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The Lost Fleet #3
Courageous
The Lost Fleet continues its perilous journey home.
Badly damaged and low on supplies, the Alliance Fleet is raiding Syndic mines for raw materials-and Captain "Black Jack" Geary hopes they can continue to remain one step ahead of their enemies. But the Syndics are the least of Geary's worries when he learns of the existence of aliens with the power to annihilate the human race.
Badly damaged and low on supplies, the Alliance Fleet is raiding Syndic mines for raw materials-and Captain "Black Jack" Geary hopes they can continue to remain one step ahead of their enemies. But the Syndics are the least of Geary's worries when he learns of the existence of aliens with the power to annihilate the human race.
384 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 18, 2007
438 people are currently reading
2150 people want to read
About the author
Jack Campbell
111 books3,023 followersJack Campbell is a pseudonym for American science fiction author John G. Hemry.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
John G. Hemry is an American author of military science fiction novels. Drawing on his experience as a retired United States Navy officer, he has written the Stark's War and Paul Sinclair series. Under the name Jack Campbell, he has written four volumes of the Lost Fleet series, and on his website names two more forthcoming volumes. He has also written over a dozen short stories, many published in Analog magazine, and a number of non-fiction works.
John G Hemry is a retired United States Navy officer. His father, Jack M. Hemry, also served in the navy and as John points out was a mustang. John grew up living in several places including Pensacola, San Diego, and Midway Island.
John graduated from Lyons High School in Lyons in 1974 then attended the US Naval Academy (Class of '78) where he was labeled 'the un-midshipman' by his roommates.
He lives in Maryland with his wife and three kids. His two eldest children are diagnosed as autistic and suffer from Neuro immune dysfunction syndrome (NIDS), an auto-immune ailment which causes their illness, but are progressing under treatment.
John is a member of the SFWA Musketeers whose motto reads: 'The Pen is Mightier Than the Sword, but the Wise Person Carries Both'.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
John G. Hemry is an American author of military science fiction novels. Drawing on his experience as a retired United States Navy officer, he has written the Stark's War and Paul Sinclair series. Under the name Jack Campbell, he has written four volumes of the Lost Fleet series, and on his website names two more forthcoming volumes. He has also written over a dozen short stories, many published in Analog magazine, and a number of non-fiction works.
John G Hemry is a retired United States Navy officer. His father, Jack M. Hemry, also served in the navy and as John points out was a mustang. John grew up living in several places including Pensacola, San Diego, and Midway Island.
John graduated from Lyons High School in Lyons in 1974 then attended the US Naval Academy (Class of '78) where he was labeled 'the un-midshipman' by his roommates.
He lives in Maryland with his wife and three kids. His two eldest children are diagnosed as autistic and suffer from Neuro immune dysfunction syndrome (NIDS), an auto-immune ailment which causes their illness, but are progressing under treatment.
John is a member of the SFWA Musketeers whose motto reads: 'The Pen is Mightier Than the Sword, but the Wise Person Carries Both'.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 559 reviews
June 13, 2011
LOOKING FOR INTELLIGENT, WELL WRITTEN, MILITARY SF?....Congraties to you maties because here it is...
3.5 stars. I read a lot of different genres and sub-genres and not all of them are in my “sweet spot” so sometimes my ratings can be a little lower on books than I think they deserve. This is a case in point. I believe that fans of military SF will likely rate this between 4 and 5 stars and deservedly so as it is definitely a high quality effort. The Lost Fleet series, of which this is the third installment, is very well written, intelligently plotted and among the best examples of the sub-genre that I have come across.
John “Black Jack” Geary is an excellent character and one of the truly well-drawn GOOD GUYS of popular fiction. In my opinion, too often “white hats” are portrayed as one dimensional or over the top heroic...and frankly that gets more irritating than URKEL spouting catch phrases in his suspenders...
...YES...YES, you did that you annoying douchetard now please leave us alone...
Anyway, Geary is anything but one dimensional and it is his growth as a character and his engaging presence that allows even the slower parts of the narrative (at least from my non military-SF-loving perspective) to be interesting. His character alone is worth checking out the series and is probably the number one reason while I will continue on with the series.
For those of you not familiar with the series, Geary, a legendary captain awoken after 100 years in hyper sleep, finds himself in command of a battle fleet cut off and deep in the heart of enemy territory (that enemy being that vastly larger empire known as the Syndicate). During Geary’s 100 year absence, the protracted war has caused a sever degradation in military tradition, skill and honor in the participants and atrocities have been committed on both sides. Thus, in addition to fighting his way home, Geary also finds himself fighting to instill a sense of honor in the fleet while trying to downplay his own larger than life reputation (which he does not believe he deserves). According to the author, the series is inspired by the journey of the Ten Thousand as told by the ancient Greek historian Xenophon in The Anabasis.
Part of the charm of the series is the authenticity of the plotting, the battles and the attention to detail regarding the military engagements. Given the vast distances involved, communication and real time information are incredibly difficult to coordinate and Jack Campbell does a terrific job in making his story feel right. Unfortunately, this is the same aspect of the book that keeps me from giving it 4 stars. It is terrific for what it is but is not interesting enough for me to keep me engrossed in the narrative. I would prefer more politics and intrigue than tactics and strategy.
I just say this so that you can take my rating for what it is worth. Overall, a good book and I liked it. Certainly recommended for fans of military SF.
3.5 stars. I read a lot of different genres and sub-genres and not all of them are in my “sweet spot” so sometimes my ratings can be a little lower on books than I think they deserve. This is a case in point. I believe that fans of military SF will likely rate this between 4 and 5 stars and deservedly so as it is definitely a high quality effort. The Lost Fleet series, of which this is the third installment, is very well written, intelligently plotted and among the best examples of the sub-genre that I have come across.
John “Black Jack” Geary is an excellent character and one of the truly well-drawn GOOD GUYS of popular fiction. In my opinion, too often “white hats” are portrayed as one dimensional or over the top heroic...and frankly that gets more irritating than URKEL spouting catch phrases in his suspenders...
...YES...YES, you did that you annoying douchetard now please leave us alone...
Anyway, Geary is anything but one dimensional and it is his growth as a character and his engaging presence that allows even the slower parts of the narrative (at least from my non military-SF-loving perspective) to be interesting. His character alone is worth checking out the series and is probably the number one reason while I will continue on with the series.
For those of you not familiar with the series, Geary, a legendary captain awoken after 100 years in hyper sleep, finds himself in command of a battle fleet cut off and deep in the heart of enemy territory (that enemy being that vastly larger empire known as the Syndicate). During Geary’s 100 year absence, the protracted war has caused a sever degradation in military tradition, skill and honor in the participants and atrocities have been committed on both sides. Thus, in addition to fighting his way home, Geary also finds himself fighting to instill a sense of honor in the fleet while trying to downplay his own larger than life reputation (which he does not believe he deserves). According to the author, the series is inspired by the journey of the Ten Thousand as told by the ancient Greek historian Xenophon in The Anabasis.
Part of the charm of the series is the authenticity of the plotting, the battles and the attention to detail regarding the military engagements. Given the vast distances involved, communication and real time information are incredibly difficult to coordinate and Jack Campbell does a terrific job in making his story feel right. Unfortunately, this is the same aspect of the book that keeps me from giving it 4 stars. It is terrific for what it is but is not interesting enough for me to keep me engrossed in the narrative. I would prefer more politics and intrigue than tactics and strategy.
I just say this so that you can take my rating for what it is worth. Overall, a good book and I liked it. Certainly recommended for fans of military SF.
August 25, 2014
I came very close to not picking up this book. The Lost Fleet series was, based on my read of the previous books, kind of a mixed bag. The space fleet battles were fantastic. I especially liked the way the author handled relativistic problems. On the other hand, the often card board interactions of the characters and the terrible relationship between Geary and Rione were painful to read.
I'm glad I stuck with the series. Dotted throughout books one and two were breadcrumbs that pointed towards something else - something bigger than the war between the Alliance and the Syndicate. In Courageous, those hints become something more.
The Fleet is winning engagement after engagement. The Syndicate forces were reeling as the Fleet entered another system. Supplies were running low, but they were confident that they could restock and resupply by raiding the Syndicate bases. It was at that moment that a massive Syndicate fleet entered the system. Low on food, fuel cells and munitions, Geary and the Fleet have no choice but to flee.
Geary, of course, manages to come out on top in some great ship-to-ship battles. The Syndicate forces are defeated, and not too many of his ships are destroyed. But Geary and his intelligence officers are puzzled by some intercepts they received. The Syndicate Fleet hadn't intended on arriving in the system where the Alliance Fleet was wreaking havoc. They had expected to come out of the Hypernet Gate in an entirely different system. Somehow, the gate had malfunctioned. But the Hypernet Gates (ill understood at best) never malfunctioned.
Did some alien intelligence alter their course? And why would this alien intelligence move the Syndicate Fleet? If they wanted to destroy Geary's Fleet, how could they possibly monitor the situation of the fleet in one system and then shift the Syndicates? Were they capable of instant communications across uncounted light years?
This is great stuff. This is why I read science fiction. There is a mystery, the roots laid so subtly that I really wasn't looking for it. In this book, the mystery slapped me in the face. I'm interested now (despite Geary's slightly card board personality).
Four broadsides out of five. I was going to drop the series if this book had been more of the same. This book really shined. I've already picked up the next one.
I'm glad I stuck with the series. Dotted throughout books one and two were breadcrumbs that pointed towards something else - something bigger than the war between the Alliance and the Syndicate. In Courageous, those hints become something more.
The Fleet is winning engagement after engagement. The Syndicate forces were reeling as the Fleet entered another system. Supplies were running low, but they were confident that they could restock and resupply by raiding the Syndicate bases. It was at that moment that a massive Syndicate fleet entered the system. Low on food, fuel cells and munitions, Geary and the Fleet have no choice but to flee.
Geary, of course, manages to come out on top in some great ship-to-ship battles. The Syndicate forces are defeated, and not too many of his ships are destroyed. But Geary and his intelligence officers are puzzled by some intercepts they received. The Syndicate Fleet hadn't intended on arriving in the system where the Alliance Fleet was wreaking havoc. They had expected to come out of the Hypernet Gate in an entirely different system. Somehow, the gate had malfunctioned. But the Hypernet Gates (ill understood at best) never malfunctioned.
Did some alien intelligence alter their course? And why would this alien intelligence move the Syndicate Fleet? If they wanted to destroy Geary's Fleet, how could they possibly monitor the situation of the fleet in one system and then shift the Syndicates? Were they capable of instant communications across uncounted light years?
This is great stuff. This is why I read science fiction. There is a mystery, the roots laid so subtly that I really wasn't looking for it. In this book, the mystery slapped me in the face. I'm interested now (despite Geary's slightly card board personality).
Four broadsides out of five. I was going to drop the series if this book had been more of the same. This book really shined. I've already picked up the next one.
November 8, 2011
Since this is the third book and I don't want to spoil anything, I'll make this short (which for me tends to mean less editing more than it means fewer words).
This is the best book of the three I've read. The entire series, the third book is no exception, even brought a little piece of me back to my days on the USS WISCONSIN BB64 (Battleship) and the USS RAMAGE DDG 61 (AEGIS Destroyer). Jack Campbell, former Naval Academy Grad (I know that's not his real name, but the author is ex-Navy), really knows his stuff. Of course, it's all done by computer in the book, but I remember the days sitting in the Combat Information Center, freezing my cha-cha's off (it's always cold in CIC), with protractor, parallel rulers, a maneuvering board and pencil computing and barking out maneuvering recomendations to the Officer of the Deck on the bridge. Or manning a tactical maneuvering radio net recieving formation signals and authentications. Or even the hours of damage control training.
It's an awsome read for me, nostalgic, especially coming up on Veteran's Day. My life experiences in the Navy may make it easier for me to get as much out of this book as I did, than someone who has no experience driving ships or being part of the combat team that fights the ship. Just take my word on it, Campbell's got it right and I love his adjustments for moving it into the future and putting the battles in space. I think I even recognize the old Navy Computer Simulation (Wich is the offical way to say Network Computer Game so you don't get in trouble for playing games) that was used to train officers in wartime tactics and strategies (Tag your it) used by Geary as he tried to figure out how to fight his fleet.
As a bonus, I found the characters, Desjani and Rione especially developing some depth and a more human personal feel to them. It's a Military Space Opera, this genre isn't exactly about deep charactes, so it's not going to stand up to Jane Austin or anything. Their just more believable and enjoyable. I can't wait to read the next one.
There are also some strong female characters in this series. Two main female supporting characters Co-President Rione and Captian Desjani are strong women, with great hearts and a sense of duty. Campbell is rare among writers in that he puts both gender's on a level playing feild. What's even better is that the two are so different. Desjani is the ramrod straight Battleship Captain while Co-President Rione is a seasoned politician, almost adverse to war fighting. Cabrali the Marine Commander gets honerable mention, but she's more of a third teir character. (Second teir? Hero - first tier, less important supporting cast 3rd tier, major supporting cast - second tier)
Warnings
1) Your first impulse will be to give this series to a teenage boy. It would be great for a YA Teenage boy except for one thing. There are some relationship scenes involving nudity and sex. I've read more explicit scenes in YA-PNRs like Twilight. Some kids are able to filter and manage romantic sexual scenes, some aren't. Some parent's don't feel comfortable endorsing books with sex in them for teens. I say, know yourself, know your kids. If they can handle it, they'll love it. Don't give it to them if either of you will have regrets.
2) You have to read this series in order. Don't start with three.
3) This story, fiction as it is, is absolutely a pro-military series. I'm perfectly okay with it, but it has occured to me that some might think that it "glorifies war." I think it shows what fighting honorably means, but if you have a thing against war, I'd pass on this before somebody drops a house full of missiles on youuu.
4) Not a warning, but an observation. I love the idea of living life in ways that honor our ancestors as it is expressed in the book. I like the idea of remembering what makes us different than our enemies and making sure that, no matter how appealling it may be, we do not commit the same offenses under our flag, that they do under theirs. There's a lesson here about the dangers of prolonged wars and how they change the people that fight them for us. How prolonged war, even a justified war, may cost our soldiers those things that are so important to our identity as a nation and a fighting force.
It's a good read.
This is the best book of the three I've read. The entire series, the third book is no exception, even brought a little piece of me back to my days on the USS WISCONSIN BB64 (Battleship) and the USS RAMAGE DDG 61 (AEGIS Destroyer). Jack Campbell, former Naval Academy Grad (I know that's not his real name, but the author is ex-Navy), really knows his stuff. Of course, it's all done by computer in the book, but I remember the days sitting in the Combat Information Center, freezing my cha-cha's off (it's always cold in CIC), with protractor, parallel rulers, a maneuvering board and pencil computing and barking out maneuvering recomendations to the Officer of the Deck on the bridge. Or manning a tactical maneuvering radio net recieving formation signals and authentications. Or even the hours of damage control training.
It's an awsome read for me, nostalgic, especially coming up on Veteran's Day. My life experiences in the Navy may make it easier for me to get as much out of this book as I did, than someone who has no experience driving ships or being part of the combat team that fights the ship. Just take my word on it, Campbell's got it right and I love his adjustments for moving it into the future and putting the battles in space. I think I even recognize the old Navy Computer Simulation (Wich is the offical way to say Network Computer Game so you don't get in trouble for playing games) that was used to train officers in wartime tactics and strategies (Tag your it) used by Geary as he tried to figure out how to fight his fleet.
As a bonus, I found the characters, Desjani and Rione especially developing some depth and a more human personal feel to them. It's a Military Space Opera, this genre isn't exactly about deep charactes, so it's not going to stand up to Jane Austin or anything. Their just more believable and enjoyable. I can't wait to read the next one.
There are also some strong female characters in this series. Two main female supporting characters Co-President Rione and Captian Desjani are strong women, with great hearts and a sense of duty. Campbell is rare among writers in that he puts both gender's on a level playing feild. What's even better is that the two are so different. Desjani is the ramrod straight Battleship Captain while Co-President Rione is a seasoned politician, almost adverse to war fighting. Cabrali the Marine Commander gets honerable mention, but she's more of a third teir character. (Second teir? Hero - first tier, less important supporting cast 3rd tier, major supporting cast - second tier)
Warnings
1) Your first impulse will be to give this series to a teenage boy. It would be great for a YA Teenage boy except for one thing. There are some relationship scenes involving nudity and sex. I've read more explicit scenes in YA-PNRs like Twilight. Some kids are able to filter and manage romantic sexual scenes, some aren't. Some parent's don't feel comfortable endorsing books with sex in them for teens. I say, know yourself, know your kids. If they can handle it, they'll love it. Don't give it to them if either of you will have regrets.
2) You have to read this series in order. Don't start with three.
3) This story, fiction as it is, is absolutely a pro-military series. I'm perfectly okay with it, but it has occured to me that some might think that it "glorifies war." I think it shows what fighting honorably means, but if you have a thing against war, I'd pass on this before somebody drops a house full of missiles on youuu.
4) Not a warning, but an observation. I love the idea of living life in ways that honor our ancestors as it is expressed in the book. I like the idea of remembering what makes us different than our enemies and making sure that, no matter how appealling it may be, we do not commit the same offenses under our flag, that they do under theirs. There's a lesson here about the dangers of prolonged wars and how they change the people that fight them for us. How prolonged war, even a justified war, may cost our soldiers those things that are so important to our identity as a nation and a fighting force.
It's a good read.
January 31, 2012
Another excellent sequel in the Lost Fleet series. I have never been a really big military SF fan but I really like the main character in this one. Blackjack Geary is a hard-nosed but likeable leader thrust into really difficult circumstances and having to battle both an aggresive enemy and elements of his own fleet. Solid writing with a nice balance of detail and pace.
May 22, 2011
Excellent book, highly enjoyable. Another good story of the lost fleet series, this one continues to carry forward with the account of the Alliance Fleet "attacking in the other direction" (a fighting retreat would of course be unthinkable). Captain John (Black Jack) Geary continues with his vowed objective to bring the fleet (and Hypernet Key his flagship carries which is supposed to allow the Alliance the ability to use the enemy's Hyoernat gates) home.
This is the third book in this science fiction series which begins with the Alliance having fallen into the enemy's (the Syndic worlds) trap stranding the entrie fleet deep in enemy territory. They had just discovered legendary hero John (Black Jack) Geary renowned for a heroic last stand rear guard action against the Syndics in suspended animation. He was floating in a malfunctioning (the locator beacon wasn't broadcasting) cold sleep escape pod... A hero, THE HERO from a century ago, the man whom all fleet officers looked up to as their role model was alive...and gets command after the admiral and the rest of the command crew are "murdered" by the Syndics when they "go over" to negotiate.
The books have been good up to now, slightly flawed in my opinion by the account of the political maneuvering and posturing among Geary's opponents and his allies. Especially annoying to me has been the account of the growing semi-love interest Co-President Roine. The book(s) still manage to teeter a bit to much on the edge of "soap-opera-hood" for my taste...(don't ask, it would entail a bit of a spoiler). I doubt most commanders of most major (in this case main) battle fleets have to spend all that much time worrying about love affairs and "apparent" love affairs (but then the service has changed since I was in, who knows?).
We still have the commanders who "disapprove of" our intrepid commander and they still carp, complain and plot but it is handled somewhat better here and doesn't reach the level of becoming tedious as (I think) it did earlier. This is not really a shot at the writer. This kind of situation would be tedious for anyone who had to live through it, tedious and stressful. It faces a writer with the problem of telling the story of a tedious situation without making the book tedious...I think Campbell (Hemry) handles it well.
All in all, I like it. It's not necessarily great literature (though I believe the story does have a bit more depth than might be immediately apparent) this is an adventure story with a slightly more than average plot and idea behind it.
This is one of those cases where I'm faced with the inescapable problem of the 5 star system. While I don't want to give this a 5 it's far better than many I've given a 4. For example I gave the early Honor Harrington books a 4 as they were enjoyable and held interest. I liked them, but these are far superior. What do you do?
So...a high 4star rating, 4+ or 4.5 or possibly better (does that mean I have to round up to 5? oh well)as it were I suppose.
This is the third book in this science fiction series which begins with the Alliance having fallen into the enemy's (the Syndic worlds) trap stranding the entrie fleet deep in enemy territory. They had just discovered legendary hero John (Black Jack) Geary renowned for a heroic last stand rear guard action against the Syndics in suspended animation. He was floating in a malfunctioning (the locator beacon wasn't broadcasting) cold sleep escape pod... A hero, THE HERO from a century ago, the man whom all fleet officers looked up to as their role model was alive...and gets command after the admiral and the rest of the command crew are "murdered" by the Syndics when they "go over" to negotiate.
The books have been good up to now, slightly flawed in my opinion by the account of the political maneuvering and posturing among Geary's opponents and his allies. Especially annoying to me has been the account of the growing semi-love interest Co-President Roine. The book(s) still manage to teeter a bit to much on the edge of "soap-opera-hood" for my taste...(don't ask, it would entail a bit of a spoiler). I doubt most commanders of most major (in this case main) battle fleets have to spend all that much time worrying about love affairs and "apparent" love affairs (but then the service has changed since I was in, who knows?).
We still have the commanders who "disapprove of" our intrepid commander and they still carp, complain and plot but it is handled somewhat better here and doesn't reach the level of becoming tedious as (I think) it did earlier. This is not really a shot at the writer. This kind of situation would be tedious for anyone who had to live through it, tedious and stressful. It faces a writer with the problem of telling the story of a tedious situation without making the book tedious...I think Campbell (Hemry) handles it well.
All in all, I like it. It's not necessarily great literature (though I believe the story does have a bit more depth than might be immediately apparent) this is an adventure story with a slightly more than average plot and idea behind it.
This is one of those cases where I'm faced with the inescapable problem of the 5 star system. While I don't want to give this a 5 it's far better than many I've given a 4. For example I gave the early Honor Harrington books a 4 as they were enjoyable and held interest. I liked them, but these are far superior. What do you do?
So...a high 4star rating, 4+ or 4.5 or possibly better (does that mean I have to round up to 5? oh well)as it were I suppose.
December 23, 2010
I'm rather enjoying this series. The author writes action sequences with a casual confidence that make the space battles a delight to read. I can see why some reviewers would, at this stage, complain about a repetitiveness that has crept into the series. I can see, but I disagree with the general assessment that this is a bad thing. To me, it adds to the sense of being trapped, behind enemy lines so to speak, for an indeterminate amount of time, fighting engagement after desperate engagement, with no quick solution in sight. The very nature of the plot demands a certain amount of repetition. What would be the point of fighting one battle and going home? Where is the desperation in that? Anyway, the last few pages of this novel hints at a change in course as far as certain plot elements are concerned, and elaborates ever so slightly on a mystery that has already been hinted on in Fearless. I believe things are going to get even more interesting from this point forward.
The military engagements depicted in this series (space battles) are certainly well thought out. Perhaps they're not 'over the top' enough for some, but they suit my tastes just fine. Campbell introduces a labyrinthine quality to space which I found interesting.I also enjoyed the 'old school' feel of the novel. While not written in the first person, the narrative is centered squarely on the protagonist, John Geary, and we know very little of what's going on in the rest of the fleet. Despite the grandness of the plot (a fleet lost in deep space), this is really one man's story of coming to terms with himself and the legend he inspires.
If you enjoy military Science Fiction, this series is compulsory reading.
The military engagements depicted in this series (space battles) are certainly well thought out. Perhaps they're not 'over the top' enough for some, but they suit my tastes just fine. Campbell introduces a labyrinthine quality to space which I found interesting.I also enjoyed the 'old school' feel of the novel. While not written in the first person, the narrative is centered squarely on the protagonist, John Geary, and we know very little of what's going on in the rest of the fleet. Despite the grandness of the plot (a fleet lost in deep space), this is really one man's story of coming to terms with himself and the legend he inspires.
If you enjoy military Science Fiction, this series is compulsory reading.
June 5, 2019
A decent scifi that tries to get the science right (except for the magic of jumps between star systems). Good battle scenes, although still pretty much at the macro level. The lowest level we seem to get is the commander of the Fleet Marines. Most of the rest is at the ship captain and fleet commander level. We only see battle movements of squadrons and fleets in any detail. Still good space combat action. Worth a couple of hours to escape the routine. 3 Stars
September 5, 2018
Courageous continues the narrative begun by John Hemry in the first two books of the Lost Fleet series (i.e., Dauntless and Fearless), with the subject material and the writing style remaining consistent. Readers who enjoyed those installments are very likely to enjoy this book as well.
One facet of the overall story which begins to wear thin in Courageous involves the ongoing internal challenges to the authority of the protagonist, Captain Geary. After all the astounding victories orchestrated by the hero in the preceding books, the continued insubordinate belligerence demonstrated toward him by lower-ranking officers becomes both annoying and difficult to believe.
Otherwise, the plot progresses in an enjoyable vein similar to those of the earlier novels, with clever stratagems and exciting space battles. The dramatic tension rises significantly as precarious situations immerse the reader more deeply into a sense of the characters' peril and uncertainty.
This book is another well-written example of Hemry's brand of engaging military science fiction. It serves as a worthwhile continuation of the series, but it is definitely not a stand-alone novel.
Prospective readers are forewarned that Courageous ends on a cliffhanger, so anybody who prefers immediate resolution ought to plan in advance to have the next book in the series (Valiant) at hand and ready to go.
One facet of the overall story which begins to wear thin in Courageous involves the ongoing internal challenges to the authority of the protagonist, Captain Geary. After all the astounding victories orchestrated by the hero in the preceding books, the continued insubordinate belligerence demonstrated toward him by lower-ranking officers becomes both annoying and difficult to believe.
Otherwise, the plot progresses in an enjoyable vein similar to those of the earlier novels, with clever stratagems and exciting space battles. The dramatic tension rises significantly as precarious situations immerse the reader more deeply into a sense of the characters' peril and uncertainty.
This book is another well-written example of Hemry's brand of engaging military science fiction. It serves as a worthwhile continuation of the series, but it is definitely not a stand-alone novel.
Prospective readers are forewarned that Courageous ends on a cliffhanger, so anybody who prefers immediate resolution ought to plan in advance to have the next book in the series (Valiant) at hand and ready to go.
September 23, 2023
Really digging this series.
I rate book on my expectations and enjoyment of them not against everything I’ve ever read. These books (so far) do exactly what they should. There’s a focus on space battles and fleet tactics with growing subplots about the personal life of the main character, his allies and opponents within the fleet and his complicated relationship with his girlfriend.
Each book ends on a bit of a cliffhanger and picks up where it left off in the next one. They’re simple, entertaining and have kept me coming back for the next military space opera pot boiler.
I rate book on my expectations and enjoyment of them not against everything I’ve ever read. These books (so far) do exactly what they should. There’s a focus on space battles and fleet tactics with growing subplots about the personal life of the main character, his allies and opponents within the fleet and his complicated relationship with his girlfriend.
Each book ends on a bit of a cliffhanger and picks up where it left off in the next one. They’re simple, entertaining and have kept me coming back for the next military space opera pot boiler.
November 6, 2022
Number Three of the Lost Fleet series, and holy smokes, that was good!
Still clean as a whistle as far as expletives and violence go. There also isn't any explicit smut, just fade-out scenes.
The fleet is still jumping from system to system willy-nilly so as to confuse the Syndics, all the while trying to get back to Alliance space. Since the path home is necessarily erratic to avoid the enemy, sometimes they make progress towards the goal and other times they take three trillion steps back.
Some new enemies within the fleet have come to the fore now that a slew of traitors have already been arrested. The MC is going to need a bigger brig at this rate! They seem to be multiplying like vermin. He now has scads of enemies in his own fleet. They really are a total pain in his patoot, but now some of his supporters are causing headaches, too. Some of them are trying to convince him into military dictatorship. He is dodging nonsense from all directions!!
This is fast becoming an addicting series. I'll be reading the rest unless the quality goes south, but I don't expect it to.
Still clean as a whistle as far as expletives and violence go. There also isn't any explicit smut, just fade-out scenes.
The fleet is still jumping from system to system willy-nilly so as to confuse the Syndics, all the while trying to get back to Alliance space. Since the path home is necessarily erratic to avoid the enemy, sometimes they make progress towards the goal and other times they take three trillion steps back.
Some new enemies within the fleet have come to the fore now that a slew of traitors have already been arrested. The MC is going to need a bigger brig at this rate! They seem to be multiplying like vermin. He now has scads of enemies in his own fleet. They really are a total pain in his patoot, but now some of his supporters are causing headaches, too. Some of them are trying to convince him into military dictatorship. He is dodging nonsense from all directions!!
This is fast becoming an addicting series. I'll be reading the rest unless the quality goes south, but I don't expect it to.
October 4, 2023
Courageous (The Lost Fleet #3) by Jack Campbell is another great sequel in this series. Military sci-fi isn't usually my style, but this series has consistently worked for me. The characters may not be the best, but the action is excellent. I can't wait to see where this series goes with Valiant.
July 14, 2014
This is the third book in the Lost Fleet series and I'm still thoroughly enjoying it. In fact, I've already read book four as well (review up shortly). If you like military sci-fi that's realistic, both in terms of battles, strategy, and characterizations, then you should be reading this series.
The premise is that Captain John "Black Jack" Geary was lost for a hundred years in a hibernation escape pod after his ship was destroyed at the start of the war with the Syndics. Now he's been woken up and the war is still raging. In fact, the Alliance fleet that found him has been ambushed, its leaders killed, and now Geary has to get the fleet back to Alliance space in one piece even though they're trapped far behind enemy lines because they have the key to the Syndic hypernet gates, which could tip the war in favor of the Alliance.
In this book, Geary has decided to make a direct run for the Alliance border, after a series of avoidance tactics meant to throw off the Syndics. But the Syndics are starting to learn how Geary thinks. With supplies running low, the first few jumps are successful, but Geary pushes his luck and jumps to Lakota, against some of his advisors' wishes. It's a risk, one that may get the fleet that much closer to home . . . but the Syndics aren't stupid, and there's another alien force out there who's goals are unknown. Not to mention those within the fleet who are actively working against Geary's command.
I said in my previous review that Geary's decisions were working out a little too well and that something needed to happen to show that he wasn't always right and didn't always make the right choice. That happens in this book. The Syndics are wising up and starting to think instead of just react, realizing that the Alliance fleet isn't going to fall apart and be easy pickings. Here, Geary has few options and is being out-maneuvered, the fleet forced into too narrow a corridor with too few choices. Geary's luck has run out. And it makes his character that much more real, since he now has to deal with the consequences of his command and, with the help of those loyal to him, figure out a way out.
The situation the fleet finds themselves in when they reach Lakota is real and what Geary is forced to do to escape is believable. At some point, the fleet was going to end up in such a situation, and the fact that it's complicated even more by the unknown aliens is just icing on the cake. And Geary's final act in this book is what pushed this review from four stars to five. I wasn't expecting it, and yet it makes total sense.
This series is spectacular. If you aren't reading it, you should be, even if you aren't a hardcore sci-fi fan. I'm mostly drawn to fantasy, rarely read sci-fi and enjoy it as much as fantasy, but I'm loving this series.
The premise is that Captain John "Black Jack" Geary was lost for a hundred years in a hibernation escape pod after his ship was destroyed at the start of the war with the Syndics. Now he's been woken up and the war is still raging. In fact, the Alliance fleet that found him has been ambushed, its leaders killed, and now Geary has to get the fleet back to Alliance space in one piece even though they're trapped far behind enemy lines because they have the key to the Syndic hypernet gates, which could tip the war in favor of the Alliance.
In this book, Geary has decided to make a direct run for the Alliance border, after a series of avoidance tactics meant to throw off the Syndics. But the Syndics are starting to learn how Geary thinks. With supplies running low, the first few jumps are successful, but Geary pushes his luck and jumps to Lakota, against some of his advisors' wishes. It's a risk, one that may get the fleet that much closer to home . . . but the Syndics aren't stupid, and there's another alien force out there who's goals are unknown. Not to mention those within the fleet who are actively working against Geary's command.
I said in my previous review that Geary's decisions were working out a little too well and that something needed to happen to show that he wasn't always right and didn't always make the right choice. That happens in this book. The Syndics are wising up and starting to think instead of just react, realizing that the Alliance fleet isn't going to fall apart and be easy pickings. Here, Geary has few options and is being out-maneuvered, the fleet forced into too narrow a corridor with too few choices. Geary's luck has run out. And it makes his character that much more real, since he now has to deal with the consequences of his command and, with the help of those loyal to him, figure out a way out.
The situation the fleet finds themselves in when they reach Lakota is real and what Geary is forced to do to escape is believable. At some point, the fleet was going to end up in such a situation, and the fact that it's complicated even more by the unknown aliens is just icing on the cake. And Geary's final act in this book is what pushed this review from four stars to five. I wasn't expecting it, and yet it makes total sense.
This series is spectacular. If you aren't reading it, you should be, even if you aren't a hardcore sci-fi fan. I'm mostly drawn to fantasy, rarely read sci-fi and enjoy it as much as fantasy, but I'm loving this series.
June 5, 2010
This book is just as excellent as the first two, but I docked it a star because it's becoming a little tedious to read. The space battles with all the "degree this" and "degree that" and "at time this" and "at time that" are cool, but they're getting old and I'm finding myself skimming through those sections, just looking for plot pieces or something out of the ordinary.
I must admit that my heart rate went up a bit while the fleet was in the Lakota System. I had know clue how Geary was going to get them out of that, but like his crew and (some) of his officers, I had faith he'd find a way.
There were some very interesting developments at the end of the book with the aliens, the hypernet gate, and then Geary's last minute decision to turn around. I want to dive right into the next book to see what happens, but at the same time, I'm a *little* tired of reading some of the sections (see above). I want the plot condensed more. I want to unravel the alien mystery, see if this war is ever going to end, and I want the fleet to get home.
I think there's going to be a total of six books in this series. I have the fourth one I can't start reading if I want to, the fifth is going to be published next month, and the sixth one maybe some time in the next year. I'm guessing the sixth is the last since it's called Victorious. I'm really hoping we get full closure in that book. I want to know what Geary's life is going to be like when he returns to the Alliance. I want to know how the others will view him, how the Alliance will change or not change, etc. I'm worried the author will end the book with the fleet returning and we won't get any of that.
This series still maintains the feel of Battlestar Galactica's first season: trying to stay one step ahead of the enemy by fleeing from system to system. It has just enough plot developments to keep me turning the pages, and the author does an excellent job of making me emotionally invested in the fate of the fleet.
I must admit that my heart rate went up a bit while the fleet was in the Lakota System. I had know clue how Geary was going to get them out of that, but like his crew and (some) of his officers, I had faith he'd find a way.
There were some very interesting developments at the end of the book with the aliens, the hypernet gate, and then Geary's last minute decision to turn around. I want to dive right into the next book to see what happens, but at the same time, I'm a *little* tired of reading some of the sections (see above). I want the plot condensed more. I want to unravel the alien mystery, see if this war is ever going to end, and I want the fleet to get home.
I think there's going to be a total of six books in this series. I have the fourth one I can't start reading if I want to, the fifth is going to be published next month, and the sixth one maybe some time in the next year. I'm guessing the sixth is the last since it's called Victorious. I'm really hoping we get full closure in that book. I want to know what Geary's life is going to be like when he returns to the Alliance. I want to know how the others will view him, how the Alliance will change or not change, etc. I'm worried the author will end the book with the fleet returning and we won't get any of that.
This series still maintains the feel of Battlestar Galactica's first season: trying to stay one step ahead of the enemy by fleeing from system to system. It has just enough plot developments to keep me turning the pages, and the author does an excellent job of making me emotionally invested in the fate of the fleet.
July 29, 2018
This is a decent enough sequel to the previous LOST FLEET books. The Lost Fleet is based around a Steve Rogers-esque hero named John "Black Jack" Geary who awakens from a hundred year sleep. He finds his nation embroiled in an equally-long war. His fleet is caught behind enemy lines and they must make a fighting retreat back to their homeworlds.
This book suffers from "middle book in the series syndrome." Geary attempts to find a proper way home but finds himself thwarted at every turn. He does, however, discover that there might be an alien intelligence which was manipulating the war and has rigged every hypergate in the two nations to explode. We also get to see the horrifying consequences of what happens when one of those gates is detonated over an inhabited world.
We also have a lot of ridiculous drama between Co-President Rione and Captain Tanya Desjani over who is the one Captain Geary actually loves. This plotline feels like it belongs with a far less mature series. Neither of them are teenagers nor is Captain Geary, who doesn't act like a very admirable boyfriend since he all but says the only reason he's not with Desjani is regulations.
Mostly this is a vital world-building but kind of slow installment of the series.
6.5/10
This book suffers from "middle book in the series syndrome." Geary attempts to find a proper way home but finds himself thwarted at every turn. He does, however, discover that there might be an alien intelligence which was manipulating the war and has rigged every hypergate in the two nations to explode. We also get to see the horrifying consequences of what happens when one of those gates is detonated over an inhabited world.
We also have a lot of ridiculous drama between Co-President Rione and Captain Tanya Desjani over who is the one Captain Geary actually loves. This plotline feels like it belongs with a far less mature series. Neither of them are teenagers nor is Captain Geary, who doesn't act like a very admirable boyfriend since he all but says the only reason he's not with Desjani is regulations.
Mostly this is a vital world-building but kind of slow installment of the series.
6.5/10
May 14, 2013
Originally posted at FanLit. http://www.fantasyliterature.com/revi...
In Courageous, the third book in Jack Campbell’s LOST FLEET series, the Alliance fleet is still wandering from star system to star system, trying to get back home by some path the Syndics won’t predict. It seems like a hopeless situation, but the legendary Black Jack Geary, who’s been revived out of cold sleep after his suicidal mission 100 years ago, is just the hero they need. He’s proved himself so capable so far that some of his commanders want to help him secure a dictatorship when they get home, and others just want to get rid of him. Geary could decide to be a dictator, get rid of the people who are causing him problems and do things the way he thinks they should be done, but then how is he different from their enemies?
Geary isn’t as confident in his own abilities, however. He’s still uncomfortable in this new military where the pursuit of self-glory is tolerated and the best commanders are put on the ships most likely to be destroyed. No wonder discipline is shattered and the war has been going on for so long. Geary is starting to understand how the Alliance fleet got this way. He’s also learning more about their enemies — the Syndics — and the possibility that an unknown alien race may be manipulating both the Alliance and the Syndics. A scary thought.
Meanwhile Geary’s lover, Victoria Rione, who used to be reserved, reasonable, and icy, has turned into a fickle drama queen. This subplot is tedious and exasperating and it feels contrived to elevate the tension. It’s clear that Campbell is setting things up for a romantic change of venue for Black Jack, though our hero isn’t aware of it yet. After listening to Victoria rant and rave for so long, readers will be eager for a change.
I love the hero of the LOST FLEET series — Captain Geary is awesome and Campbell has done a great job with his development over the series so far. Geary is what keeps me reading LOST FLEET because I don’t much like anyone else in the book, or at least I don’t know them well enough to like them.
At this point, though, I’m starting to wonder why the series needs six books. It could have been cut in half. The truth is that even though I like hanging out with Black Jack Geary, not much new happens in Courageous. They’re wandering around at the beginning and they’re still wandering around at the end. In the last chapter of Courageous, Geary and Victoria make some really wild speculations about what might be happening with the alleged alien race and though I thought it was far-fetched that they would jump to those conclusions, I want to know what happens. Campbell leaves us with a cliffhanger that made me glad I’d already downloaded the next book, Valiant.
In Courageous, the third book in Jack Campbell’s LOST FLEET series, the Alliance fleet is still wandering from star system to star system, trying to get back home by some path the Syndics won’t predict. It seems like a hopeless situation, but the legendary Black Jack Geary, who’s been revived out of cold sleep after his suicidal mission 100 years ago, is just the hero they need. He’s proved himself so capable so far that some of his commanders want to help him secure a dictatorship when they get home, and others just want to get rid of him. Geary could decide to be a dictator, get rid of the people who are causing him problems and do things the way he thinks they should be done, but then how is he different from their enemies?
Geary isn’t as confident in his own abilities, however. He’s still uncomfortable in this new military where the pursuit of self-glory is tolerated and the best commanders are put on the ships most likely to be destroyed. No wonder discipline is shattered and the war has been going on for so long. Geary is starting to understand how the Alliance fleet got this way. He’s also learning more about their enemies — the Syndics — and the possibility that an unknown alien race may be manipulating both the Alliance and the Syndics. A scary thought.
Meanwhile Geary’s lover, Victoria Rione, who used to be reserved, reasonable, and icy, has turned into a fickle drama queen. This subplot is tedious and exasperating and it feels contrived to elevate the tension. It’s clear that Campbell is setting things up for a romantic change of venue for Black Jack, though our hero isn’t aware of it yet. After listening to Victoria rant and rave for so long, readers will be eager for a change.
I love the hero of the LOST FLEET series — Captain Geary is awesome and Campbell has done a great job with his development over the series so far. Geary is what keeps me reading LOST FLEET because I don’t much like anyone else in the book, or at least I don’t know them well enough to like them.
At this point, though, I’m starting to wonder why the series needs six books. It could have been cut in half. The truth is that even though I like hanging out with Black Jack Geary, not much new happens in Courageous. They’re wandering around at the beginning and they’re still wandering around at the end. In the last chapter of Courageous, Geary and Victoria make some really wild speculations about what might be happening with the alleged alien race and though I thought it was far-fetched that they would jump to those conclusions, I want to know what happens. Campbell leaves us with a cliffhanger that made me glad I’d already downloaded the next book, Valiant.
February 2, 2012
Book three of the series, and I'm still interested. At this point it's more obvious that the main point of the series is the space combat. If you're coming to it looking for the kind of extensive character development and non-military secondary plot you get in Elizabeth Moon's or Lois McMaster Bujold's books, you're better off looking elsewhere. I don't mean that the characters are cardboard or that they don't have personal interactions, it's just that this part of the story takes up very little space in the book. I'm still not sure what's going on with Geary's interactions with Captain Desjani, who commands the flagship from which Geary directs the fleet. Desjani has a serious case of hero worship for her captain that makes their personal relationship slightly one-sided, though it's also clear she's developing more personal feelings. Geary's relationship with Co-President Victoria Rione is even more complicated, despite his freedom to pursue that relationship because she's not under military command. I like both these women, but I'm not convinced that either of them makes a good romantic partner for Geary. Fortunately, there are three more books for this triangle to finish playing out.
January 23, 2014
-Todavía más consumo fácil y ligero.-
Género. Ciencia-Ficción.
Lo que nos cuenta. La flota en fuga de la Alianza llega al sistema Baldur, considerado como de “segunda clase” y antiguo destino turístico habitual mucho antes de la guerra. Los síndicos no tienen apenas naves de combate en el sector porque no esperaban que la flota al mando de John Black Jack Geary hiciese un salto a esta zona. Al descubrir que los sistemas logísticos de la flota no han calculado correctamente las futuras necesidades de materiales y suministros debido que el estilo de Geary es tan exitoso como imprevisible, la flota tratará de usar los recursos síndicos del sistema, pero tendrán que simular que no quieren efectuar saqueos y sí ataques para evitar que sus dueños destruyan instalaciones y materias primas antes de ser capturadas. Tercer libro de la serie La Flota Perdida.
¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:
http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com/...
Género. Ciencia-Ficción.
Lo que nos cuenta. La flota en fuga de la Alianza llega al sistema Baldur, considerado como de “segunda clase” y antiguo destino turístico habitual mucho antes de la guerra. Los síndicos no tienen apenas naves de combate en el sector porque no esperaban que la flota al mando de John Black Jack Geary hiciese un salto a esta zona. Al descubrir que los sistemas logísticos de la flota no han calculado correctamente las futuras necesidades de materiales y suministros debido que el estilo de Geary es tan exitoso como imprevisible, la flota tratará de usar los recursos síndicos del sistema, pero tendrán que simular que no quieren efectuar saqueos y sí ataques para evitar que sus dueños destruyan instalaciones y materias primas antes de ser capturadas. Tercer libro de la serie La Flota Perdida.
¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:
http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com/...
March 5, 2016
I was worried this series was going to be a little repetitive as the fleet tries to get home, but there are things happening. Interesting things! So, still enjoyable. A little cheesy. Easy to read.
August 29, 2024
3.5
There might be aliens, y'all.
The characters are more fleshed out and human in this book.
I kinda hate the on again/off again romance.
There might be aliens, y'all.
The characters are more fleshed out and human in this book.
I kinda hate the on again/off again romance.
September 8, 2018
Book three continues the story of Captain Jack Geary and the Alliance Fleets attempt to get back home through hostile Syndic space. Different to the first two novels, everything does not work out quite as planned and the ferociousness of the fighting heats up. There is also the constant threat of dissent within the fleet, lack of supplies and raw materials and there are more clues that point to another alien race somehow pitting the Alliance and the Syndics against one another.
This books ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, so I will go straight on to the next book.
This books ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, so I will go straight on to the next book.
April 27, 2022
The re-read through audio continues - this book’s biggest drawback over books 1 and 2 is that it is a set up book for the latter half of the series, and ends on a major cliffhanger. Nothing bad per ce, but just doesn’t rate as highly for me as those first 2 books.
October 8, 2015
Courageous follows directly on from the previous book where the fleet is still on the run from the Syndicate forces that are pursuing it! :D
Right from the beginning as in the previous book the pace does not let up for an instance with the stakes getting higher throughout the book as victories pore in but with gradual losses to the Alliance fleet which of course causes factions within officers of the fleet not to mention things on a personal level with some of the characters! :D This all combines to make a very high stakes atmosphere for the book with every page have some game changing dynamic on it! :D Throw in the objective of getting home and teaching the Syndicates not to follow, political high jinks and personal issues from the major to the funny and things do not let up for an instance! :D
The characters throughout are very three-dimensional as with the previous books with warts and all and right down to the opposition making idiot choices and getting themselves pickled without intervention by the good crowd! :D This also helps helps to keep things very unpredictable as you never know how things are really going to turn out! :D The characters personal interactions are often infused with the politics that are found taking place throughout the fleet and in this book despite the events of the previous book you can see party lines forming and this will no doubt be played through in the next book in the series! :D There are also hints as to what the civilian governments reactions to the potential return of the fleet will be and what the fleet would be willing to do about it and this is setup one for events further down the line but this also adds another layer that is is the mixture of politics and character interactions that take place throughout! :D
The presence of aliens manipulating events also take a more obvious and direct role in the book with many of their action starting to be a bit blatant and coming out of the shadows somewhat with it being clearly seen that there is something else out there manipulating things between the Alliance and the Syndicates that moves that aspect of the story forward but at the same time presents a whole raft of new issues for the alliance to overcome! :D The are also hints of the aliens being more widespread than previously thought which add a level of intrigue to the storyline keeping things piling up for those in the know so there are a lot of tangled threads weaving their ways around but this does add to the air of conspiracy and skulduggery that is going on behind the events that take place and also reminds the reader that events are not always as straight forward as you would suppose! :D At some point though it would be expected that the aliens would start to take a more direct view and actions on things and we certainly get to see that appearing as the book progresses! :D There are hints of the aliens tech being vastly better than the Alliances or the Syndicates tech adding more elements to the story and making you wonder how they will confront them when they put in a show! :D Some of the solutions that the fleet comes up are remarkable and you will be very glad you have got and getting the next books! :D
Courageous is a roller coaster ride that never lets up with gigantic battles, political machination, skulduggery, great characterisation, the lure of the turning to the Dark Side and a large amount of humour to balance the battles! :D
Brilliant and highly recommended! :D
Right from the beginning as in the previous book the pace does not let up for an instance with the stakes getting higher throughout the book as victories pore in but with gradual losses to the Alliance fleet which of course causes factions within officers of the fleet not to mention things on a personal level with some of the characters! :D This all combines to make a very high stakes atmosphere for the book with every page have some game changing dynamic on it! :D Throw in the objective of getting home and teaching the Syndicates not to follow, political high jinks and personal issues from the major to the funny and things do not let up for an instance! :D
The characters throughout are very three-dimensional as with the previous books with warts and all and right down to the opposition making idiot choices and getting themselves pickled without intervention by the good crowd! :D This also helps helps to keep things very unpredictable as you never know how things are really going to turn out! :D The characters personal interactions are often infused with the politics that are found taking place throughout the fleet and in this book despite the events of the previous book you can see party lines forming and this will no doubt be played through in the next book in the series! :D There are also hints as to what the civilian governments reactions to the potential return of the fleet will be and what the fleet would be willing to do about it and this is setup one for events further down the line but this also adds another layer that is is the mixture of politics and character interactions that take place throughout! :D
The presence of aliens manipulating events also take a more obvious and direct role in the book with many of their action starting to be a bit blatant and coming out of the shadows somewhat with it being clearly seen that there is something else out there manipulating things between the Alliance and the Syndicates that moves that aspect of the story forward but at the same time presents a whole raft of new issues for the alliance to overcome! :D The are also hints of the aliens being more widespread than previously thought which add a level of intrigue to the storyline keeping things piling up for those in the know so there are a lot of tangled threads weaving their ways around but this does add to the air of conspiracy and skulduggery that is going on behind the events that take place and also reminds the reader that events are not always as straight forward as you would suppose! :D At some point though it would be expected that the aliens would start to take a more direct view and actions on things and we certainly get to see that appearing as the book progresses! :D There are hints of the aliens tech being vastly better than the Alliances or the Syndicates tech adding more elements to the story and making you wonder how they will confront them when they put in a show! :D Some of the solutions that the fleet comes up are remarkable and you will be very glad you have got and getting the next books! :D
Courageous is a roller coaster ride that never lets up with gigantic battles, political machination, skulduggery, great characterisation, the lure of the turning to the Dark Side and a large amount of humour to balance the battles! :D
Brilliant and highly recommended! :D
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 13, 2009
The series is getting a little formulaic.
Argue with captains at fleet meeting- Check
Get harangued by the shrew you're sleeping with- Check
Run into resource problems and have to harvest some more metal- Check
Fight a battle- Check
Fight a battle against impossible odds- Ooh, that one's new
Vague references to a possible alien influence- Check
Still enjoying the series, but I think I'm going to take a break before book 4. Reading them back to back to back is ruining it.
Argue with captains at fleet meeting- Check
Get harangued by the shrew you're sleeping with- Check
Run into resource problems and have to harvest some more metal- Check
Fight a battle- Check
Fight a battle against impossible odds- Ooh, that one's new
Vague references to a possible alien influence- Check
Still enjoying the series, but I think I'm going to take a break before book 4. Reading them back to back to back is ruining it.
May 22, 2019
Argh! must read the next one!
May 3, 2024
This series is kinda like a tv show that’s a bit under budget and has clunky acting but you keep watching because it’s fun and you can look past its drawbacks and appreciate the elements that are good and exciting to watch.
If Madame Co President Rione did not exist in this book there would be no cringe and this would have a much higher rating. This character single handedly brings this book down. She’s always been a bit ridiculous but man does she go off the rails in this one.
She has taken a big step in the insufferable direction with some really bad dialogue. Her new favourite phrases involve calling herself a bitch or acknowledging that she has in fact been a bitch but she is not currently trying to be.
Eg. ‘I’m such a bitch’ or ‘I’m not trying to be a bitch blah blah blah.’
It’s just so bad and hard to read. She’s constantly moaning at Captain Geary about not letting Black Jack out like he’s the fucking Hulk or something. Everytime Geary plans an aggressive strategy there she is saying don’t let Black Jack out. He is the commander of a fleet running away from the enemy and trying to get home, he may need to employ aggressive tactics every now and then. Geez!
So the first half of the book just felt like that tbh I don’t know if anything else actually happened. The second half really picked things back up as we got back to the strategy and Rione had much less page time. This is where this series shines. The tactics and strategy I find riveting and how Geary deals with different situations. The author generally explains everything well but the odd time just a little bit more description would help when picturing the space battles. Aside from that, Geary is a solid character. He is realistic and written well and not this perfect dude that can do anything. The story follows his POV and the internal monologue shows the struggles with command and being in cryo for 100 years.
Hopefully Rione will get over herself in book 4.
If Madame Co President Rione did not exist in this book there would be no cringe and this would have a much higher rating. This character single handedly brings this book down. She’s always been a bit ridiculous but man does she go off the rails in this one.
She has taken a big step in the insufferable direction with some really bad dialogue. Her new favourite phrases involve calling herself a bitch or acknowledging that she has in fact been a bitch but she is not currently trying to be.
Eg. ‘I’m such a bitch’ or ‘I’m not trying to be a bitch blah blah blah.’
It’s just so bad and hard to read. She’s constantly moaning at Captain Geary about not letting Black Jack out like he’s the fucking Hulk or something. Everytime Geary plans an aggressive strategy there she is saying don’t let Black Jack out. He is the commander of a fleet running away from the enemy and trying to get home, he may need to employ aggressive tactics every now and then. Geez!
So the first half of the book just felt like that tbh I don’t know if anything else actually happened. The second half really picked things back up as we got back to the strategy and Rione had much less page time. This is where this series shines. The tactics and strategy I find riveting and how Geary deals with different situations. The author generally explains everything well but the odd time just a little bit more description would help when picturing the space battles. Aside from that, Geary is a solid character. He is realistic and written well and not this perfect dude that can do anything. The story follows his POV and the internal monologue shows the struggles with command and being in cryo for 100 years.
Hopefully Rione will get over herself in book 4.
January 14, 2020
I truly can't understand how Geary can tolerate Rione and continue to have a relationship with her. She is a real bitch with a harsh temper and very rude attitude whose main job is just to wrongly judge Geary without even thinking about what accusations she's making. It's incomprehensible how a very smart politician can act this inanely in some occasions and be too intelligent in others. All in all it's unfathomable how a dignified person like Geary allow someone to treat him like this.
April 16, 2020
This book/series is partly like a game where you win by predicting what strategies and tactics will be used and predicting how well they will work. So far I am doing great on the strategies but the tactics are just to complex to do much more than follow the author in there being described. The world-building, characters and plots are mildly interesting and the hope and 'historical backgrounds' brings them alive to the reader.
January 18, 2019
more goodness. It only gets better!
June 18, 2014
I really want to like this series, but after this third book, I think I've had enough for a while.
This third book does address some of the big issues I've had with the series. Most notably - the space battles and their effects. In the second book in particular, Campbell throws around battleships and battlecruisers, heavy and light cruisers, destroyers and hunter killers. Yet, there's never really a good feel for what the differences are. The Alliance fleet seems to destroy them all with equal ease. This third time through, the author does make an effort to try to explain how the ships of his space navies work and what their roles are. He is still a long way from David Weber's level of thought in how well developed his system of space combat is. While it is a potentially interesting system, after three books, I think I should have a better picture of it than what he has offered so far.
Yet, what has really forced me to give this series a pause are the characters. Ironically, in the intro to the audiobook, the author indicates that he wanted characters that were more real in their responses and not just props for the story. Yet, most of these characters, especially the supporting ones, feel exactly like one dimensional props. Most irritating of all and hardest to believe as being "real" is the lone civilian in the fleet - Victoria Rione. Whatever the author's purpose with this character is - conscious, foil, parter - it is executed poorly. It seems no matter what choice John Geary makes, Rione is always afraid that Mr. Hyde, aka "Black Jack Geary" will appear - call upon is near divine status in the view of most of the military, and become a dictator. The whole back and forth has grown deeply tiresome after three books.
Even though the book ends with a lot of promise for the next story, I feel like I've been beating myself with a 2x4 trying to get through these. Definitely time to try something else.
This third book does address some of the big issues I've had with the series. Most notably - the space battles and their effects. In the second book in particular, Campbell throws around battleships and battlecruisers, heavy and light cruisers, destroyers and hunter killers. Yet, there's never really a good feel for what the differences are. The Alliance fleet seems to destroy them all with equal ease. This third time through, the author does make an effort to try to explain how the ships of his space navies work and what their roles are. He is still a long way from David Weber's level of thought in how well developed his system of space combat is. While it is a potentially interesting system, after three books, I think I should have a better picture of it than what he has offered so far.
Yet, what has really forced me to give this series a pause are the characters. Ironically, in the intro to the audiobook, the author indicates that he wanted characters that were more real in their responses and not just props for the story. Yet, most of these characters, especially the supporting ones, feel exactly like one dimensional props. Most irritating of all and hardest to believe as being "real" is the lone civilian in the fleet - Victoria Rione. Whatever the author's purpose with this character is - conscious, foil, parter - it is executed poorly. It seems no matter what choice John Geary makes, Rione is always afraid that Mr. Hyde, aka "Black Jack Geary" will appear - call upon is near divine status in the view of most of the military, and become a dictator. The whole back and forth has grown deeply tiresome after three books.
Even though the book ends with a lot of promise for the next story, I feel like I've been beating myself with a 2x4 trying to get through these. Definitely time to try something else.
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