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veronica87 's review for:
Dauntless
by Jack Campbell
I always enjoy a good military science fiction story and this book certainly fits the bill. It's a tale that borrows from the Arthurian legend of a people looking to a hero from the past to come forth in their direst time of need...and sets it all in space. Captain John Geary, rescued from space where he's apparently been drifting in hibernation sleep for the better part of a century, suddenly finds himself having to save an Alliance fleet that is very different from the one he once served. Some look to him as a larger than life figure who can do no wrong while others chafe at the changes he brings with him. For his own part, Geary doesn't want to be a legend but what he finds is that perhaps only a legend can save them all. What follows is a space chase chock full of military honor and tradition, though that doesn't necessarily mean the same things to all people.
I liked Geary and found his position between a rock and a hard place interesting. As he himself points out, he's damned if he does and damned if he doesn't. The rest of the characters could do with a little more fleshing out and I'm hoping that that comes with time. As of now, we have Captain Desjani, who is a bit too enthralled by Geary's legend status for my tastes, Co-President Rione who seems to think that Geary might be a dictator in the making, and a couple of other ship Captains who seemed destined to cause Geary a world of trouble in books to come.
As with most stories of this kind, the overly technical space battles got cumbersome but I tend to skim those so they don't bother me too much. The world building can use some fortification as well and I hope that that comes as Geary navigates through all the changes in the Alliance that have transpired since his supposed "death" a hundred years ago. This would be the perfect setup to experience this time period through the eyes of someone who is also new to it but further books will see how, or if, that plays out. But because the characters and world building need work, I can't give this the four stars I was hoping for, but the elements are in place to get there.
I liked Geary and found his position between a rock and a hard place interesting. As he himself points out, he's damned if he does and damned if he doesn't. The rest of the characters could do with a little more fleshing out and I'm hoping that that comes with time. As of now, we have Captain Desjani, who is a bit too enthralled by Geary's legend status for my tastes, Co-President Rione who seems to think that Geary might be a dictator in the making, and a couple of other ship Captains who seemed destined to cause Geary a world of trouble in books to come.
As with most stories of this kind, the overly technical space battles got cumbersome but I tend to skim those so they don't bother me too much. The world building can use some fortification as well and I hope that that comes as Geary navigates through all the changes in the Alliance that have transpired since his supposed "death" a hundred years ago. This would be the perfect setup to experience this time period through the eyes of someone who is also new to it but further books will see how, or if, that plays out. But because the characters and world building need work, I can't give this the four stars I was hoping for, but the elements are in place to get there.