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Siobhan Dunmoore #4
Victory's Bright Dawn
Captain Siobhan Dunmoore wanted to believe the long war against the invading Shrehari Empire had finally banished the ghosts of her past. But when her ship Iolanthe, a heavily armed man-of-war masked as a bulk freighter, finds itself in need of replenishment after a long patrol spent stalking human and alien foes, she is confronted with events eerily reminiscent of a past she thought buried. When evidence of treason and marauders bold enough to strike a Navy outpost leave her no choice, Dunmoore knows she must finish the cleanup job Fleet Headquarters ordered her to abandon years ago.
Fortunately, Iolanthe and her crew are the perfect instruments with which to dispense much-needed retribution, despite General Orders and the Fleet's bureaucracy doing their best to tie a captain's hands. With her ship taking on the guise of a privateer, she sets out on a merciless hunt to eliminate a band of soulless soldiers of fortune and teach the ghosts of her past a lesson they will never forget.
Fortunately, Iolanthe and her crew are the perfect instruments with which to dispense much-needed retribution, despite General Orders and the Fleet's bureaucracy doing their best to tie a captain's hands. With her ship taking on the guise of a privateer, she sets out on a merciless hunt to eliminate a band of soulless soldiers of fortune and teach the ghosts of her past a lesson they will never forget.
666 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 1, 2017
133 people are currently reading
71 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 - 27 of 27 reviews
July 6, 2024
A good story
So, after the last book served as little more than a filler episode, we're finally back into events that impact the overarching storyline.
As you'll know from the last book, this one focuses on their escapades in a Q-ship. Now, I typically strongly dislike stories involving Q-ship or other special operations shenanigans. But as those types of stories go, this was a pretty good one.
I do really enjoy Eric's writing style, and he does a good job in this story.
There are a few grammatical errors in this book, but I'm starting to think that's just a byproduct of reading on Kindle. It's very uncommon for me to read a book without any grammatical issues. But, in this one, they are minor and can be easily missed.
I've rated the first 2 books 5 stars, but at this point, I feel like the books after number 2 are missing something. I can't tell what, but I can feel it. Don't get me wrong, it's a good story, but that void is still there.
So, after the last book served as little more than a filler episode, we're finally back into events that impact the overarching storyline.
As you'll know from the last book, this one focuses on their escapades in a Q-ship. Now, I typically strongly dislike stories involving Q-ship or other special operations shenanigans. But as those types of stories go, this was a pretty good one.
I do really enjoy Eric's writing style, and he does a good job in this story.
There are a few grammatical errors in this book, but I'm starting to think that's just a byproduct of reading on Kindle. It's very uncommon for me to read a book without any grammatical issues. But, in this one, they are minor and can be easily missed.
I've rated the first 2 books 5 stars, but at this point, I feel like the books after number 2 are missing something. I can't tell what, but I can feel it. Don't get me wrong, it's a good story, but that void is still there.
June 10, 2017
The adventures of Siobhan continue. This book steps back from the high level action and intensity of the first three books and takes a leisurely pace focusing on intrigue instead. Unfortunately, the intrigue isn't very intriguing... There is a bit of Siobhan's history, but it is flashes of detail with very little substance. In fact, that describes the whole story.
July 9, 2018
Can't get enough
Not a lot of good military sci fi out there any more. Too many of my favorite authors appear to be retiring but at least one author is picking up the torch.
Not a lot of good military sci fi out there any more. Too many of my favorite authors appear to be retiring but at least one author is picking up the torch.
December 13, 2018
Ebooks and the like have been a boon for writers and consumers of genre fiction, as self-published works become easier and cheaper to produce and existing publishers can take more risks on what might otherwise be marginally performing material. Since the margin is smaller, so is the risk and therefore the chances someone will take that risk go up.
Military space opera has been a great beneficiary of this trend, for better or worse. It seems like a lot of its devotees fancy themselves able to put together an interesting space navy yarn and the now lower bar allows more of them to do so. The smaller expense of an e-book or Kindle purchase -- smaller, that is, except in cases when authors think waaay too highly of their work -- nudges the reader towards a buy. As you might expect, a lot of the product is dreck. But not all of it, and so comes now Siobhan Dunmoore of the Commonwealth Space Navy as she battles invading Shrehari forces in front and her own sometimes corrupt, sometimes incompetent chain of command behind.
Eric Thomson introduced Dunmoore in 2014's No Honor in Death, as she tried to rehabilitate her own shattered soul and the proverbial "worst ship in the fleet," the Stingray. By book 4, 2017's Victory's Bright Dawn, she commands the Q-ship Iolanthe, designed to lure raiders into range with its clumsy appearance before unmasking might weapons and destroying opponents. An unscheduled refueling stop brings a shocking discovery, as both an out-of-the-way colony and its naval depot have been attacked and nearly destroyed. Some clues point the way to the raiders, so the Iolanthe will try to hunt them down aided by soldiers from the colony. But several things about the raid itself seem off to Dunmoore and her perceptive crew, so they keep an eye open for trouble. The only problem is that they may be looking in the wrong direction when it crops up.
Thomson has several novels set in his Commonwealth space universe under his belt, so he's developed a good sense of pacing and character building. His own experience in the military gives those aspects of the story solid founding, and he makes his heroes likable and villains nasty. He lays his in-crew banter on a little thick and makes his narrative more self-aware of it than it really should be.
But his smartest idea is to build each Dunmoore novel around a central mystery. In some cases it's a literal whodunit, in others the need to reconstruct events; either way it puts a lot more gas in the motor than just a string of battles and confrontations. The Shrehari antagonists don't show up in every book, but even they get enough backstory to make us respect Dunmoore's primary nemesis, Brakal.
Thomson has two other series set in this universe, but so far the five Dunmoore novels have them both beat. They also help set Siobhan among the ranks of fine space skippers worth spending a few afternoons with.
Original available here.
Military space opera has been a great beneficiary of this trend, for better or worse. It seems like a lot of its devotees fancy themselves able to put together an interesting space navy yarn and the now lower bar allows more of them to do so. The smaller expense of an e-book or Kindle purchase -- smaller, that is, except in cases when authors think waaay too highly of their work -- nudges the reader towards a buy. As you might expect, a lot of the product is dreck. But not all of it, and so comes now Siobhan Dunmoore of the Commonwealth Space Navy as she battles invading Shrehari forces in front and her own sometimes corrupt, sometimes incompetent chain of command behind.
Eric Thomson introduced Dunmoore in 2014's No Honor in Death, as she tried to rehabilitate her own shattered soul and the proverbial "worst ship in the fleet," the Stingray. By book 4, 2017's Victory's Bright Dawn, she commands the Q-ship Iolanthe, designed to lure raiders into range with its clumsy appearance before unmasking might weapons and destroying opponents. An unscheduled refueling stop brings a shocking discovery, as both an out-of-the-way colony and its naval depot have been attacked and nearly destroyed. Some clues point the way to the raiders, so the Iolanthe will try to hunt them down aided by soldiers from the colony. But several things about the raid itself seem off to Dunmoore and her perceptive crew, so they keep an eye open for trouble. The only problem is that they may be looking in the wrong direction when it crops up.
Thomson has several novels set in his Commonwealth space universe under his belt, so he's developed a good sense of pacing and character building. His own experience in the military gives those aspects of the story solid founding, and he makes his heroes likable and villains nasty. He lays his in-crew banter on a little thick and makes his narrative more self-aware of it than it really should be.
But his smartest idea is to build each Dunmoore novel around a central mystery. In some cases it's a literal whodunit, in others the need to reconstruct events; either way it puts a lot more gas in the motor than just a string of battles and confrontations. The Shrehari antagonists don't show up in every book, but even they get enough backstory to make us respect Dunmoore's primary nemesis, Brakal.
Thomson has two other series set in this universe, but so far the five Dunmoore novels have them both beat. They also help set Siobhan among the ranks of fine space skippers worth spending a few afternoons with.
Original available here.
August 28, 2021
After a - for me - disappointing third book, Mr. Thomson is back to the quality of the first two books. Fast and enjoyable, but a bit too similar to all the other space-navy books to go up to five stars.
A change of ship and crew, our heroine goes raider hunting in a fake merchant ship, A reasonable, though not complicated intrigue (that’s kind of realistic : most greed-based machinations are not of the evil-genius kind), fast paced action, and reasonable characters. While our heroine succeeds (come on, that’s not a spoiler!), she neither gets them all and neither she or we get to know all the details. (No info dumps, thank you Mr. Thomson!)
The fact that she takes over a Q-ship rings strong similarity bells to Weber’s Harrington series, but plot development is completely different. This is more due to two authors exploiting the same tropes, but not any kind of copying.
And since we are at the Thomson-Weber comparison: while Mr. Weber can be a bit overdoing the details, Mr. Thomson is cutting his tech explanations a bit too short. The fact that a battleship-type cruiser with added on merchant features can catch a typical small, but fast pirate sloop just does not make sense without some additional input.
This redeems the series for me and I am looking forward to #5.
A change of ship and crew, our heroine goes raider hunting in a fake merchant ship, A reasonable, though not complicated intrigue (that’s kind of realistic : most greed-based machinations are not of the evil-genius kind), fast paced action, and reasonable characters. While our heroine succeeds (come on, that’s not a spoiler!), she neither gets them all and neither she or we get to know all the details. (No info dumps, thank you Mr. Thomson!)
The fact that she takes over a Q-ship rings strong similarity bells to Weber’s Harrington series, but plot development is completely different. This is more due to two authors exploiting the same tropes, but not any kind of copying.
And since we are at the Thomson-Weber comparison: while Mr. Weber can be a bit overdoing the details, Mr. Thomson is cutting his tech explanations a bit too short. The fact that a battleship-type cruiser with added on merchant features can catch a typical small, but fast pirate sloop just does not make sense without some additional input.
This redeems the series for me and I am looking forward to #5.
February 28, 2024
“Victory's Bright Dawn”, fourth in the Siobhan Dunmoore series, is less Space Opera and more concerned with intrigue, treachery and deception.
There are space ships involved but it could just have easily been set aboard a present-day naval vessel sailing the oceans of the world to a colony that has lost contact.
There are large chunks of the book in which very little happens and the pacing is generally slow.
Siobhan's latest command, Iolanthe, is a Q-ship (it looks like a freighter but is actually heavily armed) which is intended to take pirates on, preferably at close range , and send them to hell.
After a successful mission the next port of call is the Cervantes colony (the author has a fascination with Cervantes and is not loathe to share it with readers). But the colony has just been hit hard by raiders, most of the government has been destroyed, communications have been sabotaged, and a small group of influential citizens is attempting to take control.
It turns out that Siobhan has a history on the planet – not previously mentioned in the books to date – and, once she's caught up with the raiders, she'll be back to ensure that the Commonwealth is maintained.
It's not a bad read but it lacks drive - the bursts of warfare are few and far apart.
3 Stars.
There are space ships involved but it could just have easily been set aboard a present-day naval vessel sailing the oceans of the world to a colony that has lost contact.
There are large chunks of the book in which very little happens and the pacing is generally slow.
Siobhan's latest command, Iolanthe, is a Q-ship (it looks like a freighter but is actually heavily armed) which is intended to take pirates on, preferably at close range , and send them to hell.
After a successful mission the next port of call is the Cervantes colony (the author has a fascination with Cervantes and is not loathe to share it with readers). But the colony has just been hit hard by raiders, most of the government has been destroyed, communications have been sabotaged, and a small group of influential citizens is attempting to take control.
It turns out that Siobhan has a history on the planet – not previously mentioned in the books to date – and, once she's caught up with the raiders, she'll be back to ensure that the Commonwealth is maintained.
It's not a bad read but it lacks drive - the bursts of warfare are few and far apart.
3 Stars.
February 21, 2019
Siobhan Dunmoore is now in command of Iolanthe, a massive Q-Ship charged with anti-piracy patrol. While returning for resupply, they find the Naval base on the planet Toboso, and the colonial administration facilities, destroyed by orbital bombardment. Many critical supplies have also been pilfered by the raiders. The crew of the Iolanthe sets off on a complex chase to bring the perpetrators to justice.
Mr. Thomson continues to keep the series fresh by, once again, telling a very different story. While lacking in the high stakes of Like Stars in Heaven, there is still plenty of action and banter to keep fans of the series happy. The introduction of many new characters, including the colourful Army contingent, also injects fresh energy. The plot does get rather convoluted at times, requiring overlong and somewhat forced dialogue infodumps.
I must gripe again that, just as in the previous instalment, there is an out of context jibe at leftist thinking for no plot-related reason.
http://www.books.rosboch.net/2018/12/...
Mr. Thomson continues to keep the series fresh by, once again, telling a very different story. While lacking in the high stakes of Like Stars in Heaven, there is still plenty of action and banter to keep fans of the series happy. The introduction of many new characters, including the colourful Army contingent, also injects fresh energy. The plot does get rather convoluted at times, requiring overlong and somewhat forced dialogue infodumps.
I must gripe again that, just as in the previous instalment, there is an out of context jibe at leftist thinking for no plot-related reason.
http://www.books.rosboch.net/2018/12/...
May 30, 2017
I really like all of the military protocol, both navy and in this book, army, in this series. The characters are great and I particularly enjoyed the new XO, Zeke and his bits of humour, and the army captain and her and her group's attempt to learn all the navy ways. The story was interesting and hopefully leads to another book in the series as this one felt unresolved. That was my biggest issue with this book. The ending felt a little anticlimactic to me. I was gearing up for a bit more action and dramatic showdown, especially between the Captain and her enemies. But I hold out hope for the next book! Good read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 24, 2017
Overall an enjoyable read. After an interesting start I found the story a bit slow until just over half way through, when it picked up pace again, as Siobhan started to take retribution on the pirates.
The ending was a bit strange, to start with a two year old could have spotted Forenza wasn’t right, but after Gerber’s death it was so obvious he was covering up, I just couldn’t understand what Siobhan was thinking. Eventually they worked it out, but by then I was getting really annoyed.
I’m also afraid I didn’t like the ending, which again left traitorous criminals unpunished, at the very least I would have liked Forenza to have had an unexpected nasty accident.
The ending was a bit strange, to start with a two year old could have spotted Forenza wasn’t right, but after Gerber’s death it was so obvious he was covering up, I just couldn’t understand what Siobhan was thinking. Eventually they worked it out, but by then I was getting really annoyed.
I’m also afraid I didn’t like the ending, which again left traitorous criminals unpunished, at the very least I would have liked Forenza to have had an unexpected nasty accident.
February 12, 2019
Captain Dunmoore has been given a new command, that of a “Q” ship, a battle cruiser disguised as a freighter. As she lures the enemy into her guns, but when she tracks some raiders back to a mysterious base she finds links to her superiors and a deeper corruption. She takes on a contingent of soldiers, making her Q ship even more dangerous....
As with previous books this is good stuff, new characters and a new ship add something different, but we still have a captain that will always stand up for what is right.
As with previous books this is good stuff, new characters and a new ship add something different, but we still have a captain that will always stand up for what is right.
May 27, 2024
From the first book in this series, I’ve always loved the way this author has described the military establishment on the starships, and this was no exception. This time, Dunmoore is in command of her new gunship, with the aim of luring their enemies into a trap, and using the superior firepower to overwhelm them. The book focuses a lot on that military procedure and protocol, sometimes to the detriment of the story itself. Especially in the middle of the book, where the new regiment is practicing its drills, it becomes a tedious mix of scenes with long titles, many minor characters, and military nomenclature. I understand that there is a lot of waiting in the days it takes to travel, and he had some interesting tactics to explore while merging a new crew, but it was a little much for me. My favorite parts were when they unmasked their true firepower, either to destroy an enemy or to impress the locals. The interaction between Dunmoore and her new crew, especially the marine Major, was also a highlight, as the relationship grew as the story progressed. The tale is one of revenge and the hunt, and the ruthless Dunmoore doesn’t disappoint. At some point, though, she’ll have to reel it in and I wonder if she’ll be able to come back to society, with its grey zones.
March 2, 2021
A pretty good sequel to a good series. Enjoyable sci-fi adventure with realistic feeling space diplomacy and technology. I especially like the acknowledgement of corruption in politics which made the world feel realistic, especially the ending where the hero acknowledges they can't fight it all and doesn't further the issue. I did feel that there was no real threat throughout which is why it only gets 4 starts. Also their ship felt slightly overpowered by I still enjoyed the book nonetheless.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 9, 2021
I enjoyed the story though it had taken so long for the library copy to come available that I didn't remember anything of the previous books.
The only issue I had was that there seemed to be an excessive number of quotes from historical figures shoehorned in. That and the main character channeling her inner Picard by tugging down her uniform jacket when she stands up and using the phase 'Make it so' haha.
The only issue I had was that there seemed to be an excessive number of quotes from historical figures shoehorned in. That and the main character channeling her inner Picard by tugging down her uniform jacket when she stands up and using the phase 'Make it so' haha.
August 29, 2017
I liked the book and really like the overall series. This book packed a lot into the story line with lots of bad guys and villains. Sometimes becomes a little predictable but then takes a drastic left and leaves you wanting more of the captain and her crew. Really liked the addition of the army unit to the ship, nice ongoing side story that enhanced the book.
August 14, 2025
My full review is in the first book of the series
-It's a ripoff of Honor Harrington
-It's better than the creator if Honor Harrington 's ripoff of her
-It's empty shalow miliporn
-There's enough right wing low key racism to make you doubt the author is Canadian.
Kinda dull. author has an over inflated appreciation of his shallow humor.
-It's a ripoff of Honor Harrington
-It's better than the creator if Honor Harrington 's ripoff of her
-It's empty shalow miliporn
-There's enough right wing low key racism to make you doubt the author is Canadian.
Kinda dull. author has an over inflated appreciation of his shallow humor.
July 30, 2017
Quite the enjoyable read!
A finish to what went before, and an emerging view of the coming events. Lots of twists and turns to keep us readers amused, while some cunning slight of hand keeps you from guessing what way the dragon will turn 😊
A finish to what went before, and an emerging view of the coming events. Lots of twists and turns to keep us readers amused, while some cunning slight of hand keeps you from guessing what way the dragon will turn 😊
April 8, 2023
Hmm. Not quite as fantastical as the previous book, this 'mystery in space' as I've grown to look forward to, didn't get solved to the degree I would have liked, but it was still an enjoyable romp, however without many twists
May 20, 2023
Excellent
Truly, a good addition. Bringing previous history of the main character makes the story line feel full and 3-D like. Combining it with the wholesale corruption of a government maintaining war to keep profits up. Sad, but very real.
Truly, a good addition. Bringing previous history of the main character makes the story line feel full and 3-D like. Combining it with the wholesale corruption of a government maintaining war to keep profits up. Sad, but very real.
December 5, 2018
3.5 stars. Fairly good story, though the story-line has similarities to other books. The banter between characters is getting a bit old, particularly when it is at the expense of real dialogue.
August 22, 2021
Who came up with the Qship concept first in milSF? Because it's the best concept ever!
November 9, 2021
The series continues
Continue to enjoy these books. Good characters and plots. Obviously the author has military experience and has a good fund of historical knowledge as well.
Continue to enjoy these books. Good characters and plots. Obviously the author has military experience and has a good fund of historical knowledge as well.
November 15, 2022
Excellent SF space war novel. Great plot and characters. Read first three books in two days and purchased the fourth book in this series.
March 18, 2024
Not as good as the other 3 and felt like an interlude to the rest of the series
August 2, 2025
What can I say about Siobhan
Again, against the odds, she has bested those who think her weak. Hopefully her next chapter will find her more unwilling scum to teach lessons to.
Again, against the odds, she has bested those who think her weak. Hopefully her next chapter will find her more unwilling scum to teach lessons to.
October 6, 2018
Siobhan and Honor Harrington would be great pals
Siobhan and her crew bring the wrath of justice to raiders and pirates with stealth, trickery and cold hard skill. No implants or super AIs to save the day, they must rely on their own abilities.
Siobhan and her crew bring the wrath of justice to raiders and pirates with stealth, trickery and cold hard skill. No implants or super AIs to save the day, they must rely on their own abilities.
March 6, 2023
4.5*, lovin' it!
November 10, 2025
This one was a little disappointing for me. The constant banter between the characters and excessive number of quotes from historical figures thrown in really took away from the story.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews