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Torchship #3
Torchship Captain
Michigan Long blackmailed her enemies into joining the war against the AIs. Now the secret she used is leaking out and the Fusion is shattering. Caught in the middle of a civil war, she will have to use any weapon that comes to hand—her wits, her ship, her mate.
- GenresScience Fiction
352 pages, Paperback
First published September 5, 2017
18 people are currently reading
34 people want to read
About the author
Karl K. Gallagher
23 books66 followersKarl K. Gallagher is a systems engineer, currently performing data analysis for a major aerospace company. In the past he calculated trajectories for a commercial launch rocket start-up, operated satellites as a US Air Force officer, and selected orbits for government and commercial satellites. Karl lives in Minnesota with his family.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
September 3, 2017
Disclaimer! I was given an early copy for an honest review and no; I have no prior relationship and have had no significant interactions with the author.
I found Torchship Captain a very satisfying book. Reading the third book of a trilogy, I would expect some deepening of the key story elements, a sense of tension, and a final reckoning. Importantly, for me, the end is hopefully without a totally happily everafter, everything neatly sorted out, all 'bad' people punished, and all elements tidily wrapped up with a bow.
The author has delivered on all my hopes, has resisted the temptation to have an entirely tidy finish, and has also delivered an excellent character driven book of science fiction with political and space opera elements.
The plot continues from the first two books with the war with the Betrayers continuing and the dark secrets in one of the galaxy's main human cultures leading to societal breakdown (to say any more would be a spoiler). The major plot threads are either finished or have very reasonable final states. (While this trilogy is concluded, the created universe is large enough for more stories.)
As I said above, it is very character driven, and I found my understanding and appreciation of Michigan Long, her husband, and all the other players grew as I read the book. I could understand and accept their motivations and also the consequences of their actions. Also, the author's writing continues to be easy to read with an engaging style.
Above all, I enjoyed the story, and I wanted to know what was going to happen next! So yes, read it! I will also be looking for future work by the author.
I found Torchship Captain a very satisfying book. Reading the third book of a trilogy, I would expect some deepening of the key story elements, a sense of tension, and a final reckoning. Importantly, for me, the end is hopefully without a totally happily everafter, everything neatly sorted out, all 'bad' people punished, and all elements tidily wrapped up with a bow.
The author has delivered on all my hopes, has resisted the temptation to have an entirely tidy finish, and has also delivered an excellent character driven book of science fiction with political and space opera elements.
The plot continues from the first two books with the war with the Betrayers continuing and the dark secrets in one of the galaxy's main human cultures leading to societal breakdown (to say any more would be a spoiler). The major plot threads are either finished or have very reasonable final states. (While this trilogy is concluded, the created universe is large enough for more stories.)
As I said above, it is very character driven, and I found my understanding and appreciation of Michigan Long, her husband, and all the other players grew as I read the book. I could understand and accept their motivations and also the consequences of their actions. Also, the author's writing continues to be easy to read with an engaging style.
Above all, I enjoyed the story, and I wanted to know what was going to happen next! So yes, read it! I will also be looking for future work by the author.
December 8, 2017
Got rather bored of reading about the main characters taking every opportunity to have sex. Didn't add to the story and became rather tedious.
The book really lost direction early on and didn't make much effort to develop the story line.
The book really lost direction early on and didn't make much effort to develop the story line.
December 28, 2021
Ultimately I found the increased horniness so late in the game really off putting. The boebert but a virgin teenager unicorn for the most dysfunctional marriage to feature over enthusiastic cuddling was really distracting from the Jan 6 insurrection plot. Puts me off the whole series tbh I’m done at about 70% of book 3.
October 10, 2017
The third book in the science fiction series. I recommend reading the previous books first.
In the previous book, Torchship Pilot, Mitchie, a spy and now a starship captain, used a secret to blackmail an entire nation, the Fusion, into the war against the AIs, called the Betrayers. It had to be done because otherwise the AIs would have wiped out humanity. However, the war is still far from over and Mitchie and her crew have been sent to the central Fusion world to gather more ships and troops needed in the war. Unfortunately, the secret has leaked out and is now leading into the destabilization of the Fusion worlds. Mitchie and her crew are caught in the middle. If they survive they still have the problem of getting the new, possibly unstable, government to send ships. Mitchie will use any weapon at her disposal to make sure she can complete her mission. Those weapons include sex and relationships.
Torchship Captain is a bit different from the previous books because most of the time Mitchie and her husband are engaged in national and international politics. In fact, when they are in danger, the situation can’t be solved with simple violence, but its far more complicated than that. Also, Mitchie has to do more very precise flying than any hand-to-hand combat.
The book has couple of explicit sex scenes but they are very much part of the plot and in character. Also, while Mitchie and her husband are happily married, they aren’t monogamous. Mitchie uses sex and relationships to manipulate the people around her. This makes her far more realistic spy than is usual in books and movies. She’s also willing to sacrifice anything to save her worlds, quite literally. I was surprised at first about some of her actions but they make sense given the situation and her dedication to her duty.
In the previous books, Mitchie was pretty much the only POV character but in this book there are several others, mainly her husband. Other secondary characters get their chance to shine, as well. Most notably, the young politician Guenivere Claret whom Mitchie manipulates pretty ruthlessly but who also is put into very tough situations, politically.
I enjoyed the whole story and this book tied up the most important loose threads together. There are clearly other stories to tell in this universe, though.
In the previous book, Torchship Pilot, Mitchie, a spy and now a starship captain, used a secret to blackmail an entire nation, the Fusion, into the war against the AIs, called the Betrayers. It had to be done because otherwise the AIs would have wiped out humanity. However, the war is still far from over and Mitchie and her crew have been sent to the central Fusion world to gather more ships and troops needed in the war. Unfortunately, the secret has leaked out and is now leading into the destabilization of the Fusion worlds. Mitchie and her crew are caught in the middle. If they survive they still have the problem of getting the new, possibly unstable, government to send ships. Mitchie will use any weapon at her disposal to make sure she can complete her mission. Those weapons include sex and relationships.
Torchship Captain is a bit different from the previous books because most of the time Mitchie and her husband are engaged in national and international politics. In fact, when they are in danger, the situation can’t be solved with simple violence, but its far more complicated than that. Also, Mitchie has to do more very precise flying than any hand-to-hand combat.
The book has couple of explicit sex scenes but they are very much part of the plot and in character. Also, while Mitchie and her husband are happily married, they aren’t monogamous. Mitchie uses sex and relationships to manipulate the people around her. This makes her far more realistic spy than is usual in books and movies. She’s also willing to sacrifice anything to save her worlds, quite literally. I was surprised at first about some of her actions but they make sense given the situation and her dedication to her duty.
In the previous books, Mitchie was pretty much the only POV character but in this book there are several others, mainly her husband. Other secondary characters get their chance to shine, as well. Most notably, the young politician Guenivere Claret whom Mitchie manipulates pretty ruthlessly but who also is put into very tough situations, politically.
I enjoyed the whole story and this book tied up the most important loose threads together. There are clearly other stories to tell in this universe, though.
December 29, 2017
I obtained my copy of this book through the Kindle Unlimited program.
Michigan Long, her husband Guo, and the rest of the intrepid crew of the freighter Joshua Davenport continue in their fight against the Betrayers, AIs who have gone rogue and moved to eradicate mankind.
Most of the book deals with the run-up to the climactic battle with the AIs. Mitchie has been delegated to bring the most splintered of the splinter groups into line with the main human battle groups. Immediate problem Number One: nobody in place as a faction leader wants to give up ANY authority. Immediate problem Number Two: hatred for other factions is a more powerful force than the desire to eliminate the AI hazard. Thus, some governments are actively working to subvert Mitchie's mission, in the hope that Hated Enemy A and Hated Enemy B will go to war with each other, leaving them to sweep in and conquer the remnants, and use those left-overs to defeat the AIs.
A re-run of the French Revolution/Reign of Terror occurs on planet Pintoy, complete with blood in the streets, guillotines, and a Committee of Public Safety. Even some of the characters see action again, although in different roles. Professor Corday provides much of the philosophical underpinnings and leadership of the early movement, although his namesake in the French Revolution, Charlotte Corday, is known only for stabbing Jean-Paul Marat in his bathtub.
A bit of political/sexual nastiness follows. 19 year old Stakeholder Guen, rescued by Mitchie in the previous book, has become the de-facto leader of what passes for government in chaos and anarchy that follows the purge of Stakeholder leadership. I'm not a fan of explicit sex scenes in books, preferring participation to spectator sport, but beyond that, I find Mitchie's action in pushing her husband Guo into sexual activity with the willing Guen to be reprehensible. Later, Mitchie is given the opportunity to explain her position, and states that her approach is the same as any wartime captain, who would knowingly send troops to die if necessary to win the war. It's an interesting topic to discuss, perhaps, but it's the equivalent of 'the end justifies the means.' That stance is a minefield, and there is no path cleared through it.
Lots of great battle scenes, but I think I enjoyed the AI battles and the resulting peace conferences the best.
Michigan Long, her husband Guo, and the rest of the intrepid crew of the freighter Joshua Davenport continue in their fight against the Betrayers, AIs who have gone rogue and moved to eradicate mankind.
Most of the book deals with the run-up to the climactic battle with the AIs. Mitchie has been delegated to bring the most splintered of the splinter groups into line with the main human battle groups. Immediate problem Number One: nobody in place as a faction leader wants to give up ANY authority. Immediate problem Number Two: hatred for other factions is a more powerful force than the desire to eliminate the AI hazard. Thus, some governments are actively working to subvert Mitchie's mission, in the hope that Hated Enemy A and Hated Enemy B will go to war with each other, leaving them to sweep in and conquer the remnants, and use those left-overs to defeat the AIs.
A re-run of the French Revolution/Reign of Terror occurs on planet Pintoy, complete with blood in the streets, guillotines, and a Committee of Public Safety. Even some of the characters see action again, although in different roles. Professor Corday provides much of the philosophical underpinnings and leadership of the early movement, although his namesake in the French Revolution, Charlotte Corday, is known only for stabbing Jean-Paul Marat in his bathtub.
A bit of political/sexual nastiness follows. 19 year old Stakeholder Guen, rescued by Mitchie in the previous book, has become the de-facto leader of what passes for government in chaos and anarchy that follows the purge of Stakeholder leadership. I'm not a fan of explicit sex scenes in books, preferring participation to spectator sport, but beyond that, I find Mitchie's action in pushing her husband Guo into sexual activity with the willing Guen to be reprehensible. Later, Mitchie is given the opportunity to explain her position, and states that her approach is the same as any wartime captain, who would knowingly send troops to die if necessary to win the war. It's an interesting topic to discuss, perhaps, but it's the equivalent of 'the end justifies the means.' That stance is a minefield, and there is no path cleared through it.
Lots of great battle scenes, but I think I enjoyed the AI battles and the resulting peace conferences the best.
May 10, 2018
Compared to previous parts of the trilogy, the plotting is subpar. Too much of the book is taken up with frankly trivial matters in the face of what appears to be the final push against the Betrayers. The Fusion civil war was set up to be interesting, but payoffs never happen. I am still confused about the analogue to the French Revolution and why even make that a part of the novel. It's so over the top with the Committee for Public Safety and all, but instead, it just goes away as if the author didn't know how to deal with it, so the focus shifts to the creepy hivemind of the Harmony worlds instead. Also, I have no knowledge of the author's politics, but his understanding of the interplay between politics and culture came across here as naïve. I'm still trying to figure out how Guo coming from such a Confucian background is as fiercely individualistic to the point of atomization as he is. We're not talking the squeaky wheel here, we are talking about beliefs that functionally make no sense given his background.
And Mitchie. Ugh, I hate her so much. I kept waiting for her to be fleshed out, but no, didn't happen. She's emotionally inert, never questioning her numerous bad judgement calls, nor the fact that she was the one who threw her marriage topsy turvy, but it's all okay because they just agreed it was okay. Huh? And yes, the entire bit with Guen was creepy AF and gratuitous.
The ending was rushed and frankly off-putting as well because again, I feel like the issues raised couldn't be resolved in a manner making sense in the author's universe he just hand waved to the epilogue and I think as a reader I wasn't supposed to notice.
Overall, liked the first book, indifferent to the second and meh on this one, which saddens me as the first book got me back on a sci-fi kick several years ago.
And Mitchie. Ugh, I hate her so much. I kept waiting for her to be fleshed out, but no, didn't happen. She's emotionally inert, never questioning her numerous bad judgement calls, nor the fact that she was the one who threw her marriage topsy turvy, but it's all okay because they just agreed it was okay. Huh? And yes, the entire bit with Guen was creepy AF and gratuitous.
The ending was rushed and frankly off-putting as well because again, I feel like the issues raised couldn't be resolved in a manner making sense in the author's universe he just hand waved to the epilogue and I think as a reader I wasn't supposed to notice.
Overall, liked the first book, indifferent to the second and meh on this one, which saddens me as the first book got me back on a sci-fi kick several years ago.
May 23, 2021
9/10: Fantastic, left me wanting more.
Man, did this one have some tense moments filled with emotional turmoil and edge-of-your-seat reading.
An itch travelled between Guen’s shoulder blades, like a knife point seeking a place to sink in.
For a trilogy, this series managed to get me very invested in the characters' well-being.
“Come, let’s get you back to your family.”
I was sooo worried about Guo.
“There’s something about going into danger that makes you stop hesitating.” “I understand. Mitchie and I started off in a similar way. Kidnapping, gun battles, broken skulls, all very romantic.”
It was a close-run thing, I really didn't know which way the story was going to go, but I'm so glad I picked up this series.
Thanks for a fun ride!
Man, did this one have some tense moments filled with emotional turmoil and edge-of-your-seat reading.
An itch travelled between Guen’s shoulder blades, like a knife point seeking a place to sink in.
For a trilogy, this series managed to get me very invested in the characters' well-being.
“Come, let’s get you back to your family.”
I was sooo worried about Guo.
“There’s something about going into danger that makes you stop hesitating.” “I understand. Mitchie and I started off in a similar way. Kidnapping, gun battles, broken skulls, all very romantic.”
It was a close-run thing, I really didn't know which way the story was going to go, but I'm so glad I picked up this series.
Thanks for a fun ride!
October 21, 2018
The Fusion of the Inhabited Worlds has fragmented into the Harmony worlds and the Committee for Public Safety worlds (remember the French Revolution, anyone?).
And, of course, the Hostile AI ships are still battling the Combined Fusion/Disconnected Worlds Fleet (which has been waiting and waiting for reinforcements yet to show up).
Michigan Long (not to mention her crew) still has her hands full in this third and concluding volume of the Torchship trilogy.
Well done, Mr. Gallagher.
I really liked the way that all of the various plot threads (from both books one AND two) were tied up and resolved by the end of this third book.
Solid space opera, recommended both for military sf fans and fans of space opera in general!
And, of course, the Hostile AI ships are still battling the Combined Fusion/Disconnected Worlds Fleet (which has been waiting and waiting for reinforcements yet to show up).
Michigan Long (not to mention her crew) still has her hands full in this third and concluding volume of the Torchship trilogy.
Well done, Mr. Gallagher.
I really liked the way that all of the various plot threads (from both books one AND two) were tied up and resolved by the end of this third book.
Solid space opera, recommended both for military sf fans and fans of space opera in general!
December 2, 2018
SF a la Heinlein, Niven, and Clarke
Great yarn with good old fashioned hard sci-fi, realistic world building, and wonderfully flawed characters that you can believe in. The final book in the trilogy completes the story of Michigan Long, Akiak Space Guard spy, Torch Ship Captain, and interplanetary political mover and shaker.
Great yarn with good old fashioned hard sci-fi, realistic world building, and wonderfully flawed characters that you can believe in. The final book in the trilogy completes the story of Michigan Long, Akiak Space Guard spy, Torch Ship Captain, and interplanetary political mover and shaker.
December 30, 2019
Could AIs take over entire star systems?
In book three of the Torchship series, Captain Long takes on the role of strategist and savior of a world caught up in civil war. She's been fighting for freedom for all; from AI subjugation and from fascist rule. She overcomes it all. A well paced read.
In book three of the Torchship series, Captain Long takes on the role of strategist and savior of a world caught up in civil war. She's been fighting for freedom for all; from AI subjugation and from fascist rule. She overcomes it all. A well paced read.
September 28, 2017
I am truly upset!
I enjoyed this series, right up until you had 2 married adults "busting the cherry on a teenager" . And that's a direct quote from the story. I hate that I'll never get to know the end of the story, because it was a good one.
I enjoyed this series, right up until you had 2 married adults "busting the cherry on a teenager" . And that's a direct quote from the story. I hate that I'll never get to know the end of the story, because it was a good one.
January 29, 2018
Third and ?final? book of a series dealing with a freighter whose present captain is an intelligence agent for a star empire. Hijinks ensue.
I've enjoyed the entire series; the lot has a heavy flavor of the old SF RPG Traveller. Worth a look.
I've enjoyed the entire series; the lot has a heavy flavor of the old SF RPG Traveller. Worth a look.
April 29, 2024
Ruined it
Your pandering sex scene destroyed your credibility as a serious writer. Another author scratched from the list. You were so close
Your pandering sex scene destroyed your credibility as a serious writer. Another author scratched from the list. You were so close
August 21, 2025
Oof, this one was a painful slog. Ever the victim of sunk cost fallacy, I persisted since I had already read the first two but yikes, absolute yawn.
October 14, 2017
Why, why, why the SF writers don't know the difference between "hangar" and "hanger"???
March 3, 2024
I loved the series and the universe created, eapecially the comcept of analog ships. But the last book in the series is by far the weakest. There is a gratuitous squick scene that felt really out of place in the general treatment of sex in the series. The book also felt incredibly rushed, especially the latter half. Everything was tied up neatly with a bow. The throwaway line in a previous book about other gate chains possibly harboring human survivors is never mentioned again. This would have benefited from being split into two books and fleshed out a bit more.
May 2, 2018
This was the best of the Torchship trilogy but also would not work as a standalone novel, unlike the second novel. There is not really any way to talk about the plot without spoilers, but it had great characters and plot, descent/plausible science, and was thoroughly entertaining.
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