabilities of the setting. There's the threats: career bureaucrats, political corruption and whispers of external dangers beyond the horizon. The Captain even embodies a certain archetype that is common in this genre - a skilled, well-meaning individual unlucky by birth and lacking political connections. This is not a groundbreaking novel.
Yet the execution is perfect. These tropes work, and they provide a variety of threats and thrills for readers as the author builds momentum towards some truly epic showdowns. Everyone wants to see the underdog win. After a technically competent but thoroughly mediocre set of introduction chapters, we launch right into the "terrifying new enemy" and I found myself unable to put the book down. Action, brilliance, heroism -- all the elements are here. The setting is excellently developed, the pacing is great, and the threats (foreign and domestic) are frightening, tense, and vile.
Recommended - it's not quite grimdark, but this is exactly the kind of self-serious novel I love.
This series reminds me a lot of Space Carrier Avalon but Joshua Dalzelle doesn't have Glynn Stewart's capability to write epic cliffhangers. I think this is one of the author's earlier novels, so I'm hopeful that his writing improves over time. There are scenes that should absolutely invoke tension, awe, and a sense of epicness... but the verbiage let Mr Dalzelle down.
As well, I think the author went a bit easy on the mutiny subplot, which could have used a few more scenes. Both its build up and resolution felt abrupt. That's too bad since I was enraged at the mutineers, but then the Wolfe resolved the problem in the blink of an eye (with the ability to lock out sidearms digitally, something that needed better foreshadowing).
Admiral Winters was a much better antagonist. Her career-minded and racist personality was nicely crafted for readers to hate but again, she got defeated far too easily. The author should have spent more time on scenes showcasing how truly screwed Wolfe was, and built up all these internal enemies the same way the Phage are built up.
It's a good start. I might be a little biased. All the recent sci-fi universes I've read have been worse: Expeditionary Force, Space Team, Expanse (probably an unpopular comparison), The Lost Fleet and Star Carrier.
Series Overall Spoiler-Free Thoughts
★★★★☆ Warship (Black Fleet Trilogy, #1)
★★★☆☆ Call to Arms (Black Fleet Trilogy, #2)
★★☆☆☆ Counterstrike (Black Fleet Trilogy, #3)
Never a groundbreaking story, the Black Fleet Trilogy leans heavily on existing tropes and extremely fast-paced storytelling. This ends up being a double-edged sword, as the author races towards a conclusion that is neither surprising nor satisifying. If you're looking for a safe, easy read, this is for you.
★★☆☆☆ - Not recommended with reservations.
A terrifying new enemy after centuries of peace and abundance is the setting for Warship, written by an author who looked at the immense expanse of space and asked: why fight? Typically the worldbuilding for a military sci-fi universe doesn't bother with such basic questions, but starting from the premise of near-infinite resources, readers are introduced to a natural, organically built society rich in politics and technological advancements that may arise in five-hundred years. What's truly impressive is this creative, deep worldbuilding comes through in small glimpses and brief interactions, because the plot of Warship is about a spaceship firing its guns in anger.
The overall story is lifted from similar novels in the Age of Sail category. There's an introductory shakedown cruise where you meet the Captain, his officers, and learn what you need to about the technological capabilities of the setting. There's the threats: career bureaucrats, political corruption and whispers of external dangers beyond the horizon. The Captain even embodies a certain archetype that is common in this genre - a skilled, well-meaning individual unlucky by birth and lacking political connections. This is not a groundbreaking novel.
Yet the execution is perfect. These tropes work, and they provide a variety of threats and thrills for readers as the author builds momentum towards some truly epic showdowns. Everyone wants to see the underdog win. After a technically competent but thoroughly mediocre set of introduction chapters, we launch right into the "terrifying new enemy" and I found myself unable to put the book down. Action, brilliance, heroism -- all the elements are here. The setting is excellently developed, the pacing is great, and the threats (foreign and domestic) are frightening, tense, and vile.
Recommended - it's not quite grimdark, but this is exactly the kind of self-serious novel I love.
Spoiler
The following is in spoiler tags, and I say so since some Goodreads clients may not respect it. You've been warned:This series reminds me a lot of Space Carrier Avalon but Joshua Dalzelle doesn't have Glynn Stewart's capability to write epic cliffhangers. I think this is one of the author's earlier novels, so I'm hopeful that his writing improves over time. There are scenes that should absolutely invoke tension, awe, and a sense of epicness... but the verbiage let Mr Dalzelle down.
As well, I think the author went a bit easy on the mutiny subplot, which could have used a few more scenes. Both its build up and resolution felt abrupt. That's too bad since I was enraged at the mutineers, but then the Wolfe resolved the problem in the blink of an eye (with the ability to lock out sidearms digitally, something that needed better foreshadowing).
Admiral Winters was a much better antagonist. Her career-minded and racist personality was nicely crafted for readers to hate but again, she got defeated far too easily. The author should have spent more time on scenes showcasing how truly screwed Wolfe was, and built up all these internal enemies the same way the Phage are built up.
It's a good start. I might be a little biased. All the recent sci-fi universes I've read have been worse: Expeditionary Force, Space Team, Expanse (probably an unpopular comparison), The Lost Fleet and Star Carrier.
Series Overall Spoiler-Free Thoughts
★★★★☆ Warship (Black Fleet Trilogy, #1)
★★★☆☆ Call to Arms (Black Fleet Trilogy, #2)
★★☆☆☆ Counterstrike (Black Fleet Trilogy, #3)
Never a groundbreaking story, the Black Fleet Trilogy leans heavily on existing tropes and extremely fast-paced storytelling. This ends up being a double-edged sword, as the author races towards a conclusion that is neither surprising nor satisifying. If you're looking for a safe, easy read, this is for you.
★★☆☆☆ - Not recommended with reservations.
addypap's review against another edition
5.0
Great space opera. I found it similar to James S.A. Coery's Leviathan Wakes, but not as "Boy Scout-y". looking forward to the next book in the series. Narration was execellent
wolfborn's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
andimontgomery's review against another edition
4.0
Warship is the first book in the Black Fleet trilogy, a military sci-fi space opera featuring an out-of-favor captain, an aging battleship scheduled for decommissioning, and a mostly ragtag crew that end up getting involved in an alien war.
Captain Jackson Wolfe is assigned a new second-in-command, Celesta Wright on the ship’s last mission to drop off a politician on a distant colony. Once they arrive, they discover that the entire colony has been wiped out.
What follows is an unexpected and fast-paced investigation and alien battle. The strongest characters were at the forefront of the story. Captain Jackson Wolfe is a savvy and decisive leader, Commander Celesta Wright is an unexpectedly capable first officer, and Chief Engineer Singh is a competent and knowledgeable engineer overseeing the ship’s mechanics.
I really enjoyed this one, although there were a few minor issues. For example, Celesta was told that the Captain was a buffoon and had no respect from his crew, but it was obvious he was liked and respected by most of the staff. There were a few scenes reminiscent of Star Trek. However, Warship was still a fast-paced and enjoyable ride. The audiobook narrator also did a fantastic job.
Fans of Michael Mammay should enjoy this one. I’ll definitely continue this series.
Captain Jackson Wolfe is assigned a new second-in-command, Celesta Wright on the ship’s last mission to drop off a politician on a distant colony. Once they arrive, they discover that the entire colony has been wiped out.
What follows is an unexpected and fast-paced investigation and alien battle. The strongest characters were at the forefront of the story. Captain Jackson Wolfe is a savvy and decisive leader, Commander Celesta Wright is an unexpectedly capable first officer, and Chief Engineer Singh is a competent and knowledgeable engineer overseeing the ship’s mechanics.
I really enjoyed this one, although there were a few minor issues. For example, Celesta was told that the Captain was a buffoon and had no respect from his crew, but it was obvious he was liked and respected by most of the staff. There were a few scenes reminiscent of Star Trek. However, Warship was still a fast-paced and enjoyable ride. The audiobook narrator also did a fantastic job.
Fans of Michael Mammay should enjoy this one. I’ll definitely continue this series.
wynnz's review against another edition
1.0
A warship soon to be decommissioned, with no weapons to speak of apart from a stick and some harsh words, has a dysfunctional crew and a troubled captain with a new XO to contend with. Sent to the edge of human space, they come face to face with a superior alien race. It all sounds familiar—been here before, got the t-shirt, a sense of déjà vu. The crew has to work together to save humankind, being inventive in their decision-making and pulling the rabbit out of the hat, do-or-die. I imagine they do alright because there is a book 2. Spoiler!
In conclusion, blah, blah, blah. I don't know what I expect from reading these books? All I know is that I'm not getting it! The same formula, the same old platitudes—it's wearing thin, I must admit. I don’t think I’ll persevere; I think I’ll move on to pastures new.
In conclusion, blah, blah, blah. I don't know what I expect from reading these books? All I know is that I'm not getting it! The same formula, the same old platitudes—it's wearing thin, I must admit. I don’t think I’ll persevere; I think I’ll move on to pastures new.
thesmudge's review against another edition
5.0
great start to a military sci-fi series. Somewhat predictable but entertaining none the less.