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Siobhan Dunmoore #3
Like Stars in Heaven
One last mission. One mysterious passenger. One baffling destination. After centuries of travel, an ancient log buoy finally reaches human-controlled space. In the midst of a stalemated interstellar war, the Admiralty has little interest in wasting resources on what would likely be a fruitless search for the truth, but someone was able to convince them they could afford to send an old, obsolete frigate soon destined for the scrapyard, on this quest. Pulled from her patrol route, Siobhan Dunmoore is ordered to take an envoy aboard Stingray and sail into a poorly charted and virtually unexplored region of the galaxy hidden behind interstellar dust clouds. Along the way, she'll come to the attention of an old enemy, now also relegated to the fringes of the war, turning a voyage of discovery into a race against time and against each other. Though her troubles quickly multiply, Dunmoore has faced worse odds. She's determined to bring Stingray home with its honor intact, and few are brave enough to bet against her, not even their old Shrehari foes.
693 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 29, 2016
170 people are currently reading
68 people want to read
About the author
Eric Thomson
39 books129 followersEric Thomson is my pen name. I'm a former Canadian soldier who spent more years in uniform than he expected, serving in both the Regular Army (Infantry) and the Army Reserve (Armoured Corps). I spent several years as an Information Technology executive for the Canadian government before leaving the bowels of the demented bureaucracy to become a full-time author.
I've been a voracious reader of science-fiction, military fiction and history all my life, assiduously devouring the recommended Army reading list in my younger days and still occasionally returning to the classics for inspiration. Several years ago, I put my fingers to the keyboard and started writing my own military sci-fi, with a definite space opera slant, using many of my own experiences as a soldier as an inspiration for my stories and characters. When I'm not writing fiction, I indulge in my other passions: photography, hiking and scuba diving, all of which I've shared with my wife, who likes to call herself my #1 fan, for more than thirty years.
I've been a voracious reader of science-fiction, military fiction and history all my life, assiduously devouring the recommended Army reading list in my younger days and still occasionally returning to the classics for inspiration. Several years ago, I put my fingers to the keyboard and started writing my own military sci-fi, with a definite space opera slant, using many of my own experiences as a soldier as an inspiration for my stories and characters. When I'm not writing fiction, I indulge in my other passions: photography, hiking and scuba diving, all of which I've shared with my wife, who likes to call herself my #1 fan, for more than thirty years.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
August 4, 2024
Like a Bull in a China Store
Like Stars in Heaven takes Dunmoore into new territory, literally and thematically. Our protagonist journeys into an unexplored region of the galaxy with an ambassadorial envoy, forced to confront the evils of diplomacy and superpower politics. In previous novels, the author never touched on these topics but reveals his ignorance in this cringe-inducing episode. First of all, the premise is nonsense. The Admiralty mistrusts our hero, and she’s shown little aptitude for statesmanship. No matter how resource-constrained, Dunmoore’s the last person who should command a last-ditch effort to build a war-winning alliance. Accompanying her is a single diplomat. Solo. No translators. No staff. No bodyguards. A sales team gets more support when selling to a Fortune 500 company. Indicators like these undermine the credibility of a seven-year stellar war.
Once first contact is made, we bear witness to the author’s lack of foreign experience. Our heroes lack the empathy to consider another viewpoint. They make moral judgments before understanding the history or cultural norms that motivate their would-be allies. Forget the superlative social skills of an ambassador! Tourists with these attitudes would be roasted worldwide as stuck-up, out-of-touch snobs. Yet here’s our inappropriate diplomat Dunmoore preaching the virtues of freedom of speech and political association. Whether on purpose or due to the author’s blind spots, the entire first contact sequence displays nothing but closed-minded ignorance. There is no open dialogue, no relationship building, and nothing resembling respect or tolerance. And because Dummoore’s the main character, she’ll be proven unequivocally right.
The worst offence is the author’s use of antagonist viewpoints, written to leave no doubt who the villains are. As our heroes step out of the room, we switch to the internal thoughts of the foreign leader. It’s a return to the terrible writing style of the first novel. Worse, such characters are high-functioning sociopaths at the apex of a nation. The author’s not capable of writing such people. There’s no sophistication or subtlety involved. Organizational tensions are naive. Bureaucracies are laughably thin. Political manoeuvring is guileless. Our return to space brings back an old enemy whose inclusion in the plot requires the most contrived of contrivances. The three-way scenario culminates in a visually striking climax that’s ultimately hollow. It’s completely inconsistent with character motivations and the worldbuilding at large.
The Siobhan Dunmoore series was never special, but Like Stars in Heaven is an incoherent tale celebrating a protagonist who acted correctly for the wrong reasons. It’s written poorly, and the author shows no signs of improvement. He ends the novel promising a Q-Ship in the next. No thanks. I’ll pass on further creative bankruptcy.
Not Recommended.
Series Overall Spoiler-Free Thoughts
★★☆☆☆ No Honor in Death (Siobhan Dunmoore #1)
★★☆☆☆ The Path of Duty (Siobhan Dunmoore #2)
★☆☆☆☆ Like Stars in Heaven (Siobhan Dunmoore #3)
As a self-serious military science-fiction series, Siobhan Dunmoore fails to deliver a stellar war. The author shamelessly copies better works without understanding the deep worldbuilding beneath, and his amateur writing tells you exactly what characters think. While each ingredient is inoffensive, the whole is less than the sum of the parts.
★☆☆☆☆ - Not Recommended
Like Stars in Heaven takes Dunmoore into new territory, literally and thematically. Our protagonist journeys into an unexplored region of the galaxy with an ambassadorial envoy, forced to confront the evils of diplomacy and superpower politics. In previous novels, the author never touched on these topics but reveals his ignorance in this cringe-inducing episode. First of all, the premise is nonsense. The Admiralty mistrusts our hero, and she’s shown little aptitude for statesmanship. No matter how resource-constrained, Dunmoore’s the last person who should command a last-ditch effort to build a war-winning alliance. Accompanying her is a single diplomat. Solo. No translators. No staff. No bodyguards. A sales team gets more support when selling to a Fortune 500 company. Indicators like these undermine the credibility of a seven-year stellar war.
Once first contact is made, we bear witness to the author’s lack of foreign experience. Our heroes lack the empathy to consider another viewpoint. They make moral judgments before understanding the history or cultural norms that motivate their would-be allies. Forget the superlative social skills of an ambassador! Tourists with these attitudes would be roasted worldwide as stuck-up, out-of-touch snobs. Yet here’s our inappropriate diplomat Dunmoore preaching the virtues of freedom of speech and political association. Whether on purpose or due to the author’s blind spots, the entire first contact sequence displays nothing but closed-minded ignorance. There is no open dialogue, no relationship building, and nothing resembling respect or tolerance. And because Dummoore’s the main character, she’ll be proven unequivocally right.
The worst offence is the author’s use of antagonist viewpoints, written to leave no doubt who the villains are. As our heroes step out of the room, we switch to the internal thoughts of the foreign leader. It’s a return to the terrible writing style of the first novel. Worse, such characters are high-functioning sociopaths at the apex of a nation. The author’s not capable of writing such people. There’s no sophistication or subtlety involved. Organizational tensions are naive. Bureaucracies are laughably thin. Political manoeuvring is guileless. Our return to space brings back an old enemy whose inclusion in the plot requires the most contrived of contrivances. The three-way scenario culminates in a visually striking climax that’s ultimately hollow. It’s completely inconsistent with character motivations and the worldbuilding at large.
The Siobhan Dunmoore series was never special, but Like Stars in Heaven is an incoherent tale celebrating a protagonist who acted correctly for the wrong reasons. It’s written poorly, and the author shows no signs of improvement. He ends the novel promising a Q-Ship in the next. No thanks. I’ll pass on further creative bankruptcy.
Not Recommended.
Series Overall Spoiler-Free Thoughts
★★☆☆☆ No Honor in Death (Siobhan Dunmoore #1)
★★☆☆☆ The Path of Duty (Siobhan Dunmoore #2)
★☆☆☆☆ Like Stars in Heaven (Siobhan Dunmoore #3)
As a self-serious military science-fiction series, Siobhan Dunmoore fails to deliver a stellar war. The author shamelessly copies better works without understanding the deep worldbuilding beneath, and his amateur writing tells you exactly what characters think. While each ingredient is inoffensive, the whole is less than the sum of the parts.
★☆☆☆☆ - Not Recommended
February 19, 2017
Book one in the Siobhan Dunmoore space opera series introduced a good new heroine.
Unfortunately, book three repeats many of the same paragraphs almost word for word. Such as a scene in which a torpedo jockey aims her weapon in exactly the same way, with the same fears and method, as in book one. It even has the same enemy. Series readers can spot recycling, Mr. Thomson. David Weber does it, too. It just took him a few more books to get there.
My recommendation for readers: read book one and stop. Or, try the sample and make your own decision - which is always a good idea, as a review may not jibe with your tastes.
Unfortunately, book three repeats many of the same paragraphs almost word for word. Such as a scene in which a torpedo jockey aims her weapon in exactly the same way, with the same fears and method, as in book one. It even has the same enemy. Series readers can spot recycling, Mr. Thomson. David Weber does it, too. It just took him a few more books to get there.
My recommendation for readers: read book one and stop. Or, try the sample and make your own decision - which is always a good idea, as a review may not jibe with your tastes.
July 4, 2024
Still Stellar
*Contains Major Spoilers*
This is a great book and a great story. When looked at in a vacuum.
From cover to cover I was enthralled with the story, a long lost colony (thanks to time travel) found thousands of years after landing when it should have only been a few hundred years old. And once you get into the story and see they're actually a bunch of xenophobic genocidal maniacs who try and capture the ship, it's a very good read.
If you sensed a "but" coming, here it is. It just feels like a bad way to continue the series. If you take out the ending where Siohban gets promoted and gets a "cool" new Q-ship (I HATE stories involving q-ships) it's basically it's own self-contained episode that feels like it has no effect on the overarching story that's been taking place up until now. It's basically a really good filler episode.
I really thought we would go 3 for 3 5-stars in a row with this series, but this one just doesn't make sense to me as a mainline book in this series. A spin off or something similar? 100% but not an actual "book 3"
*Contains Major Spoilers*
This is a great book and a great story. When looked at in a vacuum.
From cover to cover I was enthralled with the story, a long lost colony (thanks to time travel) found thousands of years after landing when it should have only been a few hundred years old. And once you get into the story and see they're actually a bunch of xenophobic genocidal maniacs who try and capture the ship, it's a very good read.
If you sensed a "but" coming, here it is. It just feels like a bad way to continue the series. If you take out the ending where Siohban gets promoted and gets a "cool" new Q-ship (I HATE stories involving q-ships) it's basically it's own self-contained episode that feels like it has no effect on the overarching story that's been taking place up until now. It's basically a really good filler episode.
I really thought we would go 3 for 3 5-stars in a row with this series, but this one just doesn't make sense to me as a mainline book in this series. A spin off or something similar? 100% but not an actual "book 3"
March 12, 2023
Great book love the story and the book narration I would like more of this book series I highly recommend listening or reading to this book ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
August 28, 2021
In this third instalment of the series our crew and their captain are sent deep into space to look for a lost human colony.
Since you probably read the first two, here the fast verdict: read this just to get to #4 or just plain skip it.
While the writing is very similar to the first two, the plot and its end are utterly predictable, the characters encountered trivial and shallow. The whole thing is not helped by the (commented upon) fact that the civilization encountered used English translations of Nazi ranks. This is completely illogical, since in the storyline they did not intend to emulate Nazi Germany. It is just a cheap "they are really bad guys" indicator.
I went to number 4 in the series, which is better. Thus do not give up here.
Since you probably read the first two, here the fast verdict: read this just to get to #4 or just plain skip it.
While the writing is very similar to the first two, the plot and its end are utterly predictable, the characters encountered trivial and shallow. The whole thing is not helped by the (commented upon) fact that the civilization encountered used English translations of Nazi ranks. This is completely illogical, since in the storyline they did not intend to emulate Nazi Germany. It is just a cheap "they are really bad guys" indicator.
I went to number 4 in the series, which is better. Thus do not give up here.
September 14, 2016
Four and a half stars. Another great installment from Eric Thomson. This is a nicely paced story with even amounts of drama and action. The richness comes from the characters that have developed through this series. It helps to have read the earlier books, but this story stands well on its own. The interaction and the introspection of the characters makes them almost feel like real people. The whole book comes together as a fun exciting read.
November 28, 2018
Dunmoore and the crew of the Stingray are sent on a long range mission to investigate a possible lost colony of mankind. When they arrive, they find a society that has developed in a rather radical direction.
While I have previously compared the Siobhan Dunmoore series to Horatio Hornblower and Honor Harrington, this instalment felt very much like an extended episode of Star Trek – The Next Generation, in all the good ways. The crew are sent on a mission. Things are not as they seem. Tensions arise. Dramatic conclusion. The structural elements of the story are not necessarily original, but the narrative structure is excellently assembled. The tension in the second half of the book is palpable; the stakes feel very real, and the pages almost turn themselves. Mr. Thomson has found a way to tell a different kind of story in each of the three books so far, and again avoided the temptation to expand the scope of the novel towards the wider universe, confining the action to the crew of the Stingray. The dialogue and pacing are excellent. My one gripe was the rather random snipe at liberal/leftist thinking, which felt like a jarring and misplaced attempt at political lecturing rather than an integral part of the narrative.
http://www.books.rosboch.net/2018/11/...
While I have previously compared the Siobhan Dunmoore series to Horatio Hornblower and Honor Harrington, this instalment felt very much like an extended episode of Star Trek – The Next Generation, in all the good ways. The crew are sent on a mission. Things are not as they seem. Tensions arise. Dramatic conclusion. The structural elements of the story are not necessarily original, but the narrative structure is excellently assembled. The tension in the second half of the book is palpable; the stakes feel very real, and the pages almost turn themselves. Mr. Thomson has found a way to tell a different kind of story in each of the three books so far, and again avoided the temptation to expand the scope of the novel towards the wider universe, confining the action to the crew of the Stingray. The dialogue and pacing are excellent. My one gripe was the rather random snipe at liberal/leftist thinking, which felt like a jarring and misplaced attempt at political lecturing rather than an integral part of the narrative.
http://www.books.rosboch.net/2018/11/...
February 26, 2024
Aargh! It sometimes amazes me how authors get it right in the first in a series and then promptly let it all go to hell in the following books.
Stick to the formula!!!!
“Like Stars in Heaven”, third in the Siobhan Dunmoore series, initially reads like a particularly bad episode of an early Star Trek series.
A lost human colony (a couple of hundred years, or over two thousand years – think time travel – has been re-discovered.
But they've gone rogue (for rogue, read Nazi) and they just want to kill everyone in their path towards domination.
It's ham-handed all the way until the final 20% of the book.
I like the protagonist but I wish Eric Thomson would just wisen up – the first book was very good, the second wasn't, and this was just disappointing.
I'm giving the series just one more chance.
2 Stars.
Stick to the formula!!!!
“Like Stars in Heaven”, third in the Siobhan Dunmoore series, initially reads like a particularly bad episode of an early Star Trek series.
A lost human colony (a couple of hundred years, or over two thousand years – think time travel – has been re-discovered.
But they've gone rogue (for rogue, read Nazi) and they just want to kill everyone in their path towards domination.
It's ham-handed all the way until the final 20% of the book.
I like the protagonist but I wish Eric Thomson would just wisen up – the first book was very good, the second wasn't, and this was just disappointing.
I'm giving the series just one more chance.
2 Stars.
August 31, 2017
To start out the premise on this story was awesome. I was totally hook on getting to the lost colony and find out what happened. I was starting to get frustrated with the stereotypical story line of the hyper-militarized dictatorship whose only goal is to steal the protagonist's tech and jump to the stars. Thomson didn't let it drag on too long and Stingray was ready for the bad guys! Finally! A veteran military crew that proactively communicates, solves problems and doesn't act like grade schoolers lost in the mall.
This book gets 4 stars instead of 5 because I was disappointed in the world building. I wanted to learn more about the development of the lost colony. We got teased with some more Commonwealth history and development so that was cool.
This book gets 4 stars instead of 5 because I was disappointed in the world building. I wanted to learn more about the development of the lost colony. We got teased with some more Commonwealth history and development so that was cool.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 3, 2018
Although I gave all three of the first books in this series four stars; I enjoyed the first and third books more. This book, like the first one, did a good job of fleshing out the characters and giving us insights into their behaviours and mannerisms. The wide breadth of characters and their different insights, witticisms, and attitudes made this an enjoyable book to read.
Unlike the second book, when characters in this book did things I did not like it still felt in-character for that person in the story.
I have been very happy with the transition between books in the series; none of them felt forced or required a leap in time, and they allowed the story to progress to completely different storylines.
Unlike the second book, when characters in this book did things I did not like it still felt in-character for that person in the story.
I have been very happy with the transition between books in the series; none of them felt forced or required a leap in time, and they allowed the story to progress to completely different storylines.
February 15, 2023
I really like the writing style of this author when he’s describing the military structure and activities of the starship. My favorite parts by far were the descriptions of the day-to-day actions, surprisingly. I also loved that the crew went down to the planet prepared, for all the grumbling of the first officer. Seeing the early reactions of the people, and noting the tendency toward fascism put them all on their guard, from scanning for surveillance devices to speaking Cantonese instead of English and using coded messages showed that these characters are intelligent. I love reading about smart characters who do smart things and still get into trouble, despite that –it’s so much more rewarding compared with stupid characters or actions. Their preparedness almost paid off completely. The only writing that felt forced was from the Shrehari point of view, but I wonder if that’s intentional. It was rougher and felt like it needed editing to bring it up to the level of the rest of the book –it was harder to read and less professional, but maybe that’s what makes it feel more alien. The climax went as predicted, but was very well written so it was very enjoyable nonetheless. This book had a definite Star Trek feel to it, with familiar references, taking some of the best rules and applying them well. Despite that, the book had its own feel.
February 12, 2019
Third in the series. Captain Dunmoore and the crew of the Stingray are given a special mission into deep space. A transmission has been heard from a lost colony and the ship is sent to investigate. This one was a bit Star Trek like, but nothing wrong with that. The colony they discovered has not developed into a utopian version of the future and Dunmoore must decide whether to follow her instincts or support the human inhabitants. And to complicate things, an old enemy has followed her trail.....
Enjoyed this, good characters and an interesting scenario for them to deal with. It worked very satisfyingly for me.
Enjoyed this, good characters and an interesting scenario for them to deal with. It worked very satisfyingly for me.
April 15, 2022
Slow oh so slow
If you are looking for action and space battles, look elsewhere. If you want political intrigue and long prose about deep space, this is the book for you
It's ok, it makes for an interesting read and at the end you get the requisite space battles, but the story is more about the people and the situation they find themselves in, rather than frequent moments of action
If you are looking for action and space battles, look elsewhere. If you want political intrigue and long prose about deep space, this is the book for you
It's ok, it makes for an interesting read and at the end you get the requisite space battles, but the story is more about the people and the situation they find themselves in, rather than frequent moments of action
January 26, 2024
What a great book. When an ancient log buoy from a lost Earth colony ship is discovered Stingray is sent on a final mission across deep space to Investigate and makes a shocking discovery. This is my favourite book so far. The story is entertaining with tension, action, a superb enemy and the return of an old foe. Loved it and Eric Michael Sumner 's narration, sadly the narrator has changed for the rest of the series.
December 29, 2017
I like this series and I enjoyed the different story which was told here. But there are moments where Siobhan comes off as strong and other moments where she seems to have a lack of judgment, and I don't mean her recklessness in the face of the war.
Be back soon with more. Check out my other review at EBookObsessed.com
Be back soon with more. Check out my other review at EBookObsessed.com
March 8, 2023
Big finish for the first trilogy, where we find the crew of Stingray set to uncover the mystery of the lost colony ship Tempest, whose drone has been found… but it’s inexplicably 2,000 years old instead of the 400 it should be.
This still feels like Star Trek, and this time the lost colony is very nearly a Planet of Hats trope (https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.ph...). But this is a satisfying action piece with cartoonish villains that I quite enjoyed, once again in audiobook.
These books are formulaic and trope-y, but the stories are well-executed, and I have nothing bad to say about the SFF equivalent of beach reads. It’s not going to rock your socks, but they serve the purpose of being entertaining.
This still feels like Star Trek, and this time the lost colony is very nearly a Planet of Hats trope (https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.ph...). But this is a satisfying action piece with cartoonish villains that I quite enjoyed, once again in audiobook.
These books are formulaic and trope-y, but the stories are well-executed, and I have nothing bad to say about the SFF equivalent of beach reads. It’s not going to rock your socks, but they serve the purpose of being entertaining.
April 5, 2023
It just continues to get better. Every part of this book delights me, and the series so far as improved book after book.
I really enjoyed all of the fresh takes of classic Sci fi elements coming into play here, and combining in New and fantastic ways.
In some ways it is a predictable tale and outcome, but my enjoyment was not any less for that.
I really enjoyed all of the fresh takes of classic Sci fi elements coming into play here, and combining in New and fantastic ways.
In some ways it is a predictable tale and outcome, but my enjoyment was not any less for that.
July 16, 2025
Siobhan delivers yet again
What can be said of Eric Thompson's writing style. He starts with some easy going pleasantries which devolves into minor mysteries. Gripping intrigue followed by intensely savage contests and in the end, bittersweet emotion. Here's to the next installment of Siobhan Dunmoore.
What can be said of Eric Thompson's writing style. He starts with some easy going pleasantries which devolves into minor mysteries. Gripping intrigue followed by intensely savage contests and in the end, bittersweet emotion. Here's to the next installment of Siobhan Dunmoore.
September 11, 2017
This was not my favorite in the series. It had a good build up, but once you saw the spoiler coming you just wanted to get it over with. The actual climax of the story was pretty good, but it just took a long time getting there.
August 3, 2018
Great story.
December 5, 2018
4 stars. Pretty good book. While the science is a bit rudimentary, the characters and story are interesting.
December 28, 2018
An exciting series with engaging characters and unusual stories. I wait for the Audible versions and like the narration.
March 22, 2019
I am warming up to this series. I thought the first two were quite good, but this third one was great. Looking forward to the next two.
May 11, 2019
Didn't like the first part and the middle was ok, but the last part was quite enjoyable and did a good job in setting things up for the next book. So much so that I immediately wanted to read it.
August 2, 2021
Interesting. (Three book Box set audible public library)
August 22, 2021
Love the Brakal scenes just for the evocative language, but I'm very sad to see the end of the Stingray era.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 22, 2022
4.5*, great yarn.
March 2, 2023
The series finds it feet just a little bit too late. Competently written, and a pleasant diversion.
May 8, 2023
Excellent
Third installment of the story is excellent. Great lead into the future story telling. Looking forward to the next chapter.
Third installment of the story is excellent. Great lead into the future story telling. Looking forward to the next chapter.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews