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Ark Royal #4
Warspite
Peace is not freedom. Peace is merely the absence of war.
The First Interstellar War is over, but the Royal Navy still has plenty of work to do. As Earth struggles to recover from the bombardment, Captain John Naiser is placed in command of HMS Warspite - an experimental heavy cruiser - and ordered to escort a squadron of colony ships to a star system of immense strategic importance.
But as the crew struggle to survive hundreds of light years from Earth, they find themselves dealing with the legacy of the war ... and a threat which may sow the seeds of renewed conflict, or a deadly civil war that will rip the human sphere apart.
The First Interstellar War is over, but the Royal Navy still has plenty of work to do. As Earth struggles to recover from the bombardment, Captain John Naiser is placed in command of HMS Warspite - an experimental heavy cruiser - and ordered to escort a squadron of colony ships to a star system of immense strategic importance.
But as the crew struggle to survive hundreds of light years from Earth, they find themselves dealing with the legacy of the war ... and a threat which may sow the seeds of renewed conflict, or a deadly civil war that will rip the human sphere apart.
476 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2014
151 people are currently reading
402 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
December 2, 2017
This is kind of a spin-off from the Ark Royal series since the original Ark Royal starship was destroyed in book 3. So another ship has been found to kind of take it’s place. The HMS Warspite isn’t a terribly large ship, but it is fast due to some unconventional equipment. This is almost an experimental ship merging human and Tadpole technology and even then boosting that with three fusion reactors. It is fast, very fast, but not extremely tough. The Warspite hasn’t even had a thorough shake-down cruise, but it’s got its first mission already.
On to the Captain. His name is John Naiser and he’s definitely a veteran of the First Interstellar War. That war has just ended and things in the galaxy seem to have calmed down considerably. While most of the Earth nations did their share in fighting the Tadpoles, the loses suffered by each was different. Whereas Russia lost a great deal of their original spacefaring fleet, Great Britain was able to build newer ships and get them back into service fairly quickly. Now they had to defend what was Britains by sending ships like to Warspite to check on British colonies that hadn’t been contacted in a long time. The Warspite was built to get through the tramlines quickly and find out what was going on out there in space.
So, Captain Naiser assumes command of the Warspite and has to check out his new starship while underway on its first every real voyage. He’s been assured by his Chief Engineer that the ship should perform satisfactorily, but with all the hodgepodge of tech crammed into it, he just doesn’t know for sure. Not a comforting situation. Then there’s Commander Juliet Watson, his XO, and his first major command problem. I won’t go into details here, just say that she’s a genius with all the baggage that comes with them.
So, off the Warspite goes hoping against hope that the new engines and other things don’t blow up some where out in deep space. If the ship can become combat capable, then it will be a starship to be reckoned with once the crew is also trained. Captain Naiser has his hands full, but seems to be very competent.
I did like the story, but I didn’t like the background stuff about Captain Naiser. There’s shaded references to a previous "close male friend and pilot" which is absolutely unnecessary to the story. I don’t particularly care for this kind of background revelation and I don’t see any need for it. This is my review and that’s how I feel. It is Mr. Nuttall’s book and that’s how he wrote it, but I just might not be reading any more of this series. I don’t know right now.
I hope you do like it. There are two more books in this Warspite series, “A Savage War of Peace [(Warspite II) (Ark Royal Book 5}], and “A Small Colonial War (Warspite III) (Ark Royal Book 6). Christopher G. Nuttall is a good author and I have read and enjoyed many of his books.
On to the Captain. His name is John Naiser and he’s definitely a veteran of the First Interstellar War. That war has just ended and things in the galaxy seem to have calmed down considerably. While most of the Earth nations did their share in fighting the Tadpoles, the loses suffered by each was different. Whereas Russia lost a great deal of their original spacefaring fleet, Great Britain was able to build newer ships and get them back into service fairly quickly. Now they had to defend what was Britains by sending ships like to Warspite to check on British colonies that hadn’t been contacted in a long time. The Warspite was built to get through the tramlines quickly and find out what was going on out there in space.
So, Captain Naiser assumes command of the Warspite and has to check out his new starship while underway on its first every real voyage. He’s been assured by his Chief Engineer that the ship should perform satisfactorily, but with all the hodgepodge of tech crammed into it, he just doesn’t know for sure. Not a comforting situation. Then there’s Commander Juliet Watson, his XO, and his first major command problem. I won’t go into details here, just say that she’s a genius with all the baggage that comes with them.
So, off the Warspite goes hoping against hope that the new engines and other things don’t blow up some where out in deep space. If the ship can become combat capable, then it will be a starship to be reckoned with once the crew is also trained. Captain Naiser has his hands full, but seems to be very competent.
I did like the story, but I didn’t like the background stuff about Captain Naiser. There’s shaded references to a previous "close male friend and pilot" which is absolutely unnecessary to the story. I don’t particularly care for this kind of background revelation and I don’t see any need for it. This is my review and that’s how I feel. It is Mr. Nuttall’s book and that’s how he wrote it, but I just might not be reading any more of this series. I don’t know right now.
I hope you do like it. There are two more books in this Warspite series, “A Savage War of Peace [(Warspite II) (Ark Royal Book 5}], and “A Small Colonial War (Warspite III) (Ark Royal Book 6). Christopher G. Nuttall is a good author and I have read and enjoyed many of his books.
April 15, 2015
This book picks up where the Ark Royal trilogy ended. This could be a standalone book or a beginning of the new series.
The first interstellar war is over. The Royal Navy is rebuilding and has lots of work to do. The earth is struggling to recover from the war. Our new protagonist is Captain John Naiser who is Commander of HMS Warspite, an experimental heavy cruiser. HMS Warspite is ordered to escort a squadron of colony ships to a star system of strategic importance to Earth.
Nuttall provides us with space pirates; tension building among the colonist in what might become a civil war. The story provides action, humor and some interesting developments for future stories. The story has both space battles and ground battles. We are introduced to a new human like aliens that are still in a primitive state.
Nuttall has made in my opinion a couple of gross mistakes that would never happen in any military in the world , and as far as I am concerned not even in military Sci-Fi. The first error is a corporal never out ranks a sergeant and the other error; never would a civilian been given a military rank and made the executive officer of a ship.
It looks as if Nuttall is launching another series. I will be in line to buy the next book if this becomes a series. Nuttall has created a couple of interesting characters I would like to learn more about. I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. Ralph Lister narrated the book.
The first interstellar war is over. The Royal Navy is rebuilding and has lots of work to do. The earth is struggling to recover from the war. Our new protagonist is Captain John Naiser who is Commander of HMS Warspite, an experimental heavy cruiser. HMS Warspite is ordered to escort a squadron of colony ships to a star system of strategic importance to Earth.
Nuttall provides us with space pirates; tension building among the colonist in what might become a civil war. The story provides action, humor and some interesting developments for future stories. The story has both space battles and ground battles. We are introduced to a new human like aliens that are still in a primitive state.
Nuttall has made in my opinion a couple of gross mistakes that would never happen in any military in the world , and as far as I am concerned not even in military Sci-Fi. The first error is a corporal never out ranks a sergeant and the other error; never would a civilian been given a military rank and made the executive officer of a ship.
It looks as if Nuttall is launching another series. I will be in line to buy the next book if this becomes a series. Nuttall has created a couple of interesting characters I would like to learn more about. I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. Ralph Lister narrated the book.
September 21, 2017
If you haven’t read the first three books in e Ark Royal series, this one won’t make much sense as you don’t have the backstory and the background on a lot of the dialogue and actions; then again, this fourth installment of the Ark Royal series is just loosely-based on the first three, and makes me wonder if they are really related.
This one was difficult to read all of the way through and, now that I have finished it, I wish I could go and get my money back. Why? The plot plodded along, we had about 101 references to the captain being gay, discussions about sexual mores in the future, the captain is gay, Earth is in trouble after a prior alien attack in the earlier novels, and in case you missed it the author wants to point out the captain is gay. Who cares if the captain is gay or not?
Besides the above, you have the tired plot line of discovering a new alien species that resembles a cross between a bird, lizard, and human – and, by the way, they have been corrupted by the always-evil Russians. Science fiction readers have read this numerous times in other books. You also have glaring inconsistencies in military structure: corporals, for example, do not outrank sergeants.
While I enjoyed the first three books in the series, and enjoy a good science fiction tale, this is the end of the series for me. If you enjoyed the first three books in the series, I’d recommend you save those fond memories and not spoil them by reading this installment.
This one was difficult to read all of the way through and, now that I have finished it, I wish I could go and get my money back. Why? The plot plodded along, we had about 101 references to the captain being gay, discussions about sexual mores in the future, the captain is gay, Earth is in trouble after a prior alien attack in the earlier novels, and in case you missed it the author wants to point out the captain is gay. Who cares if the captain is gay or not?
Besides the above, you have the tired plot line of discovering a new alien species that resembles a cross between a bird, lizard, and human – and, by the way, they have been corrupted by the always-evil Russians. Science fiction readers have read this numerous times in other books. You also have glaring inconsistencies in military structure: corporals, for example, do not outrank sergeants.
While I enjoyed the first three books in the series, and enjoy a good science fiction tale, this is the end of the series for me. If you enjoyed the first three books in the series, I’d recommend you save those fond memories and not spoil them by reading this installment.
July 29, 2022
This book has successfully assured me that this series and universe is growing and expanding in the direction I wanted it too! It also practiced something I love in a series and don't see often which is conflict DE-escalation!
I hate how in so many series we need to progress continually to the next threat which is bigger than the last, then the next massive threat, and so on and so forth until we get past the point of ridiculousness and contempt. The main threat from the first three books was dealt with, now this book is a much shorter self-contained story, the stakes were definitely high but no-where near "end of the world/humanity high"
Also, most military sci-fi's I've encountered seem to stick to the one same concept and flog it over and over again, like going up against just one alien threat and that's it. This book takes place five years after the war with the "Tadpols" as humanity calls them, ended. Most of the original crew from the first book are dead, the rest that survived aren't even in this story, it's not about them. We do follow one of the children of a character who died in the last book, and the conflict in this book isn't centred around the Tadpols at all! Nope!
So, what is it then? Did another alien threat pop up? After all, there was one, could there be another...? Well I won't spoil it but that is the question which is teased, and I absolutely loved what they did with it! It's not going to be exactly what you expect either.
I can't wait to get into book 4, and this is an 18 book series! I'm actually glad it's that long I'm super excited to see where it goes!
I hate how in so many series we need to progress continually to the next threat which is bigger than the last, then the next massive threat, and so on and so forth until we get past the point of ridiculousness and contempt. The main threat from the first three books was dealt with, now this book is a much shorter self-contained story, the stakes were definitely high but no-where near "end of the world/humanity high"
Also, most military sci-fi's I've encountered seem to stick to the one same concept and flog it over and over again, like going up against just one alien threat and that's it. This book takes place five years after the war with the "Tadpols" as humanity calls them, ended. Most of the original crew from the first book are dead, the rest that survived aren't even in this story, it's not about them. We do follow one of the children of a character who died in the last book, and the conflict in this book isn't centred around the Tadpols at all! Nope!
So, what is it then? Did another alien threat pop up? After all, there was one, could there be another...? Well I won't spoil it but that is the question which is teased, and I absolutely loved what they did with it! It's not going to be exactly what you expect either.
I can't wait to get into book 4, and this is an 18 book series! I'm actually glad it's that long I'm super excited to see where it goes!
October 16, 2023
Overall I like the book, but it is written in a quite childish way. A lot of references to sex, for some reason it's very important to talk about the protagonist being gay quite frequently, he keeps referring to women as bitches for no apparent reason. There's also the very unlikely scenario that a civilian would be named the xo of a warship with no military experience at all. If you take into account all the different obstacles and problems that occur in this book that piece of contrived drama was just unnecessary.
May 23, 2018
Might be the fourth book In the series, but it's greatly evolved
The interstellar war ended but five years on, Earth is still rebuilding. The Tadpoles are mentioned but are only a reference. The only character carried over from the first three books in a significant way is Percy Schneider, the son of the hero, Kurt Schneider who died in book three. I shall continue reading the series as long as Mr. Nutall maintains it with new books.
The interstellar war ended but five years on, Earth is still rebuilding. The Tadpoles are mentioned but are only a reference. The only character carried over from the first three books in a significant way is Percy Schneider, the son of the hero, Kurt Schneider who died in book three. I shall continue reading the series as long as Mr. Nutall maintains it with new books.
November 10, 2016
With the conclusion of the Ark Royal series last book I had resigned myself to finding another series to occupy my time. I'm glad I picked up Warspite. My only concern was the lack of transition from the last Ark Royal book. It had been a long time since reading it and Warspite didn't take the handoff very well as far as character connections.
March 18, 2023
Surprising
With the focus of the story leaving out almost every character we've come to love from the first 3 books I didn't expect to enjoy this as much as I did. I think Christopher did a stellar job at both progressing the overall story while getting us to like the new characters. Time to read the next one!
With the focus of the story leaving out almost every character we've come to love from the first 3 books I didn't expect to enjoy this as much as I did. I think Christopher did a stellar job at both progressing the overall story while getting us to like the new characters. Time to read the next one!
August 6, 2023
At last a book that handles minority issues in a sensitive but entertaining way. Misbehaving on a warship can get everybody killed so the punishment is not micro insecurity training. The characters are believable and the action is tense. There are also some very British comedy references sprinkled in but not expanded upon.
February 5, 2017
Great
Another great read . This series is so realistic for a futuristic story . Hard to sat which is my favorite character because there are new characters in each story . But the starships and English military is cool to read
Another great read . This series is so realistic for a futuristic story . Hard to sat which is my favorite character because there are new characters in each story . But the starships and English military is cool to read
October 24, 2017
A good read
Being a Navy veteran I enjoyed the depiction of what life in a scale baby could be. There was interesting characters and character development. I liked the battles both shipboard and ground based.
Being a Navy veteran I enjoyed the depiction of what life in a scale baby could be. There was interesting characters and character development. I liked the battles both shipboard and ground based.
January 28, 2019
A bit boring
But still worth reading. I was halfway through before I realized that he wasn't just developing his characters... that he was telling the story. So I stuck with it. I'll order the next in the series in hopes that he gets back on track.
But still worth reading. I was halfway through before I realized that he wasn't just developing his characters... that he was telling the story. So I stuck with it. I'll order the next in the series in hopes that he gets back on track.
May 31, 2017
Good spinoff from the original series
September 17, 2017
Good yarn
Enjoyable read. Nice to see spearing from a British perspective. No spoilers but what else lurks in the universe besides Tadpoles?
Enjoyable read. Nice to see spearing from a British perspective. No spoilers but what else lurks in the universe besides Tadpoles?
April 10, 2021
Pleasantly surprised
April 25, 2021
Took longer to get into after the dramatic conclusion to Ark Royal III; but once it got going it was a banging read!
February 3, 2020
Predictable
It may have been predictable but it was exciting anyway I loved the story and can’t wait to read the next one
It may have been predictable but it was exciting anyway I loved the story and can’t wait to read the next one
April 1, 2020
The 2nd trilogy seems to be better than the 1st. But maybe I just don't care to read about an alcoholic hero resisting the urge to drink.
January 31, 2022
Warspite takes us a few years into the future, after the first interstellar war and the events that ended in the destruction of the Ark Royal, ending the Tadpole/Human War.
The Tadpoles and Humanity have reached a peace agreement and Humanity is trying hard to move on.
In this, the first of a new series of 3 in the Ark Royal Saga, we are introduced to Captain John Nasier, one of the main characters for this book. The other characters include Admiral Fitzwilliam, and his two adopted children, Percy and Penny Schneider. They are both the kids of Kurt Schneider, the CAG from the original Ark Royal series.
Percy has joined the Marines, as he wanted to serve, but did not want to follow in his Father’s footsteps, as he wanted to be his own main. Penny on the other hand has become one of the enemy, joining the dreaded reporters. She did this mainly as she wanted to be able to investigate her Father’s death, and try and work out what did really happen to him. Neither Penny nor Percy have every been able to find out what really happened to their Father, Kurt, and they both know that the Military is hiding something big.
Warspite is an interesting start to the series as we learn about the intervening years from the end of Ark Royal to now. The change in the human race is evident, and as the reader moves around they get a feel for the new world, with the Earth war torn, still trying to recover. There is a remarkable change in the characters from the way they were at the start of book 1, to the way they are in book 4, not just the main characters such as Nasier, but all of the ancillary characters as well. It shows how clever Nuttall is, and the attention to detail he pays when he develops his settings and writes these stories. It is not only clever, but also incredibly creative how he has described and depicted, how the war has impacted on every aspect of British (and indeed the world’s) society.
Of course, the other major change is the Navy. Whilst previously they had thought they were prepared for the concept of war, in reality, they really had no idea what they were in for. Their loses were staggering, and it has left a Navy with shortages in key areas. As such, people like Nasier, a former starfighter pilot, has now changed track to be on the command path, and has reached the point of Captaining his own ship.
The Navy has also taken onboard what they learnt from the war, and have started to develop new classes of ship.
One of these ships is the Warspite, a new cruiser with stealth capabilities, better armour, and a massive plasma cannon mounted at the front of it. Nuttall again impresses with his ability to write impressive technological descriptions that he has obviously put a lot of time, effort and research into. This adds so much depth and integrity to the story, allowing the reader to really immerse themselves into the book.
Another great aspect of these books is the constant Sci-Fi pop-culture references to the story. It adds a bit of fun to the story to try and find the different, sometimes obvious movie, TV and book references.
This is both a fantastic start to the new series, and a brilliant continuation to Ark Royal, and if you are a fan of Ark Royal, it is a must read. It could be argued that this can be read without having read the first 3 books, as a standalone series, but you would miss out on a lot of backstory.
Regardless – Nuttall is back with another incredible story – one that is a must read for any Military Sci-Fi Fan!
The Tadpoles and Humanity have reached a peace agreement and Humanity is trying hard to move on.
In this, the first of a new series of 3 in the Ark Royal Saga, we are introduced to Captain John Nasier, one of the main characters for this book. The other characters include Admiral Fitzwilliam, and his two adopted children, Percy and Penny Schneider. They are both the kids of Kurt Schneider, the CAG from the original Ark Royal series.
Percy has joined the Marines, as he wanted to serve, but did not want to follow in his Father’s footsteps, as he wanted to be his own main. Penny on the other hand has become one of the enemy, joining the dreaded reporters. She did this mainly as she wanted to be able to investigate her Father’s death, and try and work out what did really happen to him. Neither Penny nor Percy have every been able to find out what really happened to their Father, Kurt, and they both know that the Military is hiding something big.
Warspite is an interesting start to the series as we learn about the intervening years from the end of Ark Royal to now. The change in the human race is evident, and as the reader moves around they get a feel for the new world, with the Earth war torn, still trying to recover. There is a remarkable change in the characters from the way they were at the start of book 1, to the way they are in book 4, not just the main characters such as Nasier, but all of the ancillary characters as well. It shows how clever Nuttall is, and the attention to detail he pays when he develops his settings and writes these stories. It is not only clever, but also incredibly creative how he has described and depicted, how the war has impacted on every aspect of British (and indeed the world’s) society.
Of course, the other major change is the Navy. Whilst previously they had thought they were prepared for the concept of war, in reality, they really had no idea what they were in for. Their loses were staggering, and it has left a Navy with shortages in key areas. As such, people like Nasier, a former starfighter pilot, has now changed track to be on the command path, and has reached the point of Captaining his own ship.
The Navy has also taken onboard what they learnt from the war, and have started to develop new classes of ship.
One of these ships is the Warspite, a new cruiser with stealth capabilities, better armour, and a massive plasma cannon mounted at the front of it. Nuttall again impresses with his ability to write impressive technological descriptions that he has obviously put a lot of time, effort and research into. This adds so much depth and integrity to the story, allowing the reader to really immerse themselves into the book.
Another great aspect of these books is the constant Sci-Fi pop-culture references to the story. It adds a bit of fun to the story to try and find the different, sometimes obvious movie, TV and book references.
This is both a fantastic start to the new series, and a brilliant continuation to Ark Royal, and if you are a fan of Ark Royal, it is a must read. It could be argued that this can be read without having read the first 3 books, as a standalone series, but you would miss out on a lot of backstory.
Regardless – Nuttall is back with another incredible story – one that is a must read for any Military Sci-Fi Fan!
January 1, 2015
A successor to the Ark Royal series, this books opens with an interesting twist over the most military SF - this is not another "from zero to hero" or "young but promising lieutenant saves the universe". The world presented picks up where Ark Royal left - Earth is heavily damaged, there are food shortages, humanity tries to carry on however possible. I like mr. Nutall for his ability to step away from the Star Trek-ish nice-and-pretty-SF vibe and provide a world that is of much darker shade - a quality, I dare say, shared by the best British SF authors.
The base of the story is also refreshing - military duty nowadays is rarely about epic events, most of the time it's tedious and not as thrilling: patrols, practice, drills, escorting the cargo ships, helping locals. In this book author exposes the readers to this less-than-heroic part, some internal military politics as well, helping create a believable stage for the characters.
The characters, sadly, are the weak point of this book - they are not one-dimensional, luckily, but author is a bit heavy-handed about the way he creates them (no spoilers, so - the way the Warspite's captain is created could use some polish and subtlety). Also, there are practically no character arcs - most of the heroes finish the book exactly the same men and women that begun the journey. One might argue that character arc, significant change in ones behavior requires some epic events to give the impulse for the change - and here we, by design, have an almost-normal every day tour of duty, something not likely to flip anyone's world upside down.
If you like military SF that is a tad darker than the bunch, enjoy the British take on the military, do not require Hollywood-like-heroes to keep you interested in a story - this is a book for you.
I gave it three stars, which means I liked the book and I find it solid, albeit with some drawbacks.
Four stars is for good books without any major issues, and five stars I reserve for books that stay with me forever - Dune, Hyperion, Lord of the Rings.
This one is honest three-and-a-half.
Will read the next one in series.
The base of the story is also refreshing - military duty nowadays is rarely about epic events, most of the time it's tedious and not as thrilling: patrols, practice, drills, escorting the cargo ships, helping locals. In this book author exposes the readers to this less-than-heroic part, some internal military politics as well, helping create a believable stage for the characters.
The characters, sadly, are the weak point of this book - they are not one-dimensional, luckily, but author is a bit heavy-handed about the way he creates them (no spoilers, so - the way the Warspite's captain is created could use some polish and subtlety). Also, there are practically no character arcs - most of the heroes finish the book exactly the same men and women that begun the journey. One might argue that character arc, significant change in ones behavior requires some epic events to give the impulse for the change - and here we, by design, have an almost-normal every day tour of duty, something not likely to flip anyone's world upside down.
If you like military SF that is a tad darker than the bunch, enjoy the British take on the military, do not require Hollywood-like-heroes to keep you interested in a story - this is a book for you.
I gave it three stars, which means I liked the book and I find it solid, albeit with some drawbacks.
Four stars is for good books without any major issues, and five stars I reserve for books that stay with me forever - Dune, Hyperion, Lord of the Rings.
This one is honest three-and-a-half.
Will read the next one in series.
December 9, 2014
This book starts a new story arc in Christopher Nuttall’s Ark Royal universe. The war is over, for now, and humanity is recovering in the aftermath. As the blurb states the book introduces John Naiser, a newly appointed Captain on a new heavy cruiser with new and untried technology. They embark on what should have been a “simple” mission of claiming and supporting a new colony. Naturally not everything goes as planned and the mission parameters expand rather drastically over the course of the book.
It is a quite enjoyable book. It is a bit different in structure from the previous books in the series. You do not absolutely need to have read the previous books to enjoy this one although it certainly helps knowing the background. Where the previous books had a very distinct story and a distinct goal to works towards this one is more laying the groundwork for more stories to come. The story and the universe evolves as we go along for the ride. Problems and events of widely varying nature such as sabotage, natural floods, discovery of new … well you have to read the book to learn what they discover, unsuitable officers etc. etc. are thrown at the captain as the voyage continues.
It is a fun read although it of course have the advantages and disadvantages of being a bit of set-up book. There is that “new” feeling in new characters and new stories being introduced/started of course. There is also the feeling that most of the story was just to set up the scenario for the next book. Nevertheless, as I wrote, I did quite enjoy the book. Even though it was a bit of set-up over it, it was well done, never really felt like it dragged and a reasonable amount of action both on the ground and in space.
I assume there will be more coming in this series and I am looking forward to it.
It is a quite enjoyable book. It is a bit different in structure from the previous books in the series. You do not absolutely need to have read the previous books to enjoy this one although it certainly helps knowing the background. Where the previous books had a very distinct story and a distinct goal to works towards this one is more laying the groundwork for more stories to come. The story and the universe evolves as we go along for the ride. Problems and events of widely varying nature such as sabotage, natural floods, discovery of new … well you have to read the book to learn what they discover, unsuitable officers etc. etc. are thrown at the captain as the voyage continues.
It is a fun read although it of course have the advantages and disadvantages of being a bit of set-up book. There is that “new” feeling in new characters and new stories being introduced/started of course. There is also the feeling that most of the story was just to set up the scenario for the next book. Nevertheless, as I wrote, I did quite enjoy the book. Even though it was a bit of set-up over it, it was well done, never really felt like it dragged and a reasonable amount of action both on the ground and in space.
I assume there will be more coming in this series and I am looking forward to it.
January 27, 2021
Given that the Ark Royal was destroyed in book 3 of the series I was a little apprehensive about this book and how it would fit into the story told in the previous 3 novels. I needn't have worried. Although the series is entitle Ark Royal, it is reality a large series of novels simple set in the same time frame and with shared story lines rather than being about the carrier Ark Royal per se.
Warspite has several elements that readers will find familiar with, there is the unproven ship (in this case it is a brand new design with lots of blended earth and alien technology), a new captain, an inexperienced crew and a mission that soon goes beyond the original mission parameters.
Ostensibly they are escorting a small convoy of colony ships to assist in setting up a new colony in critical new star system. Instead they end up dealing with an insurrection on the colony world, setting off on a rescue mission to find the colonist wives and families whose ship has vanished, fighting with renegade Russians and making first contact with a new alien species, this one not full advanced and being tainted by contact with the Russians. Can Captain John Naiser manage to cope with all these stresses and the fact that his first officer is a political appointment who is simply not up to the job, succeed in his mission and keep all senior officials back on Earth happy? It's certainly a tough ask.
I felt the book moves along at a could pace, with some detailed battle scenes, some interesting political manoeuvring thrown in for good measure. I feel I've only just started to get to know the Warspite and her crew and how the other stories in the series that feature them will build on this excellent start
Warspite has several elements that readers will find familiar with, there is the unproven ship (in this case it is a brand new design with lots of blended earth and alien technology), a new captain, an inexperienced crew and a mission that soon goes beyond the original mission parameters.
Ostensibly they are escorting a small convoy of colony ships to assist in setting up a new colony in critical new star system. Instead they end up dealing with an insurrection on the colony world, setting off on a rescue mission to find the colonist wives and families whose ship has vanished, fighting with renegade Russians and making first contact with a new alien species, this one not full advanced and being tainted by contact with the Russians. Can Captain John Naiser manage to cope with all these stresses and the fact that his first officer is a political appointment who is simply not up to the job, succeed in his mission and keep all senior officials back on Earth happy? It's certainly a tough ask.
I felt the book moves along at a could pace, with some detailed battle scenes, some interesting political manoeuvring thrown in for good measure. I feel I've only just started to get to know the Warspite and her crew and how the other stories in the series that feature them will build on this excellent start
December 7, 2014
This is listed in some areas as "Ark Royal #4" and while it does take place in the same universe and mentions some events and characters from the earlier books; it really is a stand alone tale. Stylistically this is a bit different from other books by Christopher Nuttall. This is a good thing and there is an interesting blend of space combat, small unit combat, exploration, and discovery. It felt like I was reading an episode from the early 'Trek' days (even without the 'pointy ears' reference). Almost without exception, the characters are under-developed; they seem more a collection of character sketches than real people. This is an element that is common in many of Nuttall's works as it usually takes two or three books in the series for any character to gain real depth.
This is not great literature, but it is a really fun deep-space adventure. I would even go so far as to call it a 'swashbuckler'.
I do have one technical complaint; I am no expert on the Royal Marines but I am not aware of any service where a corporal would outrank a sergeant. This small incontinuity really bothered me in places.
This is not great literature, but it is a really fun deep-space adventure. I would even go so far as to call it a 'swashbuckler'.
I do have one technical complaint; I am no expert on the Royal Marines but I am not aware of any service where a corporal would outrank a sergeant. This small incontinuity really bothered me in places.
January 14, 2017
This review will be posted with each book in the Ark Royal series with separate ratings for the individual books as I found them.
Christopher Nuttal is one of my favourite authors. I enjoy his plots and characters equally and, with the exception of his fantasy novels, I read whatever I can find. And he is prolific.
Ark Royal is the first book in a great series. So far, it goes on for 9 books in three separate trilogies. The first and last trilogy are the best but the other three are worth reading. For the most part, the stories contain a number of characters that are well developed with heroic aspects as well as the fatal flaws. The reader gets to know them well. The action is fast paced and contains a healthy dose of space opera and military on-the-ground action.
You often end up with a sense of loss but with the feeling that it is all worthwhile.
Christopher Nuttal is one of my favourite authors. I enjoy his plots and characters equally and, with the exception of his fantasy novels, I read whatever I can find. And he is prolific.
Ark Royal is the first book in a great series. So far, it goes on for 9 books in three separate trilogies. The first and last trilogy are the best but the other three are worth reading. For the most part, the stories contain a number of characters that are well developed with heroic aspects as well as the fatal flaws. The reader gets to know them well. The action is fast paced and contains a healthy dose of space opera and military on-the-ground action.
You often end up with a sense of loss but with the feeling that it is all worthwhile.
February 11, 2017
Well done
I can see the improvement the author has made from the original Ark Royal trilogy. Great story and some interesting moral dilemmas.
I can see the improvement the author has made from the original Ark Royal trilogy. Great story and some interesting moral dilemmas.
July 9, 2015
Review of Ark Royal 4
I have truly enjoyed the Ark Royal series. I have often found that long space stories tend to drag after a while. This series not. It continues to be fresh by presenting new and varied scenarios for the crew of the primary vessel. It is interesting that most tales of military space vessels present life aboard these ships as mirroring navy like traditions. It makes for good story telling but I am not so certain command of space vessels would evolve that way. Christopher Nuttall does a good job of telling the story from a British point of view, a nation with a long standing naval tradition. It makes for a good read. I recommend the Ark Royal series.
I have truly enjoyed the Ark Royal series. I have often found that long space stories tend to drag after a while. This series not. It continues to be fresh by presenting new and varied scenarios for the crew of the primary vessel. It is interesting that most tales of military space vessels present life aboard these ships as mirroring navy like traditions. It makes for good story telling but I am not so certain command of space vessels would evolve that way. Christopher Nuttall does a good job of telling the story from a British point of view, a nation with a long standing naval tradition. It makes for a good read. I recommend the Ark Royal series.
February 21, 2015
Further adventures in the Ark Royal universe. Captain Naiser leads the new ship Warspite, a prototype built with alien tech, on an escort mission protecting merchantmen and colony ships. Along the way a missing ship leads to pirates, and a new alien race.
Tremendous good fun. Interesting mix of space battles and infantry battles. Character on the undeveloped side, but the action carries the day, and the novel. My favorite of Chris' many series.
Tremendous good fun. Interesting mix of space battles and infantry battles. Character on the undeveloped side, but the action carries the day, and the novel. My favorite of Chris' many series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 15, 2015
The Arc Royal trilogy is pretty much self contained, Warspite is set in the same universe but instead of an all powerful supercarrier the ship of choice is more like the Original USS Enterprise… going out into the federation alone and underpowered, the only vessel colonies have seen in 6 months… specifically checking on colonies who've had no resupply since the interstellar war.
Personally I like Warspite MORE than Arc Royale. Worth your time.
Personally I like Warspite MORE than Arc Royale. Worth your time.
December 20, 2014
A great continuation
I became a fan of Nuttall with The Ark Royal series...His very old United Kingdom writing style combined with a non US military approach makes for a fresh fun read. Warsprite continues his romp through a different take on future earth and it politics. It is a great read I highly recommend it.
I became a fan of Nuttall with The Ark Royal series...His very old United Kingdom writing style combined with a non US military approach makes for a fresh fun read. Warsprite continues his romp through a different take on future earth and it politics. It is a great read I highly recommend it.
January 1, 2015
A great follow up
I was actually fairly disappointed with the way Ark Royal had ended and was interested to see how this one picked up. I found the pacing very good and the overall story line interesting. It still seemed to gloss over a few things but all in all it was a fun read and one of Mr. Nuttall's better books. I am now hoping for a 5th boom in the series.
I was actually fairly disappointed with the way Ark Royal had ended and was interested to see how this one picked up. I found the pacing very good and the overall story line interesting. It still seemed to gloss over a few things but all in all it was a fun read and one of Mr. Nuttall's better books. I am now hoping for a 5th boom in the series.
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