A chance to retake lost worlds once and for all.....
The Dusahn have been backed into a corner, barely able to hold the worlds of the Pentaurus cluster, let alone the entire sector. Forced to dig in, they may have to resort to drastic measures to save their fledgling empire.
Captain Scott must use all his military and diplomatic skills to prepare his forces for the final assault on the Dusahn Empire. But he cannot do it alone. He needs help, and lots of it.
Born in 1960 and raised on an overdose of television, NASA, and science fiction, Ryk Brown has worked as a cook, rock guitarist, stage lighting technician, and paramedic. He currently resides in Northern California with his wife, daughter, and cat. By day he fixes computers, and by night he creates stories. Having spent his entire life "thinking stuff up", the advent of digital publishing has finally given him an excuse to write it all down and share it with others. ("Others" meaning someone other than his poor wife and daughter.) A long-time fan of all things science and space, his goal is to write and publish an on-going series of sci-fi adventures. To be set in his own version of humanity's future, his characters will explore the vast reaches of the galaxy, and perhaps even the universe. He invites you all to join him on this journey through his vivid imagination.
I have followed Brown from his first book. It is fun to watch a new author grow and develop with each book. Brown is turning into a talented storyteller.
The book is well written. The first half of the book is preparing for war and gaining alleys and new equipment. The last half of the book is the war for two key planets in the Alliance. The action takes place on land and in space. Brown was always a good battle screen writer, but he has greatly improved since book one. He can now balance multiple actions and different types of battles. It is great to see how the characters have developed. I have a feeling the series is nearing the end; maybe one or two more books. I can see how a new series could be created about the rebuilding of the worlds in the Alliance. I cannot wait for the next book to come out.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is eleven hours and thirteen minutes. Jeffrey Kafer does an excellent job narrating the book. Kafer has been the narrator for the entire series.
The 13th episode of The Frontiers Saga was a decent read, but may have had just a bit too much of everything to make it really 'great' at any one part. It was also a two part tale. The first half being empire building and diplomacy culminating in a dramatic combat action scene while the latter half (or maybe just a third) being the full scale invasion/liberation of Takara & Corinar. That's not a spoiler, really, because it is hinted at from the very start and in the title.
The ebb and flow of the political tension at the start was decently paced. Unfortunately, we get yet another dose of super-equipment-upgrade overload that sometimes happens when new tech is introduced, but this time it was every conceivable technological arena of the Aurora, the Alliance, and its personnel in rapid succession. It was so much that it blurred together in my mind and only one thing stood out enough to pin-point as 'wow, cool!' Unfortunately, that got used in two cool scenes and that was it. Hoping for more to come on that in future episodes.
I also suffered from character overload in this book. I barely know who half the players are in the battle scenes. I had no investment in their well-being because of that, so the tension of their duress in combat was not very high. The combat also jumped around a lot in this book, making the final ending less than awesome, which has come to be the hallmark of 'good' in this series to my reading sensibilities.
Now, that all sounds like negatives, I know, but if you have read any of my reviews before you know that does not mean it's a bad book. I just tend to focus on what could be 'better'. The story and the unfolding of the plot are quite good, and I was surprised (and frustrated, but in a good way) by the ending. I won't spoil it, but keep in mind that the series is a planned number of books, and the next one is slated to be the last of Part 2: Rogue Castes. The next book is going to be the one that puts the bow on this thing, so I have high expectations for it.
Speaking of that, I have to say that I hope Part 3 (assuming there will be one) does not end up being a 'surprise, we killed the hero, but he's not really dead-dead' kind of thing like part 2 was. I need it to be a continuation of the main characters that I already know and like, too. Ryk writes good characters and great plots, but the cloning thing is just not what I'm looking for in my space shoot-em-ups.
So, there it is. 3 stars and I call it a Decent Lead-Up To The Conclusion Read.
This series has become repetitive and downright depressing. The author continues to bomb whole worlds to smithereens, nullifying any previous wins and making heroic victories / efforts futile. Thus he portrays losers. The Aurora continues to jump all over the Galaxy. Aurora brainiacs constantly invent new jump technology / applications and discover new types of alien ships — which I lose track of over the course of 30 books.
I was intrigued by the emerging AI concepts in the book, but so far the ideas are somewhat superficial.
Meanwhile, the plot on Earth is barely a footnote. Likewise, the sinister mastermind “Captain Dubnyk / Jonathon Percival / Crispin / whoever/ found in stasis on board the Jaspar is all but forgotten. He's an interesting villain, this bio-digital plague survivor / thief / murderer / master manipulator. We see possible hints of him in this spin-off series, but it's just too piecemeal and fragmented...a tease.
Just about the whole first half of this book is devoted to preparing for war. There is one discussion after another of how many ships are available, what armament they have, and how much of the new technology that was secured has been installed. Then there is a little competition that Nathen and the Aurora crew has with the SilTec to secure more technology and their membership in the alliance.
Then the second half to third of the book is a description of the war; battle after battle on land as well as in space. Its really too much to even read word for word and try to keep track of. Its jump after jump, and fire after fire, and maneuver after maneuver. I actually skimmed over most of that part to get to the ending. I won't spoil the ending but you all know there will be another book, actually a bunch more books. In my opinion this series has a run a course and needs to end because there will always be other world to make contact with to try to persuade them to join the alliance. There are now about too many characters beside the main ones to even keep track of them, what planet they are form and what their role is in the story.
The ragtag rebellion led by Captain Nathan Scott has just come off from one of the biggest battles of its existence, dealing the invading Dusahn a crippling blow by wiping out a big part of its fleet. In "Return of the Corinari," which is the 13th episode in the Frontiers Saga part 2, author Ryk Brown give his heroes rare time to reassess and gather resources. Of course, this doesn't last long. Nathan's certain his forces must strike while the enemy is at its weak point, not giving them time to retrench. However, he's first got to realign his allies and sign new ones. The gains given the Karuzari could evaporate with any misstep. And Nathan has very little to offer, at least when it comes to money. He's offering to help others fight for their freedom. Hint: It's not free. Brown treats his readers to some of the best, most stirring and action packed space opera drama ever created. He doesn't disappoint. The Corinari, the military of occupied Corinair, reform to remove the Dusahn in one of the book's best subplots. This is Brown at his best.
Ryk's style is changing and I'm not against it but it's a bit frenetic. The battle defiantly has the feel of the fog of war but I went through the last 4 chapters enjoying it but with few details retained. I'm not sure how I feel about it.
Also I get that given it's book 28 there is less attention to some details but I almost feel like I need a glossary to remind me of what terms like 'the Pickle' mean. I don't have any good suggestions and it's unlikely to cause me to stop reading but I never thought I'd be reading vol 28 of a SciFi drama. I'm sure it's as difficult for Ryk to keep investing energy into this and keep the story moving forward.
I'm so looking forward to a TV series based on this, it's several seasons of material so far
As other reviews have mentioned it's a book of 2 halves, the first revolving around bringing on a new ally, one they desperately needs and the second the build up and execution of the invasion of the sector The first half is entertaining, Nathan doing his usual seat of his pants scheming and hoping to come out on top. It's fun and funny at times The second half is a much heavier side of the story, not everything going the alliances way and towards the end downright depressing. The battle at the end of the book was too drawn out for me. Yes there was a lot to cover, but it could and should have been done in less pages, by the end of it, I wanted it over with Book 14 has a lot to live up to, the next part of the story line seems obvious, but the author has surprised us before
I think Ryk is growing as a writer. This series is beloved for its characters, humor and uniquely complicated action style. And other general badassery *wink*. Book 12 with the surprise end was the most exciting and mind blowing entry yet. The writing in this book was on par with the last one but turned up to 11! It was like two episodes in one. Or, the feature-length movie tie-in to the series. I am just chuffed. I hope to read the next episode next March, the day it comes out! But for THIS quality of book, I would gladly wait until March 2021. Five stars ftw.
I don’t think Ryk Brown can write a bad book. This one in particular was one of his best of the series. I have a feeling this may be the beginning of the end of the series.
I got the sense of plot lines being resolved. Nathan Scott’s sister is out of her coma and beginning to take charge of her life. A deal is made with Sealtech for weapons. The War with the Deuson seems to becoming to a climatic show down.
Finally there is one major show down between the Alliance and the Dusan. Chapter 11 in the story is incredibly good. The action is understandable. The motivations of the characters clearly stated. And it comes to a dramatic conclusion
I never thought I would say this about one of his books as it's my favorite series but MEH!!!!. This book just seemed to miss the mark there was no tention build up to the battles none of the usual dialogue between the characters that make them so great. Some of the best characters, Vlad, Marcus, Robert, Gil even Josh and Loki have become after thoughts. The switching back and forth from so many characters and scenes it was to remember who was who. Hope we can course correct. I gave it a four anyways because I cannot YET bring myself to give it less stars.
I enjoyed all the aspects of this book. The character development keeps getting better, like to see more with Jessica and Nathan. The tech tree is getting better with artificial intelligence and new toys for the Aurora. I think the AI could be used more to settle the dispute between the characters of using AI or not using AI. I still think the general needs more troops, and there’s got to be some in stasis somewhere, make it happen. The only issue I had was that I had to wait a long time for this book. Please don’t make us wait so long for the next one, after all Mr. Brown you said coming soon. If you have not read the series give it a try you won’t be disappointed it is excellent go back to part one and start at Aurora CVO one.
Like all other books featuring 'Nathan' this was kept my interest, piqued my curiosity and left me asking for more. The only problem I had was when the action really got good the book ended until the next book in the series. This is the type of series that I like to find when the series is completed and I don't have to go to another book while waiting for the next book in the series to come out.
As usual a rip roaring couldn't put down space adventure which has left me gasping for Rogue Castes Episode 14. Always IRL needs to come first so I understand that Ryk needed to delay Ep 13 but I just hope we will be seeing 14 in March.
However Ryk don't knock yourself about trying to meet the deadlines you set yourself. It is better to take a little longer if RL is pressuring you. Please do not burn out, you will end up like Na'Tan.
This book was outstanding! The climactic battle was over the top! Aurora vs multiple ship, battles on two planets, the butchers bill was frightening. Where will the go from here? Okay if you haven't started these books you need to do yourself a favor and do so now. Well written, excellent character development that keeps your attention. I strongly recommend this series!
Ryk Brown knows how to tell a tale. His characters are well flushed out and leave me emphatic with them. Use of the jump drive makes for some breathtaking action sequences that even 2020 Hollywood would have trouble recreating. This entire storyline has been a rollercoaster that I never want to get off!
I’ve really enjoyed Ryk’s books, as soon as the next chapter comes out I consume it and it leaves me anxiously awaiting the next book. Thank you for the great read, a lot is happening in this book and it’s handled very well. These are fun and entertaining novels and well worth investing in.
As usual, Ryk has given a splendid book. The lead up to the final chapter was great and the battle was a harrowing read. The twist at the end leaves a situation that will be interesting to see how the Alliance moves forward. Thanks again, Ryk. Don't keep us waiting so long though for the next one.
After a lot of positioning and going nowhere here we have a curious return to form for the Frontiers Saga. A curious conclusion to one story and a very quick jump into all out War made this a pleasing read. Ryk Brown can do epic battles and space action great. Just delivering enough and at the right time to keep me engaged for the next in the series.
Great read, great read are the things that come to mind. Nathan and his troops are off to rid the systems of Dusahn and the Lord Dusahn himself and have picked up several allies to help. This book is a real page turner and the ending will keep you wanting more. Thanks, Ryk. Next book please, #14.
Nathan Scott continues to defy the evil empire at every turn, yet Ryk Brown continues to find a way to get the suspense level going up! Definitely raises my screen time when a new episode comes out, since I can’t put my phone down until the episode is finished. Keep it coming, Ryk. I love these characters and I love the tech!
A long running space opera that is reasonably well written and has a good mix of characters. Most remarkable is the shear amount of books in the series, yet not one has left me feeling as if it's a recycle of an older episode to get another sale. Highly recommended, worth reading from the start of the original series (CV-01).
As the Aurora prepares for battle with the Dushan, Nathan Scott is forced into attempting to offer membership in the Alliance to several worlds. Subsequently, the Coronado and the Ghatazak prepare to fight to take back their worlds. One of the best chapters yet! Fyi Brown has out done himself with this book.
I read a bunch of different scifi series, and a lot of the time the editing is horrible. However, this series always has top notch editing. I didn't find one wrong word, or run on sentence. It was perfect. Also, the story continues to be great, this was another high note for the series.
I "snap-jumped", skipping three books, and the strategic situation is essentially the same. WTF did he fill those three books with?
Note: The writer does not know what a joke is. All these "..., Nathan joked.", but rarely preceded by a joke. A quip at best. Regardless, neither need labeling as such if they're any good. I guess the writer assumes his readers are idiots. A fair assumption TBF.
This episode continues the quality storytelling that we have come to expect from the Frontier saga. The characters continue to develop and the science that is part of this science fiction is quite compelling.
My hart is acting like I’m in the middle of a war. Well I was! Through this whole book. It was amazing. In a way it’s good it’s over. I kept having to do something else to distract myself and calm down.
Ryk Brown managed to deliver a story full of action and politics at once. His action account are very detailed (sometimes makes the readers feels they are a ghost on the battleship bridge) and the politics are sneaky and sleazy.
Great return back to the series after a longer than typical break. In all honestly I did not really enjoy the last book and the plot twists but I am glad to be getting back to the main story line. Things are getting exciting for the Aurora as we are almost complete with Part 2!
This is the very first book that sci-fi that I had ever read and Nathan, Jessica,Tellas, Josh,Loki and Deliza and of course Aurora . Can’t wait to read the next one ! Again Thank you