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Angel in the Whirlwind #1
The Oncoming Storm
In the year 2420, war looms between the galaxy’s two most powerful empires: the tyrannical Theocracy and the protectionist Commonwealth. Caught in the middle sits the occupied outpost system Cadiz, where young officer and aristocrat Katherine “Kat” Falcone finds herself prematurely promoted at the behest of her powerful father. Against her own wishes, Kat is sent to command the Commonwealth navy’s newest warship, Lightning.
Determined to prove she has value beyond her family name, Kat struggles to earn her crew’s respect and find her footing as the youngest captain in naval history. She soon discovers the situation on Cadiz is even worse than anyone in power anticipated. War isn’t just a possibility—it is imminent. Yet the admiral in position to bolster defenses refuses to prepare for a fight. Can Kat find a way to investigate the enemy, alert the Commonwealth, and whip an entire fleet into fighting shape before the Theocracy’s war machine destroys everything she holds dear?
Determined to prove she has value beyond her family name, Kat struggles to earn her crew’s respect and find her footing as the youngest captain in naval history. She soon discovers the situation on Cadiz is even worse than anyone in power anticipated. War isn’t just a possibility—it is imminent. Yet the admiral in position to bolster defenses refuses to prepare for a fight. Can Kat find a way to investigate the enemy, alert the Commonwealth, and whip an entire fleet into fighting shape before the Theocracy’s war machine destroys everything she holds dear?
416 pages, Paperback
First published September 15, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 192 reviews
January 23, 2021
“This isn’t a localized border dispute, nor is it a rebellion against tyrannical central authority. This is all-out war aimed at shaping the future of the entire galaxy. If we lose, the worlds we have sworn to defend will fall under the rule of a religious society intent on crushing all its rivals. We dare not lose.”
There is a lot to be said for following a successful pattern. Nuttall’s “Angel in the Storm” series follows many of the signposts put in place by space military series featuring Honor Harrington (David Weber) and Ky Vatta (Elizabeth Moon). These range from having attractive and smart women moving into positions of power or into a male-dominated role. They also deal with space navies and technology and the challenges of pirates/privateers. Economic competition, oligarchy, theocracy and monarchy are also drawn from similar plots.
Can Nuttall make it work? On the basis of this first book in a series of four, I would say, it could work well enough. He shows some nice touches with technical stuff like gravity surges, hyperspace and energy storms. He likes his military fit and ready to rumble and when they do he provides sufficient detail for those in the military space opera fan club.
He has chosen a “tough sell” with rich and young Kat Falcone as a newly credentialed captain of a major naval vessel. He has to:
1. Make us empathize and root for her;
2. Make her tough enough but not experienced enough to avoid mistakes or we might not care enough about each incident; and,
3. Avoid or minimize just having a stereo-typical “bad-guy” empire and similar “bad-guy” individuals who show little or no nuance.
With point #1, I believe that Nuttall has succeeded.
With point #2, he starts out well, but I found that within a few months Kat was making the kind of hard strategic decisions that (in Nuttall’s words) many a seasoned Captain would hesitate to initiate.
With point #3, I already have some worries. He chooses to pit his oligarchy/monarchy against a theocracy. This isn’t, in itself, a bad move, but he borrows so transparently from recent events that it verges on a polemic rather than a plot. Let me provide his words:
“….who can dare claim to believe in God when they slaughter civilians merely to gain a slight advantage?” This could stand for many eras ranging from the Crusades to the Mongols to ISIS, but it is hard to not believe Nuttall is giving us his views on certain elements of Islam by the following:
(about the growth of the True Faith) “The older faiths---Judaism, Christianity, and Islam---had all been too reliant on God’s help and support rather than doing anything to actually earn that support…In the end, the core of those faiths had died on Earth. But the True Faith had survived and prospered.”
And, in case we too dull to pick up on this thread already, the good guys’ Sixth Fleet is led by "Admiral Christian.”
Have I gotten on board? Yes, but not without some reservations. Whether I take this series to the end of the line will depend on how points 1,2, and 3 get developed in the next volume.
There is a lot to be said for following a successful pattern. Nuttall’s “Angel in the Storm” series follows many of the signposts put in place by space military series featuring Honor Harrington (David Weber) and Ky Vatta (Elizabeth Moon). These range from having attractive and smart women moving into positions of power or into a male-dominated role. They also deal with space navies and technology and the challenges of pirates/privateers. Economic competition, oligarchy, theocracy and monarchy are also drawn from similar plots.
Can Nuttall make it work? On the basis of this first book in a series of four, I would say, it could work well enough. He shows some nice touches with technical stuff like gravity surges, hyperspace and energy storms. He likes his military fit and ready to rumble and when they do he provides sufficient detail for those in the military space opera fan club.
He has chosen a “tough sell” with rich and young Kat Falcone as a newly credentialed captain of a major naval vessel. He has to:
1. Make us empathize and root for her;
2. Make her tough enough but not experienced enough to avoid mistakes or we might not care enough about each incident; and,
3. Avoid or minimize just having a stereo-typical “bad-guy” empire and similar “bad-guy” individuals who show little or no nuance.
With point #1, I believe that Nuttall has succeeded.
With point #2, he starts out well, but I found that within a few months Kat was making the kind of hard strategic decisions that (in Nuttall’s words) many a seasoned Captain would hesitate to initiate.
With point #3, I already have some worries. He chooses to pit his oligarchy/monarchy against a theocracy. This isn’t, in itself, a bad move, but he borrows so transparently from recent events that it verges on a polemic rather than a plot. Let me provide his words:
“….who can dare claim to believe in God when they slaughter civilians merely to gain a slight advantage?” This could stand for many eras ranging from the Crusades to the Mongols to ISIS, but it is hard to not believe Nuttall is giving us his views on certain elements of Islam by the following:
(about the growth of the True Faith) “The older faiths---Judaism, Christianity, and Islam---had all been too reliant on God’s help and support rather than doing anything to actually earn that support…In the end, the core of those faiths had died on Earth. But the True Faith had survived and prospered.”
And, in case we too dull to pick up on this thread already, the good guys’ Sixth Fleet is led by "Admiral Christian.”
Have I gotten on board? Yes, but not without some reservations. Whether I take this series to the end of the line will depend on how points 1,2, and 3 get developed in the next volume.
May 26, 2017
Solid science fiction/military fiction/space opera about a young officer who unexpectedly finds themselves as the captain of a space-ship (unexpectedly as in, she hasn't been captain before, and the level of spaceship is several levels higher than her first command should be).
I acknowledge noticing certain 'issues' similar between this first book in a series and the first book in the Honorverse series and note that there are also major differences.
I acknowledge noticing certain 'issues' similar between this first book in a series and the first book in the Honorverse series and note that there are also major differences.
September 22, 2015
I have to say that I am quite amazed at the productivity of Christopher Nuttall. With The Oncoming Storm he has managed to start yet another great book series. I am actually quite concerned that he is going to overstretch himself sooner or later. So far however, he has managed to keep up both his frantic writing pace and the quality of his books.
The story of this book definitely falls into the “my cup of tea” category for me. It is a true space opera with two (so far) space empires going head to head. It has a strong and likable lead character. It is as well written as one has come to expect from the author. There are a fair amount of action of course. There are also a fair amount of political BS and utterly incompetent naval officers. Well, there are actually mainly one utterly incompetent real hole in the rear end of a horse but he is, unfortunately, in a position to make a substantial amount of damage.
I guess people will be quick to make comparisons with David Weber’s Honor Harrington series and sure, you can find similarities but it is almost impossible to write a space opera about a female naval officer slugging her way through the cragmire of political nonsense while trying to save her empire without there being similarities. Having similarities is not the same things as being a blatant copy and this book is definitely a Mr. Nuttall style book and not a Mr. Weber one.
As the book blurb states, Kat Falcone’s new posting is not what it first looks like and apart from the not so slight problem of acquiring the confidence of her crew she has to deal with an Admiral who’s stupidity would fill a book by itself. Luckily Mr. Nuttall did not fill the book solely with the Admiral’s blunders. Kat manages, not surprisingly, to discover the hammer that is about to fall on Cadiz, and a few other planets. That does not mean that all goes well though, far from it, but at least the war did not end with the first book and both parties in this conflict got to take a healthy bite of the shit-sandwich that was served.
Although Kat is undoubtedly the lead character she is not alone. There are several other characters, like her XO, that plays important roles in the story and these characters are as well done as the lead character. As usual Mr. Nuttall’s writing is a mix of adventure, action, character descriptions and world building including the political power plays and their, often disastrous, effects both in the past and the present.
One thing that I like with this book is that it is much more of an adventure in a positive spirit, if one can say that about a war-story, than some of his book series like, for instance, The Empire’s Corps which pretty much is based around the concept of the empire and our civilisation going down the drain. In this book the bad guys do not manage to destroy everything and the good guys do manage to land a few good punches.
As I wrote, this is a great start of a new book series. Mr. Nuttall has done some nice world building for future adventures in this war and I am certainly looking forward to read the next instalment. I just hope that Mr. Nuttall is not taking on too much because there are several other book series from Mr. Nuttall where I am eagerly awaiting the next instalment. I would say to Mr. Nuttall, take your time and do not let the pressure make you churn out the books too fast. I much rather have quality before quantity.
The story of this book definitely falls into the “my cup of tea” category for me. It is a true space opera with two (so far) space empires going head to head. It has a strong and likable lead character. It is as well written as one has come to expect from the author. There are a fair amount of action of course. There are also a fair amount of political BS and utterly incompetent naval officers. Well, there are actually mainly one utterly incompetent real hole in the rear end of a horse but he is, unfortunately, in a position to make a substantial amount of damage.
I guess people will be quick to make comparisons with David Weber’s Honor Harrington series and sure, you can find similarities but it is almost impossible to write a space opera about a female naval officer slugging her way through the cragmire of political nonsense while trying to save her empire without there being similarities. Having similarities is not the same things as being a blatant copy and this book is definitely a Mr. Nuttall style book and not a Mr. Weber one.
As the book blurb states, Kat Falcone’s new posting is not what it first looks like and apart from the not so slight problem of acquiring the confidence of her crew she has to deal with an Admiral who’s stupidity would fill a book by itself. Luckily Mr. Nuttall did not fill the book solely with the Admiral’s blunders. Kat manages, not surprisingly, to discover the hammer that is about to fall on Cadiz, and a few other planets. That does not mean that all goes well though, far from it, but at least the war did not end with the first book and both parties in this conflict got to take a healthy bite of the shit-sandwich that was served.
Although Kat is undoubtedly the lead character she is not alone. There are several other characters, like her XO, that plays important roles in the story and these characters are as well done as the lead character. As usual Mr. Nuttall’s writing is a mix of adventure, action, character descriptions and world building including the political power plays and their, often disastrous, effects both in the past and the present.
One thing that I like with this book is that it is much more of an adventure in a positive spirit, if one can say that about a war-story, than some of his book series like, for instance, The Empire’s Corps which pretty much is based around the concept of the empire and our civilisation going down the drain. In this book the bad guys do not manage to destroy everything and the good guys do manage to land a few good punches.
As I wrote, this is a great start of a new book series. Mr. Nuttall has done some nice world building for future adventures in this war and I am certainly looking forward to read the next instalment. I just hope that Mr. Nuttall is not taking on too much because there are several other book series from Mr. Nuttall where I am eagerly awaiting the next instalment. I would say to Mr. Nuttall, take your time and do not let the pressure make you churn out the books too fast. I much rather have quality before quantity.
December 25, 2015
Formulaic space opera. Likeable, but bland characters. Sometimes repetitive, with certain points getting repeated over and over again. Very stereotypical gender roles. Uninspired world building.
I like Kat and William, but emotionally they are flat. I did not connect with them and any other characters are one-dimensional and undistinguishable. The roster of characters feels as if the author took the crew of the Enterprise and gave them new names.
33% into the story nothing much has happened but setting the scene. I am totally uninterested in what happens next. They arrive at the soon-to-be-front, with the navy and the planet in shambles and the place run by an inept admiral. I guess they will land in a major mess and at the end of the book save the day, become heroes and move on to the next book to save the galaxy. Sorry, don't care. DNF.
Free copy, provided by NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
I like Kat and William, but emotionally they are flat. I did not connect with them and any other characters are one-dimensional and undistinguishable. The roster of characters feels as if the author took the crew of the Enterprise and gave them new names.
33% into the story nothing much has happened but setting the scene. I am totally uninterested in what happens next. They arrive at the soon-to-be-front, with the navy and the planet in shambles and the place run by an inept admiral. I guess they will land in a major mess and at the end of the book save the day, become heroes and move on to the next book to save the galaxy. Sorry, don't care. DNF.
Free copy, provided by NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
November 29, 2015
fast, entertaining and what one expects given the blurb and the author; while most of his books have been independently published, this one is released under the 47 North imprint (Amazon sff) and even a cursory comparison with the original version (available free on the author's homepage under the same title - see link below) shows a book that is much tighter, better paced and with more powerful scenes
space opera with villainous villains, heroic heroes and a few in-between characters, page turner not to be put down and with book 2 due in January 2016 an asap
see here the original form of the novel:
http://www.chrishanger.net/freebooks/...
space opera with villainous villains, heroic heroes and a few in-between characters, page turner not to be put down and with book 2 due in January 2016 an asap
see here the original form of the novel:
http://www.chrishanger.net/freebooks/...
September 29, 2015
This is a new series from Nuttall. Our protagonist is Captain Katherine “Kat” Falcone. She is similar to other space opera heroines such as David Weber’s Honor Harrington and Mike Shepherd’s Kris Longknife. I enjoy this type of Sci-Fi so another heroine series is great for me.
Kat has been assigned the command of the Commonwealth’s brand new warship HMS Lightning and sent to the frontier outpost of Cadiz. A war is pending between the Commonwealth and the Theocracy Empire of religious fanatics that had been exiled from Earth long ago.
Nuttall is developing the characters and basic background of the story to set up the series. The story is narrative driven and the narration is smooth. The book has action, political intrigue and humor. It appears a good editor has worked over the story as compared to some of the other books by Nuttall. I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. I am having a bit of a problem adjusting to the style of the narrator Lauren Ezzo. She is a new narrator for me. I feel some of her dialogue is flat. I think she is attempting to do the concise clipped delivery of the military but it is not coming off very well. Hope she improves in the next book. This problem with the narration may just be my having to adjust to a new narrator. Overall I enjoyed the book and am looking forward to book number two.
Kat has been assigned the command of the Commonwealth’s brand new warship HMS Lightning and sent to the frontier outpost of Cadiz. A war is pending between the Commonwealth and the Theocracy Empire of religious fanatics that had been exiled from Earth long ago.
Nuttall is developing the characters and basic background of the story to set up the series. The story is narrative driven and the narration is smooth. The book has action, political intrigue and humor. It appears a good editor has worked over the story as compared to some of the other books by Nuttall. I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. I am having a bit of a problem adjusting to the style of the narrator Lauren Ezzo. She is a new narrator for me. I feel some of her dialogue is flat. I think she is attempting to do the concise clipped delivery of the military but it is not coming off very well. Hope she improves in the next book. This problem with the narration may just be my having to adjust to a new narrator. Overall I enjoyed the book and am looking forward to book number two.
February 1, 2016
Not bad..
December 2, 2015
More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/
My enjoyment of The Oncoming Storm was hampered by two issues: an incredibly miscast Audio book narrator and a plot that somehow managed to not bring anything new to the genre of military sci fi. As such, the story is serviceable and packs enough adventure to keep readers/listeners invested. But at the same time, this is a somewhat unsatisfying snack, leaving one hungry for more substantial fare at the end.Story: Cat Falcone enlists in the military fleet in order to make her own life independent of her noble and extremely powerful father. But that same father will pull strings, get her a premature ascendancy to captain, and a mission to investigate problems at the Cadiz world outpost. With a former lover leading her marines, a highly experienced but overlooked non-noble executive officer under her, and a fanatical religious government set to declare war, she will get far more than she bargained for at Cadiz.
The premise is fairly simple and rather topical - aristocratic government versus religious fanatics in space. Nuttal smartly steers clear of making the zealots related to any particular current religion - they are an amalgamation of several monotheistic fundamentalists including tight control over citizens, lack of women's rights, and the usual 'God is on our side' rhetoric. Subthemes on the power of the aristrocracy over those born outside of nobility (think ancient Rome and citizenship) as well as military ineptitude and corporate greed are also covered. Perhaps because all the topics are timely that this book feels almost dated - contemporary religious fundamentalist struggles but with a heroine reminiscent of Honor Harrington or Kris Longknife (especially). I can't help but feel Jack Campbell did it all a bit better - and tighter.
That aside, the story flows smoothly enough though hampered a bit by characters making the same obvious conclusions over and over again. In that regard, I wish the editor had been a bit tighter and sharpened the focus more. Some observations were made so many times, I would have started counting them for a future drinking game if reading on Kindle (e.g., "take a drink every time the XO notes that Kat makes a non-self serving command that impresses him she's not like the other captains). The book feels overly long in that regard.
The Audible narration was truly bad and I had a hard time getting into the book because of the bland, staccato, over enunciated, narration. The narrator seems much better suited to a YA book like Twilight than military science fiction, to be honest. At one point, it was difficult to continue because I'd cringe every time I had to start Audible and listen to the dull reading.
June 24, 2017
THE ONCOMING STORM is the first book of the ANGEL IN THE WHIRLWIND series, which I admit seems to be a little wordy for a series title. Especially since there's nothing wrong with calling the series the KAT FALCONE series or even C.S.S. LIghtning series. It's a space opera series with obvious roots in the HONOR HARRINGTON series by David Weber but I don't think that's a bad thing as I cut my teeth on those books. I've also felt that series has gotten away from its central concept of a kickass female naval commander IN SPACE.
The premise is Kat Falcone is the youngest daughter of an extraordinarily rich megacorporation dynasty who tried to get away from her family's patronage, only to be unwillingly promoted to Captain at 29 due to those very connections. Now doubly determined to prove her worth when everyone knows she's benefited from nepotism, she gets her chance with the assignment of her superdreadnought to the planet Cadiz. Cadiz is a conservative world which basically amounts to being Iraq in SPACE and it's being incompetantly run by a decadent Admiral who wants to avoid war at all costs. War is going to happen no matter what, though, because of the sinister Theocracy.
I must admit the politics of this book left me a bit cold. As the left-leaning anarchist that I am, using the War on Terror as a basis for a conflict between Good and Evil is something I have more than a few issues with. The Theocracy is composed of a bunch of boo-hiss villains who are just this side of ISIS and the Commonwealth is a heroic band of do-gooders out to defend their way of life. It leaves a bit of a sour taste in my mouth as I've lost friends in the war and had others traumatized. Nevertheless, I'm not a person to get bogged down in the politics behind a work unless it's morally repugnant. Besides, given the premise of "Cadiz was a *********** from beginning to end", I can't really can't say I disagree with said message.
Kat Falcone is a tremendously fun protagonist and easily the kind I could see being played by someone like Emilia Clarke as an action movie. She's supremely dedicated to her job but not the point of seeming inhuman. Kat is also someone who occasionally makes mistakes, though she succeeds more often than not. Accusations of her being a Mary Sue would fail, too, as she has a limited area of expertise. When she gets caught in a ground-side terrorist attack, she's able to handle herself but not to the point of somehow becoming a Marine.
I also appreciate how the book handles class as Kat comes from an incredibly privileged position but that causes as many problems as it solves. Her commanding officer, William, was passed up for a command position because of Kat's father pulling strings and justifiably resents her for it. He's a character she manages to win over, eventually, but someone who remains nicely prickly as a result. I also liked his relationship with his smuggler brother, even though I tend to side with Scott more than I do William. His brother left his homeworld because the town gave his girlfriend up to slavers in exchange for safety. I'd want to burn down my hometown and everyone in it for that.
The Oncoming Storm is full of action, suspense, and even more than a little intrigue. It has a great protagonist and decent supporting cast too. Not all of it makes sense from a naval perspective like Kat's not-so-hidden relationship with her Marine captain but I'm willing to make some accommodations for acceptable breaks from reality. I just wish the Theocracy wasn't such a collection of cardboard cutout villains.
9/10
The premise is Kat Falcone is the youngest daughter of an extraordinarily rich megacorporation dynasty who tried to get away from her family's patronage, only to be unwillingly promoted to Captain at 29 due to those very connections. Now doubly determined to prove her worth when everyone knows she's benefited from nepotism, she gets her chance with the assignment of her superdreadnought to the planet Cadiz. Cadiz is a conservative world which basically amounts to being Iraq in SPACE and it's being incompetantly run by a decadent Admiral who wants to avoid war at all costs. War is going to happen no matter what, though, because of the sinister Theocracy.
I must admit the politics of this book left me a bit cold. As the left-leaning anarchist that I am, using the War on Terror as a basis for a conflict between Good and Evil is something I have more than a few issues with. The Theocracy is composed of a bunch of boo-hiss villains who are just this side of ISIS and the Commonwealth is a heroic band of do-gooders out to defend their way of life. It leaves a bit of a sour taste in my mouth as I've lost friends in the war and had others traumatized. Nevertheless, I'm not a person to get bogged down in the politics behind a work unless it's morally repugnant. Besides, given the premise of "Cadiz was a *********** from beginning to end", I can't really can't say I disagree with said message.
Kat Falcone is a tremendously fun protagonist and easily the kind I could see being played by someone like Emilia Clarke as an action movie. She's supremely dedicated to her job but not the point of seeming inhuman. Kat is also someone who occasionally makes mistakes, though she succeeds more often than not. Accusations of her being a Mary Sue would fail, too, as she has a limited area of expertise. When she gets caught in a ground-side terrorist attack, she's able to handle herself but not to the point of somehow becoming a Marine.
I also appreciate how the book handles class as Kat comes from an incredibly privileged position but that causes as many problems as it solves. Her commanding officer, William, was passed up for a command position because of Kat's father pulling strings and justifiably resents her for it. He's a character she manages to win over, eventually, but someone who remains nicely prickly as a result. I also liked his relationship with his smuggler brother, even though I tend to side with Scott more than I do William. His brother left his homeworld because the town gave his girlfriend up to slavers in exchange for safety. I'd want to burn down my hometown and everyone in it for that.
The Oncoming Storm is full of action, suspense, and even more than a little intrigue. It has a great protagonist and decent supporting cast too. Not all of it makes sense from a naval perspective like Kat's not-so-hidden relationship with her Marine captain but I'm willing to make some accommodations for acceptable breaks from reality. I just wish the Theocracy wasn't such a collection of cardboard cutout villains.
9/10
September 15, 2015
a new space opera!
Ok, I really enjoyed the beginnings of this space opera. A tad midshipman Honor Harrington meets a young Herris Serrano.
I know the plot is somewhat familiar but that didn't lessen my enjoyment one iota.
It's 2040 and war is on the horizon for those with eyes too see between two empires, the protectionist Commonwealth, a loosely democratic empire espousing free trade, and the Theocracy governed by religious fanatics whose main object is to convert the masses to their religious beliefs at any cost including of course mass death and destruction. (Nuttall's comments on social engineering were illuminating.)
Katherine 'Kat' Falcone, daughter of a powerful industry magnate has fled the family trappings to carve out her own destiny as a naval officer. Kat suddenly finds herself in command of the navy's latest warship 'Lightning' having been leap frogged over others higher up the rung by her father's machinations. Her command is being sent to Cadiz, a nation recently annexed by the Commomwealth for its own protection from the Theocracy. Before leaving Kat's father has secretly given her data about the situation at Cadiz. What she finds is chilling. The naval battalion stationed there is in virtual stand down and not at all battle ready thanks to incompetency or the deliberation of the assigned Admiral.
Kat has to lead her ship, convince her officers that she's capable of command, look for a way around the Admiral to bring the stationed battalion up to scratch, and investigate the battle readiness of the Theocracy's fleet. Of course things quickly go to 'hell in a hand basket' and Kat is faced with huge command decisions that might see her drummed out of the service--if she survives.
I am certainly wanting to see how things evolve and the forthcoming challenges that face Kat and her crew.
A NetGalley ARC
Ok, I really enjoyed the beginnings of this space opera. A tad midshipman Honor Harrington meets a young Herris Serrano.
I know the plot is somewhat familiar but that didn't lessen my enjoyment one iota.
It's 2040 and war is on the horizon for those with eyes too see between two empires, the protectionist Commonwealth, a loosely democratic empire espousing free trade, and the Theocracy governed by religious fanatics whose main object is to convert the masses to their religious beliefs at any cost including of course mass death and destruction. (Nuttall's comments on social engineering were illuminating.)
Katherine 'Kat' Falcone, daughter of a powerful industry magnate has fled the family trappings to carve out her own destiny as a naval officer. Kat suddenly finds herself in command of the navy's latest warship 'Lightning' having been leap frogged over others higher up the rung by her father's machinations. Her command is being sent to Cadiz, a nation recently annexed by the Commomwealth for its own protection from the Theocracy. Before leaving Kat's father has secretly given her data about the situation at Cadiz. What she finds is chilling. The naval battalion stationed there is in virtual stand down and not at all battle ready thanks to incompetency or the deliberation of the assigned Admiral.
Kat has to lead her ship, convince her officers that she's capable of command, look for a way around the Admiral to bring the stationed battalion up to scratch, and investigate the battle readiness of the Theocracy's fleet. Of course things quickly go to 'hell in a hand basket' and Kat is faced with huge command decisions that might see her drummed out of the service--if she survives.
I am certainly wanting to see how things evolve and the forthcoming challenges that face Kat and her crew.
A NetGalley ARC
March 10, 2019
Space has been colonized by two different descendant groups from Earth - there is the Commonwealth and the Theocracy. The Commonwealth has an aristocratic structure which has had trouble incorporating new races from worlds they have accepted into the fold. It also allows for freedom of religion, whereas the Theocracy is built on a very strict religious code. They treat women as slaves, have a long list of sins that are punishable by death, and rule every world they take over through fear. The Theocracy is actively expanding and has set its sights on the territory of the Commonwealth.
"Kat" Falcone has just been promoted to captain her own starship. She is sent to a border system crucial to the line. When she arrives, she finds that the admiral in charge has allowed the fleet to fall into disrepair. With war on the horizon, Kat struggles to find a way to whip things back into shape before the enemy attacks.
I am a sucker for sci-fi audio series and picked this one up. I liked this one. I think the author did a good job of world building for the first book, but I am not fully vested in the characters yet. I think it might be because of the narrator, but everyone seemed a little robotic to me (not just military unemotional). I'll give it at least another book to work itself out. I also couldn't help but compare this series to the last space opera I listened to,
, which was much better at character development and describing the maneuvers of the spacecraft in the battles. As I said, I'm going to give it a chance with another book.
"Kat" Falcone has just been promoted to captain her own starship. She is sent to a border system crucial to the line. When she arrives, she finds that the admiral in charge has allowed the fleet to fall into disrepair. With war on the horizon, Kat struggles to find a way to whip things back into shape before the enemy attacks.
I am a sucker for sci-fi audio series and picked this one up. I liked this one. I think the author did a good job of world building for the first book, but I am not fully vested in the characters yet. I think it might be because of the narrator, but everyone seemed a little robotic to me (not just military unemotional). I'll give it at least another book to work itself out. I also couldn't help but compare this series to the last space opera I listened to,
, which was much better at character development and describing the maneuvers of the spacecraft in the battles. As I said, I'm going to give it a chance with another book.
January 16, 2018
The galaxy's two greatest empires, the Commonwealth and the Theocracy, are headed for war, and the Cadiz system, right at the border and recently forcefully annexed by the Commonwealth, is likely to become a focal point - and that's exactly where newly minted Captain Kat Falcone, whose influential father's meddling got her put in command of the Commonwealth's newest warship despite the fact that she knows she's not ready for such a post, is headed. But turning down the promotion isn't an option, and as much as Kat resents her father's pulling of strings for his own ends that is bound to undermine her efforts to earn her crew's respect, she is determined to prove herself. With war imminent and the fleet stationed at Cadiz in a disastrous state of unreadiness and commanded by an admiral who is grossly incompetent at best, she's got her job cut out for her.
A good, action-packed series opener that kept me entertained all the way through. Kat is a likable character, and I'm looking forward to seeing her grow more into her role. I do rather wish her love interest (if she absolutely must have one) were a little more interesting, though.
A good, action-packed series opener that kept me entertained all the way through. Kat is a likable character, and I'm looking forward to seeing her grow more into her role. I do rather wish her love interest (if she absolutely must have one) were a little more interesting, though.
September 1, 2015
https://koeur.wordpress.com/2015/09/0...
Publisher: 47 North
Publishing Date:
ISBN: 9781503947085
Genre: SciFi
Rating: 1.5/5
Publisher Description: In the year 2420, war looms between the galaxy’s two most powerful empires: the tyrannical Theocracy and the protectionist Commonwealth. Caught in the middle sits the occupied outpost system Cadiz, where young officer and aristocrat Katherine “Kat” Falcone finds herself prematurely promoted at the behest of her powerful father. Against her own wishes, Kat is sent to command the Commonwealth navy’s newest warship, Lightning.
Review: This read like a LARPing rehearsal for ConQuest…. “Lord Vansooth from the Trulax Star System and Vice General Habbard were long in their dislike of the mannered realms…..”. And, really you could make it up as you write like I just did, and be pretty close to novels content. There was a lot of info-dumping as well, which made it hard to get through, which I thankfully did not. DNF.
Publisher: 47 North
Publishing Date:
ISBN: 9781503947085
Genre: SciFi
Rating: 1.5/5
Publisher Description: In the year 2420, war looms between the galaxy’s two most powerful empires: the tyrannical Theocracy and the protectionist Commonwealth. Caught in the middle sits the occupied outpost system Cadiz, where young officer and aristocrat Katherine “Kat” Falcone finds herself prematurely promoted at the behest of her powerful father. Against her own wishes, Kat is sent to command the Commonwealth navy’s newest warship, Lightning.
Review: This read like a LARPing rehearsal for ConQuest…. “Lord Vansooth from the Trulax Star System and Vice General Habbard were long in their dislike of the mannered realms…..”. And, really you could make it up as you write like I just did, and be pretty close to novels content. There was a lot of info-dumping as well, which made it hard to get through, which I thankfully did not. DNF.
December 10, 2015
This is a lively space warfare tale, pitting the Commonwealth against the Theocracy and showing us many individuals including some who are not strictly on either side.
There are echoes of classics such as Star Trek The Next Generation in the ranks, ship setup and other features, but we meet a newly appointed female captain from a wealthy family who thinks this is a better option than being a socialite. She's still obliged to attend balls and be diplomatic, even as war looms. Refugees are fleeing the oncoming Theocracy which we are shown as aggressive and inflexible, but later we meet a smuggler who makes good money from supposedly prohibited goods.
I liked a lot about the tale and I think the series might improve as it continues, because the initial setup always takes time and the battles have just begun. Those who enjoy military space opera can have a good time.
There are echoes of classics such as Star Trek The Next Generation in the ranks, ship setup and other features, but we meet a newly appointed female captain from a wealthy family who thinks this is a better option than being a socialite. She's still obliged to attend balls and be diplomatic, even as war looms. Refugees are fleeing the oncoming Theocracy which we are shown as aggressive and inflexible, but later we meet a smuggler who makes good money from supposedly prohibited goods.
I liked a lot about the tale and I think the series might improve as it continues, because the initial setup always takes time and the battles have just begun. Those who enjoy military space opera can have a good time.
February 13, 2017
Another solid book by Nuttall, July 26, 2016
This review is from: The Oncoming Storm (Angel in the Whirlwind Book 1) (Kindle Edition)
Shades of Honor Harrington with some Daniel Leary thrown in. If you have read all of David Weber and David Drake and crave more, you could do worse, much worse, than Christopher Nuttall. He writes solid sci-fi and fantasy. The ones who do it better are relatively few while those who do it worse are legion.
This review is from: The Oncoming Storm (Angel in the Whirlwind Book 1) (Kindle Edition)
Shades of Honor Harrington with some Daniel Leary thrown in. If you have read all of David Weber and David Drake and crave more, you could do worse, much worse, than Christopher Nuttall. He writes solid sci-fi and fantasy. The ones who do it better are relatively few while those who do it worse are legion.
September 20, 2015
Great new military sf series with a strong female protagonist by one of my favorite authors. I can't wait on the next installment.
August 8, 2019
I like the occasional brush with Military Space Opera and whilst this is nowhere near Elizabeth Moon level, it goes a a clipping pulpy pace which - considering I know it is a completed series of four books - I am happy to commit to. That said there are issues with it which make it perhaps annoying, perhaps more interesting. Yet again we have a future galactic post Earth space empire which is a monarchy - unlikely (though it leads to the obvious patronage flaws that the book wants to talk about). Politically it has undefined things to say about immigration, class and success and having a privileged heroine - no matter how aware she is of her position (and the book can linger on her genetically engineered body a touch) - doesn't really question the situation. Her having a lifer XO constantly passed over because of his origin and lack of status equally seems good to create some tension - but when all he ends up doing is praise his inexperience Captain it gets a little hagiographic. And this is before we hit the baddies - The Theocracy - who are basically ISIS with Iran at their back and spaceships. It could have been interesting if they were a space religion, or an extension of Christian fundamentalism, but names and tropes suggest differently. The desire to give our protagonist victories also means that whilst this is the start of a war, the instigators are a lot less successful than expected, and so end the book already pretty much losing something that will go on for three more books. All that said, there is something to be said for formula in its place, and this knows its place and constructs decent battles, pacing and plot points. A sherbet around some more substantial reading I think.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 24, 2017
love this series. I enjoy kat although i do want more from her. one of the big problems with this series is the author REALLY wants to write william .. when it's supposed to be more of kats book. which causes issues later on in the series. it gets to a point where you're like... i kinda dont care about William ......just saying nice EXO wonder character.... but rather annoying stiff boring old dude and i kinda want to see more of kat since she's on the cover and the other reason i read this book. chick on cover sci-fi. this kinda thing seems to happen alot...... with male writers using a female lead. other than that............. lol good seires
Read
May 29, 2017De la SF militaire de série B (ce n'est pas péjoratif) qui se laisse lire sans prise de tête avec quelques batailles spatiales entre les forces du Mal (extrémisme religieux à co-notation islamique) et un commonwealth aristocratique Le plus gros reproche que je pourrais faire est que tout est fondé sur l'action avec peu de profondeurs dans les réflexions ou trop peu de détails pour rendre consistants les différents personnages qui gravitent autour de notre héroïne Kat Falcone
July 15, 2017
This was a solid story, but for me it was too derivative when compared to some of my favorites.
I had no problem with the Theocracy as the bad guys - classic over the top fascists.
There was one scifi tech thing that drive me crazy: .
I probably won't read the next books, unless someone tells me that they are much better than this one.
I had no problem with the Theocracy as the bad guys - classic over the top fascists.
There was one scifi tech thing that drive me crazy: .
I probably won't read the next books, unless someone tells me that they are much better than this one.
August 26, 2023
At first I thought I had read this already, but it turns out this series predated the "Embers of War" series so I had some of this as background. After a couple of chapters the story began to add details that weren't in the sequel series and it got much more interesting. Kat's father pulled strings, Kat got a command early, then the war started. Well, she proved her competence and more. Too bad I already know the ending, having read in the wrong sequence.
October 11, 2018
Three and a half stars. Well paced with clearly defined characters. It is just very hard to either accept Kat as a 29 year old Captain of a cruiser, or that a system so corrupt as to place her in that position could actually form a productive military.
It is very hard getting around these issues to enjoy what is otherwise a good story.
It is very hard getting around these issues to enjoy what is otherwise a good story.
March 11, 2022
I really liked the description of this novel so I decided to read it and the over set up for a series was promising, but it was way too much information dumping to set up the series. So much information. And I can’t get over all the adverbs. That alone will keep from reading the next one.
June 4, 2017
Kat is a good protagonist, and I like her. She's the only female character who gets any depth, but she does kick a lot of butt. Even if Nuttall makes her long blonde hair she 'refuses to cut' a big part of her identity, along with her 'teenage appearance'. *sigh*
Seriously though, I enjoyed the first book and will be reading the second. Flaws aside, the story was fast moving and captured my interest right away. I have high hopes for the next one. :3
Seriously though, I enjoyed the first book and will be reading the second. Flaws aside, the story was fast moving and captured my interest right away. I have high hopes for the next one. :3
April 23, 2016
I requested this book on Netgalley because I thought it was going to be a fun romp - something to relax with after a day working in the library. "Military SF with a female lead" is basically a recipe for my perfect popcorn book.
Unfortunately, The Oncoming Storm didn't live up to even those rather low expectations. I wasn't looking for brilliance, but I was at least looking for originality. The Oncoming Storm cribs its entire setup from other books in the genre:
Kat Falcone is a newly promoted Captain, part of her planet's aristocracy, about to take command of her first ship. Her posting is to a remote world; most people seem to think there's no danger of fighting there but Kat's not so sure. When she arrives, she finds her superior officer is horrifically incompetent and no one is ready for the invasion (by a fanatic, ideologically opposed interplanetary power with a generic-sounding name) which inevitably occurs.
Now replace "Kat Falcone" with "Honor Harrington" and see how much that sounds like a synopsis of On Basilisk Station.
All right, so the premise isn't particularly original. Fine. It's an engaging enough tale if told well, so I tried to let that go and evaluate the book on other criteria. Unfortunately that didn't go particularly well either.
The writing is, frankly, sub-par. First, it's repetitive: dialogue circles around to the same point two or three times in a conversation, and the exposition will say something only to have the same thought repeated a page or two on, or mentioned by a character in the next couple lines of dialogue.
"But they don't benefit," Davidson mused. "If we believe her..."
"The story seems plausible," Davidson said. "And we are well aware of the possibility that it is a trick. However, I honestly don't see how they benefit." (one page later)
The captain cleared her throat, loudly. "They certainly don't seem to benefit," she agreed reluctantly. (ON THE SAME PAGE)
Word choice is also repetitive - I stopped counting the number of times people "snapped" when speaking - and the title phrase "the oncoming storm" appears no fewer than three times in the book. It's excessive, and it's clumsy.
There are characterization issues.
And then there's the sexism. Look, I'm not saying every book has to have the same type of woman; on the other hand this manuscript seems to bring up "traditional" gender roles an awful lot. Plus there are moments where the narrative - or Kat's inner dialogue - is critical of a certain type of femininity. And maybe that's a valid characterization for her, but when all these instances are taken together...it's unpleasant.
I'm not going to pull all the quotes here (I did on my blog, and if you want to know you can go read the full review there), but suffice to say I found examples liberally sprinkled throughout, from 2% all the way through 80%.
And you know what? I'm done. The story is unoriginal, the writing's crap, and the misogyny is pervasive. It's just not good enough of a book for me to bother with the rest of the series, and it's put me off the author entirely.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Unfortunately, The Oncoming Storm didn't live up to even those rather low expectations. I wasn't looking for brilliance, but I was at least looking for originality. The Oncoming Storm cribs its entire setup from other books in the genre:
Kat Falcone is a newly promoted Captain, part of her planet's aristocracy, about to take command of her first ship. Her posting is to a remote world; most people seem to think there's no danger of fighting there but Kat's not so sure. When she arrives, she finds her superior officer is horrifically incompetent and no one is ready for the invasion (by a fanatic, ideologically opposed interplanetary power with a generic-sounding name) which inevitably occurs.
Now replace "Kat Falcone" with "Honor Harrington" and see how much that sounds like a synopsis of On Basilisk Station.
All right, so the premise isn't particularly original. Fine. It's an engaging enough tale if told well, so I tried to let that go and evaluate the book on other criteria. Unfortunately that didn't go particularly well either.
The writing is, frankly, sub-par. First, it's repetitive: dialogue circles around to the same point two or three times in a conversation, and the exposition will say something only to have the same thought repeated a page or two on, or mentioned by a character in the next couple lines of dialogue.
"But they don't benefit," Davidson mused. "If we believe her..."
"The story seems plausible," Davidson said. "And we are well aware of the possibility that it is a trick. However, I honestly don't see how they benefit." (one page later)
The captain cleared her throat, loudly. "They certainly don't seem to benefit," she agreed reluctantly. (ON THE SAME PAGE)
Word choice is also repetitive - I stopped counting the number of times people "snapped" when speaking - and the title phrase "the oncoming storm" appears no fewer than three times in the book. It's excessive, and it's clumsy.
There are characterization issues.
And then there's the sexism. Look, I'm not saying every book has to have the same type of woman; on the other hand this manuscript seems to bring up "traditional" gender roles an awful lot. Plus there are moments where the narrative - or Kat's inner dialogue - is critical of a certain type of femininity. And maybe that's a valid characterization for her, but when all these instances are taken together...it's unpleasant.
I'm not going to pull all the quotes here (I did on my blog, and if you want to know you can go read the full review there), but suffice to say I found examples liberally sprinkled throughout, from 2% all the way through 80%.
And you know what? I'm done. The story is unoriginal, the writing's crap, and the misogyny is pervasive. It's just not good enough of a book for me to bother with the rest of the series, and it's put me off the author entirely.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
December 21, 2015
The FTC wants you to know that I received a copy of this book for free by way of Goodreads Giveaways.
So apparently this is space opera. Unlike what appears to be the entire population of the review section, my experience with the subgenre is essentially limited to the original Star Wars films. I have to say that if this is a typical example I'm not terribly enthusiastic, as while the book does take place in space it isn't notably operatic.
The Oncoming Storm reminds me of something. Star Wars, sure, but moreso Star Trek. Also, Battlestar Galactica, Babylon 5, and Halo. Hey, let's throw in Dune, Mass Effect, and Farscape just for laughs. Maybe there's simply a certain level of assumed appropriation to this sort of thing, but it all feels very familiar, with the same sort of setting about the same type of space military comprised of the same variety of people performing the same kind of actions that crop up in most sci-fi. It doesn't help that lines such as "At least he didn't seem to be one of the engineers who inflated his estimated repair times to make himself look like a miracle worker," are dropped in, as I am fairly sure that is explicitly a Star Trek thing (but don't quote me on that; dammit Jim, I'm a doctor, not a Trekkie). Some unique world building would have helped immensely, as there were a lot of scientific and cultural details that were ignored which would've added a stronger foundation for the story to sit on (though I suppose "generic assumed space opera details" were supposed to fill those cracks, which is part of the problem).
Also not helping matters much on the originality front is that, despite being set in space, the plot is about America's recent conflicts in the Muslim world, a fact so thinly-veiled that it would risk being arrested in Saudi Arabia (see, because Saudi women have to wear veils, and if it's thinly-veiled then... ah, forget it). The main antagonists are members of a totalitarian theocracy who emulate a number of practices and terms borrowed from Islam, with a few bits taken from Zoroastrianism as if that somehow makes the appropriation less obvious. There's also an armed insurgency straight out of Iraq, but placed on another planet to ensure it was properly science-fictiony. Again, is this just what space opera does? I would think that if you're going to set a book in space four hundred years in the future it wouldn't be too hard to come up with something more original.
I don't want to sound as if I dislike the book, I merely felt as though I had encountered a dozen permutations of the story before. The characters are fine, but unexceptional. The prose is dull, but acceptable. The book is okay. Adequate. A solid "C" grade.
So apparently this is space opera. Unlike what appears to be the entire population of the review section, my experience with the subgenre is essentially limited to the original Star Wars films. I have to say that if this is a typical example I'm not terribly enthusiastic, as while the book does take place in space it isn't notably operatic.
The Oncoming Storm reminds me of something. Star Wars, sure, but moreso Star Trek. Also, Battlestar Galactica, Babylon 5, and Halo. Hey, let's throw in Dune, Mass Effect, and Farscape just for laughs. Maybe there's simply a certain level of assumed appropriation to this sort of thing, but it all feels very familiar, with the same sort of setting about the same type of space military comprised of the same variety of people performing the same kind of actions that crop up in most sci-fi. It doesn't help that lines such as "At least he didn't seem to be one of the engineers who inflated his estimated repair times to make himself look like a miracle worker," are dropped in, as I am fairly sure that is explicitly a Star Trek thing (but don't quote me on that; dammit Jim, I'm a doctor, not a Trekkie). Some unique world building would have helped immensely, as there were a lot of scientific and cultural details that were ignored which would've added a stronger foundation for the story to sit on (though I suppose "generic assumed space opera details" were supposed to fill those cracks, which is part of the problem).
Also not helping matters much on the originality front is that, despite being set in space, the plot is about America's recent conflicts in the Muslim world, a fact so thinly-veiled that it would risk being arrested in Saudi Arabia (see, because Saudi women have to wear veils, and if it's thinly-veiled then... ah, forget it). The main antagonists are members of a totalitarian theocracy who emulate a number of practices and terms borrowed from Islam, with a few bits taken from Zoroastrianism as if that somehow makes the appropriation less obvious. There's also an armed insurgency straight out of Iraq, but placed on another planet to ensure it was properly science-fictiony. Again, is this just what space opera does? I would think that if you're going to set a book in space four hundred years in the future it wouldn't be too hard to come up with something more original.
I don't want to sound as if I dislike the book, I merely felt as though I had encountered a dozen permutations of the story before. The characters are fine, but unexceptional. The prose is dull, but acceptable. The book is okay. Adequate. A solid "C" grade.
January 31, 2018
The set-up on this is so much like 'On Basilisk Station,' the first Honor Harrington Book, that it's a little painful. Unfortunately, Nuttall is no Weber. The writing can be a bit stodgy in places, and the plot is pretty standard. It does diverge from the Harrington book eventually and it's not really a bad story. I'm not sure I'll get the next book in the series. I should probably read another Harrington book instead.
The heroine is an issue. She's young and inexperienced, and tossed into the command of a ship. Her XO doesn't trust her (another Harrington echo) and she's in love with her marine captain. She rises to the challenge (of course), but I couldn't help but feel that things fell into place for her more than having her work for it. (Then again, if Harrington had actually talked to her XO, that plotline would've been resolved a lot faster. People do such dumb things in fiction.)
Combat, in general, is not handled well. It's like Nuttall doesn't want to describe fighting. Also, the logic behind the lack of hand-to-hand training for sailors is so specious I can almost believe someone might actually do it in real life. The space battles are a little more exciting, but not that much.
I got this as an audiobook, and it might have been better to have read it myself. I was not too keen on the narration.
So, not bad, probably worth a read if you like military sci-fi, but I did struggle a bit with it, and there are better books out there, I think. Also, Kat doesn't have a treecat. That's a really major mark in the deficit column. Honor's treecat just steals the show, you know?
The heroine is an issue. She's young and inexperienced, and tossed into the command of a ship. Her XO doesn't trust her (another Harrington echo) and she's in love with her marine captain. She rises to the challenge (of course), but I couldn't help but feel that things fell into place for her more than having her work for it. (Then again, if Harrington had actually talked to her XO, that plotline would've been resolved a lot faster. People do such dumb things in fiction.)
Combat, in general, is not handled well. It's like Nuttall doesn't want to describe fighting. Also, the logic behind the lack of hand-to-hand training for sailors is so specious I can almost believe someone might actually do it in real life. The space battles are a little more exciting, but not that much.
I got this as an audiobook, and it might have been better to have read it myself. I was not too keen on the narration.
So, not bad, probably worth a read if you like military sci-fi, but I did struggle a bit with it, and there are better books out there, I think. Also, Kat doesn't have a treecat. That's a really major mark in the deficit column. Honor's treecat just steals the show, you know?
December 22, 2015
The Oncoming Storm for me, was a fairly interesting Sci-fi. It is fairly well paced and had enough going on to hold my attention and keep me flipping to the next page.
That being said, I was somewhat disappointed with this book as it is plain average in many respects. The main problems that the protagonist must overcome are discovered within the first few chapters. Inept / Corrupt Admiral in charge of the system closest to a likely warfront; and dealing with the anticipated attack from said front. The story takes more than half the book before reaching boiling point (the invasion), unfortunately the story leading up to that begins to overstay its welcome as little of interest happens.
If you are after a fast paced space sci-fi featuring tactical cunning, you won't find it here. To Honor You Call Us is a far better series if that is your sort of thing.
Nonetheless, I will be reading the next installment, purely because I enjoy the genre, and I am quietly hopeful that Nuttall's skill as an author continues to improve.
All in all, not a bad book, but not a particularly good one either.
That being said, I was somewhat disappointed with this book as it is plain average in many respects. The main problems that the protagonist must overcome are discovered within the first few chapters. Inept / Corrupt Admiral in charge of the system closest to a likely warfront; and dealing with the anticipated attack from said front. The story takes more than half the book before reaching boiling point (the invasion), unfortunately the story leading up to that begins to overstay its welcome as little of interest happens.
If you are after a fast paced space sci-fi featuring tactical cunning, you won't find it here. To Honor You Call Us is a far better series if that is your sort of thing.
Nonetheless, I will be reading the next installment, purely because I enjoy the genre, and I am quietly hopeful that Nuttall's skill as an author continues to improve.
All in all, not a bad book, but not a particularly good one either.
October 1, 2015
The Oncoming Storm is Military Science Fiction with a lot of familiar elements. In The Oncoming Storm they come together in a great story. The first scene with Kat Falcone shows her confronting her Father for pulling strings to get her the command of a warship going to Cadiz. That sets the scene for the rest of the story. Kat and the Commonwealth are the good guys. The Theocracy is the enemy and war is coming.
The story caught me from the first paragraph. The characters were very well developed, the plot moved at a brisk pace, the world building and back story was supplemented by a appendix in the back of the book. The plot, the characters, the pacing all make this a very good start to a new Military Science Fiction series.
This is book one in a new series. Everything is set up an exciting series.
The story caught me from the first paragraph. The characters were very well developed, the plot moved at a brisk pace, the world building and back story was supplemented by a appendix in the back of the book. The plot, the characters, the pacing all make this a very good start to a new Military Science Fiction series.
This is book one in a new series. Everything is set up an exciting series.
September 27, 2015
Nuttall returns to more creative plotting and character development after his other space opera series were waning. This is book one of a series. If you were to compare it to David Weber's first Honor Harrington book (
), there isn't as much of a full tale in The Oncoming Storm. Nevertheless, much better than average space opera.
), there isn't as much of a full tale in The Oncoming Storm. Nevertheless, much better than average space opera.Displaying 1 - 30 of 192 reviews