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A review by righteousridel
Call to Arms by Joshua Dalzelle
3.0
An Unforced Error at the Finish Line
Call to Arms is difficult to review without calling into question its ending. Given that this isn't the author's first novel, I'm not willing to forgive and forget. It's really a shame, since the rest of the novel had been hitting the right beats. Fresh on the heels of Warship, we march recycled Age of Sail plotlines out the airlock and warp forward into a story that naturally arises from the events of the previous novel. The exceptional worldbuilding bears fruit as plots and subplots tear through the universe.
I love the politics of the Terran Confederacy. It's equal parts corrupt and magnificent, and is portrayed as a complicated set of machinations that are never seen, but its results are felt. Games of brinksmanship have real consequences and the author is willing upset the status quo. I can offer many criticisms, but I would never say this story is episodic.
The pacing of Call to Arms is frenetic and the book is stripped bare of non-essential scenes. It gives you very little time to breathe as stakes are ratcheted sky-high. The ride is thrilling from scene to scene, but on reflection, I think the author could have slowed down a bit to build up the tension: a warning here, a missed signal there, and then unleash the harbinger of death. Not everything needs to be a surprise! That said, I prefer fast-paced novels and the author delivers.
Which leads me to the elephant in the room... my spoiler policy makes this exceptionally difficult to discuss. The ending mimics a trope that many dislike, which is an incredible shame, since the trope added nothing to actual consequences of the novel! Odds are that you'll feel let down as you finish the story, and that's not the way you want to end a novel.
Recommended with reservations.
The appearance of Blake and his alien starships reeks of a Deus Ex Machina, and their destruction of the Phage fleet does save the two remaining Starwolf destroyers as well as the planet. The unfortunate part here is that they were completely unnecessary: the Phage's plan was to lure humanity to the frontier, and then decapitate their government at Haven. They did exactly that, and even gloated at Wolfe.
What the author chose to do was introduce a poorly executed cliffhanger. The introduction of a new species with their pet human is a new plotline, and should have been part of the next novel. Choosing to do so at the conclusion of Call to Arms was a terrible strategic call. Blake only served to save Wolfe from a non-suicidal defense (he had already declared his willingness to flee). If one cuts Blake out of the novel, the news bomb that Haven had fallen could have forced Wolfe's decision to retreat. Or the Phage could let him go! I haven't read enough to understand what this 'test' is supposed to imply and whether or not that's a thing they would do.
It's debatable if it's even a Dues Ex Machina, since Blake's casual destruction of a decoy Phage fleet didn't solve any problems. I guess the survival of a frontier world, though given there were no Phage Charlies, was that even a danger?
Anyways, the rest of the novel was really well done. A civil war in the midst of an alien invasion is exactly what I expect out of humanity. I loved the Ark subplot, even though I wished it could have been dragged out longer. Admiral Markham is a great new character -- practical, competent and flirting with corruption. Pike is still too much of a plot device but his personality makes up for it, and the Senator needs more screen time because he's a joy to be around.
I'm not sure about the resolution of the civil war. I'm not even sure it's resolved. Wolfe has really put himself out there, and we're reminded that captains aboard vessels are the Word of God. I've always liked the subtle reminders that the author has included -- classifying information on the bridge and implying that most ratings aboard the spaceship are entirely ignorant to what's going on outside. It's not like you'd put windows on the hull, nor are they very useful! Combined with the slow pace of communications, most people will trust their captain's direction. As such, the personal request from Wolfe to the people in charge of each vessel makes a lot of sense. Those captains are people too, and it's not necessarily true that a government's orders will be followed by the people in the military.
Excellent stuff, only let down by a hamfisted attempt at introducing the third novel's plot earlier. Sigh.
Call to Arms is difficult to review without calling into question its ending. Given that this isn't the author's first novel, I'm not willing to forgive and forget. It's really a shame, since the rest of the novel had been hitting the right beats. Fresh on the heels of Warship, we march recycled Age of Sail plotlines out the airlock and warp forward into a story that naturally arises from the events of the previous novel. The exceptional worldbuilding bears fruit as plots and subplots tear through the universe.
I love the politics of the Terran Confederacy. It's equal parts corrupt and magnificent, and is portrayed as a complicated set of machinations that are never seen, but its results are felt. Games of brinksmanship have real consequences and the author is willing upset the status quo. I can offer many criticisms, but I would never say this story is episodic.
The pacing of Call to Arms is frenetic and the book is stripped bare of non-essential scenes. It gives you very little time to breathe as stakes are ratcheted sky-high. The ride is thrilling from scene to scene, but on reflection, I think the author could have slowed down a bit to build up the tension: a warning here, a missed signal there, and then unleash the harbinger of death. Not everything needs to be a surprise! That said, I prefer fast-paced novels and the author delivers.
Which leads me to the elephant in the room... my spoiler policy makes this exceptionally difficult to discuss. The ending mimics a trope that many dislike, which is an incredible shame, since the trope added nothing to actual consequences of the novel! Odds are that you'll feel let down as you finish the story, and that's not the way you want to end a novel.
Recommended with reservations.
Spoiler
The following is in spoiler tags, and I say so since some Goodreads clients may not respect it. You've been warned:The appearance of Blake and his alien starships reeks of a Deus Ex Machina, and their destruction of the Phage fleet does save the two remaining Starwolf destroyers as well as the planet. The unfortunate part here is that they were completely unnecessary: the Phage's plan was to lure humanity to the frontier, and then decapitate their government at Haven. They did exactly that, and even gloated at Wolfe.
What the author chose to do was introduce a poorly executed cliffhanger. The introduction of a new species with their pet human is a new plotline, and should have been part of the next novel. Choosing to do so at the conclusion of Call to Arms was a terrible strategic call. Blake only served to save Wolfe from a non-suicidal defense (he had already declared his willingness to flee). If one cuts Blake out of the novel, the news bomb that Haven had fallen could have forced Wolfe's decision to retreat. Or the Phage could let him go! I haven't read enough to understand what this 'test' is supposed to imply and whether or not that's a thing they would do.
It's debatable if it's even a Dues Ex Machina, since Blake's casual destruction of a decoy Phage fleet didn't solve any problems. I guess the survival of a frontier world, though given there were no Phage Charlies, was that even a danger?
Anyways, the rest of the novel was really well done. A civil war in the midst of an alien invasion is exactly what I expect out of humanity. I loved the Ark subplot, even though I wished it could have been dragged out longer. Admiral Markham is a great new character -- practical, competent and flirting with corruption. Pike is still too much of a plot device but his personality makes up for it, and the Senator needs more screen time because he's a joy to be around.
I'm not sure about the resolution of the civil war. I'm not even sure it's resolved. Wolfe has really put himself out there, and we're reminded that captains aboard vessels are the Word of God. I've always liked the subtle reminders that the author has included -- classifying information on the bridge and implying that most ratings aboard the spaceship are entirely ignorant to what's going on outside. It's not like you'd put windows on the hull, nor are they very useful! Combined with the slow pace of communications, most people will trust their captain's direction. As such, the personal request from Wolfe to the people in charge of each vessel makes a lot of sense. Those captains are people too, and it's not necessarily true that a government's orders will be followed by the people in the military.
Excellent stuff, only let down by a hamfisted attempt at introducing the third novel's plot earlier. Sigh.